2001

A Blow to Equal Opportunity Education

epicpolicy — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 10:43:49 -0600

Institution: University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Source: The News and Observer (Raleigh, NC)

The growing resegregation of North Carolina's schools received another legal imprimatur from the federal judiciary in September 2001. Yet the court acknowledged that resegregation was increasing sharply in the Charlotte schools.

A Lesson Plan for the Schools With Little Learning Behind It

epicpolicy — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 10:56:41 -0600

Institution: George Mason University

Source: Newsday

President Bush's sweeping education reform proposal is fragmented, incoherent and poorly thought out. It bears all the hallmarks of haste, of ideological rather than logical and systemic thinking. It reveals an extremely limited understanding of how schools work, what education means, or how children learn.

http://epsl.asu.edu/epru/point_of_view_essays/cerai-01-03.htm

A Survey of Teachers' Perspectives on High-Stakes Testing in Colorado: What Gets Taught, What Gets Lost

epicpolicy — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 13:16:51 -0600

Publisher Unpublished

Affirmative Action and the Creation of More Favorable Contexts of Choice

epicpolicy — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 11:29:38 -0600

Publisher     American Educational Research Journal, 38(1)
Page Numbers     3-36
Summary     This article presents an analysis of affirmative action policy that takes into account students' vastly different social contexts of choice. Oppressive societal structures may constrain individuals' contexts of choice and thus limit their real choices in such a way that their nominal choices do not reflect their potential talents, abilities, and aspirations. An unfavorable context of choice may hinder students' development of self-determination, which is a crucial underpinning of an education for justice and democracy. The aim of this article is to put forth a defense of affirmative action that is not considered within the current discourse. Because the development of a sense of self-determination is a crucial aim of a good and just education, the author argues that affirmative action is necessary because of its role in combating oppressive educational structures, fostering more favorable social contexts of choice for students, and consequently, their self-determination.

Alexander v. Sandoval: A Setback for Civil Rights

epicpolicy — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 13:13:48 -0600

Publisher Education Policy Analysis Archives, 9(24).
Summary This article confronts the serious implications of a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, Alexander v. Sandoval, which eliminated an important legal avenue for civil rights plaintiffs. For over 35 years, individuals have been allowed to bring lawsuits directly challenging violations of rights set forth in the federal regulations implementing Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Because these actions could be grounded in proof of disparate impact, rather than discriminatory intent, they allowed for some claims that could not go forward under other legal authorities, such as the Fourteenth Amendment. While the author concludes by identifying key remaining options, he highlights the real damage done by this decision.

http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v9n24.html

Assessing the Writing of Spanish Speaking Students: Issues and Suggestions

epicpolicy — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 13:31:47 -0600

Publisher Boston: Allyn & Bacon
Summary Assessment practices that look at second language learners only in English often underestimate the cognitive and academic strengths of Spanish-speaking students. If we are truly going to develop bilingual and biliterate students in our schools, then we must assess Spanish-speaking students in both of their languages. This research study collected writing samples in Spanish from students who are learning to read and write in Spanish; in English from students learning to read and write in English; and from students who had begun their schooling in Spanish but have subsequently made the transition to reading and writing in English. Results of this research, together with the dearth of research dealing specifically with the creation of assessment tools and procedures in Spanish, has led to the conclusion that English language writing rubrics must be modified when they are used to assess Spanish writing samples and when they are used to assess the writing of ESL students.

Becoming somebody! How arts programs support positive identity for middle school girls

epicpolicy — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 16:30:33 -0600

Publisher     Education and Urban Society, 33(4)
Page Numbers     354-366
Summary     This article argues that instruction in the arts provides the kinds of opportunities students need to express self, to articulate frustration with an educational system that makes success difficult, and to conceive of alternatives in a society that generally finds adolescent student needs irrelevant, bothersome, and even dangerous. Perhaps most important, participation in the arts has been shown to increase academic achievement, creativity, fluency, and originality in thinking and feelings of self-worth. This article argues that the arts have these effects because they make it possible for children to imagine themselves out of their current identities and to try on new ways of being.

Business Partnerships with Schools

WorkStudy — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 09:47:02 -0600

Author: Kirsten Larson
Source: ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational Management

This policy report presents policy guidelines for schools seeking to establish and maintain productive and ethical relationships with corporations.

Business Partnerships with Schools

WorkStudy — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:13:51 -0600

Author: Kirsten Larson
Source: ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational Management

This policy report presents policy guidelines for schools seeking to establish and maintain productive and ethical relationships with corporations.

Buy Me! Buy Me!

epicpolicy — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 13:17:05 -0600

Institution: Arizona State University

The Fourth Annual Report on Trends In Schoolhouse Commercialism, Year 2000-2001, finds growing resistance to – and acceptance of – commercial activities in schools.

Buy Me! Buy Me!

epicpolicy — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 14:23:39 -0600

Institution: Arizona State University

Source: Educational Leadership

An article on the Fourth Annual Report on commercialism in Schools.

