How Should Colleges Ask About Students’ Sexual Orientation?

In recent years, there has been increasing interest among admission officers regarding the identification of LGBT students on campus. Reliable statistics about LGBT populations on campuses across the country are all but non-existent, and many progressive institutions are aiming to remedy that problem. It is a growing concern: How can schools provide outreach and support (and increase retention rates) for LGBT students if this at-risk population continues to be invisible? Likewise, LGBT campus groups are almost uniformly in favor of collecting reliable data that will document the presence of LGBT students on campus, which would help these groups advocate more successfully for funding and support

The Influence of Feminist Pedagogy on Student Participation and Student Perception of Learning Environment in Distance Education: A Comparative Study of Web-Based Graduate Distance Education Courses

The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship existed between the level of feminist pedagogy employed in a course and student participation or student perception in that course. The study attempted to measure the level of feminist pedagogy employed in eight randomly selected, web-based distance education courses using a researcher-created instrument: The Feminist Pedagogy Scoring Rubric. Additionally, student perception of learning environment in each course was analyzed through the use of the Distance and Open Learning Environment Scale (DOLES). The rate of student participation in each course was determined by analyzing archived online communications. Four main tenets of feminist pedagogy were measured by The Feminist Pedagogy Scoring Rubric: Heterogeneity, Collaborative Learning Environment, Connected Learning, and Decentralized Authority. The DOLES instrument included 40 survey items divided into five main core scales: Student Cohesiveness, Teacher Support, Personal Involvement and Flexibility, Task Orientation and Material Environment, and Home Environment. The findings of this study indicate that there is a strong, positive relationship between the level of feminist pedagogy employed in a course and the level of student participation in that course. No relationship was found between the level of feminist pedagogy employed in a course and students’ perceptions of the learning environment in that course

A eficácia de professores de inglês e da Common Core (CCSS)

Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and teacher effectiveness are among the most contentious issues in education today. With an increase in English language learners (ELLs) and the rigorous requirements imposed by the CCSS, teachers are left unprepared and ELLs struggle to stay afloat. Using California as a case study, this research synthesis outlines the current problem, which includes the complexity of the CCSS, the achievement gap between ELLs and their peers, and ill-equipped teachers. In addition, present-day efforts to alleviate such difficulties like the revised World Language: English Language Development credential and multicultural training are outlined. Based on our review, we recommend targeted policy changes, which include preservice teachers’ participation in extensive fieldwork with ELLs, in-service teachers’ comprehensive professional development connected to practice, as well as a systematic evaluation process to measure ELL teacher effectiveness.El Common Core (CCSS) y la efectividad de los maestros se encuentran entre los temas más polémicos de la educación hoy en día. Con un aumento en los estudiantes de inglés (ELLs) y los requisitos severos propuestos por la CCSS, los maestros se encuentran mal preparados y los ELLs luchan para sostenerse a flote. Usando California como estudio de caso, esta síntesis de investigación resume el problema actual, que incluye la complejidad de la CCSS, la diferencia de rendimiento entre los ELL y sus compañeros, y los maestros mal equipados. Además, se describen los esfuerzos actuales para aliviar dificultades, como la credencial revisada del Idioma Mundial: Desarrollo del Aprendizaje Inglés y entrenamiento multicultural. Basándonos en nuestro análisis, recomendamos cambios de pólizas específicas, que incluyen la participación de los maestros y profesores en el ámbito con ELLs, el desarrollo profesional integral de los maestros en servicio conectado con la práctica, así como un proceso sistemático de evaluación para medir la efectividad de los maestros.  O Common Core (CCSS) e a eficácia dos professores estão entre as questões mais controversas na educação hoje. Com um aumento de alunos línguas Inglês (ELL) e severas exigências propostas pela CCSS, os professores são mal preparados e ELLs luta para manter à tona. Usando a Califórnia como um estudo de caso, esta síntese pesquisa resume o problema actual, incluindo a complexidade da CCSS, a diferença de desempenho entre ELLs e seus companheiros, e professores mal equipadas. Além disso, os atuais esforços para aliviar as dificuldades são descritos como a revista credencial Mundo Idioma: Inglês Desenvolvimento Aprendizagem e formação multicultural. Com base em nossa análise, recomendamos alterações de políticas específicas, incluindo a participação de professores no campo com ELLs, desenvolvimento profissional abrangente de professores em serviço ligado com um processo de avaliação sistemática prática e medir eficácia do professor

LGBTQ Students

As with any sub-population of college stu­dents, there is a great deal of variance among individual LGBTQ students in terms of their ex­pectations and desires when it comes to choos­ing or persisting at a particular college. Perhaps the one unifying objective among members of this group is a goal common to almost every student at every level of study: to find an edu­cational environment in which the student will feel valued and supported while pursuing his or her educational goals. To this end, LGBTQ stu­dents have unique needs that historically have gone unaddressed