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Online Article Review Welcome to OAR Here you will find links to educational articles along with brief synopses. We hope this will be a highly useful tool for educational researchers. Check back often as we add more articles. OAR has been organized by subject matter. Link suggestions and article contributions gratefully accepted. Abbreviations: ET - Effective Teaching; EW - Education Week; HEL - Harvard Educational Letter; JTE - Journal of Technology Education; PDK - Phi Delta Kappan; TCR - Teachers College Record. Abbreviated sources are typically more prestigious than non-abbreviated sources and are usually more research focused. EduQuery Exclusive By Chris Calvin A recent study in two school districts in Brazos County Texas of teachers (n=81) and administrators (n=43) reveals the attitudes and perceptions of educators’ towards teachers‘ public relations roles in Texas schools. The purpose of this study was to address four questions regarding the teacher’s public relations role:
Special Reports Pervasive preferences: Racial and ethnic
discrimination in undergraduate admissions across the nation "Our study of the admission policies of 47 colleges and universities across America yielded the following conclusions: The average difference in academic credentials among those admitted, whether measured by test scores or by grades and high-school class rank, between blacks and whites, and to a lesser extent between Hispanics and whites, is very large. There are few such differences between whites and Asians. Racial and ethnic preferences play a far more important role in admissions than has been previously acknowledged. Blacks have far greater probabilities of admission than do similarly qualified whites at a large variety of schools, Hispanics have substantially greater probabilities of admission than do whites, and Asians have similar probabilities of admissions. All of these conclusions take into account both test scores and grades. (We include both the complete logistic regression equations we used to predict admissions and new probability plots to explain further the effects of preferences on the probability of admission.)"
32nd
Annual PDK/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitude Toward the Public Schools "THE 2000 Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools documents significant trends in public attitudes and, at the same time, explores new areas that are important in light of current efforts at school improvement. The results should be of interest to school planners at all levels. The turning away from high-stakes testing; the leveling off and the downward trend in support for choice involving private or church-related schools; the fact that lack of financial support has jumped into first place as the biggest problem; the preference for balance in the curriculum over a focus on "the basics"; and the clear support for public schools that is evident throughout the poll are all good news for public school advocates." State of State Standards
2000 The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation released their second State of State Standards report recently. Key findings: Overall the states earn a "C-" and improve a letter grade since the last report. Most states continue to have "mediocre or inferior expectations" for their students. Nine states garnered "honors" ranking, scoring an A or B, an improvement from the previous report. A hard copy is available from the foundation for free, and the entire report is online. Quality
Counts 2000 See how your ranking in the fourth annual Quality Counts series from Education Week. This year's theme: Who should teach? It focuses on state qualifications and certification procedures. Education,
Inc. Education Week takes an in-depth look at the profit motivation of the education industry in this series of special reports. The public's attitude toward
schools, 1999 Read all about the 1999 PDK/Gallup poll of the public's opinion of our schools. Standards & Assessment Resisting Educational Standards "We have increasingly held the view that education is a private good, which should serve the individual interests of educational consumers, rather than a public good, which should serve the broader public interest in producing competent citizens and productive workers, Mr. Labaree points out. And the last thing we think we need is a standards effort that equalizes educational achievement." A look at assessments in
Arizona The Arizona Student Assessment Program was in place and set to go in 1995. Then a new state superintendent came to office and a battle of public policy ensued. Read a fascinating account of education legislation on the state level, warts and all. Standards for standards-based
accountability Love 'em or hate 'em, accountability standards are here to stay. But, in order to be truly effective, the standards should meet certain, uh, standards. Herein, then, are eleven standards that accountability systems should meet in order to be up to standard. The writing assessment dilemma Linda Maybre tackles the stifling effects rubrics for standardized writing tests have had on the art of composition. She traces the history of rubrics and their perceived need in standardized tests, then proceeds to assess the problems associated with their use. She allows that rubrics may assist reliability measures in testing, but maintains their use hurts validity. Maybre takes a hard look at how rubrics affect teaching behaviors in composition classes. Several anecdotes of their negative effects are offered, and details are given concerning teachers training their students to conform to the rubric in their writing. Maybre concludes by maintaining that rubrics promote compliance to standards, but do not necessarily serve as valid indicators of writing skill. Finally, she eschews standardized testing as a positive means of accountability and points to Nebraska's discontinuing of state testing in 1997 as a shining example for other states to follow. Teamwork Collaborative teamwork in the classroom
