Influencing the College Attendance Rates of Hispanics in Texas

A number of policymakers have shifted their attention from the participation rates of Hispanics in postsecondary education to the percentage of this population that completes a baccalaureate degree. Several reports stress that while participation rates have increased, there are continued disparities in outcomes between Hispanic and White college students (President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans, 2003 President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans . ( 2003 ). From risk to opportunity: Fulfilling the educational needs of Hispanic Americans in the 21st Century . Washington , DC : Author . Retrieved December 14, 2006, from http://www.yic.gov/paceea/final.html  [Google Scholar]; Council of Economic Advisers, 2000 Council of Economic Advisers. (2000). Educational attainment and success in the new economy: An analysis of challenges for improving Hispanic students' achievement . Washington , DC : Author. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED442890)  [Google Scholar]; Fry, 2002 Fry , R. ( 2002 ). Latinos in higher education: Many enroll, too few graduate . Washington , DC : Pew Hispanic Center . Retrieved December 12, 2006, from http://pewhispanic.org  [Google Scholar]; Vernez & Mizell, 2001 Vernez , G. & Mizell , L. ( 2001 ). Goal: To double the rate of Hispanics earning a bachelor's degree . Santa Monica , CA : RAND . (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED453771)  [Google Scholar]). Although many states have experienced increases in Hispanic postsecondary attendance, such is not the case in Texas—a state with one of the largest Hispanic populations in the country. Figures for 2003 show that 3.9% of Hispanics in Texas were enrolled in some type of postsecondary institution compared to 5.2% of African Americans and 5.6% of Caucasians (Haurwitz, 2005 Haurwitz , R. K. M. ( 2005 , January 25 ). State falling short on college enrollment: Lagging rates for Hispanics a special challenge . Austin American-Statesman . Retrieved January 2, 2007, from http://www.uh.edu/ednews/2005/aas/200501/20050125enrollment.html  [Google Scholar]).     

近年我国基础教育政策过程的效果提升型特征

在我国各地经济发展存在较大差异的国情下,近年我国基础教育政策过程体现出效果提升型特征。这种特征从重视程度的逐步加深、行动和制度上的切实保障和持续倡导的强力推进等三个方面,体现在近年我国基础教育政策过程的六个阶段中。效果提升型政策保证了我国基础教育政策对教育政策问题解决的深度,对于教育的发展,对于民众对教育政策以及解决教育政策问题的信心等起着重要作用。     

Conceptual Changes in Religious Concepts of Elementary Schoolchildren: The case of the house where God lives

The present paper was part of a larger project, which investigated the process of knowledge acquisition in Christian religion. The concept of God in particular is a core construct in any religion and it has been involved in a number of changes in the history of religions. Some of those changes were observed in the children's constructions of the house that God lives in. Among children's drawings we found changes which imply, in terms of Thagard (1992) not only belief revision, but also a conceptual change. However, hierarchy reinterpretation, in which the concept of God changes from the part of the cosmos to the creator (ontologically different from the creatures) we did not observe among the primary school children. The development of the different hierarchies we constructed on the basis of children's drawings seems to follow the developmental changes, which took place in the history of Greek religions. Finally, there were some implications for Religious Education.     

The Effects of Teacher Professional Development on Children’s Attendance in Preschool

Abstract

Student absenteeism is a widespread and critical issue in early childhood education. Current efforts to reduce student absenteeism in both preschool and K–12 settings have largely been family- and parent-focused interventions. Yet, interventions targeting teachers and schools may similarly be effective tools to improve student attendance. We utilize data from a large-scale, experimental evaluation of an early childhood professional development intervention to examine whether it impacted children’s absenteeism and chronic absenteeism. Although the professional development targeted the quality of teacher-child interactions and did not target children’s absenteeism, we find that the professional development reduced student absence rates by 1.0 percentage points (equivalent to approximately an additional 1.9?days of preschool). The professional development also reduced chronic absenteeism by 6.0 percentage points. Impacts were concentrated among lower-income children. Implications for policies targeting student absenteeism in preschool settings are discussed.     

