Special Education

Tips on Communicating With Difficult Parents

admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 02:38:19 +0000

Communication with parents is one of the most difficult challenges a new teacher will face. The student teaching experience doe not adequately prepare new teachers for parental interaction and certainly does not prepare new teachers for the difficult parents.

Difficult parents are everywhere in every school district in every location of this country. Of course, you will run across the supportive parents, but the difficult ones will require some extra effort on mastering communications. Mastering the art of interacting with difficult parents means your first year of teaching will be a lot less stressful.

Here are a few survival tips on communication with difficult parents:

Listen Attentively

Event the most unreasonable parent wants to be heard. If a parent is berating you, respond in a manner that indicates you heard what they said. Calmly use comments like, “so, you are angry” or, “I understand why you feel that way, but….” Do this in a calm tone of voice and then listen to what happens to the parent’s tone of voice. In most cases, you will find the parent backing down.

Do Not Argue

Do not argue with an angry parent because this will send the message that the parent can push your buttons and that you are easy to control. As frustrated as you may be, maintain a calm tone of voice and you will find this will neutralize the situation rather quickly.

Do Not Accuse

Whatever you do, never accuse a parent of anything. You may be tempted to do this when dealing with the enabling parent who expects you to do everything for their child to the point where the child is no longer making an effort. State your case in a calm tone of voice and set specific boundaries that indicate where the teaching accommodation ends and the child must take responsibility.

Expect Respect

As much as you may not want to, respect the difficult parent and insist that they respect you in return. If the parent continues to be verbally abusive, remain silent and walk away, or suggest they return at another time when they can talk to you in a civil manner.

Maintain Eye Contact

Make sure you are eye level with the parent and do not hide behind any structural object during the interaction. This will send the message to the parent that you are not intimidated by the situation and you are confident in who you are and what you do.

Be Silent

A difficult parent is usually one who thrives on exerting power over others. If you react in the same manner, you are fueling the fire and further aggravating the situation. Remaining silent to their attacks is like denying a fire the air it needs to thrive; it will weaken the flame as well as deny the parent the attention they seek.

Remember that as a first year teacher you still have rights not to be treated as the rookie. In addition, your well being is essential to the success of what will be the most stressful year of your career.

By: J.C. Sprenger

Ohio Schools Closing the Gap for Students with Disabilities

admin — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 21:23:48 +0000

The Ohio Schools are redefining their Special Education program and closing the gap in the achievement of students with disabilities. The Ohio schools believe that achievement gaps are not the same as ability gaps, and the education system is responsible for ensuring that high achievement is an attainable goal for all students. Furthermore, the Ohio schools has put forth that meaningful participation of students with disabilities in state assessment is absolutely essential if every child is to be assured access to challenging curriculum and appropriate instruction.

In 2001, the Ohio schools made a major shift in approaching students with disabilities by revising school policy to require students with disabilities to participate in state assessment. Now, content standards are the focus of instruction for all students in every classroom, and a variety of research-based instructional strategies are aligned with the content standards. A coherent array of interventions, supports and services are used to ensure the success of students with disabilities. The policy now is that assessment is a reflection of instruction and instruction is a reflection of assessment, creating a shared responsibility for the education of students with disabilities.

The Ohio schools’ goals for teaching students with disabilities are standards, capacity, and accountability. They will improve access to, participation in, and progress in the general curriculum, based on the Ohio academic standards, for students with disabilities. Encouraging others to consider students with disabilities as general education children first is the capacity goal — assuming they will achieve, rather than assuming they may not achieve. The goal of accountability is to increase the performance of children with disabilities on state and district assessments from which they previously have been exempt.

The Ohio schools developed the following strategies for improvement:

• Redefine special education at the state level to shift focus away from compliance and paperwork to standards-based instruction for all children.

• Implement a statewide monitoring system designed to assess district/educational compliance with federal and state law applicable to students with disabilities.

• Align the work of the Special Education Regional Resource Center (SERRC) network with the priorities of the Ohio schools, including No Child Left Behind, differentiating instruction, positive behavior support, reading/literacy, and progress monitoring.

• Maximize use of federal and state funds earmarked for children with disabilities.

• Develop and disseminate products, tools and services focused on improving results for student who are at risk, including students with disabilities.

• Use the accountability system to leverage change in policy and practice at the local school level.

