Community School Issues

Students Interest affects Achievement in Mathematics and Science

2011-07-28T11:32:00.000-07:00

How many students' hearts pounds with anxiety that first day when they discover they've been given the toughest science or mathematics teacher in school, and they don't even feel comfortable with the subjects? Will this feeling give way to one of confidenceand enjoyment later on in the year, or will the anxiety turn into a dull ache in the face of unyielding subject content, stiff grading practices, and a less than sympathetic teacher? For some time, I have been intrigued to learn the extent to which students' attitudes and value toward school, themselves, and the education environment influence their capability to learn and particularly their aptitude to learn science or mathematics.

Research supports what many teachers know intuitively that students' attitudes and values toward school, themselves, and the educational environment influence their ability to learn. Research shows that there is a significant correlation between interest and achievement in science and mathematics. More compelling is the realtionship between academic self-concept and success in science or mathematics. The two are so intertwined, in fact, that one seems to foster the other. The message seems loud and clear: success breeds more success.

2009-04-13T15:34:00.000-07:00

Urban School District: Focus on Community School to Enhance Performance

2009-04-13T15:09:00.000-07:00

This presentation will focus on Normandy School District an urban school district investigating the concepts and researching the performance outcome of the community school model to improve performance. The community school model is planned based on two common goals: helping students learn, succeed, strengthening families and communities. If community characteristics such as poverty are strongly associated with student achievement, then efforts to improve student performance must focus on the community as a whole, not just on the school. Full-service community schools understand that raising student achievement in schools must involve more than academics. Full-service schools have the potential to end the cycle of poverty that consistently puts and keeps some students behind their peers even before the school bell rings.
Research has shown a strong correlation between areas with high levels of poverty, crime, and mobility and low student achievement. Despite these challenges, studies also show that supportive neighborhoods can mitigate the harmful effects of economic disadvantage on students and form the foundation for high achievement (Holloway, 2004). Education reforms will have a limited effect if they focus solely on the classroom. Policymakers need to consider what research has shown to be true—what happens in the community can and will affect the teaching and learning that happens in schools.
The framework of the community school will provide high-quality after-school opportunities, comprehensive early childhood education, real-world learning approaches, and physical and mental health services for adults and young people in the neighborhood. The services are designed to remove barriers to learning, make community assets fully available to address the needs of learners, and build bridges between schools, families, and communities based on mutual investment in the comprehensive well-being of communities.
The presentation will present successful community school initiatives

Blank, M. J., Melaville, A., & Shah, B. P. (2003, May). Making the difference: Research and practice in community schools. Washington,
Holloway, J. H. (2004, May). Research link: How the community influences achievement. Educational Leadership, 61(8), 89–90.

Shared Vision:Focus on Achievement

2009-01-05T18:27:00.000-08:00

George Washington Carver, a native of Missouri with many obstacles to overcome stated, “Where there is no vision, there is no hope.” It is my belief that vision for improving student achievement is embedded in hope for the future. This vision should be shared in every component in our instructional structure and the aim will be to enhance teaching, learning, and engaging all stakeholders in our district and the community with the knowledge and understanding of the district’s vision and mission. Peter Senge stated, “A shared vision is not an idea…. it is rather, a force in people’s hearts, a force of impressive power.” The concept of vision in organizations has almost become commonplace. Every organization has to have a vision and mission statement. Most visions, however, are not shared visions. They are imposed on others by the head of the organization or a group of people at the top. These visions are not very effective long-term because they “command compliance – not commitment” Senge ,1990.
It is my belief that the vision for improving teaching and learning in our school district is based on our leadership model, “The Team of Eight” It is our hope for the future that our school leadership structure focus on enhancement of teaching, learning, and assessment of students and teachers. The aim is to improve quality and delivery of classroom instruction and enhance student achievement, and in addition, to engage all members of the community in the vision and mission. According to Senge (1990), a shared vision incorporates individual visions, inclines commitment, and focuses on energy. When people truly share a vision, they are connected, bound together by a common aspiration…. Shared visions derive their power from a common caring.” Shared visions bind people through a common aspiration.
There is reason to believe that shared visions evolve in part because of a strong underlying need for people to be connected in achieving some common goal. Few, if any, forces in human affairs are as powerful as shared vision.
The relationship between curriculum, vision, and discipline is of paramount importance. If a child attends two years of pre-school, nine years of elementary, four years each at high-school and college, it will total nineteen years. If we multiply this with the average six-hour day, thirty-hour week, or twelve-hundred-hour year, we derive a sum of 22,800 hours. If we also realize the relationship between academic achievement and economic possibilities, it may behoove us to critically assess what takes place in the classroom. Virtually every national standard and state framework calls for fundamental changes in what teachers teach and how content is organized (curriculum), how they teach (instruction), and how student learning is monitored, evaluated, and reported (assessment).
I believe “A Relevant Curriculum,” is essential to maintain students curiosity and enthusiasm from the primary grades through college and the relationship between thinking skills, high expectations, self-images and discipline. Current standards are based on the premise that learning is something that students do, not something that is done to them. Standards set the stage to establish an active learning process in which students describe objects and events, ask questions, formulate explanations, and communicate their ideas to others. In this way, students build strong knowledge of content, apply that knowledge to new problems, learn how to communicate clearly, and build critical and logical thinking skills. Standards and assessments define learning and how parents and members of a community determine whether students have mastered the standards. Standards identify what we expect students to know and be able to do, expose students to selected content, and develop skills we expect them to acquire as well as expose the intellectual qualities and habits of mind we expect them to develop. The content standards describe the knowledge and abilities students need to develop, from kindergarten through high school, in order to become scientifically literate.
Assessment linked to specific standards define the various ways students demonstrate that they posses the knowledge and skills the standards demand. The results usually indicate the extent of progress students and teachers have made towards meeting the standards. Emphasis should be focused on the instructional strategies that will be student centered and teacher driven to improve student performance. If educational reform does not reach the classroom level, then there will be no chance in improving the potential for achievement.
References
Kunjufu, J. (1984) Developing Positive Self-Images and Discipline in Black Children. Chicago, Illinois: African American Images Senge, P. M. (1990). The fifth discipline. New York: Doubleday