“We Have to Educate Every Single Student,Not Just the Ones That Look Like Us”: Support Service Providers’ Beliefs About the Root Causes of the School-to-Prison Pipeline for Youth of Color

Abstract

This study adds to the extant research on the school-to-prison pipeline by investigating how school-based service providers and administrators conceptualize the causal mechanisms constraining and enabling the school-to-prison pipeline in a large urban district. Thirty-three schools were selected for the study based on their suspension rates. Support staff and district partners (n?=?36) participated in focus groups guided by semi-structured protocols. Most participants emphasized structural and systemic causes of the school-to-prison pipeline, such as institutional racism and poverty. To minimize the school-to-prison pipeline, participants highlighted the importance of relationship building and non-punitive practices in response to misbehavior, although solutions offered limited evidence of promising interventions. Given strong research indicating that racial disparities cannot be explained by differential behavior, scholarship in this area emphasizes the need to increase school-level practices that promote positive school climate. The persistence of exclusionary and punitive attitudes among a subset of the sample suggests a need for differentiated professional development to address competing frameworks for understanding the root causes of, and solutions to, the school-to-prison pipeline.     

25 Hours in Family: How Family Internships Can Help School Leaders Transform from Within

This article describes the ways in which a 25-hour internship with families who have children with disabilities impacted four doctoral students in educational leadership. We discuss the lessons we learned as a result of our experiences and provide insight into the structural components of the internship experience that were critical to enhancing our professional development. Key lessons include: (1) the realization that disability is a socially-constructed term that does not describe the talents, feelings, and aspirations of individuals with disabilities; (2) increased knowledge and strategies about how school leaders can provide support to families by listening to their hopes, dreams, and challenges; and (3) the critical need to include families in decision-making processes to ensure that the family perspective is represented. Important structural components of the internship experience included spending time with families in their homes and communities for extended periods of time. Implications for the preparation of educational leaders are discussed.     

Tiered Internship Model for Undergraduate Students in Geospatial Science and Technology

This article discusses the development, implementation, and evaluation of a tiered internship program for undergraduate students in geospatial science and technology (TIMSGeoTech). The internship program assists education programs in providing skill development that is relevant and useful, and it aligns graduates and their skills with industry needs, through internship experiences. The unique internship tiers clarify the United States Department of Labor’s requirements on geospatial technician competencies and preparation. The vibrant internship process and its thorough evaluation improve the relevance of coursework to today’s geospatial applications and competencies, student academic performance, student retention and graduation rates, and employer’s satisfaction.     

Similarities and Differences Between Public and Proprietary Postsecondary 2-Year Technical Institutions

Private and public 2-year technical colleges survive side-by-side within the same communities. However, little is known about their characteristics, similarities and differences. The question is whether the 2-year technical institutions are duplicating each other, or are they significantly different in their missions, admission requirements, academic programs, faculty, students, transfer ability, and cost of tuition? The knowledge of what sets them apart is important to prospective students and parents as they decide. This study compared and contrasted two 2-year postsecondary public and proprietary technical institutions in Terre Haute, Indiana on selected characteristics. The results indicate some similarities and major differences between the 2 types of colleges. Recommendations for choosing a 2-year postsecondary technical institution are provided.     

Comparison of Community College Students’ Sexual Health Dimensions

ABSTRACT

Sexually active college students in the United States have alarming rates of unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. Varying degrees of sexual health knowledge and attitudes among college students are an outcome of sexuality education in the K-12 school systems with abstinence-only or comprehensive focus. Community college students (n = 737) aged 18–24 years, 57% from a college in an abstinence-only sex education state and 43% from a college in a comprehensive sex education state, both in the Mid-Atlantic region, took the Sexual Health Survey in October 2016, which measures sexual health knowledge and attitudes. Gender and ethnicity differences, as well as other sources of sexuality information were evaluated. Students from the comprehensive sex education state, New Jersey had higher sexual health knowledge and attitude scores than the students from the abstinence-only sex education state, Pennsylvania. Male students in New Jersey scored significantly higher in sexual health knowledge compared to male students in Pennsylvania, while female students in New Jersey had higher sexual health knowledge scores compared to the male students. Analysis of ethnicity revealed the New Jersey college sample had healthier sexual attitudes as compared to the Pennsylvania college sample, with notable distinction among Black students. The Internet, friends, and personal experiences were chosen by 75% of all students across both colleges as the top reported sources of sexuality information. In addition to advocating for comprehensive sex education, recommendations are made for sexual health initiatives in community colleges to provide sexual health instruction and support.     

ADMINISTRATIVE REORGANIZATION IN THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Reorganization within the administrative structure of community colleges is an activity that has been much indulged in but little written about during recent years. This study was undertaken to determine perceptions of the roles that community college presidents play when reorganization within the administrative structure takes place. Colleges used for collection of data were two Texas metroplitan community college districts. Collection of data was limited to administrative changes from the division level through the president's level at each college. No attempt was made to study the district level or the department or curriculum levels.     

Developing Cultural Competency in Early Childhood Preservice Educators Through a Cultural Self-Analysis Project

Today more than ever, preparation for diversity is essential for all teachers. Hence, teacher preparation programs are charged with preparing culturally competent teachers who have the knowledge, skills, and disposition to work with children and families from cultures different from their own. This article investigates an innovative approach, the Cultural Self-Analysis (CSA) Project, to accomplish this task with 26 prospective early childhood teachers. CSA Project steps are presented. Data collected on multiple levels were analyzed using constant comparative methodologies. Findings from this initial investigation suggest the CSA Project holds promise as an approach to prepare culturally responsive teachers in three major ways. Participants reported increased confidence and comfort, preparedness to facilitate home connections with culturally diverse persons, and enlightenment of teacher roles/responsibilities beyond academic instruction.     

Transformation in higher education: a learner–needs segmentation leads to improved learner satisfaction

Segmentation is a marketing concept that can be applied in a post-secondary context. This article delineates the outcome of applying a learner–needs segmentation that resulted in significantly improved learner satisfaction scores in a professional faculty at a large public university. Our original work described the purpose and value of learner–needs segmentation to enable a better understanding of the undergraduates at a larger urban university. This article describes how a single faculty implemented a learner–needs segmentation to underpin curriculum redesign, program realignment and services to its students.     

Collaborative course design: changing the process,acknowledging the context,and implications for academic development

This research study describes the experiences and perceptions of an instructor and an instructional design specialist who collaborated on the design and implementation of a university course using a new course design process. Findings uncovered differences between an informal collaboration process and the adaptation of that process for implementation in a classroom setting. Recommendations support the concepts of a long‐term collaboration, consideration of classroom constraints, and the importance of course participant voices and perspectives. Thoughtful consideration of the interaction of the design and implementation processes and commitment to continual course design collaboration can have positive implications for academic development.

Cette étude décrit les expériences et perceptions d’un enseignant et d’un spécialiste du design pédagogique ayant collaboré au design et à la mise en ?uvre d’un cours universitaire à l’aide d’un nouveau processus de développement de cours. L’étude a permis de mettre en lumière les différences entre un processus informel de collaboration et l’adaptation de ce processus de façon à le mettre en ?uvre dans le contexte d’une classe. Les recommandations présentées soutiennent les concepts de collaboration à long terme, la considération des contraintes de classe, et l’importance de la voix et de la perspective des participants au cours. Une réflexion approfondie de l’interaction entre les processus de design et de mise en ?uvre, de même qu’un engagement à l’égard d’une collaboration continue en matière de design pédagogique peuvent avoir des implications positives sur les expériences de développement pédagogique.