The Ohio schools are focusing attention and energy on assisting all students to achieve high academic standards. They are preparing and supporting teachers and administrators to ensure that all students are taught what they need in order to succeed. They are adapting the public education structure in a manner to ensure all students will learn the Ohio schools’ academic standards.

This means fewer but more meaningful goals for all students, effective use of student assessment data and resources, a fundamental shift in focus from what is taught to what children learn, and allowing assessment to drive classroom instruction, which is rigorous and aligned to the standards.

The Ohio schools are creating a culture where each student feels valued and is given the ability and tools to succeed, including the students with disabilities.

This information on Ohio schools is brought to you by http://www.schoolsk-12.com

By: Patricia Hawke

Relax! How to Use Music and Relaxation to Help Your Students With Disabilities

admin — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:13:52 +0000

I have had the opportunity to lead several music assisted relaxation groups in public school special education classrooms. These groups have included a range of ages and types of disabilities including Down Syndrome, autism, mental retardation and Cerebral Palsy. One of the key points I like to emphasize with my clients and their instructors is that learning to relax can become a conditioned response. This means that relaxing can be practiced so that it is more effective and useful in the future.

Generally the clients that I work with in the special education classrooms do not have typical life stressors that would induce anxiety and require relaxation, but there are other reasons that relaxation can be an important tool for them and their teachers. I have found that many of the special education students are easily overwhelmed with environmental stimuli in their daily environment. Most teachers recognize this situation and have created quiet areas of their room that have been somewhat sectioned off and made comfortable for students to experience some quiet time without so much of the distractions of the classroom.

In other situations, students sometimes become agitated or emotionally upset without apparent cause. When this happens, it has been helpful to have a familiar music relaxation or music listening strategy already in place as part of the behavior intervention plan. In addition, the students may also benefit from social interaction, gross motor movement, stretching and opportunities to become peer models or leaders as they participate in small group relaxation activities.

I have used various music assisted relaxation activities with school-age students. There is not a specific protocol that must be followed, but rather some general suggestions and ideas to reference as you implement relaxation activities into your classroom:

1. Music choice – Music for relaxation should be chosen according to several criteria. The most important quality of the music is a slow tempo with a predictable underlying rhythmic pulse. I recommend a tempo of about 60 – 80 beats per minute. Music without lyrics is recommended, but there may be some singing if it does not distract too much attention from the experience. The melody should be pleasant and part of traditional music and not atonal or experimental. Try to use songs that do not have sudden changes in tempo, dynamics or unexpected starts or stops. The melody should also stay in the mid-range and not sound extremely low or high. There are some very good songs by Enya, Keving Kern, and Daniel Kobialka that I have used in my groups.

2. Facilitator – The person doing the relaxation facilitating, either a teacher or student, should use a calm, steady voice. Practice speaking slowly and clearly, pausing often to listen to the music. The music should be loud enough to mask unwanted environmental sounds, but not so loud that the facilitator has to speak any louder than he or she would in a normal conversation. The facilitator should sit in a chair and demonstrate the breathing or stretching movements.

3. Breathing – Breathing is the foundation for these relaxation groups. Start out the group with several deep cleansing breaths by breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. Continue the relaxation by practicing some deep breathing in and out using slow eight or ten count intervals. Breathing can be verbally reinforced by describing the “revitalizing,” “fresh,” “relaxing,” air going in and the “discomfort,” “anxiety,” and “stress,” leaving the body. After a few minutes of breathing, the facilitator should encourage the group to get more comfortable in their chairs, close their eyes if desired, and breathe normally. Breathing should fall into a steady, relaxed rhythm.

4. Stretching – I encourage breathing and “stretching” as the main components of the relaxation sessions for these groups with students who have disabilities. Simple gross motor movements demonstrated by the facilitator provide “concrete” actions for the group to follow. I usually do shoulder rolls forward and backward, reaching for the ceiling and the floor and slowly tilting the head from side to side and forward as the basic movements. Other stretches can be done by reaching forward or sweeping the arms up and down as if doing very slow jumping jacks. Combine some breathing in and out on selected motions for added effect.

5. Imagery – For groups that do not have people with disabilities it is very effective to use some kind of imagery to facilitate the relaxation. Suggestions include imagining a warm light that slowly warms and relaxes each part of the body or being guided to a restful place in nature where comforting sounds and worry free relaxation can take place. Most of my clients in special education do not respond well to abstract imaginations and descriptions, but music that has environmental sounds or large pictures with client preferred settings may be possible applications after a relaxation routine is familiar and established.

