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Author: Robert F. Sexton Publisher: Teachers College Press ISBN: 9780807744413 Category : Education Languages : en Pages : 148
Book Description
Tired of the complacent attitudes Kentucky politicians showed toward education, the Prichard Committee formed as an organization to galvanize the citizens of Kentucky to attack the state's historic educational deficits. The committee's campaigning helped prepare the way for the passage of the Kentucky Education Reform Act in 1990 and continues to work for school reform today. Based on his wealth of experience and success with the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, Sexton provides invaluable guidance for citizens of all states who are interested in implementing school reform.
Author: Robert F. Sexton Publisher: Teachers College Press ISBN: 9780807744413 Category : Education Languages : en Pages : 148
Book Description
Tired of the complacent attitudes Kentucky politicians showed toward education, the Prichard Committee formed as an organization to galvanize the citizens of Kentucky to attack the state's historic educational deficits. The committee's campaigning helped prepare the way for the passage of the Kentucky Education Reform Act in 1990 and continues to work for school reform today. Based on his wealth of experience and success with the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, Sexton provides invaluable guidance for citizens of all states who are interested in implementing school reform.
Author: Margaret McNamara Publisher: Schwartz & Wade ISBN: 1984892827 Category : Juvenile Fiction Languages : en Pages : 22
Book Description
In this charming and powerful picture book about voting and elections, the students of Stanton Elementary School learn how we can find--and use--our voices for change. Every two years, on the first Tuesday of November, Stanton Elementary School closes for the day. For vacation? Nope! For repairs? No way! Stanton Elementary School closes so that it can transform itself into a polling station. People can come from all over to vote for the people who will make laws for the country. Sure, the Stanton Elementary School students might be too young to vote themselves, but that doesn't mean they can't encourage their parents, friends, and family to vote! After all, voting is how this country sees change--and by voting today, we can inspire tomorrow's voters to change the future.
Author: Brenda J. Turnbull Publisher: ISBN: Category : Languages : en Pages : 75
Book Description
This report analyzes the results of a bold set of initiatives designed to stimulate and support public responsibility for public education in 14 locales around the country. Local education funds (LEFs) led these initiatives, which received support from the Annenberg Foundation through the LEFs' national organization, the Public Education Network (PEN). In each of the three initiatives, the LEFs were expected to lead a process of community engagement in one area of local education policy: equipping students to meet the standards set forth in accountability systems; improving teaching quality; or strengthening school-community ties. Based on the analysis of this evidence, the evaluators conclude that in one of the participating sites, the ambitious ideal of the initiatives was very substantially realized. In that site--Mobile, Alabama--the LEF organized broad based public participation by Mobile County residents in articulating a vision for the education of all children, pressing for school improvement aligned with that vision, and monitoring the system's progress. Policy and practice have changed in response to public engagement. The success achieved in Mobile demonstrates that the aims of the initiatives are in fact reachable. Evidence from the other sites suggests that the vision could eventually be realized elsewhere, as well. Nearly all of the participating sites broadened participation in policy conversations and saw some changes in policy, although the public was not the driving force for policy change in these other sites. A few participating LEFs made little progress toward realizing the vision of more broad-based and active public responsibility. In each of these cases, staff changes and competing organizational priorities weakened the focus on the initiatives' aims--although even in these sites there were activities consistent with the initiatives, with some resulting response from the public. Aside from these few least-successful sites, all the other LEFs saw many instances of individuals and organizations in the community attending events, raising their voices for school reform, planning together, and taking action. Most also saw some changes in policy and practice. Whether the public will continue to support and press for a shared policy vision remains an open question at this time, but groundwork is in place for such a result in most of the participating sites. Because the design of the PEN policy initiatives is unconventional in education reform--not centered on the work of the professionals in school systems, but instead straddling schools and community in order to strengthen both--this report contains a good deal of description of the work that was done and the community response that ensued. Public responsibility is a new field of endeavor in education reform, and this report seeks to contribute to the field by building a descriptive base of knowledge about it. The report also analyzes the strengths and weaknesses found in the implementation of the initiatives, identifying both local and national factors. The following are appended: (1) Individual Site Summaries; and (2) Behavioral Outcomes Indicating Public Responsibility. (Contains 1 exhibit and 1 table.).
Author: Diane Ravitch Publisher: Yale University Press ISBN: 0300129785 Category : Education Languages : en Pages : 366
Book Description
divAmericans have reason to be concerned about the condition of American democracy at the start of the twenty-first century. Surveys show that civic participation has declined, cynicism about government has increased, and young people have a weak grasp of the principles that underlie our constitutional system. Crucial questions must be answered: How serious is the situation? What role do schools play in shaping civic behavior? Are current education reform initiatives—such as multiculturalism and school choice—counterproductive? How can schools contribute toward reversing the trend? This volume brings together leading thinkers from a variety of disciplines to probe the relation between a healthy democracy and education. Their original and provocative discussions cut across a range of important topics: the cultivation of democratic values, the formation of social capital in schools and communities, political conflict in a pluralist society, the place of religion in public life, the enduring problems of racial inequality. Gathering together the most current research and thinking on education and civil society, this is a book that deserves the attention of everyone who cares about the quality and future of American democracy./DIV
Author: Pasi Sahlberg Publisher: Teachers College Press ISBN: 0807752576 Category : Education Languages : en Pages : 193
Book Description
Finnish Lessons is a first-hand, comprehensive account of how Finland built a world-class education system during the past three decades. The author traces the evolution of education policies in Finland and highlights how they differ from the United States and other industrialized countries. He shows how rather than relying on competition, choice, and external testing of students, education reforms in Finland focus on professionalizing teachers' work, developing instructional leadership in schools, and enhancing trust in teachers and schools. This book details the complexity of educational change and encourages educators and policymakers to develop effective solutions for their own districts and schools.
