School Effects in the Era of Accountability


Book Description

Using data from the High School Longitudinal Study 2009 (HSLS:09), a large, nationally representative sample of U.S. high school students, this study uses structural equation modeling (SEM) to answer the following research questions: 1) To what extent does school climate vary by the compositional characteristics of schools (i.e. school SES; percentage minority)?; 2) To what extent is there an association between school structure (sector and size) and climate? 3) To what extent do different aspects of school climate affect student math achievement and attainment? ;4) To what degree does school climate mediate the relationship between compositional factors on high school students' math achievement and high school attainment?; 5) To what extent are the effects of school climate on achievement moderated by race? School climate is measured by three latent variables measuring academic climate, disciplinary climate, and school attachment. This study builds upon previous studies and improves them in several key ways. First, previous studies suffer from bias since traditional regression methods are not designed to be used with latent variables. Moreover, this is one of the first large-scale quantitative studies to capture school climate effects at the high school level for students and schools who came of age during the No Child Left Behind policy era. Specifically, this study aims to provide policy makers with a more cogent understanding of the complex relationship between school composition, school type, and climate with student expectations and math achievement. The study suggests that school attachment is the most salient school climate factor related to student attainment and it is an important factor for minority students' math learning. Additionally, this study indicates that several other school characteristics such as percent minority and school SES are associated with improved school climate and math learning. Structural elements such as school size and school type were related to climate and some academic outcomes. However, since SEM is not able to capture casual relationships, further research is required to better understand the findings on school type.




The International Handbook of Teacher Ethos


Book Description

This volume is the first handbook that brings together cutting-edge international research on teacher ethos from a broad array of disciplines. The main focus will be on research that illustrates current conceptualizations of ethos and its importance for acting effectively and responsibly in and out of the classroom. Research will encompass updated empirical and philosophical work that points to the difference in learning when teaching is practised as a moral activity instead of a merely functional one. Authors are among the world’s foremost researchers whose work crosses over from moral education into psychology, neuroscience, sociology, philosophy, pedagogy, and curriculum, drawing on these various fields of research. Today, more than ever, we understand that teachers, like other professionals, need more than subject-matter expertise for acting responsibly and doing their best in their daily duties. Doing so requires possessing a guiding system of professional ethics, moral positioning, goals, norms, and values – in other words: a professional ethos. While the handbook concentrates on Western domains in the current era, the work will extend to other cultures and times as well. With this comprehensive range of perspectives, the book will be attractive and useful for researchers on teachers and teaching as well as for teacher educators, curriculum designers, educational officials, and, last-but-not-least, anyone who is interested in what makes a good teacher. This volume is also a tribute to Fritz Oser, a leading scholar in research on ethos, who sadly passed-away during the compilation of this handbook.




International Guide to Student Achievement


Book Description

The International Guide to Student Achievement brings together and critically examines the major influences shaping student achievement today. There are many, often competing, claims about how to enhance student achievement, raising the questions of "What works?" and "What works best?" World-renowned bestselling authors, John Hattie and Eric M. Anderman have invited an international group of scholars to write brief, empirically-supported articles that examine predictors of academic achievement across a variety of topics and domains. Rather than telling people what to do in their schools and classrooms, this guide simply provides the first-ever compendium of research that summarizes what is known about the major influences shaping students’ academic achievement around the world. Readers can apply this knowledge base to their own school and classroom settings. The 150+ entries serve as intellectual building blocks to creatively mix into new or existing educational arrangements and aim for quick, easy reference. Chapter authors follow a common format that allows readers to more seamlessly compare and contrast information across entries, guiding readers to apply this knowledge to their own classrooms, their curriculums and teaching strategies, and their teacher training programs.