The relaxation experience should begin and end with similar breathing and gross motor movements. Between these times the facilitator is free to try different stretches or breathing as they wish. This allows for leadership and choice-making opportunities for the students. Picture cards that illustrate the gross motor movements can be made so that students can make a choice between pictures and then present their choice to the group. The facilitator may also pass out supportive instruments such as an ocean drum to add to the atmosphere of the experience. An 6′-10′ parachute shared by the group is a wonderful way to practice slow breathing and movements!

The relaxation session should last about 5-10 minutes depending on the attention span of the participants. If this group relaxation is practiced on a regular basis, you will notice that the students will tone down their activity simply in anticipation of the experience and even more when the music begins playing. Teachers will find that just by playing the music that they regularly use for relaxation they may be able to aid a student who is upset or agitated and help them regain some self-control. The relaxation protocol may also be helpful to use on days when an unplanned change of the school schedule has disrupted the regular routine and the students are unusually off-task.

There are many applications for the use of music assisted relaxation activity in relation to objectives in a student’s Individual Education Plan. Following directions, making choices, gross motor movement, counting skills, focus of attention, gesturing and verbalizing are all specific objectives that can be tracked for progress during music facilitated group relaxation.

Now…take a deep breath….exhale…

By: Daniel Tague

Prince Karim Aga Khan – A True Leader of Islam

admin — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:24:41 +0000

11th July 2007 marks a landmark in the history of the Ismaili Muslim community, as this day marks the completion of the 50th year of Imamate of the leader of the Ismaili Muslim community, Prince Karim Aga Khan 1V. He is the current (49th) Imam of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims. His contribution in the field of education, medicine, architecture, social work, institution building, relief work, etc., is spectacular. He always tried to bring the positive image of Islam in front of others. His attractive personality has influenced many Muslim brothers to work for the welfare of the people. He is the direct descendant of Sir Aga Khan 111, whose contribution for the establishment of Pakistan can never be forgotten.

Prince Karim Aga Khan, the Aga Khan IV is the eldest son of Prince Aly Salman Khan and his wife, Princess Tajudowlah. He was born in Geneva, Switzerland on December 13, 1936. His brother name is Prince Amyn, and sister name is Princess Yasmin Aga Khan. The Aga Khan spent his childhood in Nairobi, Kenya, where his early education was done by private tutoring. The Aga Khan later attended the Institute le Rosey in Switzerland. He graduated from Harvard University in 1959 with a BA Honors Degree in Islamic history. As a modern leader of Islam, he always tried to emphasize to improve the lives of the Muslims.

Following the death of his grandfather, Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan, Prince Karim, at the age of 20, became the 49th Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims on 11 July 1957.

Upon becoming the Imam, the Aga Khan stated that he intended to continue the work his grandfather had pursued in building modern institutions to improve the quality of life of the Ismaili community. The main themes that the Aga Khan emphasized are development, education, interracial harmony, and faith in religion. He elaborated on this concept in a 2006 speech in Germany stating,

“The role and responsibility of an Imam, therefore, is both to interpret the faith to the community, and also to do all within his means to improve the quality, and security of their daily lives.” Throughout the early years of his Imamate, the Aga Khan continued his grandfather’s work through the establishment of institutions such as the Aga Khan hospital in Nairobi in 1958, and primary and secondary schools in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda in the 1960s, The Aga Khan Hospital in Pakistan, and numerous educational institutions throughout the world. We can say that he is the leader of a common man. He is the King of the Muslim community. He always work for the betterment of the lives of the people of the third world country.

The Aga Khan has been particularly interested in the elimination of global poverty; eradication of illiteracy; the advancement of the status of women; the promotion of Islamic culture, music, art, and architecture, upgrading the economical status of the third world country, etc.

Prince Aga Khan always believes in building bridges between religions. He always tried to restore peace in the world and brought the positive image of Islam in the modern world.

In 1977, the Aga Khan established the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, a premier award recognizing excellence in architecture that encompasses contemporary design and social, historical, and environmental considerations. It is the largest architectural award in the world.

He is the founder and Chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network, one of the largest private development networks in the world, which works towards social, economic, and cultural development in Asia and Africa. The establishment of the AKDN brought under the same umbrella a number of development agencies and institutions that The Aga Khan’s humanitarian endeavors draw inspiration from ethics of compassion, generosity, sincerity, etc.

