Closing the Achievement Gap: Examining the Role of Cognitive Developmental Level in Academic Achievement

The achievement gap in mathematics between African American and Caucasian students has been observed for several decades, though previous research has been unable to fully explain why the gap exists. Using a sample of 56 kindergarten and first grade students, this study examined the role that cognitive developmental level plays in the achievement gap. Results indicated that African American students scored significantly lower than the Caucasian students on a test of mathematical achievement. Furthermore, proportionally more African American students remained in the preoperational stage of development as compared to their same-age Caucasian peers. Finally, after controlling for cognitive developmental level, the achievement gap between the two groups became statistically indistinguishable, suggesting that cognitive developmental level mediates the relationship between ethnicity and mathematic achievement.     

Black–White Achievement Gap and Family Wealth

This article examines the extent to which family wealth affects the Black–White test score gap for young children based on data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (aged 3–12). This study found little evidence that wealth mediated the Black–White test scores gaps, which were eliminated when child and family demographic covariates were held constant. However, family wealth had a stronger association with cognitive achievement of school-aged children than that of preschoolers and a stronger association with school-aged children's math than on their reading scores. Liquid assets, particularly holdings in stocks or mutual funds, were positively associated with school-aged children's test scores. Family wealth was associated with a higher quality home environment, better parenting behavior, and children's private school attendance.     

The Centralizing Role of Terminology: A Consideration of Achievement Gap,NCLB, and School Turnaround

American educational policies over the last 40 years have represented an uninterrupted movement toward centralization. This article analyzes three terms that have become critical to the centralization of American education. More specifically, this article reviews the development, language, and source of the thematic terms and associated language of achievement gap, NCLB, and school turnaround. The author contends that the level of each term's entrenchment in American education varies but that their impacts have all grown from a top-down initiative, and although the terms represent separate concepts, they have been linked in meaningful ways to drive centralization.     

Summer Reading and the Ethnic Achievement Gap

A number of studies have shown that low-income and minority students undergo larger summer reading losses than their middle-class and White classmates, and that reading is the only activity that is consistently related to summer learning. The purpose of this study was to explore whether reading books during summer vacation improved fall reading proficiency, and whether access to books increased the volume of summer reading. The results from the multivariate regression analyses suggest that the effect of reading 4 to 5 books on fall reading scores is potentially large enough to prevent a decline in reading achievement scores from the spring to the fall. Furthermore, children who reported easy access to books also read more books. The findings have implications for designing school-based summer reading programs and for conducting future experiments that confirm the correlational findings from this study.     

全国职业院校技能大赛口语赛项成果转化探究

推动口语大赛成果转化成为当前高职英语教学改革的一项重要任务。具体做法：以大赛内容为引领,促进高职口语课程教学内容改革;以大赛考核技能为引领,创新口语教学模式;以大赛评价标准为引领,改革口语考核评价体系;以大赛活动为引领,拓展口语课程形式;以大赛指导教师培养为引领,推进高职英语师资队伍建设。     

技能比赛在教学改革中的作用

职业技能比赛对于职业院校提高学校教学质量,提高学校师资水平有很大的作用。只有认识到技能教学工作的重要性,以技能训练推动教学改革,通过技能比赛的要求加强学校基础能力建设,学校的教学水平才能有效提高,培养的学生才能受到企业的欢迎。     

论自由间接引语的信息补差作用

本文通过分析间接引语和直接引语由于各自对话语主题的不同的叙述处理,不能真实地反映说话主体或叙事主体的意识从而造成部分话语信息的丢失,而自由间接引语和直接引语能够真实地反映说话主体和叙事主体的意识,从而实现对话语信息的补差作用。     

The Role of Mediators in the Development of Longitudinal Mathematics Achievement Associations

Despite research demonstrating a strong association between early and later mathematics achievement, few studies have investigated mediators of this association. Using longitudinal data (n = 1,362), this study tested the extent to which mathematics self‐concepts, school placement, executive functioning, and proficiency in fractions and division account for the association between mathematics achievement in first grade and at age 15. As hypothesized, a strong longitudinal association between first‐grade and adolescent mathematics achievement was present (β = .36) even after controlling for a host of background characteristics, including cognitive skills and reading ability. The mediators accounted for 39% of this association, with mathematics self‐concept, gifted and talented placement, and knowledge of fractions and division serving as significant mediators.     

Focusing on the Participation and Engagement Gap: A Case Study on Closing the Achievement Gap

In this case study, we focus on 2 variables often neglected in conversations about closing the achievement gap. Most recommendations for closing the achievement gap center on extending learning time, including afterschool programs, extended year programs, and supplemental instruction. Our school focused on attendance and student engagement in our effort to close the achievement gap. By developing a schoolwide plan that ensured that attendance was noticed, corrected, and celebrated, students at our urban school began attending on par with their suburban counterparts. In addition, we focused on student engagement once they were at school. Through a number of schoolwide instructional routines, including teacher modeling and productive group work, students became involved in learning and their achievement improved. Together, these initiatives further closed the achievement gap.     

