Achievement Outcomes Among High School Graduates in College and Career Readiness Programs of Study

This study investigated the relationships between completing the high school portion of a college- and career-preparatory program of study and high school achievement outcomes in a large urban district in the West. Programs of study are secondary-to-postsecondary educational programs mandated by the federal legislation (Perkins IV) governing career and technical education (CTE) in the United States. At graduation, 49.5% of students in the sample who began a program of study had completed their programs. Using multiple regression models, we compared graduates who completed a program of study (hereafter POS completers) to graduates who completed a number of CTE courses in a specific occupational area (CTE concentrators), and to graduates who may have taken a CTE course or two during high school but were neither POS completers nor CTE concentrators (All Others). POS completers were more likely to (a) have a higher overall GPA, (b) have a higher CTE GPA, and (c) earn more STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) credits than All Other students. Compared with CTE concentrators, POS completers were more likely to (a) have a higher overall GPA and (b) earn more STEM credits. Qualitative data describe contextual elements of programs of study as offered in West District that could explain these results. Study results suggest that districts should consider implementing career-themed programs such as programs of study that enhance their existing college- and career-readiness initiatives. We also call for further study of the postsecondary and labor market outcomes associated with programs of study in order to generate a clearer picture of their potential to increase academic and technical achievement and promote successful student transitions to higher education and the workplace.     

Creativity and technology in teaching and learning: a literature review of the uneasy space of implementation

Educational technology research and development - Internationally, creativity is a widely discussed construct that is pivotal to educational practice and curriculum. It is often situated alongside...     

A pre-kindergarten achievement gap？ Scope and implications

This study examined the degree to which achievement gaps existed among different ethnic and racial groups before kindergarten entry. Using published data on the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort, this study found statistically significant differences in language knowledge and skills, literacy knowledge and skills, and mathematics knowledge and skills between Black children and White children, Hispanic children and White children, and Asian and White children as early as 4-years-old. The largest achievement gap was found between Hispanic children and White children, followed by Black children and White children. Asian children were found to perform better than White children on measures of literacy, mathematics, and fine motor skills. Implications of this study were discussed.     

Exploring sense of community in a relocated sports fan group

Geographical relocation may create a number of adjustment issues for individuals including isolation and loneliness. For some, cheering for a team and being part of a fan group may be one way to address these issues and development a sense of community (SOC). The development of SOC, however, may be complicated when individuals no longer live near the team they root for. Though sport fan groups often exist outside of the area of the team, it is unclear if and how SOC develops in these groups, and further, how participation in the group influences views of the current residence. This paper addresses this gap by exploring SOC in one such ‘relocated’ sports fan group. Findings suggest elements of two prominent theories of SOC, and also extend that research by showing the process through which SOC develops, and how group participation impacts feelings towards the current residence.     

Integrating Computational Science Tools into a Thermodynamics Course

Computational tools and methods have permeated multiple science and engineering disciplines, because they enable scientists and engineers to process large amounts of data, represent abstract phenomena, and to model and simulate complex concepts. In order to prepare future engineers with the ability to use computational tools in the context of their disciplines, some universities have started to integrate these tools within core courses. This paper evaluates the effect of introducing three computational modules within a thermodynamics course on student disciplinary learning and self-beliefs about computation. The results suggest that using worked examples paired to computer simulations to implement these modules have a positive effect on (1) student disciplinary learning, (2) student perceived ability to do scientific computing, and (3) student perceived ability to do computer programming. These effects were identified regardless of the students’ prior experiences with computer programming.     

‘Understanding things from within’. A Husserlian phenomenological approach to doing educational research and inquiring about learning

This article describes a phenomenological approach to doing educational inquiry and understanding learning. Working within the qualitative tradition, the research is conceived as ‘narrow and deep’, intimate research that focuses definitively on internality and on first-hand experiences of learning. The theoretical background for doing phenomenological research is explained, especially in regard to the ideas of Edmund Husserl. Then, the author’s own systematic process for doing phenomenological research in education and exploring learning is offered with examples from his doctoral research project in which he investigated doctoral students and their experience of negotiating their learning. Samples from the author’s writing in regard to one research participant are used to illustrate the research process explicated in the article.     

Scholar-Activism: A Twice Told Tale

What does it mean for individuals to intentionally see themselves as scholar-activists? Moreover, what does navigating a scholar-activist life mean for scholars in the early phases of their academic careers? As emerging scholar-activists the authors of this article are continuing to grapple with these questions, and in this article they present their distinct but overlapping stories of working through and overcoming the false separation of scholarship and activism. By sharing their stories the authors want to both provide readers an opportunity to find resonance in their experiences, and present some points to consider as we all define and live scholar-activism. Scholar-activism is historically situated with sights on the future. The authors have chosen to join the struggle of their predecessors in their scholar-activist work, exploring new possibilities sparked by the confluence of different generations.     

The relative permeability of iron,nickel and permalloy in high frequency electromagnetic fields

The relative magnetic permeability of iron, nickel and permalloy was measured over the range of wave-lengths from 70 to 200 meters by the heterodyne balance method and by the resonance method. Nothing suggestive of the anomalous dispersion of the magnetic permeability reported in this region by Wwedensky and Theodortschik was found when certain precautions were observed in carrying out the measurements. When these precautions were neglected irregular breaks resulted in the curves of permeability as a function of wavelength which varied in position with the conditions of the circuit.The high frequency resistance of iron, nickel and permalloy wires was measured over the range of approximately fifty thousand kilocycles from two to three meter wave-lengths. What appeared to be anomalous variations at certain frequencies were found not to exist when the proper precautions were observed in making the measurements.     

Organizational environment, changing economic conditions, and the effective supervision of technical personnel: A management challenge

Industry's share of R&D funding is increasing while, at the same time, the half-life of technology is decreasing. This condition increases the pressure on technical managers to produce research that is creative and innovative but, at the same time, sensitive to the “bottom line.” Six conditions within the context of the organization play an important role in the management of technical employees: 1) Uncertainty in the work place increases the need for a supportive organizational climate and high information sharing, 2) Compensation appears to produce both functional and dysfunctional consequences for motivation, 3) Engineering personalities have a tendency to favor autonomous, challenging, and meaningful assignments, 4) Organizational structures influence the engineer's ability to process information, 5) The structure of the engineering task has been shown to affect job satisfaction, and 6) Career choices become an important consideration for mature engineers. Each of these issues, if not properly managed, can lead to stress, burnout and eventual employee turnover. Most important however, is the fact that if they are not managed properly, creative output from R&D organizations declines at a time when industry is assuming a greater share of the funding. When creativity declines, a reduction in the number of innovative solutions for products and processes is certain to follow. This condition can lead to serious problems when markets are changing dynamically. This paper reviews research findings related to each of the preceding issues and, discusses the role that each of them plays in the management of engineers and technical personnel. At the end of each discussion we provide some propositions worthy of further research.