A study suggests that school-based prevention programs begun in elementary school can significantly reduce problem behaviors in students. Fifth graders who previously participated in a comprehensive interactive school prevention program for one to four years were about half as likely to engage in substance abuse, violent behavior, or sexual activity as those who did not take part in the program. The study, supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse ( NIDA ), a component of the National Institutes of Health, will appear in the August 2009 print issue of the American Journal of Public Health. The online version of the article is viewable today.
"This study provides compelling evidence that intervening with young children is a promising approach to preventing drug use and other problem behaviors," said NIDA Director Dr. Nora Volkow. "The fact that an intervention beginning in the first grade produced a significant effect on children’s behavior in the fifth grade strengthens the case for initiating prevention programs in elementary school, before most children have begun to engage in problem behaviors."
The study was conducted in 20 public elementary schools in Hawaii. Participating schools had below-average standardized test scores and diverse student populations, with an average of 55 percent of students receiving free or reduced-price lunches.
The intervention tested was Positive Action ( PA ), a comprehensive K–12 social and emotional development program for enhancing behavior and academic achievement. Schools were randomly assigned from matched pairs either to implement PA or not. The program consists of daily 15–20 minute interactive lessons focusing on such topics as responsible self-management, getting along with others, and self-improvement. At schools implementing the intervention, these lessons occupied a total of about 1 hour per week beginning in the first or second grade.
In fifth grade, 976 students ( most of whom were aged 10 or 11 ) responded to a written questionnaire that asked about their use of substances, including tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs; involvement in violent behaviors, such as carrying a knife or threatening someone; and voluntary sexual activity. The total number of students reporting that they had engaged in any of these behaviors was small. Strikingly, however, students exposed to the PA program were about half as likely to report engaging in any of these behaviors as students not exposed to PA. Among students who were exposed to PA, those who had received the lessons for 3 or more years reported the lowest rates of experience with any of these problem behaviors.
"This study demonstrates that a comprehensive, schoolwide social and character development program can have a substantial impact on reducing problem behaviors of public health importance in elementary-school-age youth," said Dr. Brian Flay of Oregon State University, the study’s principal investigator.
PA is an interactive program that integrates teacher/student contact and opportunities for the exchange of ideas as well as feedback and constructive criticism. The program is schoolwide and involves teachers and parents as well as students. It takes a positive, holistic approach to social and emotional development rather than focusing on the negative aspects of engaging in substance abuse and violence. Additionally, at 1 hour per week, students’ exposure to the program was intensive. "These features likely account for the large effect observed," concluded Dr. Flay.
Dr. Flay plans to conduct a follow up study to determine whether the beneficial effects of the PA program on fifth graders are sustained as the children grow older.
Understanding Reading First
What We Know, What We Don’t, and What’s Next
This policy brief describes what Reading First was, sets the context in which it was implemented and the studies were conducted, summarizes the findings, and discusses the implications both for federal and state policy and for future research in the teaching of early reading.
The bottom line is that Reading First did increase the provision of professional development for teachers and of reading coaches and supports for struggling readers in schools that received funding. The program did influence how teachers taught — in ways that are aligned with scientifically based reading research (as summarized by the National Reading Panel in 2000), a key goal of the legislation. Unfortunately, these improvements did not produce higher reading comprehension scores on average among students in the Reading First schools. Nonetheless, there is some suggestive evidence that Reading First funding may have improved comprehension in schools in which the effects on teacher instruction were larger.
Complete paper:
http://www.mdrc.org/publications/518/policybrief.pdf
Cooperative Learning Methods Top List of Effective Approaches for Secondary Mathematics, Finds Johns Hopkins Review
Cooperative learning methods have been found to be most effective in raising the math scores of middle and high school students, according to a comprehensive research review by the Johns Hopkins University School of Education's Center for Research and Reform in Education.
Robert Slavin, director of the center, and Cynthia Lake, research scientist, reviewed 102 previously released experimental studies evaluating the effectiveness of math programs in the middle school grades. The review builds on their analysis of elementary math programs published in 2008.
The researchers' review covered three approaches to improving math achievement: textbooks, computer-assisted instruction and approaches emphasizing professional development in specific teaching methods, such as cooperative learning (in which students interact in teams) and teaching of learning skills.
Both the elementary math and the middle and high school math reviews found that the most effective programs focus on daily teaching practices. Two cooperative learning programs for middle and high school math-STAD (Student Teams-Achievement Divisions) and IMPROVE-showed the strongest evidence of effectiveness..