Few of the agencies of AKDN are as under:

Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) Aga Khan Agency for Microfinance (AAKAM) Aga Khan Education Services (AKES) Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) Aga Khan Health Services (AKHS) Aga Khan Planning and Building Services (AKPBS) Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) Aga Khan University (AKU) The University of Central Asia (UCA) Focus Humanitarian Assistance (FOCUS), an affiliate of the AKDN, is responsible handling disasters. Recent example includes the massive earthquake in Pakistan, Oct 8, 2005. Prince Aga Khan team handled the prevailing problematic situation effectively.

He is also the Chairman of The Institute of Ismaili Studies, which he founded in 1977. This institute is one of the best Institutes, where different Islamic degrees programmes for our younger generations are being offered. The objective of IIS is to promote scholarship and learning of Muslim cultures and societies, historical as well as contemporary, and a better understanding of their relationship with other societies and faiths.

The Aga Khan has been recognized by several national and international organizations for his service to humanity. Few of them are as follows:

The Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has awarded him the title of His Highness on July 26, 1957. On August 12, 1957, the Sultan of Zanzibar invested the title of Brilliant Star of Zanzibar. It was his first visit to Pakistan with his wife when the President of Pakistan granted the title of Nishan-e-Imtiaz on January 15, 1970.

The World Monuments Fund honored the Aga Khan IV with its prestigious Hadrian Award for his vigorous and fruitful efforts to preserve and revitalize historic cities in Islamic world on October 28, 1996 at New York.

In 2003, he was named Knight Commander in the Order of the British Empire (KBE) “for services to international development, especially in Asia and Africa, and to UK-French relations.” In 2005, he was awarded the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Philanthropy, the 2005 Die Quadriga and the 2005 Vincent Scully Prize. He was also named Honorary Companion of the Order of Canada. His Highness has been awarded honorary degrees by universities in Pakistan, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. He has also received numerous awards and prizes from various professional organisations in recognition of his work in architecture and the conservation of historic buildings. There are around more than 18 million followers of Prince Aga Khan throughout the world. Whatever he has done for boosting the economy of Pakistan by investing in to various sectors like hotel industry, banking, etc., are laudable. His Highness the Aga Khan donated $50-million to support rehabilitation, socio-economic development, and earthquake-preparedness in areas of the North West Frontier Province and Azad Jammu and Kashmir affected by the 8 October 2005 shock. Prince Aga Khan provided a combination of financial and technical support to the urban and rural communities in high-mountain, seismically sensitive areas in Pakistan, Afghanistan and parts of Central Asia. There are many schools, colleges and universities in Pakistan as well, which were created by him for the development of intellects in Pakistan.

Scholars have called his community, the Shia Ismaili Muslims, the most progressive, organized, schooled and financially well-off sect within Islam.

Today, he is working all over the world to eradicate the social problems. His basic concern is of Muslim brothers and sisters, for whom he works day and night for their upliftment. He is creating a positive image of Islam globally for which we salute him.

He is truly the leader of Islam in this modern world. Wish him a very happy Golden Jubilee.

By: Munir Moosa

New York City Schools See Large Success With Small Schools

admin — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 04:16:22 +0000

New York City Schools started converting many of its massive high schools into smaller, thematic schools in 2002. The 2006 graduates who were the first students in New York City Schools to have spent their entire four-year high school experience in the smaller venues had impressive results. And the 2007 results continue to look good. Graduation rates of the 47 small-sized New York City Schools are significantly higher that the city’s overall rates. The small schools report a 73% graduation rate while the city reports a 60% rate.

These numbers are important to several different groups within the New York City Schools. The small schools initiative is a major component of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s attempt to improve the New York City Schools. The first installation of the smaller New York City Schools were funded with over $30 million from groups like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Carnegie Corporations and the Open Society Institute.

Individual results from the small schools are impressive. Eight of these New York City Schools reported 90% graduation rates. Some schools reported jumps in graduation rates from the 40-percentile to the 90-percentile range. Does that mean that everyone is in love with the smaller New York City Schools? Well, there are come concerns. Skepticism tends to focus on the fact that these schools have lower numbers of ESL (English as a Second Language) and special education students. The questioners complain that the success takes place in an “artificial environment.”

