Teaching: A Job or a Profession? The Perceptions of Educators

Researchers designed a study to investigate educators’ perceptions about whether teaching is a job or a profession. A survey was developed to investigate factors such as individual definitions of a job and a profession, years of experience teaching, grade level or category of education, and individual perceptions of a profession. The respondents were 401 upper-level undergraduate preservice teachers and graduate students who were professional educators. Data collected showed many aspects of individuals’ perceptions of teaching including control of teaching and working situations, ethics, and personal perceptions of being a professional. Based on the findings from the study, researchers concluded that educators believe teaching is a profession.     

Chester Finn and the Future of Whole Language—and Schooling

This year's crop of college graduates will likely have more concrete information stored away than did the crop of 1905. But they may not be as well educated. And they certainly will find it a harder pull to reach the level of worldly accomplishment than has been expected of college graduates at the turn of a century.     

Review of Current Periodical Literature

This article examines the connections between No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and the Effective Schools Research Movement. Using historical methodology, the authors argue that although both were premised on building capacity, over time the reform that became NCLB evolved to focus on accountability. This shift disconnected the reform from its research base, resulting in its failure to bring about equity. To save NCLB, policymakers and scholars should reconnect reform efforts with research and adopt policies that favor inspection.     

“Students Get What Flows Downward”: District Leaders’ Rationalizations of the Standardized Testing of Children

What do students stand to gain from high-stakes, standardized testing? We consider answers to this question from the perspective of urban district leaders tasked with designing and overseeing the implementation of standardized testing policies. Results revealed variation in leaders’ framing of and rationale for standardized testing with respect to benefits for students and whether/why students should strive for high test scores. Implications for both approaches to standardized testing and broader improvement initiatives are discussed.     

Students Promoted Despite Test Failure

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) dictates students in Grades 3, 5, and 8 pass state tests to be promoted. Accordingly, most state education codes require students to pass reading and math exams for promotion. The majority of those who fail, however, appear to be promoted anyway. This article addresses core questions concerning the paradigm under which NCLB operates, what it means to promote or retain a student, and the consequences of these actions.     

Imitative Youth (Russian and American Youth Movements)

Through a leadership for learning approach, a school–university partnership in a large, urban district was able to recruit, develop, and retain new and existing school leaders. Two cohorts of new leaders were trained while existing leaders enhanced their skills through professional development. Data indicated that the school–university partnership increased the overall percentage of new district leaders by over 19 percent, and met or exceeded all seven of its established targets for leadership development and sustainability.     

What Do We Really Know About the edTPA? Research,PACT, and Packaging a Local Teacher Performance Assessment for National Use

This article calls attention to the overreliance on research about the Performance Assessment for California Teachers (PACT)—often labeled edTPA's predecessor—as justification for the edTPA. The article argues that the distinctions between the assessments are too vast to rely on PACT data to support the edTPA, given the localized nature of PACT and the way in which it is scored.     

The End of Public Schools? Or a New Beginning?

Abstract

Public education is becoming increasingly privatized as private philanthropic organizations, such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and corporations, such as Pearson, dominate the policy-making process, and more students enroll in publicly funded but privately administered charter schools. The privatization of education results from the dominance of neoliberal ideals promoting market competition, individualism, and standardized testing. In response, we call for replacing neoliberalism with social democratic policies emphasizing community, trust, and democratic deliberation.     

PSYCHIATRY

This article describes the reading instructional program that first-graders in an urban school located in a large, Midwestern city received as a result of a grant initiative. Various assessments of the children's reading revealed some important areas for reading success were missing. As a result, suggestions were shared with the school staff to balance the first-grade reading curriculum. However, one confounding variable prevented the teachers’ ability to change their instruction.     

The Mood and Intent of Liberal Education

Today's technology-based society and the vast influx of new information make leadership development a necessity. Many of the world's finest and most successful leaders have trusted mentors. Mentoring has emerged as a means to cultivate the leadership skills of current and future leaders. Mentoring has a rich history and harbors immense learning potential, which is supported by the theories and concepts of prominent researchers and philosophers such as Vygotsky, Rogoff, and Bruner. Mentors take on various roles and, like chameleons, transform their roles to fit the needs of their mentees, including becoming coaches, supporters, counselors, educators, and sponsors. The benefits of both mentors and mentees are extensive, ranging from increased self-esteem, awareness, insight, and professional skills to reduction of stress. While the benefits to mentoring are immense, personal and societal constraints such as time, incompatibility, and inadequate training show that engaging in mentoring takes immense time, effort, and commitment in order to obtain the desired results.     

PISA在中国:教育评价新探索

本文通过对当前国际上颇具影响力的大规模教育评价项目——"学生能力国际评价("PISA)的评价理念和技术的解析,结合教育部考试中心开展PISA2006中国试测研究实践收获的启示,阐述了作者对我国教育评价研究与发展的思考和建议。