Blog Evaluation week10

• Explain your responsibility, as a scholar practitioner, to lead evaluation initiatives.

Performance in schools is increasingly judged on the basis of effective learning outcomes. Information is critical to knowing whether the school system is delivering good performance and to providing feedback for improvement in student outcomes.

As a practitioner, ensuring the evaluation and assessment framework, developing competencies for evaluation and for using feedback, securing links with classroom practice, and overcoming the challenges of implementation are vital

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• Explain what might be your greatest barrier and/or most important downfall to avoid when leading program evaluations and why.

I believe developing competencies for evaluation and for using feedback could be the most important downfall to avoid. The effectiveness of evaluation and assessment relies to a great extent on ensuring that both those who design and undertake evaluation activities as well as those who use their results possess the proper skills and competencies. This is crucial to provide the necessary legitimacy to those responsible for evaluation and assessment.

• Describe how you might minimize this barrier and/or downfall to ensure that evaluations are effective.

Competencies for using feedback to improve practice are vital to ensure that evaluation and assessment procedures are effective. Assessment for improvement requires the inclusion of teachers in the process of school development and improvement. As a result, for instance, it is pertinent to include training for evaluation in initial teacher education alongside the development of research skills.

assignment2module 5 assessment

Assistive technology devices are identified in the IDEA as “any item, piece of equipment or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of children with disabilities.

The definition of an assistive technology device is very general and provides IEP teams with the flexibility to provide a range of technology solutions to assist students in completing tasks within relevant instructional or access areas. Technology is available to support student performance in academic areas such as writing, spelling, reading, and math. Moreover, assistive technology is available to support student performance and independence in communication, listening, mobility, recreation and leisure, vocational training, and daily living activities.

Examples of Assistive Technology:

Computer software and hardware, such as voice recognition programs, screen readers, and screen enlargement applications, help people with mobility and sensory impairments use computer technology.

In the classroom and elsewhere, assistive devices, such as automatic page-turners, book holders, and adapted pencil grips, allow learners with disabilities to participate in educational activities. With all technology issues with it can always arise. Software might have glitches, lock up, or lack power at times, inhibiting usage for the student.

First and foremost, assistive technology must be considered for all students based on the unique needs of the student. In order to effectively consider assistive technology, IEP teams must be knowledgeable about the student’s needs, abilities, and curriculum. Decisions regarding the consideration of assistive technology should be based on the student’s access to the general education curriculum as well as the individually defined special education program.

Assessment is an integral part of teaching and learning. Purposeful assessment practices help teachers and students understand where they have been, where they are, and where they might go next. No one assessment can provide sufficient information to plan teaching and learning. Using different types of assessments as part of instruction results in useful information about student understanding and progress. Educators should use this information to guide their own practice and in partnership with students and their families to reflect on learning and set future goals.

Scenario 1:

Joe is a single father with three children.The oldest, Sadie, is in second grade.  The younger two kids go to a childcare center near Joe’s home.  Initially, Joe approached me (his daughter’s second grade teacher) because he needed help in finding childcare that matched his work schedule.  Joe worked a swing shift, so every-other-week, he needed child care from 3 p.m. until 11 p.m.  He had been using friends and acquaintances to cover this time frame, but the inconsistency was causing his daughter Sadie in my class to fall behind in her reading skills.  Besides, sometimes Joe used people that he barely knew - a situation that he worried about.  In addition, Joe was barely surviving financially and could only afford rent in a crumbling apartment house with no children’s play area.  The factory where he worked was threatening to close, and Joe knew he lacked skills to land a good job elsewhere.  He often was frustrated with his life and took it out on his children, yelling at them over minor infractions and feeling hopeless and isolated.  All of these problems placed Sadie and her siblings at risk. Her reading skills seemed to continue to fall, and her confidence in all of her language arts skills seemed to be decreasing. She did not turn in her homework, and she did not participate in class. She was unable to read at a second grade level. What assessment’s could be implemented to determine what specific skills she needed to improve on in terms of increasing her reading/language arts skills?

Scenario 2:

Danielle is a first grade student (7yrs.) who is struggling in her reading and written language classes. She is currently receiving special services for speech/language and has received these services since early Kindergarten. She attended Head Start prior to entering Kindergarten.