The Role of Stress in the Social Support–Mental Health Relationship

This study examined the mediating effect of psychological stress in the relationship between social support and mental health symptomatology in undergraduate students. Participants (n = 368) completed measures of social support, psychological stress, and mental health symptomatology. Bootstrapping estimates of indirect effects indicated a significant influence of psychological stress in the relationship between social support and both anxiety and depression symptomatology. Implications for mental health promotion and treatment on college campuses are discussed.     

Closing the Achievement Gap in Disadvantaged Communities: Lessons from Successful Schools

Abstract

The fact that all children must attend school has characterised South Africa over the past two decades. While many schools are struggling to address this challenge, others have made strides and progress in closing the gap between groups. This article recounts how these secondary schools have been able to narrow the achievement gap and sustain their success over time. The three schools described here are all large public schools that serve disadvantaged communities in Mpumalanga, South Africa. Data was collected during meetings with the three schools which consisted of two rounds of focus group and one whole group session. These meetings helped the researcher to gather important information about each school’s characteristics, school change process, school climate, role of the curriculum and instructional practices in promoting learner achievement. While each of the participating schools has unique characteristics, a set of important common practices emerged.     

Are There Domain–Specific Thinking Skills?

Adopting a much broader notion of thinking than that associated with the Critical Thinking movement, this paper addresses the question of thinking skill generality. An analysis of the concept of 'thinking skill' suggests ways in which this notion has been misapplied. The paper demonstrates the importance of thinking tasks and argues for a non–universalistic notion of thinking skill generality. The domains–view of thinking is assessed, evidence from secondary research being used to show that thinking skills are not domain–specific simply by virtue of being instantiated with disciplinary content. The prevalence of general procedural knowledge in our thinking practices notwithstanding, empirical evidence suggests the existence of at least two kinds of domain–specific thinking skills: those in which thinking is essentially the application of domain–specific declarative knowledge; and those addressing specialised, domain–specific, thinking tasks.     

Reading for Learning – Information Retrieval Skills in English

of work on reading for learning skills. The unit was team taught by a head of English and an LEA English consultant. Details of the unit of work as it developed, examples of the students’ work, the issues that arose and how the English Department has developed an overview to tackle this cross-curricular aspect of the Key Stage 3 reading curriculum are included. The potential impact across the range of subject areas is also considered.     

The Role of Training Providers in Manpower Planning

ABSTRACT

Traditional approaches to manpower requirement forecasting have been unhelpful in enabling technical and vocational training organisations to identify the future skills needs of industry and business. This paper examines the problems faced by institutions in improving their understanding of future training needs. It draws on research In Nigeria and Thailand, as well as existing literature, and highlights techniques which the institutions themselves might initiate in order to improve the information base from which they can plan their provision.     

谈习近平青年成才观在大学生职业生涯规划教育中的意义

习近平总书记高度关注青年的成长与发展,他站在时代发展的角度,根据当代中国经济发展特点与青年自身特点,对当代青年提出了新的要求,并形成一套完整的青年观。在严峻的就业形势之下,习近平青年观为大学生的职业生涯规划具有重要的意义,大学生应从习近平青年观中汲取成长的力量,为今后走上工作岗位做好充足准备。     

Closing the Achievement Gap: A Metaphor for Children Left Behind

The No Child Left Behind Act presents an unprecedented challenge to current educational policy matters. While aimed at addressing the needs of disadvantaged children by claiming to promote equity, justice, and social citizenship among all youth, the new accountability seems to be concerned more with the imperatives of the marketplace. The education framework currently in place becomes a vehicle for social mobility for those few privileged citizens who have the resources and power to make their choices matter, but merely a form of social constraint for those who lack such resources. This paper problematizes the current efforts of reform and examines to what extent they actually benefit the children they are designed to serve.     

“临摹法”在历史学专业学生论文写作能力训练中的运用

“临摹法”是根据史学特点,通过史学论著的阅读、缩写、改写或模仿写作史学小论文等方式,以培养历史学专业学生的专业感受、熟悉史学论文写作的基本方法和规范,从而为毕业论文的写作打下良好的基础。它是结合专业课程教学进行早期论文写作训练的有效方法,有利于提高历史专业的教学和人才培养质量。     

英语学习技巧与英语专业复合型人才的培养

文章通过介绍英、美等国大学中常见的英语学习技巧课,从帮助学生获得各相关语言技巧、提高英语应用能力和就业潜力以及改善教学效果等方面探讨在中国大学专门用途英语专业全英教学中开设英语学习技巧训练的作用和意义。国家和社会要求二十一世纪的外语人才应具备较强的能力,全英教学是专门用途英语专业课程设置的发展趋势,而对学生英语学习技巧的培养,能促进全英教学,为将学生培养成复合型人才打下基础。