Advertisement
| closing the education gap: Narrowing the Attainment Gap: A handbook for schools Daniel Sobel, 2018-01-25 The attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers is one of the most insidious social injustices in the developed world. It is a significant factor in the growing inequality of our societies and persists across time and nations. For this reason, narrowing the gap is a top priority for governments and policymakers, and an issue that all schools must tackle. Written by a leading expert in the field of inclusion, Narrowing the Attainment Gap is designed to support school leaders in understanding and reducing the attainment gap in the context of their setting. Drawing on research and his own extensive experience in leading a team that has worked with over 1,000 schools, Daniel Sobel examines the real issues behind the attainment gap and the barriers schools face when trying to narrow it. The book provides a unique approach with hands-on, practical guidance to enable every school leader to develop their own bespoke solutions to meet the needs of their community. Case studies and examples illustrate how these interventions can be put into practice and the impact they can have, while template resources help schools demonstrate to stakeholders the change they are driving at an individual, cohort and whole-school level. |
| closing the education gap: Equitable Education Sameena Choudry, 2021-05-17 Never has a book on social justice and equitable education been so relevant. Recent events have highlighted the huge attainment gaps that exist for many pupils within the education system because of factors outside of their control. As the diversity of the pupil population increases, it is more important than ever to develop the skills, knowledge and understanding within the teaching profession around issues of equality and inclusion. This book provides trainees and teachers with an in-depth understanding of the complex issues related to the attainment of key groups of disadvantaged pupils, and practical strategies that can be deployed to address these gaps. Chapters focus on social class, gender, English as an additional language, minority ethnic achievement, gypsy, Roma and travellers, refugee and asylum seekers, and those with special educational needs and disabilities. The book takes a stark look at the evidence and statistics, provides an overview of the key issues and considerations for each particular group, and suggests key resources and examples of good practice, along with case studies and points for reflection. Ultimately it encourages you to have high expectations of your pupils and to truly believe that you can help them realise their ambitions and aspirations. |
| closing the education gap: Closing the Attainment Gap in Schools Antony Luby, 2020-09-01 Closing the Attainment Gap in Schools explores the experience and history of teachers who have a determined, no-nonsense approach to providing an excellent standard of education to all young people from differing backgrounds. Using professional conversations, voices are given to schools and teachers striving successfully to address this important issue through evidence-based practices. Linked with the Ad Astra Primary Partnership, what these teachers do with their schoolchildren will resonate with all schools in any location. From Superstar Assemblies to encourage their dreams and aspirations; to Munch ‘n Mingle sessions to encourage healthy eating; to Marvellous Me software to encourage the use of open-ended questions and parent-child conversations at home; and through to the use of skilled specialists to develop their handwriting skills, this book: explores the rich complexity of teacher learning; contains numerous case studies and examples of success; reflects upon and considers evidence-based pedagogy, practical wisdom, teacher-research, self-improving school systems and social justice; proposes a rich array of approaches and suggests ways forward. Offering first-hand, invaluable and practical advice this wide-ranging book will encourage and enable any teacher to develop their own practical wisdom and a ‘can do’ approach whilst never shying away from the very real issues within education. |
| closing the education gap: Closing the Achievement Gap Belinda Williams, 1996 Chapters in this book, based on the efforts of the Urban Education National Network Task Force, define the nature of obstacles to the academic performance of urban students and identify, validate, and disseminate a knowledge base of theory and practice to inform decision making about urban schools. The chapters are: (1) The Nature of the Achievement Gap: The Call for a Vision To Guide Change (Belinda Williams); (2) Bridging the Achievement Gap in Urban Schools: Reducing Educational Segregation and Advancing Resilience-Promoting Strategies (Margaret C. Wang and John A. Kovach); (3) Cultural Values in Learning and Education (Patricia Marks Greenfield, Catherine Raeff, and Blanca Quiroz); (4) Educating Teachers To Close the Achievement Gap: Issues of Pedagogy, Knowledge, and Teacher Preparation (Kenneth M. Zeichner); (5) Closing the Achievement Gap: Opportunity To Learn, Standards, and Assessment (Floraline Ingram Stevens); (6) Fostering Resiliency in Urban Schools (Bonnie Benard); (7) Teacher Engagement and Real Reform in Urban Schools (Karen Seashore Louis and BetsAnn Smith); and (8) A Social Vision for Urban Education: Focused, Comprehensive, and Integrated Change (Belinda Williams). An appendix lists the Regional Educational Laboratories. Most chapters contain references. (Contains one figure.) (SLD) |