Danielle lives with her father, mother, older brother Brian, and younger sister, Ellen. Danielle likes school and thinks her teacher is a “great teacher.” Her favorite subject is math and her least favorite subject is reading.

According to her teacher, Danielle “uses her time wisely, works very hard in class, listens to instruction, and gets along well with her peers and adults.” Her teacher also notes that “weaknesses include understanding the content of what is being taught, remembering sight words, recalling and blending sounds to form words, reading fluency, and low test/quiz performance in her reading class.” Danielle has a 73% average in her reading.

Danielle has always struggled in reading. Her mother reported that she had difficulty learning the alphabet and rhyming words in preschool.At the first Kindergarten benchmark, she scored in the high risk category on Letter Naming Fluency (LNF) but did manage to achieve the end-of-the year goal by the May benchmark.

My blog is KellyRainey.blogspot.com

As the most significant resource in schools, teachers are critical to raise education standards. Improving the efficiency and equity of schooling depends, in large measure, on ensuring that teachers are highly skilled, well resourced, and motivated to perform at their best. “Raising teaching performance is perhaps the policy direction most likely to lead to substantial gains in student learning” (OECD, 2005). In turn, the effective monitoring and evaluation of teaching is central to the continuous improvement of the effectiveness of teaching in a school. It is essential to know the strengths of teachers and those aspects of their practice which could be further developed. From this perspective, the institution of teacher evaluation is a vital step in the drive to improve the effectiveness of teaching and learning and raise educational standards. I hope to learn about meaningful, effective evaluations implemented with both students and  on teachers.

In my opinion, meaningful teacher evaluation involves an accurate appraisal of the effectiveness of teaching, its strengths and areas for development, followed by feedback, coaching, support and opportunities for professional development. It is also essential to celebrate, recognize and reward the work of teachers. “Research results reveal that the great majority of teachers report that the appraisal and feedback they receive is beneficial, fair and helpful for their development as teachers” (OECD, 2009b).

In program evaluation, the importance of looking for side effects, especially negative ones, has to be considered against the need to put a major effort into assessing progress toward intended outcomes. When program evaluators work cooperatively with developers in making program goals explicit, both the program and the evaluation seem to benefit.

References

OECD (2005), Teachers Matter: Attracting, Developing and Retaining Effective Teachers, OECD,

Paris

OECD (2009b), Creating Effective Teaching and Learning Environments: First Results from

TALIS, OECD, Paris.

“On October 9, 2012, the State Board of Education adopted Ohio’s Early Learning and Development Standards in all domains of school readiness to reflect the comprehensive development of children beginning at birth to kindergarten entry and kindergarten thru grade 3. The development of these early childhood education standards represented a collaboration between state agencies serving young children including Ohio Department of Education, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Ohio Department of Health, Ohio Department of Mental Health, Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities, and the Governor’s Office of Health Transformation. The state agencies worked with national experts and writing teams made up of Ohio-based content experts and stakeholders to revise and expand the standards” (Ohio Dept. of Education, 2012). The links to these standards are: http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Early-Learning/Early-Learning-Content-Standards/Birth-Through-Pre_K-Learning-and-Development-Stand

http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Early-Learning/Early-Learning-Content-Standards/Ohios-Kindergarten-Through-Grade-3-Learning-and-D

One policy called the Diversity Strategies for Successful Schools Policy, addresses that the State Board once more reaffirms its longstanding commitment to diversity and alleviating racial isolation within Ohio. A few concepts that stood out to me in this policy are that “Districts are Encouraged to Support, Expand, and Improve Diversity Training for Teachers, Administrators, and Board Members, Districts are Encouraged to Support Structured Community Involvement in Schools and Improve Community Relations, and . Districts are Encouraged to use Curricula, Instructional Materials, and Educational Methodologies that Support Diversity and Achieve the Benefits of Diversity” (Ohio Dept. of Education, 2012). Below is the link to this particular policy:

http://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/State-Board/State-Board-Reports-and-Policies/Diversity-Strategies-Policy/2012_EqualEducationalOpportunity_OhioSchoolsDraftPolicy_Final.pdf.aspx

According to the NAEYC’s policies and standards “Teachers are members of learning communities. Accomplished teachers participate actively in their learning communities to promote progress and achievement. They contribute to the effectiveness of the school by working collaboratively with other professionals on policy decisions, curriculum development, professional learning, school instructional programs, and other functions that are fundamental to the development of highly productive learning communities. They work collaboratively and creatively with families and the community, engaging them productively in the work of the school and cultivating students’ connections with the opportunities, resources, and diversity they afford” (NAEYC, 2012).