Collaborative teamwork is one of the catchall phrases for improving pedagogy. However, this article seeks to examine the teacher's role in guiding collaborative teamwork within the classroom setting. Clear guidelines and strategies for attaining this goal are offered, with practical solutions for implementation. How to form teams and assist those teams in performing effectively make up the remainder of the bulk of the text. This article is particularly well suited to the educator needing to achieve effective grouping in the classroom. Teamwork in
technology This article examines research on teamwork in a junior high setting when students are performing technological tasks. Technology in Education Plagiarism:
The new online plague No longer do students seek the classified advertisements for paper mills, or cull an old term paper from fraternity files. They don't even have to go to the library to copy things out of a book. The web makes plagiarism extremely easy. We look at some of the term paper sites out there and examine ways teachers and professors can combat high tech cheating. Breaking the language
barrier: How technology can enhance multilingual communication Joe Slowinski looks at the latest web-based technology for translation services, as well as some places teachers can go to find international partnerships with other educators. The computer enters the
classroom A review of five books which examine the changing role of computers in the classroom. Needful areas of
research in technology education Technology education is burgeoning, but it does not have the history of research other fields enjoy. Educators wishing to publish in this area should read this informative article. The mysterious
motivation of technology teachers They could make a lot more money in the private sector. What makes these teachers tick? In the past, teachers with outside interests sought positions in Shop and related courses. Today, they run computer labs. But for every great tech teacher, several positions go lacking due to a huge shortage of qualified personnel. Charter Schools & Vouchers Charter schools, vouchers, and
standards Much ado has been made concerning the finance issues swirling around public schooling. Chris Pipho examines three hot button topics that have garnered much interest lately. A unique voucher
proposal In an article that is still making waves, columnist Matthew Miller floated a unique voucher proposal to several prominent individuals. The
great voucher debate EduQuery defines the terms and examines the issues surrounding this controversial topic. Zero Tolerance Zero tolerance: An idea whose
time has passed It seemed like a good idea at the time, but experience has proven the zero tolerance concept to be a faulty one. Brain-based Education Brain-based education needs
rethinking In this article John Brewer describes the rise in popularity of brain-based teaching, a trend he notes has origins more in cognitive and constructivist models rather than the field of neuroscience. Upon differentiating psychology and neuroscience, Brewer proceeds to debunk common misperceptions of brain-based teaching and research. He illustrates conceptions of left brain and right brain activities are fallacious and at times completely in reverse of reality. Next he tackles learning windows, the notion of crucial times in a child's life that are best for learning. He debunks this notion by citing a lack of critical evidence and blames misunderstanding based on speculation rather than research. Brewer concludes his paper by calling for higher standards in educational research (particularly brain-based research) modeling those set by the medical profession. School Issues Literacy
in the Information Age "As the candidates talk (and talk and talk) about education, it seems appropriate that we consider recent research on one of the most fundamental skills: reading. But that is easier said than done, in part because the definition of literacy just won't keep still." Changing
the way education changes Thomas Sergiovanni exams change theory and its application in education. This article was drawn from the forthcoming Journal of Educational Change. Click here for our brief review of Sergiovanni's book, Building Community in Schools. The best
way to teach? The Monitor talks with Stanford's Tyack and others about the two dominate competing theories of education. Click here for Tyack's The One Best System. A brief history
of education The Monitor traces the origins of organized education from 1600 B.C. to modern times. Failing
the urban schools Urban schools teeter on the brink of destruction unless massive political and social changes are quickly instituted. Facts, not fads in Title I
reform New research out of Harvard seeks to discover some of the reasons behind the failure of Title I programs to produce better results. Making the case for
arts in schools The need for arts in our schools has never been more profound. David Gordon reports on new research supporting this crucial need.
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