| closing the education gap: Educational Inequality Feyisa Demie, 2019 What if disadvantage need not correlate with poor academic achievement? If instead of researching the 'underachieving' groups (minorities, children for whom English is not their home language, and children of families in poor socioeconomic circumstances) you look at what works in schools to raise the attainment of all these groups, the results are compelling. This inspiring book is grounded in Feyisa Demie's meticulous research and analysis of the high expectations and targeted interventions by schools in one poor inner-city local authority (LA). Schools once in special measures are transformed to Outstanding by gifted leadership, effective teachers who mirror the school's intake, and a governing body and community of parents all working towards the same goals. This LA's schools raise their children's attainment at Key Stage 2 and GCSE to levels that far surpass the national average and allow students to access top universities. -- Back cover. |
| closing the education gap: Responsive Teaching Harry Fletcher-Wood, 2018-05-30 This essential guide helps teachers refine their approach to fundamental challenges in the classroom. Based on research from cognitive science and formative assessment, it ensures teachers can offer all students the support and challenge they need – and can do so sustainably. Written by an experienced teacher and teacher educator, the book balances evidence-informed principles and practical suggestions. It contains: A detailed exploration of six core problems that all teachers face in planning lessons, assessing learning and responding to students Effective practical strategies to address each of these problems across a range of subjects Useful examples of each strategy in practice and accounts from teachers already using these approaches Checklists to apply each principle successfully and advice tailored to teachers with specific responsibilities. This innovative book is a valuable resource for new and experienced teachers alike who wish to become more responsive teachers. It offers the evidence, practical strategies and supportive advice needed to make sustainable, worthwhile changes. |
| closing the education gap: Learning Gap Harold Stevenson, James W. Stigler, 1994-01-26 Compares United States elementary education practices with those in Asia and comes to some surprising conclusions. |
| closing the education gap: Closing the Achievement Gap Yvonne S. Freeman, David E. Freeman, Sandra Mercuri, 2002 Struggling older English learners pose a real challenge for educators. Some of these students are new arrivals with limited or interrupted schooling. Others have been in and out of ESL and bilingual programs in this country since kindergarten, but have never succeeded academically. How can teachers help older students who lack academic content knowledge and English language proficiency catch up with their classmates? Yvonne and David Freeman provide four research-based keys for closing the achievement gap. three teachers have put this theory into practice to reach their older English learners. These teachers organize curriculum around themes, use predictable classroom routines, and scaffold instruction in a variety of ways. The clear examples from their classes will help other teachers implement effective practices for their older English learners. Closing the Achievement Gap features: the four keys for school success for older English learners clear distinctions among the types of older English learners in our schools with examples of students from each category a thorough discussion of the kinds of language proficiency older English learners need a review of the latest research on effective practices for older English learners detailed descriptions from the classrooms of three teachers, including thematic units they have developed, their daily routines, and the strategies they use to scaffold instruction professional extension activities to help readers apply the information in this book to their own educational settings. For teachers and teacher educators, program directors, resource personnel, and administrators, this book offers both the research and practice schools need to develop effective programs to educate struggling older English learners. |
| closing the education gap: Strategies for Closing the Learning Gap Mike Hughes, Andy Vass, 2001-08-01 The practical companion to the highly successful Closing the Learning Gap > |
| closing the education gap: Closing the Opportunity Gap Prudence L. Carter, Kevin G. Welner, 2013-04-26 While the achievement gap has dominated policy discussions over the past two decades, relatively little attention has been paid to a gap even more at odds with American ideals: the opportunity gap. Opportunity and achievement, while inextricably connected, are very different goals. Every American will not go to college, but every American should be given a fair chance to be prepared for college. In communities across the U.S., children lack the crucial resources and opportunities, inside and outside of schools that they need if they are to reach their potential. Closing the Opportunity Gap offers accessible, research-based essays written by top experts who highlight the discrepancies that exist in our public schools, focusing on how policy decisions and life circumstances conspire to create the opportunity gap that leads inexorably to stark achievement gaps. They also describe sensible policies grounded in evidence that can restore and enhance opportunities. Moving beyond conventional academic discourse, Closing the Opportunity Gap will spark vital new conversations about what schools, parents, educators, and policymakers can and should do to give all children a fair chance to thrive. |
