From the Paper "The argument over whether a deaf or hard of hearing child should learn to speak, learn to sign, or both is an old one. There are two main groups of people who argue for each side. A large portion of the adult deaf community feels that being deaf is a separate culture from the hearing and speaking world and that all deaf and hearing impaired children should be brought up as persons who do not need to speak orally. There are some parents and educators who also feel this way. The other side contains deaf people who have been taught to speak, some parents, and some educators who feel that being able to communicate readily with the mainstream oral community adds to a child's options and experiences.
There are organizations which promote both philosophies."
Abstract The paper discusses the Indian boarding schools that represent an early attempt to subjugate the Native American culture. The author believes that the schools disappeared due to reports of mistreatment of the children and financial concerns. The author states that the schools should serve as a reminder that our nation has learned much about cultural diversity.
From the Paper "Boarding schools first became vogue prior to the American Civil War. During this time, idealistic reformers put forth the idea that Indians could become "civilized" with the proper education and treatment. Prior to this time, most white Americans had seen the American Indian population with great fear. Captain Richard Henry Pratt was one of the leading proponents of this movement and believed that he could "kill the Indian and save the man." "
Abstract Examines effective strategies used by school administrators in shaping the school culture. Contends that the school administrator or principal is the key person in terms of leadership, school reform, creating a secure school environment, involving stakeholders and implementing visionary leadership. Suggests that transformational principals and administrators are best for multicultural learning communiities.
From the Paper "Administrators and School Culture
In education, at the level of the individual school, it is the school administrator or principal who is key in terms of leadership, school reform, creating and maintaining a secure school environment, involving stakeholders of all kinds in the school, and implementing visionary leadership. The purpose of this brief report is to examine effective strategies used by school administrators in shaping the school culture. It will be argued, as Jason (2000) has suggested, that transformational principals and administrators are needed to increase the efficacy of instruction, socialization, and other interaction processes in increasingly multicultural learning communities.
H.S. Williams (2000) contends that the literature on school effectiveness repeatedly refers to the need for strong principal-center ..."
Abstract Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a problem that affects both children and adults. It has, however, only recently been recognized as a serious problem impacting a significant minority of children. The paper shows that recent findings regarding the link between ADHD and psychosocial dimensions have led experts to believe that this disorder can be controlled successfully using specific methods of behavior management. The paper examines methods of helping ADHD children manage this disorder, focusing on elementary school age.
From the Paper "The important thing to remember is that children with ADHD are not willfully disobedient. They are not intentionally disrupting the classroom, but struggling with a disorder that has certain manifestations. The best way to work with these children is to recognize that fact, accept it, and work with the children to help them learn how to manage their own behavior. It is not possible to control children from the outside, even with the use of drugs. Instead, the children must be engaged in the effort to change their behaviors to more effective and appropriate ones through techniques that allow them to gain gradual mastery (Kirby and Kirby, 1994)."
Abstract This paper reviews literature on how school districts are trying to finance their special education programs and facilities. It examines how the literature indicates that, in general, districts obtaining monies from diverse funding sources, attempt to use diverse funding formulas and have become more creative and more energetic in attempting to raise local/community level funds. It also looks at how they re-organize and improve current fund management and engage in socio-political and advocacy activities. It also discusses how more money does not necessarily guarantee improved ability to teach students and improved student learning and uses a value-added student achievement model to determine this.
From the Paper "One way in which the country's school districts are funding special education programs and facilities is that they are using a variety of funding sources. According to the Center for Special Education Finance (CSEF, 1999), most school districts obtain funds for special education from state, local and federal sources. In this regard, the CSEF reports that, on average, about 56 percent of special education funding comes from state moneys. An additional 36 percent of funding comes from local sources while the remaining 8 percent comes from the federal government."
Abstract A study on a national level, into crime and violence in American schools. The paper shows how effective zero tolerance policies are from the standpoint of the students who must abide by them. The federal government set in motion a policy that was to dovetail with the thousands of zero tolerance policies in place throughout the nation.
