Educational Inequity from the Perspectives of Those Who Live It: Urban Middle School Students’ Perspectives on the Quality of their Education

In interviews with over 250 urban young adolescents, many students make it clear that they are acutely aware of the educational inequities that exist in their schools and that these inequities are having a negative impact on their education. Student voice is used to highlight urban middle school students’ perspectives on the quality of their education particularly in terms of curricular issues, teacher quality, and lack of resources.

Postsecondary Student Persistence and Pathways: Evidence From the YITS-A in Canada

The Youth in Transition Survey is used to follow the postsecondary education (PSE) pathways and outcomes of Canadian youth over the mid 2000s. Students starting at community colleges and four year universities are analyzed separately. First program outcomes are reported, showing the proportions of students who leave their first programs but remain in PSE by switching/transferring to other programs, institutions, or levels. Multinomial regression estimates correlates of students’ first program switching and leaving decisions. Five year graduation rates are calculated to show the importance of different pathways (across programs, institutions, and levels) to earning a PSE credential; in the aggregate and for subgroups of students. Transfers constitute important but not terribly large pathways for Canadian students to adjust their PSE and obtain PSE credentials. We calculate the resulting extent to which institution specific measures of persistence, PSE leaving, and graduation rates misstate the rates experienced by students. Compared to American students, university and community college starters in Canada have higher persistence and graduation rates and lower transfer rates across institutions. For community college starters, much of the difference is due to the relative lack of well defined pathways from community colleges to universities in Canada. We find that students with more family resources are better able to transfer across programs or institutions in order to obtain a PSE credential.     

The beginning of decoding

It is widely agreed that children recognize their first words in a different way than they later decode. One hypothesis is that sight words are recognized as wholes, another that they are recognized by parts. Two experiments were devised to compare these hypotheses. In one, children were taught a sight word accompanied by a salient extraneous cue and then tested for recognition of the word and the cue. In the other, children were taught sight words, then tested for recognition of each half of the word. The children were found to recognize the cue but not the word; they recognized one half of the word but not the other. The results support the idea that first words are recognized by selective association.     

Making the Case for Early Identification and Intervention for Young Children at Risk for Learning Disabilities

The early identification of children with learning disabilities (LD) is difficult but can be accomplished. Observation of key behaviors which are indicators of LD by preschool and kindergarten teachers can assist in this process. This early identification facilitates the use of intervention strategies to provide a positive early experience for children at risk for academic difficulties.     

Using Family Backpacks as a Tool to Involve Families in Teaching Young Children About Healthy Eating

Children’s obesity rates have increased substantially over the past several decades, due in part to unhealthy eating habits. About 75% of preschool-aged children consume fewer fruits and vegetables than recommended for health. Because children begin developing eating habits during early childhood, obesity prevention programs are increasingly targeting young children in early childhood education (ECE) settings and are involving their families in teaching about healthy eating. The purpose of this pilot study is to assess the effectiveness of a family involvement activity known as the family backpack in increasing fruit and vegetable consumption among 4- and 5-year-old children and their parents through hands-on activities that encourage them to explore and discuss fruits and vegetables at home. Forty-two families (22 experimental, 20 control) participated in the study. Families received a family backpack from their child’s ECE teacher and completed activities with their child at home during a specific week. Experimental-group backpacks contained a children’s book and three activities to encourage parent–child discussion about fruits and vegetables; control-group backpacks contained an unrelated book and activities. Children’s and parents’ fruit and vegetable consumption and frequency of serving fruits and vegetables at home were assessed using parent self-report surveys before and after completing backpack activities. Parents in the experimental group, but not the control group, reported increases in their own and their children’s fruit and vegetable consumption after completing family backpack activities. Family backpacks show promise as a tool for early childhood educators to help families reinforce and expand children’s learning and encourage healthy eating habits at home.     

Parental reactions to children's negative emotions: longitudinal relations to quality of children's social functioning

Relations between self-reported parental reactions to children's negative emotions (PNRs) and children's socially appropriate/problem behavior and negative emotionality were examined longitudinally. Evidence was consistent with the conclusion that relations between children's externalizing (but not internalizing) emotion and parental punitive reactions to children's negative emotions are bidirectional. Reports of PNRs generally were correlated with low quality of social functioning. In structural models, mother-reported problem behavior at ages 10-12 was at least marginally predicted from mother-reported problem behavior, children's regulation, and parental punitive or distress reactions. Moreover, parental distress and punitive reactions at ages 6-8 predicted reports of children's regulation at ages 8-10, and regulation predicted parental punitive reactions at ages 10-12. Father reports of problem behavior at ages 10-12 were predicted by earlier problem behavior and parental distress or punitive reactions; some of the relations between regulation and parental reactions were similar to those in the models for mother-reported problem behavior. Parental perceptions of their reactions were substantially correlated over 6 years. Some nonsupportive reactions declined in the early to mid-school years, but all increased into late childhood/early adolescence.     