| closing the education gap: Creating the Opportunity to Learn A. Wade Boykin, Pedro Noguera, 2011 Explore why some schools are making more progress than others, so you can focus on what works and build the capacity of high-performance, high-poverty schools. |
| closing the education gap: Closing the Achievement Gap from an International Perspective Julia V. Clark, 2013-10-24 In a changing world that demands new skills, a vital concern of public education is the gap in academic performance between low- and high-achieving students. There is no excuse for the achievement gaps that persist among poor and minority students in schools today. All students can succeed at high levels, regardless of race, ethnicity and economic background. Several countries have successfully confronted inequities in achievement, demonstrating that any school can close achievement gaps regardless of the community they serve, and that all students can achieve at high levels when they are provided with the right opportunities. This book is about understanding what factors selected countries have applied to promote progress and what factors contribute to progress in the closing of achievement gaps. It is about creating opportunities for all students. Closing the Achievement Gap from an International Perspective: Transforming STEM for Effective Education is written in response to rising concern for the improvement of quality education – especially in mathematics and science – provided to all students. The contributors take a systematic view of the subject, beginning with a cross-national analysis of teacher qualifications and the achievement gap that spans 50 countries. The content of the book is organized in sections describing education around the globe: North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. Individual chapters offer close-up analysis of efforts to close achievement gaps in the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, England, Turkey, China, South Africa and Australia among many others. The contributors provide information on the achievement gap in mathematics and science, review current research, and present strategies for fostering improvement and raising performance with a focus on school-related variables that adversely affect educational outcomes among poor and minority students. The authors of the various chapters looked at how students’ data correlated with classroom practices, teacher instruction and academic programming, as part of their efforts to measure student growth. Qualitative and quantitative data are provided to provide evidence not only of the problem, but also for the solution. The book concludes with a chapter on promoting equality and equity to shrink the achievement gap worldwide. |
| closing the education gap: Using Data to Close the Achievement Gap Ruth S. Johnson, 2002-06-25 Dr. Johnson′s work provides both the philosophical and practical blueprint for transforming public schools into the learning communities we want and need. Leaders will find the book to be the most useful document to guide and inform their efforts to close the gap and maximize learning for all students. Joseph Burke, Superintendent of Schools Springfield Public Schools Springfield, MA If the goal of all students reaching high standards is to be met, Using Data to Close the Achievement Gap should be required reading for all teachers and administrators. It should also be an integral part of the course of study for those preparing to teach in the United States. Vinetta C. Jones, Dean School of Education, Howard University From Johnson′s penetrating analysis of current research, policies, and practices, and her wealth of experiences working with school districts around the nation, she clearly makes the connection between using data and achieving equitable outcomes as districts and schools struggle to close the achievement gap. Aukram Burton, Diversity/Multicultural Specialist Gheen Professional Development Academy Louisville, KY This book represents a significant contribution to the national debate around school reform. Ruth Johnson presents a thoughtful, well-documented treatise on how educators, policymakers, and parents can use data to set achievement goals and to measure progress towards these goals. Walter Allen, Professor Department of Sociology, UCLA Exercise the power of data to identify and rectify educational inequalities! Student populations are diverse—however, their access to knowledge and success should not be. Unfortunately, statistics show that real disparities do exist in academic achievement, which consistently coincide with income level and race. In this comprehensive guide, Ruth S. Johnson highlights compelling evidence that these inequities can be linked to school practices that inadvertently increase inequities. The solution to this pervasive problem lies in the collection and examination of appropriate data, and this book shows readers how. This updated edition of Setting Our Sights: Measuring Equity in School Change now includes current studies, policies, and practices, and provides new sections on data dialogues and school indicators. It offers valuable assistance for understanding, visioning, planning, and executing tactics that can successfully close the gap in