"The findings of this review suggest that educators as well as researchers might do well to focus more on how the classroom is organized to maximize student engagement and motivation, rather than expecting that choosing one or another textbook by itself will move students forward," Slavin said. "Both the elementary review and the current review find that the programs that produce consistently positive effects on achievement are those that fundamentally change what students do every day in their core math classes."
Researchers conducted a broad literature search in order to locate every study comparing the effectiveness of various math programs to traditional control groups.
The results were published in the June 2009 issue of the American Educational Research Association's Review of Educational Research. The review notes that the three approaches to mathematics instruction do not conflict and may have added effects if used together.
The Johns Hopkins Center for Research and Reform in Education is conducting one of the largest research review projects ever undertaken to increase the use of evidence in education to improve student achievement. The intent is to place all types of programs on a common scale to provide educators with meaningful unbiased information that they can use to select programs and practices most likely to make a difference with their students. Topics include reading, math and other programs for grades K-12. Educator-friendly ratings of effective education programs as well as the full reports appear on the Best Evidence Encyclopedia Web site at http://www.bestevidence.org .
The School of Education's Center for Research and Reform in Education is a nonprofit center that received funding from the Institute of Education Sciences at the U.S. Department of Education. For more information on the center, go to: http://education.jhu.edu/crre .
ACLU of Michigan Releases Report Identifying School-to-Prison Pipeline in State
Report documents disproportionate disciplinary practices towards African American students, offers realistic recommendations to combat problem
The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan has released a comprehensive report entitled “Reclaiming Michigan’s Throwaway Kids: Students Trapped in the School-to-Prison Pipeline,” which documents a trend amongst school districts to enforce severe disciplinary policies and practices that push children permanently out of the classroom without regard for the long-term impact. The school-to-prison pipeline refers to the national trend of criminalizing, rather than educating, our children.
“This report provides critical information for all those committed to improving our public schools in the state – it documents and analyzes data that shows how the frequent use of suspensions and expulsions contributes to our high drop-out rate and how those suspension practices hit black students the hardest, putting them on a high-risk path to incarceration,” said Kary L. Moss, ACLU of Michigan’s executive director. “We cannot deal with the corrections budget until we deal with the ‘pipeline’ leading from the educational system to prison.”
Information within the report was obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests to school districts across the state, interviews with students, parents, and educators; information obtained while providing advocacy work to students facing discipline; scholarly reports and studies; legal analyses; and information collected while providing aggrieved students with legal representation.
Through its research the ACLU found that disproportionate discipline towards African American students was apparent in the majority of the school districts examined in the study. For instance, in the Ann Arbor School District during the 2006/07 school year, black students accounted for 18 percent of a secondary school student population, but they received 58 percent of suspensions. This trend is reflected in school districts statewide.
“In school district after school district, from one end of the state to another, we found that black kids are consistently suspended in numbers that are considerably disproportionate to their representation in the various student populations,” said Mark P. Fancher, ACLU of Michigan Racial Justice Project staff attorney and principal author of the report. “More alarming still are studies we examined that show that the behavior of black kids and white kids is essentially the same, and black kids are still kicked out of school proportionately more often. This is true regardless of socio-economic factors and geography.”
Studies show that when students are repeatedly suspended, they are substantially at greater risk of leaving school altogether. In at least one study of the Grand Rapids School District, 31 percent of students with three or more suspensions before spring semester of their sophomore year dropped out, while only 6 percent of students with no history of suspensions dropped out. Although there are few efforts made to track the whereabouts of students who leave school, 68 percent of Michigan’s prisoners are identified as high school dropouts.
The study found that one significant contributor in Michigan’s school-to-prison pipeline is the overreaching lack of due process. Unfortunately, due process policies and procedures to remove students from Michigan’s public schools vary from district to district. To combat this problem, the ACLU recommends uniform statewide procedural protocols for the discipline of students that ensure students accused of misconduct have full and fair opportunities to explain their actions and otherwise defend themselves.
In addition, Michigan’s “zero tolerance” expulsion law, which is broader in scope than federal law requires, also contributes to the school-to-prison pipeline. Federal law requires that states receiving federal education funds must enact a law mandating one-year expulsions of students who posses firearms. However, Michigan’s law goes a step further and requires the expulsion of students who possess a “dangerous weapon.” In many instances, well behaved, unsuspecting students have faced serious consequences for carrying items that do not necessarily reflect this definition.
