School administrators are often under pressure to improve test scores and school accountability ratings. The school leaders are in need of data to assist them with decision-making. The purpose of this study was to discover whether students who are taught the same content using diverse methods have similar outcomes in learning, test scores, and attitudes. Two fourth grade classrooms were chosen to participate based on the methods the teachers used throughout the school year. This study was designed to determine whether using the inquiry approach, an approach most commonly found in use with young children, would be as effective as the deductive method with intermediate level students. Results indicate that the teachers’ chosen methods did not result in significantly different student state-mandated assessment scores. ACCESS FULL MANUSCRIPT HERE: http://cnx.org/content/m15298/latest/
School administrators are often under pressure to improve test scores and school accountability ratings. The school leaders are in need of data to assist them with decision-making. The purpose of this study was to discover whether students who are taught the same content using diverse methods have similar outcomes in learning, test scores, and attitudes. Two fourth grade classrooms were chosen to participate based on the methods the teachers used throughout the school year. This study was designed to determine whether using the inquiry approach, an approach most commonly found in use with young children, would be as effective as the deductive method with intermediate level students. Results indicate that the teachers’ chosen methods did not result in significantly different student state-mandated assessment scores. ACCESS FULL MANUSCRIPT HERE: http://cnx.org/content/m15298/latest/
The author visits a major concern to all principals: How does today’s school leader increase morale, motivation, and performance. In a timely revisit to Frederick Herzberg’s work on motivation in the work place, the author explores eight school leadership behaviors promote motivation and challenges some of the profession’s long held expectations which are inconsistent Herzberg’s landmark research. Those behaviors are: (1) creating a leadership platform; (2) becoming the principal-learner and principal-teacher about leadership; (3) affirming and teaching the powerful roles of organizational beliefs, vision, and mission; (4) leading and modeling reciprocity of accountability; (5) building collegiality around problems of practice; (6) emulating the actions of successful coaches; (7) developing the cultural norm that leadership and growth bring discomfort; (8) developing a sense of professionalism throughout the organization consistent with professionalism as demonstrated in and expected of other learned professions. ACCESS FULL MANUSCRIPT HERE: http://cnx.org/content/m15614/latest/
The relationship between the Black and White Americans has often been tense and strained, often based upon available socioeconomic resources of race, income, and education. Many times, these interactions have worsened before becoming better. In this light, the focus of this document is to demonstrate the usage and blending of bibliotherapy, Readers Theater, and PowerPoint presentation via on-line technology, as an engaging teaching and learning tool that hones cultural literacy in students. It is within this context that the authors seek to provide a strategy to hone cultural literacy utilizing the bibliotherapy and Readers Theater; thus influencing students’ knowledge about race and themselves. ACCESS FULL MANUSCRIPT HERE: http://cnx.org/content/m15509/latest/