student achievement, including: Straightforward and in-depth discussions of the five stages for equity reform Clear and easy-to-understand explanations of research findings Practical tools including questionnaires, surveys, forms, and models Tips for effectively gathering, analyzing, and applying data Johnson shows how data is instrumental not only in targeting areas for improvement, but also in offering insights into the necessary steps to foster positive change and create a culture of high achievement for all students, especially those students who have traditionally been overlooked. An indispensable reference for any school undergoing a quality review process, this reader-friendly manual presents practical how-to′s for analyzing data and developing a strategy that empowers teachers and administrators with an equal opportunity for success. |
| closing the education gap: Making Kids Cleverer David Didau, 2018-12-20 In 'Making Kids Cleverer: A manifesto for closing the advantage gap', David Didau reignites the nature vs. nurture debate around intelligence and offers research-informed guidance on how teachers can help their students acquire a robust store of knowledge and skills that is both powerful and useful. Foreword by Paul A. Kirschner. Given the choice, who wouldn't want to be cleverer? What teacher wouldn't want this for their students, and what parent wouldn't wish it for their children? When David started researching this book, he thought the answers to the above were obvious. But it turns out that the very idea of measuring and increasing children's intelligence makes many people extremely uncomfortable: If some people were more intelligent, where would that leave those of us who weren't? The question of whether or not we can get cleverer is a crucial one. If you believe that intelligence is hereditary and environmental effects are trivial, you may be sceptical. But environment does matter, and it matters most for children from the most socially disadvantaged backgrounds those who not only have the most to gain, but who are also the ones most likely to gain from our efforts to make all kids cleverer. And one thing we can be fairly sure will raise children's intelligence is sending them to school. In this wide-ranging enquiry into psychology, sociology, philosophy and cognitive science, David argues that with greater access to culturally accumulated information taught explicitly within a knowledge-rich curriculum children are more likely to become cleverer, to think more critically and, subsequently, to live happier, healthier and more secure lives.;Furthermore, by sharing valuable insights into what children truly need to learn during their formative school years, he sets out the numerous practical ways in which policy makers and school leaders can make better choices about organising schools, and how teachers can communicate the knowledge that will make the most difference to young people as effectively and efficiently as possible. David underpins his discussion with an exploration of the evolutionary basis for learning and also untangles the forms of practice teachers should be engaging their students in to ensure that they are acquiring expertise, not just consolidating mistakes and misconceptions.There are so many competing suggestions as to how we should improve education that knowing how to act can seem an impossible challenge. Once you have absorbed the arguments in this book, however, David hopes you will find the simple question that he asks himself whenever he encounters new ideas and initiatives Will this make children cleverer? as useful as he does.;Suitable for teachers, school leaders, policy makers and anyone involved in educations |
| closing the education gap: Why Race and Culture Matter in Schools Tyrone C. Howard, 2010-04-19 While race and culture remain important variables in how young people experience schools, they are often misunderstood by educators and school personnel. Building on three studies that investigated schools successful in closing the achievement gap, Tyrone Howard shows how adopting greater awareness and comprehensive understanding of race and culture can improve educational outcomes. Important reading for anyone who is genuinely committed to promoting educational equity and excellence for all children, this accessible book: Outlines the changing racial, ethnic, and cultural demographics in U.S. schools. Calls for educators to pay serious attention to how race and culture play out in school settings. Presents empirical data from schools that have improved achievement outcomes for racially and culturally diverse students. Focuses on ways in which educators can partner with parents and communities. |
| closing the education gap: Closing the Attitude Gap Baruti K. Kafele, 2013 Veteran educator and best-selling author Baruti Kafele offers strategies for motivating students from diverse backgrounds to become passionate about learning. |
