eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This paper advocates using teaching methods in math and social studies instruction that take into consideration the students’ learning styles to increase achievement for at-risk students. Rural at-risk students need mathematics and social studies instruction that will prepare them for the 21st century. Traditional methods of instruction have not been successful for at-risk students. Teachers need to consider how environmental, emotional, sociological, physical, and psychological stimuli can be accommodated through instructional strategies. Learning styles are defined in terms of how individuals react to 21 elements of the instructional environment. Semantic mapping strategies can be used to provide structure for students who need it. Students who lack persistence can be given short tasks with breaks between them. Sociological needs of students can be accommodated through grouping students in… Continue Reading →
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eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Improving teacher quality in P-12 mathematics is a national need, and many universities and schools are working to address it. With the support of the National Science Foundation (NSF), twelve math and science institutes across the country are helping P-12 teachers strengthen their capacity to support students’ learning. These NSF Institutes operate under the leadership of STEM university faculty, representing colleges of arts and science as well as colleges of education. The strategy is to build capacity by improving teachers’ content knowledge, pedagogy, and leadership skills. One such venture is The Math in the Middle Institute Partnership (M2) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). As part of their efforts to understand the place of rural in M2, the research team systematically interviewed the 63 rural participants from… Continue Reading →
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eric.ed.gov har udgivet: “Voices from the Field: Collaborative Innovations in Early Childhood Educator Preparation” is jointly published by the Illinois Education Research Council (IERC) and the Illinois Board of Education (IBHE), and highlights the accomplished work of many of the state’s two- and four-year faculty to redesign early childhood educator preparation programs to meet regional and state workforce needs. This edited book has chapters authored by EC faculty from both the 2-year and 4-year sectors and provides clear, tangible examples of how universities across Illinois worked together, often with regional employers, to design pathways for early childhood educators to earn the state’s industry-recognized Gateways credentials while taking college coursework leading to degrees. Each chapter has a unique focus and together, their “Voices” provide significant insight into the innovative partnerships that… Continue Reading →
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eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The U.S. Department of Education (USDOE, 2004) administers a formula grant program to states that is intended to increase the academic achievement of students in mathematics and science by enhancing the content knowledge and teaching skills of classroom teachers. Partnerships between high-need school districts and the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) faculty in institutions of higher education are at the core of these improvement efforts. These programs articulate the President’s priority of using partnering to close the achievement gap in math and science between majority and minority and/or disadvantaged students in order to keep the U.S. competitive in international markets. However, in rural communities, the infrastructure for developing these partnerships (i.e., nearby institutions of higher education, stable economic base, human resources) is often not available. In… Continue Reading →
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eric.ed.gov har udgivet: America’s schools are facing a critical shortage of teachers just as student enrollments are rising and more rigorous assessments of student achievement are being implemented. The shortage is especially acute in hard-to-staff schools in urban and rural areas, as well as in high-demand subjects such as math, science, and bilingual and special education. The teacher shortage is serious and real, and comes at a time when the nation’s educational system is at a crossroads. With the current emphasis on students’ academic performance and job-readiness, it is imperative that schools find and retain dedicated, high-quality teachers. These teachers must be able to teach to the highest standards while navigating complex challenges previously unknown in the profession. Examples from the field show that afterschool programs can provide current and… Continue Reading →
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eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The purpose of this research is to compare the rural education practices of China, Taiwan, Canada and the United States. International comparisons of mathematics achievement find that students in Asian countries outperform those from the USA. Excluded from these studies, however, are students from rural areas in China. This study compares the math abilities of 272 selectively chosen 5th grade students from rural, central China, 361 students from rural, northern Taiwan and 95 students from rural, central Pennsylvania. The test instrument was the same as used in previous China vs. USA comparisons and focused on four subtopics: computation, number concepts, geometry and problem solving. The results showed that rural Chinese and Taiwanese students outperformed similar American students in the area of mathematics achievement. The rural Chinese and… Continue Reading →
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eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Pennsylvania Intermediate Unit 8 (IU8) seeks to scale innovations that are evolving as local solutions to educational challenges in rural school districts. Consistent with its mission of creating customized solutions, IU8 seeks to make the innovations better, meaning more learner centered and community focused. IU8 is evolving the Getting Better Together (GBT) initiative that includes a process called Catalyzing Action for Responsive Education (CARE). Unfortunately, with its singular focus on “adequate yearly progress” in math and reading test achievement the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law devalued the role of public education in many rural communities. School and classroom doors became closed to key partners that traditionally reinforced the symbiotic relationship of mutual benefits shared between a rural school and its community. The local school lost… Continue Reading →
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eric.ed.gov har udgivet: A challenge for contemporary rural educators (especially teachers) is how to imagine rural education in a way that is not entirely focused on defining the rural as a problems space or as something simultaneously left behind by history and outmigration. Problems of community economic development come into the picture when we attempt to imagine rural schools that support and contribute to their communities rather than mostly serving as way-stations for outward bound youth. These are the kinds of questions raised by the ACCLAIM project, organized by the University of Tennessee Knoxville, Ohio University, West Virginia University, the University of Louisville, and the University of Kentucky. ACCLAIM is doing ground-breaking work in the United States simply by asking a number of key questions about the relationship between math… Continue Reading →
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eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Can increasing student perception and engagement though alternative teaching methods, such as introducing math in an everyday context improve student test scores? Literature on this subject suggests improving student engagement and introduction of math in everyday applications can improve student comprehension. This study looks at a second grade classroom in rural Michigan. Nine different data sources were utilized including a pre and post study parent survey, a daily classroom observational chart, conference interviews, comparison of pre and post-test of lessons taught traditionally and using everyday math, a teacher journal of observations made during lessons, an evaluation of student report cards, and comparisons of state standardized test and district objective scores. The study found student improvement regardless of lesson delivery, and improved engagement with introduction of everyday math.… Continue Reading →
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eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The Middle-Grades Leadership Development (MLD) Project was designed to develop principal leaders and leadership teams who create high-performing middle-grades schools. Designed by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform, the four-year project was funded from 2013 to 2017 by a U.S. Department of Education Investing in Innovation (i3) development grant. The project was implemented in 12 middle-grades schools in rural and small town areas of Kentucky and Michigan. Schools received an extensive set of school improvement supports, including: creating a vision using the Forum’s Schools to Watch (STW) criteria; engaging in an assessment and planning process for improvement; STW leadership coach; principal mentor; STW mentor schools; leadership team; networking opportunities; and focused professional development. The evaluation of the MLD Project used a quasi-experimental design (QED) with matched… Continue Reading →
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