Bloomberg concedes that this is true. But he says that the schools still serve an at-risk population: African –American and Hispanic students. Recent studies confirm that these students in the New York City Schools are far less likely than their white peers to graduate. Educators in the smaller New York City Schools scoff at the artificial environment complaint. Many feel that this “artificial environment” is providing these students with a far better reality. But what about the needs of special education and ESL students?

Both are significant concerns for New York City Schools. A June 2006 report found that 9.5% of the city’s special education students are still not being mainstreamed. New York State encourages mainstreaming, the process of having special education students attend classes with their regular education peers. This is far higher than the national rate of 4%.

And the concerns of English Language Learners continues to impact overall graduation rates for a city with a high population of speakers of ESL. So New York City Schools still have a lot of challenges to address before the Mayor can kick back and put up his feet. Still, when the largest school district in the country can claim a success of this size, it’s encouraging for everyone.

By: Patricia Hawke

School Psychologists Career Profile

admin — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:42:39 +0000

The job of a school psychologist involves working with students, teachers and parents. These psychologists work towards promoting academic, emotional and behavioral accomplishments. Besides being a fulfilling career option for those interested in the field of education, the job market is also quite strong for school psychologists. These professionals are specially trained to address a wide range of issues concerning students. While working as school psychologists, candidates are not necessary required to teach students. They use the skills to evaluate students’ psychology so as to promote the latter’s academic and learning capabilities.

Job Description
Professionals trained in school psychology can either work with students individually or in groups. They also work in close contact with the school personnel and parents. While working at schools, professionals provide training to school teachers in areas like behavioral management, referral processes, ADHD etc. Being highly skilled in special education, these psychologists also provide interventions (both individual and group) and counseling. One major job responsibility of these professionals is to assess and evaluate the special education eligibility process. In addition, they examine the effectiveness of academic programs, treatment interventions and classroom agendas among others.

Whether it is clinical psychology or educational psychology, school psychologists are quite well versed in both. Using these expert skills, professionals make personality assessment of students to collect data concerning the students’ emotional and behavioral functioning. Collaboration with teachers and students’ parents is an essential part of the whole assessment process. In order to completely comprehend a student’s functioning, teachers’ and parents’ perspectives play a vital role. Many times, it may happen that a student’s disability interferes with their ability to learn. School psychologists, therefore, develop a multidisciplinary team to determine the same.

Education & Degrees Required to Become School Psychologists
Candidates aspiring to become school psychologists need to obtain a three year post bachelor’s degree (typical a specialist degree in school psychology). If you want to acquire higher ranking job positions, supervisory jobs or superior academic positions, a doctoral degree is required. In addition to obtaining the education degree, candidates also require licensing/ certification by the state where they are willing to work. Before getting enrolled in a degree program, students should make sure that the program or training has necessary accreditations and approvals.

Employment Opportunities
Most of the school psychology jobs are obtained at public schools. However, career opportunities for professionals are immense. They can also land jobs at private school systems, universities, clinics, hospitals etc. The occupation also provides professionals the flexibility of getting involved in private practice. For private practice, a doctoral degree is essential.

Professional Organization for School Psychologists
National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)
American Psychological Association (APA)

Smart Specialty
If you are able to land Director of Programs jobs, you will definitely have one of the most rewarding careers. The job position is one of the most satisfying and highly paid jobs in the field of education and training.

Annual Salary
School psychologists earn an annual salary ranging between $53,700 and $80,100. Salary will depend on where you join and what job position you land. The median annual salary for those who have eight years of experience in this education field or more is $60,700.

By: James Tomerson

Alternative Schools For The Spread of Education

admin — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 23:28:09 +0000

Schools are academic institutions dedicated to the imparting of knowledge among the students and are also organizations that encourage the development of the personality and psychology of the child. Therefore it is natural that the schools play a very fundamental role in the growth of the child or the student and therefore school education is essential and a right of every child. If one follows the mode of education in a traditional school, the students are required to visit the school at a particular time of the day following a pre-given routine and then spend a few hours in the school. Schools are not only to convey educational knowledge but at the same time also encourage other forms of extracurricular activities as well.

In general the schools follow a set curriculum which is devised in keeping with the motto of the school and in most schools the means of imparting education are more or less similar. However, there are certain educational institutions that encourage the usage of newer innovative modes and techniques in order to make the educational experience an exciting one instead of the usual monotonous way of learning. Such schools are popularly referred to as alternative schools or minischools. In most cases, it has been observed that these alternative schools follow a different pattern of educational curriculum than those practiced commonly in the traditional schools and these study programs are not as rigid as those of the traditional schools. Since they are more flexible, the amount of pressure on the child is also lesser.