| closing the education gap: Closing the Reading Gap Alex Quigley, 2020-03-31 Our pupils’ success will be defined by their ability to read fluently and skilfully. But despite universal acceptance of reading’s vital importance, the reading gap in our classroom remains, and it is linked to an array of factors, such as parental wealth, education and book ownership, as well as classroom practice. To close this gap, we need to ensure that every teacher has the knowledge and skill to teach reading with confidence. In Closing the Reading Gap, Alex Quigley explores the intriguing history and science of reading, synthesising the debates and presenting a wealth of usable evidence about how children develop most efficiently as successful readers. Offering practical strategies for teachers at every phase of their teaching career, as well as tackling issues such as dyslexia and the role of technology, the book helps teachers to be an expert in how pupils ‘learn to read’ as well as how they ‘read to learn’ and explores how reading is vital for unlocking a challenging academic curriculum for every student. With a focus on nurturing pupils’ will and skill to read for pleasure and purpose, this essential volume provides practical solutions to help all teachers create a rich reading culture that will enable every student to thrive in school and far beyond the school gates. |
| closing the education gap: Closing the Gap in Education and Technology David M. De Ferranti, 2003 The fundamental elements to unlocking the potential of technology to speed up economic growth in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) are investing in education, opening up new technologies through foreign trade and investment, and encouraging private sector research and development. 'Closing the Gap in Education and Technology' advises Latin American and Caribbean governments to address the region's deficits in skills and technology, and thereby boost productivity, ultimately improving growth prospects. To close this 'productivity gap' in the region, the report calls for a range of policy approaches and strategies, depending on a country's level of development. It identifies three progressive stages in a country's technological evolution -- adoption, adaptation, and creation -- and observes that policies should be designed to address the particular challenges that accompany each stage.In conclusion, 'Closing the Gap in Education and Technology' argues that many countries in the Latin American and Caribbean region have been improving education and social risk management systems so that they are now ready to benefit from the rewards associated with creating stronger trade and technology ties with countries that are more technologically advanced. |
| closing the education gap: No Excuses Stephan Thernstrom, Abigail Thernstrom, 2009-07-14 Black and Hispanic students are not learning enough in our public schools, and their typically poor performance is the most important source of ongoing racial inequality in America today—thus, say Abigail and Stephan Thernstrom, the racial gap in school achievement is the nation's most critical civil rights issue and an educational crisis; it's no wonder that No Child Left Behind, the 2001 revision of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, made closing the racial gap in education its central goal. An employer hiring the typical Black high school graduate or the college that admits the average Black student is choosing a youngster who has only an eighth-grade education. In most subjects, the majority of twelfth-grade Black students do not have even a partial mastery of the skills and knowledge that the authoritative National Assessment of Educational Progress calls fundamental for proficient work at their grade. No Excuses marshals facts to examine the depth of the problem, the inadequacy of conventional explanations, and the limited impact of Title I, Head Start, and other familiar reforms. Its message, however, is one of hope: Scattered across the country are excellent schools getting terrific results with high-needs kids. These rare schools share a distinctive vision of what great schooling looks like and are free of many of the constraints that compromise education in traditional public schools. In a society that espouses equal opportunity we still have a racially identifiable group of educational have-nots—young African Americans and Latinos whose opportunities in life will almost inevitably be limited by their inadequate education. When students leave high school without high school skills, their futures—and that of the nation—are in jeopardy. With successful schools already showing the way, no decent society can continue to turn a blind eye to such racial and ethnic inequality. |
| closing the education gap: 50 Ways to Close the Achievement Gap Carolyn J. Downey, 2009 Outlines research-based strategies for developing high-performing schools and fostering educational equity for all students. |
| closing the education gap: The Knowledge Deficit E. D. Hirsch, Jr., 2007 Provides an analysis of the state of modern American education to trace a link between a lack of reading comprehension and poor performance and furnishes specific tools for parents to enhance a child's ability to read with comprehension. |
| closing the education gap: Closing the Achievement Gap Patricia Davenport, 2002 |
| closing the education gap: Closing the Writing Gap Alex Quigley, 2022-05-16 This book explains seven critical steps to improve children's writing. Though seemingly ‘natural’, writing proves devilishly difficult for far too many school pupils and closing this gap can have a lasting impact on their academic and life success. With the goal of giving every teacher the knowledge and skill to teach writing with confidence, it makes sense of the history and ‘science’ of writing, synthesising the debates and presenting a wealth of usable evidence about how children develop most efficiently as successful writers. It trains teachers to be an expert in how pupils learn to write, from the big picture of planning, editing and revising your writing, to the vital importance of grammar and spelling with accuracy. Highly practical strategies and easy-to use classroom activities are included to help teachers seize opportunities across the curriculum every school day to teach the critical writing process. Closing the Writing Gap will guide teachers at every stage of their career and when used with Alex Quigley’s much-loved books on Vocabulary and Reading gives school leaders evidence-based approaches to literacy that can be applied across a school or a group of schools. |