This research is centered on the opinion of the students themselves. The paper includes a comprehensive table of statistics relating to crime in schools in America.
Contents:
Abstract
Introduction
Context of Research
General Research Problem
Significance of the Research
From the Paper "In recent history the American public has become shocked by the amount of violence that is occurring within its school system. Students have brought guns to school and used them to kill their classmates. Teachers have been attacked in the halls and administrators have been accosted as they went from the building to the car and back again. Violence in the American school system is becoming a common occurrence by previous standards and as the nation watches in shock the demand for solutions becomes almost deafening. Several years ago when the attack occurred at Columbine the nation watched in horror while dead bodies of teens laid for days in the buildings and their parents were denied access to the carnage because of the ongoing investigation."
Abstract This paper examines how, considering the increasing use of drugs among today's youth, drug testing in schools has become necessary. It looks at how the ramifications of using these drugs are detrimental to both the individual and society as a whole and how drug testing is meant to protect students from the harmful effects and has been shown to deter drug use in a large percentage of those on whom it has been practiced. It shows how the procedures themselves are non-invasive and result in no side effects and how the United States Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of these evaluations. It also evaluates how the random drug testing of students involved in extra curricular activities is a positive and beneficial policy and should be mandatory in schools.
From the Paper "The argument that testing is an invasion of privacy and infringes on civil rights is easily discredited. The process of a urinalysis test goes as follows: "a faculty monitor waits outside the closed restroom stall for the student to produce a sample and must listen for the normal sounds of urination to guard against tampered specimens and ensure an accurate chain of custody" (Kozlowski 34). This is considered to be a negligible intrusion of privacy. These tests are compared to standard head lice checks. Katherine Ford, the director of the Florida Drug Free America Foundation says, ?No one claims it is a violation of a child's civil rights to have their head checked for lice."
Abstract This paper shows how the "No Child Left Behind" Act will provide unprecedented changes in the K-12 educational system that will allow all school age children to benefit from the various educational programs available. The writer believes that children will be provided with a multicultural education that will improve the quality of education, overall, for children across the country.
From the Paper "According to the U.S. Department of Education, the act was based on four basic principles: stronger accountability for results, increased flexibility and local control, expanded options for parents and finally, an emphasis on teaching methods that have been proven to work.
The act will further strengthen Title I accountability and ensure that a statewide accountability system covers all public schools and all students."
Tags: education, adult, children, student, teacher, republican, system
Abstract This paper examines "The Banking Concept of Education", an essay written by Paulo Freire, which explains how education is really a tool that is used continuously to oppress the poor. It explores how the banking concept of education is the idea that the teacher teaches, and the student learns from that teacher by utilizing the basic drills, memorization, and repetition. It also looks at how an adult can have the thinking process greatly enhanced by learning the basics, such as the alphabet, reading, eventually, and then writing, not necessarily in that order, and how, once those basics are learned, then the adult can use the combinations of those skills to perform more complex cognitive processes.
From the Paper "The overall idea of the banking concept is that when a person like you or I are researching a topic in the library for example, the reason we can achieve this feat is because of the basics of education we have already been taught. For example, if we were to study China, we would need some understanding of reading, writing, geography, etc. The banking concept has worked well presenting those basics, at least for the affluent nations of the world. However, we may have chosen a different path had we not been taught those basics. If a homeless child in the ghettos of Rio needs to learn something, he will not be as prepared to utilize banking concepts because his immediate needs are different. Maslow has pointed out; I may be looking for food or shelter, not an alphabet in the homeless scenario."
Abstract This paper explains that, after the family, schools are the most dominant social institutions in the life of most young Americans today; through formal and informal education, children learn both academic and life skills. The author points out that philosopher John Dewey (1916) stated that the end goal of education lies beyond teaching young people job skills; instead, education should prepare a young person to participate in "a common life" that constitutes this country's democracy. The author believes that her own philosophy of education is heavily influenced by Dewey, Addams, and Schon. Education is an influential agent for social change.