The impact of post-literacy: A Tanzanian case study

Literacy has long been associated with commercial and political power, so that many countries have embarked on mass literacy with an assumption that socio-economic and political transformation will result. In the case of Tanzania, this is embodied in the policy of socialism and self-reliance. Tests have shown a drop in the illiteracy rate from 67 per cent in 1970 to 10 per cent in 1986, but for more than a decade economic difficulties have hindered the advance of post-literacy. A 1983 impact study shows an increase in income and political participation, and improvements in health and nutrition, but a general impact study does not reveal information as precise and useful as a specific study. The favourable impression of the 1983 study is contrasted with practical problems thrown up by investigations of the rural press, rural libraries, radio and film education, agricultural shortages, and economic constraints. These range from distribution and maintenance difficulties to political dependence, international prices and lack of marketing knowledge. There are thus many factors controlling development besides reinforcement of literacy.

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Zusammenfassung Alphabetisierung ist seit langem mit wirtschaftlicher und politischer Macht verbunden, so daß viele Länder die Massenalphabetisierung angefangen haben, in der Annahme, daß sozio-ökonomische und politische Veränderungen daraus resultieren würden. Im Falle Tansanias ist dies in der Politik des Sozialismus und self-reliance mit eingebettet. Tests haben einen Rückgang des Analphabetismus von 67 Prozent (1970) auf 10 Prozent (1986) ermittelt, aber seit mehr als einem Jahrzehnt behindern wirtschaftliche Schwierigkeiten den Ausbau der Nachalphabetisierung. Eine 1983 erstellte Impaktstudie zeigt eine Steigerung des Einkommens und der politischen Partizipation, sowie Verbesserungen in der Volksgesundheit und in der Ernährung, aber eine allgemeine Untersuchung gibt keine so genauen und nützlichen Informationen wie eine spezifische Studie. Der günstige Eindruck der 1983 erstellten Studie steht im Kontrast zu den praktischen Problemen, die durch die Untersuchungen der ländlichen Presse, der ländlichen Büchereien, der Bildung durch Radio und Film, der landwirtschaftlichen Defizite und der wirtschaftlichen Einschränkungen aufgeworfen wurden. Die Bandbreite reicht von Verteilungs- und Instandhaltungsproblemen bis zur politischen Abhängigkeit, von internationalen Preisen bis zum Mangel an Marketingwissen. Es gibt also sehr viele Faktoren, die neben der Stärkung der Alphabetisierung die Entwicklung bestimmen.

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Résumé On a longtemps associé l'alphabétisation au pouvoir commercial et politique, si bien que beaucoup de pays ont lancé des campagnes d'alphabétisation de masse, en supposant qu'il en résulterait une transformation socio-économique et politique. Dans le cas de la Tanzanie, cette attitude se reflète dans la politique de socialisme et d'indépendance. Des tests ont montré une baisse du taux d'analphabétisme de 67 pour cent en 1970 à 10 pourcent en 1986, mais, pendant plus de dix ans, des difficultés économiques ont entravé le déroulement de la postalphabétisation. Une étude d'impact menée en 1983 révèle une augmentation des revenus et de la participation politique, ainsi que des améliorations en matière de santé et de nutrition, mais une étude générale de l'impact n'apporte pas des informations aussi précises et utiles qu'une étude spécifique. L'impression favorable qui se dégage de l'étude de 1983 contraste avec les problèmes pratiques qui ont été identifiés par les recherches de la presse et des bibliothèques rurales, de la radio et des films éducatifs, des récoltes agricoles insuffisantes et des contraintes économiques. Ceux-ci vont des difficultés de distribution et de maintenance à la dépendance politique, aux prix internationaux et au manque de connaissances en marketing. Ainsi, de nombreux facteurs influencent le développement à côté du renforcement de l'alphabétisation.

     

B/S模式程序中的分布式计算应用一例

B／S模式的应用程序主要是集中式计算和处理，本简要的以实例无纸化考试系统设计，说明了在B／S模式中采用分布式计算处理的一种思路。