| closing the education gap: The Anatomy of Achievement Gaps Jaekyung Lee, 2016 Through the lens of interdisciplinary and systems perspectives, The Anatomy of Achievement Gaps offers an expert critical analysis of the underachievement problems plaguing the American education system today. By providing a blueprint to meet these challenges, Jaekyung Lee both evaluates and informs American educational policies with a new model of achievement for preschool through college-aged students. |
| closing the education gap: A Handbook for Closing the Achievement Gap Kim Campbell, Kay Herting Wahl, 2009-07 Kim Campbell struggled to help disadvantaged students in her school. When a few students began to stop by her room after school for help with their homework, something happened. They showed amazing growth-and the SOAR program found its wings. |
| closing the education gap: The Teacher Gap Rebecca Allen, Sam Sims, 2018-06-14 Teachers are the most important determinant of the quality of schools. We should be doing everything we can to help them get better. In recent years, however, a cocktail of box-ticking demands, ceaseless curriculum reform, disruptive reorganisations and an audit culture that requires teachers to document their every move, have left the profession deskilled and demoralised. Instead of rolling out the red carpet for teachers, we have been pulling it from under their feet. The result is predictable: there is now a cavernous gap between the quantity and quality of teachers we need, and the reality in our schools. In this book, Rebecca Allen and Sam Sims draw on the latest research from economics, psychology and education to explain where the gap came from and how we can close it again. Including interviews with current and former teachers, as well as end-of-chapter practical guidance for schools, The Teacher Gap sets out how we can better recruit, train and retain the next generation of teachers. At the heart of the book is a simple message: we need to give teachers a career worth having. |
| closing the education gap: Closing the Vocabulary Gap Alex Quigley, 2018-04-06 As teachers grapple with the challenge of a new, bigger and more challenging school curriculum, at every key stage and phase, success can feel beyond our reach. But what if there were 50,000 small solutions to help us bridge that gap? In Closing the Vocabulary Gap, the author explores the increased demands of an academic curriculum and how closing the vocabulary gap between our ‘word poor’ and ‘word rich’ students could prove the vital difference between school failure and success. This must-read book presents the case for teacher-led efforts to develop students' vocabulary and provides practical solutions for teachers across the curriculum, incorporating easy-to-use tools, resources and classroom activities. |
| closing the education gap: Toward Excellence with Equity Ronald F. Ferguson, 2007 For more than a decade, economist Ronald F. Ferguson has investigated the myriad factors that combine to create racial disparities in academic performance, ranging from school policies and practices to informal interactions between children and their parents and peers. Toward Excellence with Equity brings together Ferguson's most important articles and most recent thinking on these ideas. Taken together, these essays show that closing achievement gaps is more urgent today than ever before--and that dramatic success is possible. This book issues an urgent call to action to anyone concerned about the lagging success rates among minority children in American schools and the repercussions for our country's future. Ronald Ferguson not only surveys the bleak terrain surrounding the achievement gap, but provides all of us with a road map to reach higher ground. -- Geoffrey Canada, President and CEO, Harlem Children's Zone Toward Excellence with Equity is an important book written by one of the nation's foremost experts on education and economic development. Ronald Ferguson's pioneering work on black/white disparities in student skill levels and achievement-test scores has significant public policy implications. This book is a must-read for anyone concerned about narrowing the racial gap in educational attainment and earnings. -- William Julius Wilson, Lewis P. and Linda L. Geyser University Professor, Harvard University This book combines high-quality research, judicious insights, brilliant speculation, and common sense to set forth strategies to reduce the achievement gap dramatically. It is particularly compelling in calling for a comprehensive social movement that will not only transform schools but establish strong communities, effective parenting, and powerful peer cultures. -- Henry M. Levin, William H. Kilpatrick Professor of Economics and Education, Teachers College, Columbia University Ferguson conducts an authoritative review to show that disparities in academic performance can be closed by strong parental engagement and by parents working in partnership with schools around a shared vision of success for their children. The reality is that educators can't do it alone. This highly intelligent book gives policymakers, educators, and parents essential tools for closing achievement gaps between high-performing and low-performing schools. -- Susan Zelman, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Ohio Department of Education Toward Excellence with Equity is essential reading for any businessperson who cares about the well-being of children and the future quality of the American workforce. -- Bridgette Heller, Chairman of the Executive Leadership Council and Global President of Johnson & Johnson's Baby, Kids, and Wound-Care Division Ronald F. Ferguson is the faculty cochair and director of the Achievement Gap Initiative at Harvard University and the founder and director of the Tripod Project for school improvement. |