Cashing in on Kids

WorkStudy — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 10:43:27 -0600

Author: Kingsley Hammet
Source: Designer/Builder Magazine

This article looks at the "relentless creep of naked commercialism" in schools.

Cashing in on Kids

WorkStudy — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 11:00:15 -0600

Author: Kingsley Hammet
Source: DESIGNER/Builder Magazine: A Journal of the Human Environment

The September-October 2001 edition of DESIGNER/builder magazine: A Journal of the Human Environment, looks at the "relentless creep of naked commercialism" in schools.

Changing Admissions Policies: Mounting Pressures, New Developments, More Questions

epicpolicy — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 15:13:07 -0600

Publisher     Chance, 33(1)
Page Numbers     34-41
Summary     Colleges and universities face growing pressure to change their undergraduate admissions policies. In response to these pressures, in the 1990s a number of states began developing new procedures for assessing students' college readiness.

Changing Conceptions of Culture and Ethnographic Methodology: Recent Thematic Shifts and their Implications for Research

epicpolicy — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 14:20:03 -0600

Publisher     Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association
Page Numbers     209-225
Summary     The recent history of changing conceptions of culture and the implications for ethnography and educational research are the subjects of this chapter. The first section discusses thematic shifts in the conceptions of culture that have been salient in the work of educational anthropologists and sociologists during the past three decades. The second section argues that ethnographers have been slow to take up some important challenges posed by changing conceptions of culture.

Class Size Reduction and Special Education Referrals and Placements

epicpolicy — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 16:51:01 -0600

Publisher The CEIC Review, 10(9)
Page Numbers 12-13

Closing the Achievement Gap: Improving Educational Outcomes for African American Children

WorkStudy — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 10:30:08 -0600

Source: National Black Caucus of State Legislators

Almost four decades after the passage of the Civil Rights Act, and five decades after Brown v. Board of Education declared school segregation to be unconstitutional, quality education is still beyond the reach of too many African American children.

Commentary: How Sugar-Containing Drinks Might Increase Adiposity in Children

WorkStudy — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:18:55 -0600

Source: The Lancet

An editorial review of the research by David Ludwig and colleagues on childhood obesity.

Companies and Organizations Involved in Schoolhouse Commercializing Activities

epicpolicy — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 14:25:00 -0600

Institution: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Source: Center for the Analysis of Commercialism in Education

This article describes the involvement of corporate marketing in schools and the concerns expressed by parent, professional, and religious groups about the impact of commercialism on students.

Comprehensive School Nutrition Policy

WorkStudy — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:27:10 -0600

Source: Philadelphia Nutrition Education Network

"A coordinated school nutrition policy provides the framework for ensuring that students in [the School District of Philadelphia] receive nutrition education messages that are reinforced throughout the school environment."

Congress, Teachers, and the Perils of Merit Pay

epicpolicy — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 10:30:05 -0600

Institution: Rutgers University

A Congressional bill to use federal funds to help promote merit pay programs for public schools ignores years of research suggesting merit pay systems usually don't work, particularly in education.

http://epsl.asu.edu/epru/documents/cerai-01-19.htm

Corporate Involvement in Schools: Time for a More Critical Look

epicpolicy — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 14:22:17 -0600

Institution: Arizona State University

This report describes the involvement of corporate marketing in schools and the concerns expressed by parent, professional, and religious groups about the impact of commercialism on students.

http://epsl.asu.edu/ceru/Documents/cace-01-01.html

Corporations Lose Battle for Seattle Schools

WorkStudy — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:23:23 -0600

Source: Citizens' Campaign for Commercial-Free Schools (CCCS)

On November 21, 2001, the Seattle School Board took a step in the right direction by adopting (in a 6-1 vote) the following policy: "It is the policy of the Seattle School Board to significantly restrict commercial advertising on or within district-operated property. Corporate support that maintains the integrity of the learning environment is encouraged."

Disabling Discrimination in Our Public Schools: Comprehensive Legal Challenges to Inappropriate and Inadequate Special Education

epicpolicy — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 10:38:16 -0600

Publisher Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review, 36(2).
Summary The authors examine the present state of special education services provided to children of color, focusing on areas of past and present discrimination. They then present a framework for legal challenges designed for broad-scale promotion of more equitable policies.

Does Paid Employment Help or Hinder Performance in Secondary School? Insights from US High School Students

epicpolicy — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 15:37:38 -0600

Publisher     Journal of Education and Work, 14(3)
Page Numbers    355-372
Summary    The purpose of this paper is to describe how some students reconcile school with paid employment. Previous studies have found that students who work a moderate number of hours while in school actually maintain better academic performance than students who do not work at all. (They also perform better than students who work long hours.) Brief essays written by a sample of US high school students as part of a longitudinal study reflect a continuum of opinions regarding the relative value of school and work. One common opinion is that both school and work have value because they both prepare young people for the future in similar ways. The prevalence of this view suggests one reason why working appears not to detract from school performance for some students. Creating more explicit connections between school and paid employment might further enhance their mutual complementarity.

http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a713677011