Alternative schools were introduced in the United States of America in the seventh decade of the 19 th century and during these years the main purpose of setting up these alternative schools was to ensure that there could be established a different mode of learning moving away from the traditions and consciousness of the traditional schooling system. Many of these alternative schools provided extremely philosophical and scholarly orientations while some were dipped in political color. But in all cases, there were certain innovative features being introduced for the cause of imparting education.

It is to be noted that in the United States of America especially, the term alternative school has been used as a broad term and there are many educational institutions which fall under its umbrella like the independent schools, home schooling etc. It can also at times refer to institutions providing alternative education. Special schools which are dedicated to the service of students having psychological disorders or behavioral problems are also included under this category.

By: Roberts Bairds

The Future of Challenged Students

admin — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 13:03:23 +0000

IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) was initially passed in 1975 by Congress to help those students who suffer from some kind of disability. It was amended in 1996 and again in 2004.

It is estimated that more than 6 million children fall into that category; they receive special services that allow them to participate successfully in regular and special classrooms. But there are millions more who have not been diagnosed and/or discovered, or who simply do not qualify even though they are in desperate need of specialized help.

There are two types of help available to those students according to the extent of their disability or disabilities. Yes, some students have more than one; for example, I have a 15 year old female student who suffers from severe hearing loss, speech disorder and mental retardation. However, the most common disability is without a doubt SLD or Specific Learning Disability. SLD is determined by comparing the child’s performance on several tasks with his actual potential. If the discrepancy is more than 15 points in any given area, for example reading comprehension or mathematical calculations, the student is classified as SLD.

The help is categorized as either Accommodations and/or Modifications. The first has to do with the way teaching is delivered to the student, for example giving him/her a written skeleton of the topic covered that day. The second is actually changing the contents of the lesson to make it more accessible and understandable. For example, the student may be given a word bank with simple explanations that are easier to understand. The main purpose is simply to level the playing field with the other students who do not have a disability.

Many parents are however bewildered by the technical terms used by the schools to explain what is being done to their sons or daughters who suffer from SLD or other learning problems. There are many good sites they can refer to and find answers to their questions. Of course, you can email me with your questions and I’ll be more than happy to try and answer every doubt to the best of my ability.

As a teacher in the special education field, I have discovered that many classroom teachers not only do not understand the concept of Learning Disability, but also reject the presence of challenged learners in their classroom. It is true that not all students with disabilities can function adequately in the general classroom; they can learn much more in special settings. But that is true only for the extreme cases, such as the young lady mentioned above who was diagnosed with three different problems.

I have worked as an inclusion teacher for 6 years, which means that I am present in the classroom to help those challenged students follow and understand the regular teacher. It is essential that I work closely with the regular teacher in coordinating our teaching strategies. It has been shown that special education children function much better when they are given the opportunity to work with other students their own age in a regular classroom. It not only helps them learn the core skills needed in life, Math, Science, English and Social Studies, but also the social skills that are essential in reaching a certain level of success in the community.

The strategy of including another teacher in the regular classroom may be an inconvenience for some regular teachers. Sometimes there are clashes between the two due mostly to incompatible personalities, which of course results in learning deficiencies for the students. Some teachers are insecure; others fear that the inclusion teacher will report their inadequacies to the administration. But the inclusion strategy is here to stay and schools must take into account the teachers’ preferences when pairing them. Unfortunately, very few schools actually give the necessary importance to the inclusion process to make it a success. The only people hurt as a result are the learning challenged students and that is unacceptable.

By: Jacques Sprenger

Houston Schools Focus On Magnet And Early Childhood Programs

admin — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 07:05:08 +0000

School systems across the country have just a couple of things on their plate: charter schools, budgets, magnet schools, pension plans, pre-K and dropout rates- to name a few. Houston Schools are no different, and Magnet and Early Childhood programs appear to be at the top of the list.

