Addressing the Principles for School Mathematics: A Case Study of Elementary Teachers Pedagogy and Practices in an Urban High-Poverty School

The extent to which four novice teachers assigned to an urban high-poverty school implemented the Principles of School Mathematics during their mathematics instruction program was investigated using a case study design. The research team conducted 36 unannounced observations of the participating teachers and utilized a developed assessment to guide their observations. Results indicated that only one teacher was judged proficient for all the principles. The remaining three teachers fell short in the implementation and direction of the principles. Detailed descriptions of the pedagogical practices of the teachers are provided

Responding to the Needs of At-Risk Students in Poverty

A major challenge in the educational system today is improving the quality of instruction for urban students. Concentrated poverty, family instability, and early exposure to violence are but a few hardships typical of growing up in an urban environment. From an early age urban children are confronted with a series of obstacles in their attempts to meet academic, personal, and social success. Urban teachers need to be conscious of and understand the ecology of the environment that has a profound influence and impact on the urban child’s success in school. Additionally, urban teachers must respond to the needs of their students by creating culturally responsive classrooms that spotlight a variety of instructional practices and methodologies that reduce the risks of school failure. In this article, we identify the external factors (outside of school) and internal factors (in school) that continuously place urban children at risk for academic failure. A profile of effective urban teachers who respond to these external and internal factors, and are culturally proficient is presented

Investigating Estimation: Influences of Time and Confidence of Urban Middle School Students

This study sought to determine the estimation processes used by 10 urban middle school students for solving computational estimation problems, and if there was a difference in the estimation processes utilized for straight computation and application problems. An adapted model of the Accessing Computational Estimation Test (ACE) was used to determine the estimation strategies employed by the subjects within timed and un-timed settings. Qualitative methods were used to analyze the data. The timed ACE tests were administered using an interview format and included computation and application problems. The findings indicated that there were no differences in estimation processes for straight computation and application problems; however, students performed better on timed tests for application problems

Addressing Urban High-Poverty School Teacher Attrition by Addressing Urban High Poverty School Teacher Retention: Why Effective Teachers Perservere

Recruiting and retaining quality teachers specific for high-poverty schools in urban areas is a national concern, especially in light of the No Child Left Behind federal legislation. The educational realities, detrimental effects of poverty, and human despair that often depress low-income communities can prove to be quite overpowering for many teachers new to the profession and significantly contribute to high levels of teacher absenteeism, attrition rates, and teacher shortages. Examining this issue through a new lens, that being through the eyes of effective urban high-poverty school educators, has the potential to spark spirited conversations and debates among policy makers and educators alike so that significant polices and efforts can be developed and implemented. Therefore, the intent of this study was to develop a profile of high-quality educators who remain in urban high-poverty schools within a large metropolitan school district, and identify the indicators that influence them to remain. The results indicated that teachers who are African American, older, and more experienced define the profile of teachers most likely to remain beyond the first three years in this demanding setting. Additionally, these teachers reported that they remain because they believe they are well suited for teaching in high-poverty schools. Unless more attention is given to teacher retention, and why some educators are successful and persevere in even the most hard-to-staff schools, teacher attrition will continue to be a national concern