Transformative Classroom Management


Book Description

Transformative Classroom Management The natural condition of any classroom is harmonious, satisfying, and productive, so why do so many teachers struggle with problems of apathy, hostility, anxiety, inefficiency, and resistance? In this groundbreaking book, education expert John Shindler presents a powerful model, Transformative Classroom Management (TCM), that can be implemented by any teacher to restore the natural positive feelings in his or her classroom—the love of learning, collaboration, inspiration, and giving—and create a productive learning environment in which all students can achieve. Unlike other classroom management systems that view problems as something to be “handled,” TCM offers suggestions for creating optimal conditions for learning, performance, motivation, and growth. This practical book shows teachers how to abandon ineffective short-term gimmicks, bribes, and punishments and adopt the proven management practices and new habits of mind that will transform their classrooms. Praise for Transformative Classroom Management “Transformative Classroom Management is a practical resource that explains the how and why of classroom management for novice and veteran teachers. Dr. Shindler recognizes the importance of preserving the teacher’s sanity while ensuring the student’s development of a personal sense of responsibility and a positive self-esteem.” —Eileen Matus, principal, South Toms River Elementary School, New Jersey “I have read many other management books by other authors, but Transformative Classroom Management has been the best so far at demystifying the invisible forces in the classroom.” —WILL McELROY, 4th grade teacher, Los Angeles United School District “This book was an invaluable tool for me during my student teaching. It served as a reference book that I found myself continually drawn to while struggling to find ways to effectively manage 29 first graders. The ideas, concepts and suggestions in the book were so innovative and helpful that even my Master Teacher found herself implementing some of the ideas! A must have for all student teachers!” —Carol Gillon, student teacher, Seattle University “Insightful and thoroughly researched, Transformative Classroom Management is an invaluable tool to help teachers, newbies and veterans alike, develop fully functional and engaged learning communities.” —LISA GAMACHE RODRIGUEZ, teacher, Los Angeles Unified School District




What Really Works in Special and Inclusive Education


Book Description

As teachers around the world deal with the challenges of inclusive education, they must find effective ways of enhancing their classroom teaching methods. What Really Works in Special and Inclusive Education presents teachers with a range of evidence-based strategies they can immediately put into practice in their classrooms. This unique book will be an invaluable resource for educators who may not have the time or the inclination to engage with theory-heavy research, but who wish to ensure that their teaching strategies are up-to-the-minute and proven to be the most effective best practices. Each of the 27 strategies that this book comprises has a substantial research base, a strong theoretical rationale and clear guidelines on their implementation, as well as cautionary advice where necessary. In this new second edition, David Mitchell, a leading writer in special and inclusive education, continues to break new ground with revised and updated strategies based on evidence from the most recent studies in the field. From the myriad of related research available, only those studies with genuine potential for improving the practices of teachers and schools have been included, with the aim of facilitating high-quality learning and social outcomes for all learners in schools. Updates to this new edition include: four new chapters, on response to intervention, universal design for learning, inter-agency cooperation and one on the Finnish education system over 350 new references an even wider international focus, including evidence drawn from Asia references to recent developments in neuroscience a new companion website, with extra case studies, links to further reading, journal articles and videos, and an interactive quiz, at www.routledge.com/cw/mitchell This book will be essential reading for anyone with a vocational or academic interest in evidence-based special educational needs teaching strategies, whether a student in initial teacher education or a qualified classroom teacher, teacher educator, educational psychologist, special needs coordinator, parent, consultant or researcher. David Mitchell is an Adjunct Professor in the College of Education, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand, and a consultant in inclusive education. ‘This is the book I wish I had written, synthesizing an enormous literature focused on special needs students. It is robust, it is readable, and it is your right-hand resource. A stunner of a book.’ –Professor John Hattie, University of Melbourne, author of Visible Learning







Relationship Between School Climate and Student Achievement in Middle Schools


Book Description

Author's abstract: Administrators are charged with making decisions and implementing strategies to improve a school's climate and student achievement. Because school climate and student achievement are interrelated, it would benefit administrators to understand which areas of school climate have the greatest impact on student achievement. The State of Georgia measures school climate and achievement with its school accountability measure, College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI). This study employed a quantitative research design using archival data from CCRPI over two years to examine the relationship between school climate and student achievement. The researcher used Pearson's r correlation and multiple regression analysis to examine the relationship between the two components and the predictive effect of each school climate domain on student achievement for traditionally structured middle schools in the State of Georgia. Findings revealed that all four components of school climate, Survey Score, Discipline Score, Safe and Substance-Free Learning Environment Score, and Attendance Score were all related to student achievement. In addition, the Survey Score and Discipline score had the strongest relationship and was the most significant predictor of student achievement. Findings align with those identified in the literature and provide administrators with essential information to strategically make decisions involving processes and procedures that impact these areas. Future research is needed to determine whether the relationship between school climate and student achievement is similar for elementary, middle, or high schools. In addition, separating the data into rural, suburban, and urban schools and running similar tests may also help administrators specifically in those areas.




The Factors Effecting Student Achievement


Book Description

This book focuses on the effect of psychological, social and demographic variables on student achievement and summarizes the current research findings in the field. It addresses the need for inclusive and interpretive studies in the field in order to interpret student achievement literature and suggests new pathways for further studies. Appropriately, a meta-analysis approach is used by the contributors to show the big picture to the researchers by analyzing and combining the findings from different independent studies. In particular, the authors compile various studies examining the relationship between student achievement and 21 psychological, social and demographic variables separately. The philosophy behind this book is to direct future research and practices rather than addressing the limits of current studies.