The cream of the Houston School system’s crop are the Gifted and Talented students. Currently, 25,000 students are identified as gifted and talented. Beginning next school year (’07-’08), students identified as such will all attend “Vanguard” programs. The programs themselves will not change, but the name will consolidate programs throughout Houston Schools. Houston Schools identify students for Vanguard programs by using an “identification matrix”. This includes test scores from the Stanford/Aprenza exam and the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test. Report-card points and teacher recommendations are also taken into account. Houston Schools’ students who have limited English proficiency, are enrolled in special education, have low socioeconomic status are also considered. Vanguard schools are continuously monitored to help ensure that high-quality; more-rigorous instruction is provided in all classrooms. Students are expected to score above grade-level on the Stanford test. In addition, any of Houston Schools’ high-school students who are enrolled in a Vanguard school are required to take a minimum of two advanced-academic courses (ex: Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or dual-credit). “I am excited about the improvements in the Vanguard programs,” said Superintendent of Houston Schools Abelardo Saavedra. “It means more students will benefit from the rigor and high expectations of the programs, and it helps in our efforts to create a college-bound culture.” The Houston Schools’ system has 20 Vanguard magnet schools that enroll gifted/talented students from all over the district. All students may apply to Vanguard schools, regardless of their sub districts, of which there are 10. Students who are zoned to a school that is a Vanguard magnet will automatically get to attend that school; they will no longer have their names put into the magnet lottery system.

Another program that Houston Schools Board of Education and Superintendent Saavedra are committed to expanding is the district’s Early Childhood programs. Early childhood education has been recognized as extremely important to future academic success. Houston Schools now offers prekindergarten to all students on a tuition basis, and some students can attend for free. To qualify for free PreK at Houston Schools, a student must meet one or more of the following criteria: unable to speak and comprehend the English language, economically disadvantaged, homeless, a child of an active-duty member of the armed forces, or a child of an armed-forces member who was injured, killed, or missing-in-action while serving on active duty. Beginning with the ’07-’08 school year, parents may enroll their four-year-old child (who turned four on or before September 1, 2007) in a full-day, 10-month program at participating Houston Schools for a state-set fee of $405 per month. 16 elementaries in the Houston Schools offer PreK, one of which is also a Montessori magnet.

By: Patricia Hawke

Catholic Education – Thoughts About Children and Facts About Catholic Education Outcomes – Part 3

admin — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 06:15:52 +0000

Some wise people had these comments about children:

Norman Douglas: If you want to see what children can do, you must stop giving them things.

Malcolm Forbes: Re raising kids: Love, without discipline, isn’t.

Robert Heinlein: Do not handicap your children by making their lives easy.

Art Buck: How soon do we forget what elders used to know: That children should be raised, not left like weeds to grow.

Catholic schools tend to have a stronger sense of community, high academic standards and a committed faculty. Students are disciplined and orderly. Academic achievement is notable among all students, minorities and non-minorities.

A 1990 RAND study of Catholic schools and public schools in New York City that has stood the test of time highlights the educational outcomes. Nina Shokraii-Rees summarized the differences:

1) Catholic high schools graduated 95% of their students each year; the public schools graduated only slightly more than 50% of their senior classes.

2) More than 66% of the Catholic school graduates received the New York Regents diploma; only about 5% of the public school students received that distinction.

3) Catholic school students achieved an average combined SAT I score of 803; the average combined SAT I score for public school students was 642.

4) Sixty percent of African-American Catholic students scored above the national average for African-American students on the SAT I; less than 30% of public school African-American students scored above the average.

Even when the selectivity bias of leaving the worst-performing and worst-behaved students in public schools was taken into account, African-American and Hispanic students attending urban Catholic schools are more than twice as likely to graduate from college as their counterparts in public schools.

Another later study by Paul Peterson of Harvard University and the Hoover Institute, and Herbert Walberg of the University of Illinois compared the costs and performance of students in 88 public and 77 Catholic elementary and middle schools in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Peterson and Walberg found that Catholic schools are at least twice as efficient and their students perform better on state tests.

To ensure a fair comparison, Peterson and Walberg deducted all expenditures that did not have a private school counterpart, including all monies spent on transportation, special education, school lunch and associated bureaucratic functions.

After removing all of those expenditures-which represented nearly 40% of the cost of running the New York City public schools-the analysis showed public schools still spent more than $5,000 per pupil each year, compared to $2,400 spent by Catholic schools.

The test scores were equally revealing. Even excluding test scores by special education students, and making adjustments for race and ethnicity, Catholic schools outperformed public schools on state-administered math and reading tests.

(Editor’s Note: This is Part 3 of a 4-Part Article.)

Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley

By: Ed Bagley