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March 2007 Greetings: It’s that time of year. Spring Break is in the air. Many public school students are taking or preparing for their state’s assessment tests. School administrators are beginning to develop budgets for the next school year. And policy makers are considering the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act. Supporters of NCLB assert that significant gains in closing the achievement gap have been made. Others argue that it misses the mark, because it reinforces standardized instruction and core curricula that fail to engage students, or prepare them to be successful in college or competitive in our global economy. This sentiment is captured in a report by the National Center of Education and the Economy titled, Tough Choices or Tough Times: The Report of the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce, which calls for massive school reform from Kindergarten through the post secondary level. It is receiving much attention from both the private and public sectors. The Tough Choices report makes the case that the “core problem is that the
As a way to learn more about successful school engagement strategies, NCSE is excited to announce a contest titled, 21 Ways to Engage Students in School. Entries are due by
Also featured in this month’s edition, is an article that offers a teacher-student perspective on developing positive connections. To get more information on the Tough Choices report, please go to the Resource and Research section. I encourage subscribers to review the report, if you haven’t already done so, and email your comments and reflections to info@schoolengagement.org. School reform is an important discussion that I hope we can pursue in future editions of NCSE-News.
Thank you, Judith Martinez |
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Teacher-Student Connection Critical: Teacher-Student Relationships are a Factor in School Engagement by Julia Harrington A teacher's role in engaging students in school has been addressed in several studies, such as The Silent Epidemic: Perspectives of High School Dropouts. This research found that 43% of the dropouts surveyed felt they could not talk to even one adult in their high school about personal or school related problems. The study also states that, nearly half (47 percent) said a major reason for dropping out was that classes were not interesting. On the National Center for School Engagement (NCSE) web site, it emphasizes that school engagement leads to students not only attending school, but staying in school and getting the most out of it. Teachers have their own experiences with students and they took the time to share their wisdom on the subject of school engagement. Thomas Jefferson High School (TJHS) Literature Teacher, Alice Weeda explains, "Generally speaking, a student/teacher relationship must be one of mutual respect; without respect neither learning nor teaching can happen. If students feel disrespected, they cannot successfully participate in a classroom. Likewise, if a teacher is challenged with disrespectful behavior from students, teaching takes a backseat to classroom management. Respect brings rapport with results in a positive classroom environment. "Teaching is not an easy task. In a typical high school classroom there will be various learning styles and maturity levels. Teachers constantly face the responsibility of engaging all their students. "I try to engage all different learning types and styles, using a variety of teaching methods. If you do the same thing over and over it becomes monotonous; students find book work all the time boring. Book work will teach students only to fill in the blank but not how to problem solve," said Spanish teacher Kim Johns. Senior Jon Allen shares his student perspective. "I become engaged in a class when we work as a team and do group projects. I like to work with others while learning in the classroom."
Teachers and students also shared ideas on how to connect and relate to each other. “To connect to students, I smile often, use humor in the classroom, learn their names by day three, and grade their work fairly and in a timely manner. I attend extracurricular events - sports and plays - and students enjoy that attention as well. In my experience, students don’t want teachers as friends but as firm and fair facilitators,” said Weeda. “I try to relate to my teachers by bringing up my opinions on things outside of school and ask their advice,” said Sophomore Robert Lampert. This sentiment is echoed by Junior Cooper Hearne, who said, “I like to talk about things outside of school, and start to think of teachers as people rather than just as teachers.”
Math teacher Aimee Witulski said, “I do my best to get every student involved. One of the most effective strategies is to award points for every activity; not only for the quality of work, but also their participation.” Basketball coach and teacher, Grant Laman, added, “Coaching gives me the opportunity to see not only my players, but also students on other teams that also practice after school. Just showing interest in the students helps though, such as if a student is in drama, go and see the plays.”
Julia Harrington is a Junior at Return to the Index of this Issue |
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NCSE Announces Contest ! Entries due: April 27, 2007
NCSE is hosting a contest to create a list of successful and practical strategies that lead to school engagement. This list will be distributed nationally. The overarching goal is to create a greater awareness of strategies that are asset-based. The goal is learn what schools and communities are doing to promote school engagement. If you are part of a school, community-based group, and/or public agency that has implemented successful strategies to foster school engagement, you are encouraged to enter this contest. NCSE is looking for your best examples of school engagement strategies. “Strategies” include(but are not limited to) · Activities/Special Events for students/families/communities · Best practices (evidence-based and researched-based) · Incentives · Instructional and/or curricular innovations · Professional development for educators/program providers · School policies · School-wide programs If your strategy is selected, it will be included in the “21 Ways” list and your groups will receive national recognition. In addition, your school/group will be entered into a drawing to receive a $100 cash award.  A great school engagement strategy is to build school-community partnerships. An example comes from Bruce Randolph Middle School in Denver, CO. Safeway collaborated with the school and local CASASTART programs to host a Family Dinner Day event. Picture Courtesy of Colorado Foundation for Families and Children.
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Staples Foundation for Learning The mission of Staples Foundation for Learning is to provide funding to programs that support or provide job skills and/or education for all people, with a special emphasis on disadvantaged youth. "My Hometown Helper" Grant Program Individuals from communities and organizations across America can submit a written essay of 250 words or less describing how the "My Hometown Helper" grant would help improve their community project. Maximum Award: $15,000. Requests for funding must be sponsored by a municipal or civic organization or public school. Deadline: May 31, 2007. Faith-based and community organizations are eligible to receive federal funds to provide extra academic help to students in certain schools that need improvement. These supplemental educational services are additional academic instruction designed to increase the academic achievement of students in low-performing schools. Services must be provided outside of the regular school day and may include academic assistance. The funding for this program is not a grant, but organizations receive a fee-for-service through a contract with local school districts. In an effort to provide technical assistance to organizations interested in becoming approved providers of supplemental educational services, the Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives has posted a comprehensive website.
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The National Center on Education and the Economy - The New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce, which prepared a report, Tough Choices or Tough Times and is sponsoring a series of activities designed to help state and federal authorities implement the reforms recommended in that report. - The State Alliance for High Performance, a network of states committed to raising state education performance up to international benchmarks. - The Workforce Development Program, which provides the federal government, states and localities designs, assistance and policy guidance to implement world-class workforce development systems. National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Stateline.org Improve Family Engagement in After-School Programs |
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International Association for Truancy and Dropout Prevention Conference 4th Annual International Bullying Prevention Conference |
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