The Influence of Creationism and Scientism on Attitudes towards Christianity among Kenyan Secondary School Students

The attitude towards Christianity of 624 form six students in Kenya was measured using the Francis scale of attitude towards Christianity Form ASC4B. Indices were developed to measure the view that science attains to absolute truth, the perception of Christianity as necessarily involving creationism, and personal religious behaviour. Sex, academic achievement, study of religion in form six, study of a science subject in form six, parental educational level and parental church attendance were taken into account in the analysis of the data by path analysis. No significant relationship was found between attitude towards Christianity and perception of Christianity as necessarily involving creationism, but the view of science as attaining to absolute truth does have a negative influence on attitude towards Christianity. The significant influences of students’ sex, mother's educational level and father's church attendance on attitude towards Christianity are all mediated through religious behaviour.     

The Effects of Group Counselling on Classroom Behaviour and Self‐concept among Elementary School Learning Disabled Children

This study investigated the effects of participation in group counselling sessions on the classroom behaviour and self‐concept of learning disabled (LD) children in elementary school. Sixty LD children were randomly assigned to experimental (n = 30) and control (n= 30) conditions. Participants in the treatment group were divided into three groups and participated in group counselling sessions which met for approximately one hour per week for 10 weeks. Dependent measures included Acting Out and Distractibility from the Walker Problem Behavior Identification Checklistand Personal Self, Social Self, and Intellectual Self from the Primary Self‐Concept Inventory.Results indicated that participation in group counselling sessions improved behaviour in the classroom and enhanced some positive self‐evaluations (Social Self). The intervention appears to be beneficial in improving acting out and distractibility behaviours and one area of self‐concept.     

Correlates of disclosure of sexual violence among Kenyan youth

IntroductionSexual violence (SV) against children is a global health and human rights issue that can have short and long-term consequences for health and wellbeing. Disclosing SV increases the likelihood that children can access health and protective services and receive psychosocial support. Research in high-income countries has found that child SV survivors are more likely to disclose when they are girls/women, experience fewer SV events, and experience SV perpetrated by a stranger. No studies have examined correlates of SV disclosure in Kenya.ObjectiveThe objective of this research was to assess the correlates of disclosing SV among Kenyan youth ages 13–24 who reported an SV experience before age 18.MethodsIn 2010, the Kenya Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Development, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division of Violence Prevention, the UNICEF Kenya Country Office, and the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) conducted a national survey of violence against children. These data were used to conduct weighted logistic regression analyses to determine which factors were correlated with reporting SV disclosure.ResultsAmong the 27.8% of girls/women and 14.5% of boys/men who reported SV before age 18, 44.6% of girls/women and 28.2% of boys/men reported to have disclosed the experience. In weighted logistic regression analysis, the odds of disclosure were lower among survivors who were boys/men and among survivors who reported more SV events, and higher when any perpetrator was a family member.ConclusionMore context-specific research on SV disclosure among young people is needed globally.     

Effects of Day-Care on Cognitive and Socioemotional Competence of Thirteen-Year-Old Swedish Schoolchildren

This is a follow-up study of an earlier one in which positive effects of early day-care experience were found on children's cognitive and socioemotional competence at age 8. 128 children were followed from their first year of life. At 8 and 13 years of age, 92% and 89% of the children, respectively, remained in the study. Most children could be classified according to age at first entry into day-care. Cognitive and socioemotional competence was rated by the children's classroom teachers. Hierarchical regression and path analyses were used in the statistical treatment of the data. It was possible to trace independent positive effects of age of entry into day-care as far as age 13. Children entering center care or family day-care before age 1 generally performed better in school when 8 and 13 years old and received more positive ratings from their teachers on several socioemotional variables. The path analyses indicated the following causal model: family characteristics, such as type of family, family's socioemotional status, and mother's educational level, influence the time of first entry into day-care. This variable, in turn, has consequences for children's competence at 8 and/or 13 years of age even after controlling for home background, child gender, and intelligence, which, of course, have their own effects. The effect of socioeconomic status was often mediated through age of entry into day-care.     