| closing the education gap: Narrowing the Achievement Gap Thomas Timar, Julie Maxwell-Jolly, 2012 Closing persistent gaps in educational outcomes between different groups of students has been a central goal of educational policy for the past forty years. The commitment to close existing achievement gaps poses an unprecedented challenge to policy makers, school leaders, and teachers alike, since the causes of those gaps are multiple and complex. For that reason, no single set of policy prescriptions--no matter how well crafted and managed--is likely to be successful. While there is no ready road map for policy makers, the press for solutions is acute. The chapters examine the conditions--both in and out of school--that lead to achievement gaps. However, this book also explores measures for addressing these gaps--measures that, individually and in concert, will prove crucial to any meaningful effort to alleviate these profound disparities. School performance by black and Latino students has climbed markedly, by a full grade level, over the past two generations. Yet achievement disparities relative to whites have narrowed only slightly, perpetuating a grand canyon of a gap that divides America. This volume replays an instructive history--pinpointing what hasn't worked--and then carves a path forward to build schools that narrow disparities inside classrooms, showing how educators, families, and community activists are pulling together. Each chapter builds from hard evidence, not hopeful rhetoric. It's a must-read for those dedicated to uniting our society--an endeavor in which we all have a stake. -- Bruce Fuller, professor of education and public policy, University of California, Berkeley An important book by wise authors who have learned the hard way that federal policies to address underachievement in education are failing. Although no one can offer a quick fix for America's educational problems, this incisive book offers promising and realistic measures for helping children who are poor and often racially and linguistically isolated. The authors provide a thoughtful set of alternatives to failed federal policies that have not and cannot address the pernicious achievement gaps that endanger our democracy. -- David C. Berliner, Regents' Professor Emeritus, Arizona State University This book is essential reading for policy makers, researchers, and educators concerned with closing achievement gaps in American schools. It provides a novel examination of the issues and important, new directions for moving us forward. -- Amanda Datnow, professor of education, University of California, San Diego Thomas B. Timar is a professor and the executive director of the Center for Applied Policy in Education at the University of California, Davis, School of Education. Julie Maxell-Jolly is a senior researcher and the managing director of the Center for Applied Policy in Education at the University of California, Davis, School of Education. |
| closing the education gap: Research-based Strategies Ruby K. Payne, 2009 |
| closing the education gap: Closing the School Discipline Gap Daniel J. Losen, 2015 Educators remove over 3.45 million students from school annually for disciplinary reasons, despite strong evidence that school suspension policies are harmful to students. The research presented in this volume demonstrates that disciplinary policies and practices that schools control directly exacerbate today's profound inequities in educational opportunity and outcomes. Part I explores how suspensions flow along the lines of race, gender, and disability status. Part II examines potential remedies that show great promise, including a district-wide approach in Cleveland, Ohio, aimed at social and emotional learning strategies. Closing the School Discipline Gap is a call for action that focuses on an area in which public schools can and should make powerful improvements, in a relatively short period of time. Contributors include Robert Balfanz, Jamilia Blake, Dewey Cornell, Jeremy D. Finn, Thalia González, Anne Gregory, Daniel J. Losen, David M. Osher, Russell J. Skiba, Ivory A. Toldson “Closing the School Discipline Gap can make an enormous difference in reducing disciplinary exclusions across the country. This book not only exposes unsound practices and their disparate impact on the historically disadvantaged, but provides educators, policymakers, and community advocates with an array of remedies that are proven effective or hold great promise. Educators, communities, and students alike can benefit from the promising interventions and well-grounded recommendations.” —Linda Darling-Hammond, Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education, Stanford University “For over four decades school discipline policies and practices in too many places have pushed children out of school, especially children of color. Closing the School Discipline Gap shows that adults have the power—and responsibility—to change school climates to better meet the needs of children. This volume is a call to action for policymakers, educators, parents, and students.” —Marian Wright Edelman, president, Children’s Defense Fund |