“As an attorney, I am highly trained to deal with the loss of rights and conflict resolution, but even I was at a loss when my daughter’s school nearly expelled her for bringing an eyebrow shaper to class,” said Desiree Ferguson of Detroit. “As a criminal defense expert, I knew that the charge against my daughter was unsustainable as a matter of law. But she could still have suffered serious and enduring consequences from the accusation if I had not been armed with the necessary resources to intervene immediately and fight zealously for her. I can only imagine what parents with fewer resources encounter. By coming forward and by being a part of this report, I am not only advocating for my daughter, but for all the parents who cannot or don’t know that they can fight too.”
The ACLU recommends amending Michigan’s expulsion law to conform more strictly to the scope of federal requirements by making only firearm offenses subject to mandatory automatic expulsions. In addition, school administrators should explore alternatives to suspension and expulsion, including restorative practices to correct the problem rather than punish the deed. Other ACLU recommendations address alternative education and offer guidelines on when to involve the criminal justice system with disciplinary matters.
To download a copy of “Reclaiming Michigan’s Throwaway Kids: Students Trapped in the School-to-Prison Pipeline:”
http://aclumich.org/sites/default/files/file/reclaimingmichigansthrowawaykids.pdf
Special issue of Management in Education considers impact of academies in England
A complex picture is emerging about the controversial Academies programme. Researchers analyse and report findings about Academies in a special issue of the journal Management in Education (MIE), published by SAGE. Amongst the issues addressed are whether Academies are leading to improved student performance and higher levels of student satisfaction.
The Academies programme was launched in 2000, with the first Academies opening in 2002. Their aim was to create schools that are both 'independent' (being sponsored by private individuals and organisations) and state funded. Currently there are 133 Academies open, the aim being to create 400.
Focussing on two distinct areas, the articles in MIE review the policy framework for Academies, and report on research studies examining how they are working. Findings from a five-year longitudinal evaluation (Armstrong, Bunting and Larsen) suggest that improvements across Academies are mixed. They show that while there have been notable improvements to student performance as a whole – markedly so in comparison to the national average – the improvements have not been uniform, and there is considerable diversity between and within Academies. The authors conclude that there is "insufficient evidence to make a definitive judgement about the Academies as a model for school improvement."
The issue includes examination of the Trinity Academy in Yorkshire: the 'Most improved Academy in England', and 'Most Improved School in Yorkshire and Humberside' (Pike). Sponsored by the Emmanuel Schools Foundation, this case study argues that the Academy's combination of private business sponsorship, core values, emphasis on character and distinctive Christian ethos is a highly significant factor in bringing about the sharp increase in GCSE attainment at the Academy.
Another case study examining a single Academy (Woods and Woods) shows that a broader approach to enterprise than just concentrating on business is possible. As well as instilling a culture of enterprise by promoting generic entrepreneurial skills and values, this Academy is also encouraging a greater level of public entrepreneurialism, with students and staff actively engaging with the local community.
"The academy sees itself not only promoting core enterprise skills but also public and participative forms of enterprise that involve students and the community," said lead author and joint Editor of the special issue, Philip Woods. "Only 22 per cent of staff in the academy see enterprise as about acting more like a private business. Public entrepreneurialism seeks to advance values such as participation, deliberative democracy and social justice."
Commenting on the special issue, Philip Woods said, "Contributions draw attention to the vital importance of critically examining the power of sponsors, the impact of Academies on local democracy and accountability, and the concerns of local popular campaigns against proposed Academies".
The system in England is becoming more complex and the number of private sponsors and partners is expanding. This special issue highlights some of the diverse perspectives and experiences of Academies, puts on the record emerging findings about these new types of school and makes a valuable contribution to ongoing dialogue between researchers, practitioners and policy-makers.
