Achievement Gap
Essays

This paper describes the current state of education in United States. The paper outlines why there is a need for reform measures to improve student performance. The paper conducts a description as well as the identification of important factors critical to improvement of schools. The paper identifies strategies and approaches which can be incorporated to improve education.

Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System

Literacy-based curriculum for students who speak English as a first language is a proven method for developing high levels of linguistic fluency—children are seen to acquire language skills quite readily with these techniques. Moreover, as strong language skills develop, they transfer into writing and reading. For students who are native English language speakers, working on literacy skills and practicing English in verbal, auditory, and written modes helps them to become fluent speakers, readers, and writers of English. However, this same approach to teaching students has not been demonstrated to work well with all English Language Learners. In fact, some programs using this approach devolve into the strategy that teachers just need to continue instruction according to this format until the students who are English Language Learners reach their performance targets. Nevertheless, the research literature on literacy development indicates that this uniform approach to instruction does not achieve desired level of language acquisition and academic performance in diverse societies, such as that of the United States. What the research does indicate, however, is that the cultural background of students is relevant to their learning styles. The differences among children and families carry over into the classroom, creating a unique mosaic of learning styles and cultural experience. Approaches to academic learning environments that are invitational and inclusive provide a promising foundation for achieving high levels of success for all students. Educational programs that articulate meaningful ways to include parents and families in their children's schooling are also able to consider and address the diversity that is based on economic and, perhaps, even health-related issues. A number of ethnic-based educational programs have found that student performance is enhanced when the cultural considerations are integral to the curriculum and the instruction. Culturally sensitive curricula and instruction have been shown to improve student engagement—a condition that is robustly related to academic performance. While ethnic-based educational programs are increasingly recognized to have academic and social benefits. Policy makers are taking the position that inclusive educational programs that work deliberately to reduce marginalizing students of different racial and ethnic backgrounds also do a better job of engaging students in academic learning—and the students' levels of success in these programs indicates a strong positive relationship between academic performance and inclusive, culturally-sensitive educational system.

Hernando County and NCLB: Mandate for Drastic Change

¶ … Round Schooling: Implications for the Current State of Public Education

After every four years millions of Americans go to the polls to choose a new leader in a free and open elections. The candidates nominated during the preceding summer at the conventions of their respective political…

Imagine your school is offering a $10,000 grant to purchase technology related to literacy instruction. This proposal details the rationale for purchasing twenty iPads, cases, and apps for the second grade at a small, rural New England elementary school that has been identified as "at-risk" because of failure to meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) standards. A sample lesson shows how technology could be integrated in a literacy program.

This is a reaction papers that examines the difference between Ruby Payne's and Paul Gorski's schools of thought. It is a brief and honest reaction that maintains the authenticity of the writer's perspective on these ideologies. The brief points out at the school of thought that seems to make the better argument and notes exactly the feeling about it.

This paper will argue that Gerald Graff is correct: the university and college system is secretive and vague. This secrecy, opacity, and lack of democracy ultimately contributes to the failure of students at the university level and likely in the professional realms. It is true that a portion of the responsibility to be prepared is upon the student. There is no doubt about that. Yet education, particularly in the 21st century, has increasingly failed students in preparation for and success in college. As Graff argues, there is a distinctive lack of transparency in academic at the university level and it is a problem with several systemic effects.

In the 1989 film Lean on Me, actor Morgan Freeman portrays Joe Clark, a principal who uses tough love and unorthodox methods to turn around the failing Eastside High School. Although the screenwriters took liberties…