There are also ten links to Early Childhood Generalist Standards Statements. “These standards serve as the basis for National Board Certification in Early Childhood/Generalist”(NAEYC, 2012).  The link to this document is as follows: http://www.nbpts.org/wp-content/uploads/EC-GEN.pdf

“The Ohio Department of Education created assessment development committees to review test questions and to help set scoring parameters. Ohio stakeholders serve on these committees. To allow as many stakeholders as possible an opportunity to serve, the Department will periodically rotate current members off the committee so that new members can join”(Ohio Dept. of Education, 2012).  Below is the link to this policy on Assessments: http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Testing/Assessment-Committees

Questions:

1. What are your state’s policies on diversity in public schools?
2. How does your state compile assessment policies?
3. Does your state have state standards from birth through 3rd grades? (curious if they are universal in all states).

References

Center on Enhancing Early Learning Outcomes. (2016). State-by-state. Retrieved from

http://ceelo.org/state-information/state-map/

Dennis, L. R., Rueter, J. A., & Simpson, C. G. (2013). Authentic assessment:

Establishing a clear foundation for instructional practices. Preventing School Failure, 57(4), 189–195.

NAEYC, (2012). Early Childhood Generalist Standards. Retrieved on September 5, 2017

from: http://www.nbpts.org/wp-content/uploads/EC-GEN.pdf

Ohio State Department of Education, (2012). Diversity Strategies for Successful

Schools Policy. Retrieved on September 5, 2017 from: http://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/State-Board/State-Board-Reports-and-Policies/Diversity-Strategies-Policy/2012_EqualEducationalOpportunity_OhioSchoolsDraftPolicy_Final.pdf.aspx

Ohio State Department of Education, (2012). Kindergarten Through Grade 3 - Learning

and Development Standards. Retrieved on September 5, 2017 from: http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Early-Learning/Early-Learning-Content-Standards/Ohios-Kindergarten-Through-Grade-3-Learning-and-D

Ohio State Department of Education, (2012). Birth Through Kindergarten Entry - Learning

and Development Standards. Retrieved on September 5, 2017 from: http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Early-Learning/Early-Learning-Content-Standards/Birth-Through-Pre_K-Learning-and-Development-Stand

Ohio State Department of Education, (2012). Assessment Committees. Retrieved on

September 5, 2017 from: http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Testing/Assessment-Committees

Meaningful environments mod2assignment1Rainey

In the dissertation titled,  Reducing Risk for Substance Use by Economically Disadvantaged Young Men: Positive Family Environments and Pathways to Educational Attainment (Martin, Conger,Sitnick, Masarik, Forbes, & Shaw (2015), a quantitative study was done to determine if economically disadvantaged males evaluated link early family environment and later educational aspirations, extracurricular activities, and educational attainment to substance use in early adulthood. Using prospective, longitudinal data spanning 10 years (age = 10–20) from a study of 295 economically disadvantaged males, the current investigation evaluated a developmental model that connects these links.

The conceptual model that was evaluated takes a social control approach and proposes that earlier characteristics of the family environment influence later educational aspirations and extracurricular activities during adolescence, which in turn promote educational attainment and resilience to substance use in early adulthood for economically disadvantaged young men.

Data for the present study was drawn from an ongoing longitudinal study of vulnerability and resilience among boys from low-income families (Shaw et al., 2003). The study has been approved by the University of Pittsburgh Institutional Review Board (Protocol No. PRO09020252). The sample was recruited from low-income families who were participants in the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Nutritional Supplement Program in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area.

The results of the study indicate that early positive family environments and educational involvements promote later educational attainment, which in turn appears to deter substance use during young adulthood, and that this developmental process may increase the resilience of economically disadvantaged young men to later substance use. The study makes an important contribution to the literature in identifying educational aspirations, extracurricular activities, and educational attainment as factors that link these early childhood family factors to later adult substance use among economically disadvantaged males.