From the Paper "Hutchinson (2003) further discusses the efforts of Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman to address the racial and socio-economic inequity in public. While educators have been working to bridge this divide, the factors that perpetuate this gap also occur outside the school's jurisdiction. These would include issues such as poverty and drug addiction. The solution is thus not hiring more teachers, but helping other community groups ? youth groups, church leaders ? to develop strategies such as after-school programs to keep children on track."
Abstract This paper examines how getting the best out of the students is the ultimate purpose of education and how it is the responsibility of instructors and educational policy makers to provide the best possible learning environment for the children. In particular, it looks at how the "No Child Left Behind" Act (NCLB) is a wake-up call for public school teachers and administrators to raise their standards of teaching to a new level of efficiency. It explores how the NCLB is a formidable task for the teachers, posing new administrative problems, and how these issues alone cannot be allowed to affect our commitment to the program, which promises a new hope and a new future for today's American students.
From the Paper "The direct consequence of the NCLB act is that it puts added pressure on the teachers to make the students perform well in the CAP (comprehensive assessment programs) given at the end of the year. A survey conducted revealed that majority of the public are not satisfied with the scheme of judging the performance based on a single test. [Lowell C. Rose] There are increasing reports of instances where teachers are taking to unethical methods to achieve the desired results. For example a recent situation in Tennessee schools project a rather bleak picture. Twenty-two public schools in Tennessee have been ordered to restructure their plans and to improve the performance in the next year failing which they would be taken over by the State."
Abstract This paper explores the genetic causes of Trisomy 21 as well as the social implications of the disease.
From the Paper "Trisomy 21, or Down's Syndrome, is a devastating chromosomal disorder to those whose lives it affects. However, it can provide insight to the scientific world about the genetic basis of intelligence. "
Abstract This paper attempts to answer the question whether violent behavior in children is the result of brutal, sadistic video games, or because parents fail to fulfill their obligations to their kids?
From the Paper "It seems that "gore, gore, and more gore" has become a standard part of the most popular and sophisticated video games on the market. For example, marketing text for the game Ultimate Doom (1995) tells users that Doom is a technological breakthrough in combat action games: "Mix that with one pissed off marine and a few hundred demons from hell and you've got a mega hit. In fact, it is recognized as the hottest 3-D action game ever created and is the most installed software of all time".
Abstract Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, ADHD is one of the most common mental disorders among children characterized by frenzied activity. ADHD often continues into adolescence & adulthood, and can cause a lifetime of frustration and emotional pain. This purpose of the paper is to show that ADHD presents differently in children than in adults and impacts their functioning in a school environment in different ways. Recommendations in coping with ADHD are discussed.
From the Paper "There is no easy solution for the management of ADHD in classroom, or at home for that matter. Here are a few tips or recommendations on school management of the child with ADHD. First of all, make sure what you are dealing with really is ADHD. Specifically, make sure someone has tested the child's hearing and vision recently and make sure other medical problems have been ruled out. Ask the child what will help them. Children can tell you how they can learn best if you ask them. Pay attention to the emotions involved in the learning process. Post rules in the classroom. Repeat directions. People with ADHD need to hear things more than once. Seat the ADHD child near your desk. Teach the children little tricks like mnemonics and flashcards to help them memorize new stuff. Finally, simplify instructions, choices, and scheduling. The simpler the task the more likely it will be comprehended."
Abstract This paper analyzes enforcement measures of religious practices in schools and their relevance. Included us a description of important decisions about issues such as prayers and a look at how this effects students.
From the Paper "Our nation was founded on the beliefs of the Christian religion. This is apparent in the constitution, pledge of allegiance, and all of our monetary units. Although this was the case when the nation was founded, our society has changed in many ways. We are no longer a single religion society, but rather a diverse community of many backgrounds and religions. "