Summary of articles:
Academies in context: politics, business and philanthropy and heterarchical governance _Stephen J. Ball
This paper puts the programme of Academy schools currently underway in England in the context of a set of broad changes in the nature of educational governance and in relation to shifts in the form and modalities of the English state. Illustrations from policy relating to new types of state school and new types of providers of these schools are used to indicate a move from hierarchical forms of government to heterarchical forms of governance – what is sometimes referred to as network governance. _Keywords: governance, policy networks, heterarchy
Let's look at Academies systemically _Ron Glatter
In this article Ron Glatter looks at the policy on Academies in a broad perspective, briefly touching on issues of democracy, autonomy, governance and accountability and arguing that the policy must be considered holistically. He considers that we should focus not on an Academy or Academies in isolation but on their relationship with the rest of the school system, given that Academies are and will remain for the foreseeable future a small minority of all publicly funded schools. We should also compare the Academy model with other frameworks of governance, both new and existing, and pay much closer attention to the perspectives of families. _Keywords: Academies, democracy, school autonomy, governance, educational accountability
Setting up Academies, campaigning against them: an analysis of a contested policy process _Richard Hatcher
The Academies policy has provoked opposition nationally and locally. In this paper Richard Hatcher summarises his recent research into local popular campaigns against proposed Academies, drawing on social movement theory. He situates an analysis of the process of setting up Academies in the context of current debates about urban governance and local democracy. _Keywords: Academies, policy contestation, urban governance, local democracy
Academies and school diversity _Andy Curtis
Academies were distinctive in key respects from other types of state schools in the early years of the programme, especially in terms of their independence from local authority control and the enhanced power of the sponsor. The sponsors often tended to have business backgrounds and/or faith affiliations. Recent developments have led to some of the Academies' autonomy being curtailed. In addition, certain later Academies have sponsors and specialisms which differ from Academies in earlier waves. This includes universities being more proactively encouraged to become sponsors and greater local authority involvement. This article considers the extent to which Academies differ from other school types and also identify the characteristics of different Academies. _Keywords: Academies, school diversity, sponsors
Academies: a model for school improvement? Key findings from a five-year longitudinal evaluation _David Armstrong, Valerie Bunting and Judy Larsen
This article provides an overview of the Academies programme from its infancy to full operational stage, using the first 27 open Academies as the sample. The data presented are drawn from a five-year longitudinal evaluation, which systematically reviewed and evaluated the distinctive features of Academies. The picture to emerge was one of positive overall progress in securing improvements in performance. However, there was considerable diversity across individual Academies in the levels and improvements achieved against many performance measures. Our conclusion was that there is no simple uniform 'Academy effect', since there is a complex range of variables interacting within each Academy. _Keywords: Academies model, school improvement, longitudinal evaluation
Testing a typology of entrepreneurialism: emerging findings from an Academy with an enterprise specialism _Philip A. Woods and Glenys J. Woods
This article examines how the Academy appears to be constructing meanings around enterprise. It tests the usefulness of a typology of entrepreneurialism as a means of exploring the degree to which meanings ascribed to entrepreneurialism are fixed around business models, or take in or construct different or broader conceptions of entrepreneurial activity. Two models representing different facets of these perspectives in the Academy are put forward: one grounded in the aim of instilling a culture of enterprise by promoting generic entrepreneurial skills and values; the other grounded in public entrepreneurialism that seeks to advance values such as participation, deliberative democracy and social justice. _Key words: Academies, social entrepreneurship, resocialisation, regeneration, community
Authentic assessment in the first Steiner Academy _John Burnett
Since its inception in 1919, Steiner education has consistently argued for an integrated and balanced approach to teaching and learning, including affective-social and practical aspects as well as intellectual-academic. The advent in England of a state-funded Steiner Academy where the National Curriculum is not taught requires the design of an authentic assessment programme which acknowledges sound academic principles without compromising essential values and pedagogical principles. _Keywords: Steiner, Waldorf, social-affective learning, practical learning, assessment for learning
Corporate features and faith-based Academies _Elizabeth Green
This article draws on research carried out in Academies sponsored by a Christian foundation. It explores how the religious values of the sponsor can be translated into a set of corporate features to facilitate expansion and advance the entrepreneurial aims of faith-based sponsorship of Academies. _Keywords: Ethos, faith-based education, Academies, corporate
The Emmanuel Schools Foundation: sponsoring and leading transformation at England's most improved Academy _Mark A. Pike
This article draws upon a case study of Trinity Academy in Yorkshire, Trinity Academy was designated the most improved Academy nationally. Drawing upon interviews, classroom observations and survey data, this article seeks to evaluate the contribution made by Trinity Academy's core values, private business sponsorship and Christian ethos to the unusually high aspirations it has for all students regardless of background. This Academy, at the heart of a former mining community, is of particular interest as it serves the same social priority area as the school it replaced and maintains a genuinely comprehensive intake by avoiding any selection of students on the basis of faith, aptitude or attitude. _Keywords: Academy, sponsor, leadership, values, Christian, ethos
Academies in England: a special issue of Management in Education, is published today by SAGE (2009 23:3). Articles from the special issue will be free to access for a limited period from http://mie.sagepub.com/. Management in Education is published by SAGE on behalf of the British Educational Leadership, Management & Administration Society (BELMAS).
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