When I think about fostering supportive learning environments through positive classroom cultures and classroom communities I am reminded of one of my favorite quotes. The philosopher Hannah Arendt said that the essence of being human is participating in moral discourse with others. “The things of the world become human for us only when we can discuss them with our fellows.  We humanize what is going on in the world and in ourselves only by speaking of it, and in the course of speaking of it we learn to be human.”  It is important that teachers take the opportunity to step back and reflect together with colleagues/research on how they want to create these thoughtful classrooms.  These kinds of classrooms don’t just happen overnight.  Teachers and their students are always growing and developing in the art of creating a community of learners.  Numerous decisions are being made everyday.  Mistakes will be made.  But the more teachers take time to look at the components of a reflective classroom and consciously work at creating a thoughtful environment, the more effective they will be.

References

Martin, M. J., Conger, R. D., Sitnick, S. L., Masarik, A. S., Forbes, E. E., & Shaw, D. S. (2015).

Reducing Risk for Substance Use by Economically Disadvantaged Young Men: Positive Family Environments and Pathways to Educational Attainment. Child Development, 86(6), 1719-1737. doi:10.1111/cdev.12413

Peterson, G. W., & Bush, K. R. (2013). Conceptualizing cultural influences on socialization: Comparing

parent–ado- 1736 Martin et al. lescent relationships in the United States and Mexico. In G. W. Peterson & K. R. Bush (Eds.), Handbook of marriage and the family (pp. 177–208). New York, NY: Springer Science+Business Media. doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-3987-5_9

Shaw, D. S., Gilliom, M., Ingoldsby, E. M., & Nagin, D. (2003). Trajectories leading to school-age

conduct problems. Developmental Psychology, 39, 189–200. doi:10.1037//0012-1649.39.2.189

Strom, S.M. (1981).Facing History and Ourselves: Holocaust and Human Behavior,”

Moral Education Forum, p. 13.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2012). Results from the

2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Summary of national findings (NSDUH series H-44, HHS Publication No. SMA 12-4713). Rockville, MD: Author. Retrieved from http://www.samhsa.- gov/data/nsduh/2k11results/nsduhresults2011.pdf

Assignment 1 Module 4

KellyRainey.blogspot.com

Those of us who work in the field of disabilities and learning difficulties do so for a wide variety of reasons – ranging from deeply held convictions about equity and equality of access to education, to the effects on us personally of family experiences of disability, through to the need to make a difference or even it was the only job available when I applied. Personally, as I continue to pursue my Ed.D I hope to discover ways to help children with disabilities who attend public schools as inclusion students in general education classrooms. I believe that assistance begins with the teachers who work with them. Therefore, it is important to create professional development opportunities that address differentiating curriculum.

Although teaching is often described and experienced as important, rewarding and satisfying, those who actually do it rarely describe the work as ‘cushy’. A teacher’s daily experience is one of high expectations, challenging demands and considerable scrutiny, with recent policy focus on the performance of individual teachers and assessments on student performance. Student diversity is a particular challenge and students with learning difficulties, disabilities and/or social disadvantage require considerable, skilled input to achieve or approximate current benchmarks and standards. In today’s context therefore, teachers are advised to adopt practices that are effective with a diverse student’s and are of course sustainable.

I have enjoyed reading the blogs of my classmates, in particularly Novellete and Leigh Sparks. I learned a great deal from reading the perspectives of Novellete's experiences working with young children in Jamaica. I hope to further explore topics in Education in terms of general education teachers who work in inclusive classrooms. I hope to gain their perspectives on what strategies they use to differentiate the curriculum for these students, and what professional training's they are exposed to, to help these students. I am also interested in further exploring brain development in young children, as parents need to be aware of the importance of working with their children to advance them academically from birth.

References

Brotherson, S. (2009). North Dakota State University Extension Service. Understanding Brain Development in Young Children. Retrieved from: https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/yf/famsci/fs609.pdf, September 25, 2016.

Hargreaves, A. (2001). The emotional geographies of teachers' relations with colleagues. International Journal of Educational Research, 35: 503–27.s