The Effects of Language Policy on Minority Languages

Many countries have language policies with the purpose of promoting or discouraging the use of a particular language or a set of languages. In a multilingual country, the official language(s) is always favored by the national language policy; in contrast, the minority languages, to some extent, are hindered in their development. This paper, by the case studies of minority languages in New Zealand, Netherlands, and China, illustrates the effects of these countries’ general language policies on their minority languages. Minority languages are seen as a part of cultural identity of minority groups. To protect their own culture and identity, they devote themselves to seek the equal right for their languages and cultures. In making language policies, the authorities should give respect and regard to the minority languages.     

儒家文化对现代韩国基础教育的影响

传统的儒家文化不仅对中国文化的发展，而且对世界特别是对东亚、东南亚文化的发展都产生过和正在产生着深刻的影响。在韩国，儒家文化对教育的发展起来了非常重要的作用。虽然由于西方文化的影响，儒家文化的影响力曾一度减弱，但随着现代化的进程，儒家文化的影响也越来越深刻地反映出来。     

基于语言政策尼日利亚中小学的语言教育分析

语言规划是一种作用于语言的社会活动,一般发生在国家的层次上。很多国家有多个民族、多种语言,政府选择什么语言作为官方语言,这是一个重大的社会问题,也是一个典型的语言规划的问题。本文以非洲最大的国家尼日利亚为例,分析了其现行的语言政策及语言教育,特别是尼日利亚中小学的语言教育,并总结了其语言政策在民族认同方面的得失。     

免费师范生报考动因与政策态度调查

免费师范生政策实施三年来,六所部属高校按照中共中央、国务院、教育部的部署,扎实推进相关工作的开展.但面对近年来基础教育尤其是边远地区教育的基本现状以及免费师范生的种种政策限制,免费师范生的职业选择是基于一种对基础教育事业的热爱,还是迫于经济条件的负担,还是规避就业压力的一种权宜之计?师范生在签署《师范生免费教育协议》之前是否已经对相关政策有了充分的了解和真正的赞同?对于想继续深造的师范生,他们是否愿意以教育硕士的形式完成?本研究以陕西师范大学在读免费师范生为对象,运用访谈、问卷等方法对免费师范生报考的原因、相关政策的了解以及认同程度等进行调查和分析,从中发现问题并提出建议与策略,以期为政策的完善提供理论依据。     

我国财政政策和货币政策合理配合初探

财政政策是一种管理和控制税收及公共开支的政策，它和货币政策协同合作，目标都是在使经济迅速增长的同时，保持高水平的就业率和物价的稳定，因此具有配合的必要性。两大政策的协调配合运用，要注意结合我国的国情，科学合理地确定两大政策的配合方式及其具体操作，以发挥它们在宏观经济中的调控作用。     

我国基础教育"重点学校"政策失当的政策学分析

基础教育"重点学校"政策在集中优势教育资源、迅速有效地为国家培养急需人才而作出了历史贡献的同时,也因其社会本位、差异发展、精英主义取向造成了教育的分层和两极分化。从政策学的视角看,目标确定的理想化、决策时的经验判断、执行过程的异变使基础教育"重点学校"政策先天不足。     

The Development of a Happiness Measure for Schoolchildren

Happiness, or subjective well‐being, the self‐evaluation of how happy or unhappy a person is, has been studied amongst adults using a variety of self‐report methods. However, there has been relatively little related work with children. A psychometrically valid and reliable SWB measure for schoolchildren aged 8‐ to 15‐years‐old, the School Children’s Happiness Inventory (SCHI), was piloted and developed against existing measures of self‐esteem, affect and depression (n = 71). Predictive validity (n = 771) was assessed using a measure of being bullied, sharing the same context (school) and time scale (the previous week). The School Children’s Happiness Inventory (SCHI) may be especially useful in assessing the effect of school‐based interventions and influences on schoolchildren’s well‐being.     

无效投资及其治理政策探析

投资是拉动中国经济增长的主要力量,但在全部固定资产投资中,有相当一部分投资是无效投资。持续低消费下的高投资是产生无效投资的直接原因;政府采取非市场经济的方式激励企业投资以确保经济增长是产生无效投资的根本原因。治理无效投资的关键：一是提高消费率,二是改变政府对投资激励的方式与手段。     

浅析大学生恋爱的不正常现象

本分析了大学生恋爱中不正常现象的发展趋势,原因及其对策。