Author: Hilda Borko Publisher: Teachers College Press ISBN: 0807773794 Category : Education Languages : en Pages : 161
Book Description
This resource will help school leaders and other professional development providers conduct ongoing, structured learning opportunities for mathematics teachers (K–12). The authors present models for professional development and the preparation of PD leaders designed and field-tested as part of two research projects supported by the National Science Foundation. The Problem-Solving Cycle model and the Mathematics Leadership Preparation model focus on topics of primary interest to mathematics teachers—mathematics content, classroom instruction, and student learning. They are intentionally designed so that they can be tailored to meet the needs and interests of participating teachers and schools. Through engaging vignettes, the authors describe the models, summarize key research findings, and share lessons learned. The book also includes detailed examples of workshop activities for both teachers and PD leaders. Book Features: Supports teachers’ learning and teaching of math in line with current reform principles.Develops math teachers’ capacity to foster students’ learning of the CCSSM content and practices.Prepares teacher leaders to facilitate professional development.Illustrates the use of video as part of professional development.Includes examples of workshop activities for teachers and teacher leaders. “This book presents an approach to teacher professional learning that integrates many popular ideas in the field, such as teacher leadership, evidence-based practice, and teacher learning communities. It avoids the superficiality that plagues so many treatments of these themes, offering readers depth, substance, detail, and clarity. This will surely be a valuable resource for educational leaders and professional development specialists seeking research-based ways to assist teachers to engage effectively in ambitious mathematics instruction that enables students to understand mathematics deeply and to use it effectively to solve problems.” —Edward A. Silver, William A. Brownell Collegiate Professor of Education & Professor of Mathematics, University of Michigan “Mathematics Professional Development delivers the details we need but can rarely access. The authors detail a research-based, principled approach to school-based professional development that supports teachers in taking on the continual improvement of their practice.” —Megan Franke, professor, UCLA
Author: Joel Westheimer Publisher: Teachers College Press ISBN: 0807773697 Category : Education Languages : en Pages : 122
Book Description
How can schools teach the skills required for a strong democracy to flourish? What Kind of Citizen? asks readers to imagine the kind of society they would like to live in—and then shows the ways in which schools can be used to make that vision a reality. Westheimer draws on groundbreaking research on school programs and policies to sharply critique the current direction of school reform. He points to the many varied and powerful ways to teach children and young adults to engage critically, to think about social issues, and to participate in authentic debate that acknowledges that intelligent adults can have different opinions. But today’s teachers are being forced to abandon these practices in favor of test-preparation in only a very narrow set of academic subjects. How did this happen? What can we do to set schools back on the right track? How can we realign school goals with what research shows parents, children, and teachers actually care about? How can we save our schools from today’s myopic interpretation of what constitutes an education? Westheimer answers these questions and makes a powerful call for schools to become more engaging, more democratic, and more educative. “Among the many casualties of a preoccupation with rigor and accountability is the prospect of education for meaningful democratic citizenship. In this refreshingly accessible book, Westheimer not only makes that point but explains the importance of helping students to think critically and question tradition. He issues a welcome invitation to connect our conception of the ideal school to its impact on our broader society.” —Alfie Kohn, bestselling author “What does it mean to be a democratic citizen? And what kind of education produces one? For the past 2 decades, Joel Westheimer has been one of North America's most knowledgeable and able guides to these critical issues. Along the way, he has forced us to reconsider the larger goals and purposes of our public schools. His book will provide an invaluable roadmap for anyone who asks the big questions, no matter what they think of his answers.” —Jonathan Zimmerman, New York University “In this highly readable, persuasive book, Joel Westheimer reminds us that, in our zeal for higher test scores, we seem to have forgotten the highest aim of education—to produce better people, more thoughtful citizens.” —Nel Noddings, Stanford University
Author: Thomas Hatch Publisher: Teachers College Press ISBN: 0807771155 Category : Education Languages : en Pages : 387
Book Description
This book shows how school improvement efforts are often undermined by the changing conditions around schools, as well as by some of the very policies and programs designed to help them make improvements. Hatch argues that schools cannot wait around for conditions to improve or policymakers to figure out how to provide the right support. Schools need to create the conditions for their own success. To help them accomplish that, the A01thor describes a small set of key practices that schools can use to get resources, manage external demands, and build their capacity to make and sustain improvements over time.
Author: Robert F. Sexton
Author: Robert F. Sexton
Author: Margaret McNamara
Author: United States. Office of Education
Author: Brenda J. Turnbull
Author: Diane Ravitch
Author: Pasi Sahlberg
Author: Hilda Borko
Author: Joel Westheimer
Author: Thomas Hatch
Author: Malcolm Langford