Thirty Years in the Storm: Leadership at an African-Centered School

For most Americans, access to a quality education has always been perceived as the fundamental link to upward mobility and increased life chances within our society (Ballantine and Hammack in The sociology of education: a systematic analysis. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, 2011; Brown et al. 2010; Holyfield 2002). This perception of the role of education has been particularly salient for African American people. From the beginning of their experiences in America, the African American community creatively established schools for their children (Anderson in The education of Blacks in the South, 1860–1935. The University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 1988). Even during the enslavement of the majority of African people in this country, they would often risk their lives in the effort to learn to read and write (Douglass and Stepto in Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, an American slave. Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 2009). Subsequently this rich history, along with the continued presence of inequities and underachievement in the public schools became the undergirding impetus for the development of independent Black schools within the African American communities around the nation beginning in the early 1960’s. Through the years, many of these schools have waged a fervent battle to remain operating. In spite of difficulties with various factors such as, finances, facilities location and maintenance, as well as an unstable teaching force, the leaders who founded these institutions remain committed to the education of African American children. Currently, there is a paucity of research on the founders of these independent Black schools. The purpose of this study was to investigate the educational philosophy and strategies which guided the decision-making process of the founder of an independent Black school.     

The development of a conceptual framework and tools to assess undergraduates' principled use of models in cellular biology

Recent science education reform has been marked by a shift away from a focus on facts toward deep, rich, conceptual understanding. This requires assessment that also focuses on conceptual understanding rather than recall of facts. This study outlines our development of a new assessment framework and tool-a taxonomy- which, unlike existing frameworks and tools, is grounded firmly in a framework that considers the critical role that models play in science. It also provides instructors a resource for assessing students' ability to reason about models that are central to the organization of key scientific concepts. We describe preliminary data arising from the application of our tool to exam questions used by instructors of a large-enrollment cell and molecular biology course over a 5-yr period during which time our framework and the assessment tool were increasingly used. Students were increasingly able to describe and manipulate models of the processes and systems being studied in this course as measured by assessment items. However, their ability to apply these models in new contexts did not improve. Finally, we discuss the implications of our results and the future directions for our research.     

The teacher-innovator: Models of teaching as the core of teacher education

A design for teacher education has been made around the concept of providing teacher trainees with the theoretical understanding of the major models of teaching and the clinical competence to employ them in the classroom. Research indicates that this design enables teachers to acquire the ability to radiate several models in the classroom regardless of their natural styles. While personal values do not appear to affect acquisition of the repertoire of models, conceptual level is related to repertory acquisition. The teaching behavior of cooperating (supervising) teachers is not related to the behavior of teacher trainees when practicing the models of teaching but is related to their more general teaching styles.

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Résumé Doter les futurs professeurs de la connaissance théorique des principaux modèles d'enseignement ainsi que de la compétence pour les utiliser en classe constitute le point central d'un programme de formation des maîtres. La recherche indique que ce programme permet aux professeurs d'acquérir la capacité d'utiliser en classe plusieurs modèles malgré leur style naturel. Même si les valuers personnelles ne semblent pas influer sur l'acquisition de la gamme de modèles, le niveau conceptuel est relié à l'acquisition de cette gamme. Le comportement en classe des professeurs (surveillants), lequel n'est pas relié à l'attitude des futurs professeurs lorsqu'ils pratiquent ces modèles d'enseignement, est plutôt fonction de leur style plus général d'enseignement.

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With Mike McKibbin, Michael Feller, Christina Gullion, Joe Kelly, and Gene Rude, all of whom contributed to the data collection and analysis and debate over substance. All are instructors at Teachers College.     

Rural underpinnings for resiliency and linkages (rural): A safe schools/healthy students project

Rural Underpinnings for Resiliency and Linkages (RURAL) is an example of a Safe Schools/Healthy Students (SS/HS) project. RURAL provides services to children and families in a rural Kansas county. The county's rates of juvenile alcohol and illicit drug use are higher than state averages. The RURAL project was designed to enhance existing partnerships among three school districts, the local community mental health center, law enforcement, the regional prevention center, and Fort Hays State University. A significant number of evidence‐based strategies were implemented in the schools and community in a short period of time. Using a public health approach to increase school safety and promote healthy behaviors, RURAL introduced strategies designed to provide universal prevention for the school population, early intervention for at‐risk children and families, and intensive services for those with the greatest needs. Services were provided to students (preschool–young adults) and their families. School psychologists held key roles in the development, implementation, and management of the project. Preliminary evaluation findings are presented, and the importance of local process and outcome evaluation is discussed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 40: 531–547, 2003.     

Multiple intelligence theory,knowledge identification and trust

This paper presents the results of introducing management students to Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences as a means of increasing respect for the knowledge and abilities of others, which in turn, may increase levels of trust in the ability of others, willingness to share knowledge and trust in equity of knowledge exchanges. The results indicate that most of the participants agreed that the theory raised their awareness of the knowledge of others as well as respect for the knowledge of others and trust in the abilities of others to provide knowledge, willingness of others to share knowledge and trust in an equitable exchange in knowledge sharing. However, large numbers of participants indicated that they remained unsure about the potential effects of their new knowledge on trust. Suggestions for more extensive and intensive research to test the effects of the theory and the proposed model are put forward.