| closing the education gap: Closing the Educational Achievement Gap for Students With Learning Disabilities Nyemba, Florence, Chitiyo, Rufaro Audrey, 2023-10-04 Recently, there has been a growing demand for diversity and inclusion in schools worldwide to ensure effective learning for every student. Efforts have been made to support teachers in promoting diversity in classrooms, but research shows that students with learning disabilities (LD), including autism spectrum disorder, neurodevelopmental disabilities, dyslexia, and executive dysfunction, still struggle to keep up despite having individualized education programs (IEPs). These students are not receiving the necessary support they need to learn effectively in the classroom, leaving them behind and often completely unprepared for their futures. When intersectional statistics are taken into account, students who have a learning disability and are among minority ethnic groups have even lower rates of earning a diploma than their counterparts. Changes in the educational system must be made to close this learning chasm and create a more equitable learning environment. Closing the Educational Achievement Gap for Students With Learning Disabilities increases awareness of the issue of inequalities in education for students with learning disabilities through improved training programs for teachers, recommendations for policy changes, and development of new strategies to close the gap between these students and their classmates. The goal of this book is to educate and empower educators, researchers, and policymakers on how they can help students with learning disabilities thrive academically and emotionally. It examines the barriers that prevent teachers from effectively providing instruction to these students. This book covers topics such as achievement gaps, student-centered approaches, and culturally responsive teaching and is ideal for educators, professionals, researchers, special education professionals, speech and occupational therapists, disability service providers, intervention strategists, psychologists, parents, and local communities. |
| closing the education gap: The Role of Aspirations, Attitudes and Behaviour in Closing the Educational Attainment Gap Charlotte Carter-Wall, Grahame Whitfield, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2012 |
| closing the education gap: Closing the Learning Gap Mike Hughes, Gina Walker, 1999 This work is about eliminating the discrepancy between what we know constitutes effective learning and what we know goes on in classrooms. All of the strategies outlined have been used effectively and successfully in a wide range of secondary schools. |
| closing the education gap: Bridging the Achievement Gap John E. Chubb, Tom Loveless, 2004-05-13 The achievement gap between white students and African American and Hispanic students has been debated by scholars and lamented by policymakers since it was first documented in 1966. The average black or Hispanic secondary school student currently achieves at about the same level as the average white student in the lowest quartile of white achievement. Black and Hispanic students are much less likely than white students to graduate from high school, acquire a college or advanced degree, or earn a middle-class living. They are also much more likely than whites to suffer social problems that often accompany low income. While educators have gained an understanding of the causes and effects of the education achievement gap, they have been less successful in finding ways to eliminate it—until now. This book provides, for the first time in one place, evidence that the achievement gap can be bridged. A variety of schools and school reforms are boosting the achievement of black and Hispanic students to levels nearing those of whites. Bridging the Achievement Gap brings together the findings of renowned education scholars who show how various states, school districts, and individual schools have lifted the achievement levels of poor and minority students. The most promising strategies include focusing on core academic skills, reducing class size, enrolling students in more challenging courses, administering annual achievement assessment tests, creating schools with a culture of competition and success, and offering vouchers in big-city school districts. While implementing new educational programs on a large scale is fraught with difficulties, these successful reform efforts offer what could be the start of widespread effective solutions for bridging the achievement gap. |
| closing the education gap: Unfinished Business Pedro A. Noguera, Jean Yonemura Wing, 2008-08-18 In this groundbreaking book, co-editors Pedro Noguera and Jean Yonemura Wing, and their collaborators investigated the dynamics of race and achievement at Berkeley High School–a large public high school that the New York Times called the most integrated high school in America. Berkeley's diverse student population clearly illustrates the achievement gap phenomenon in our schools. Unfinished Business brings to light the hidden inequities of schools–where cultural attitudes, academic tracking, curricular access, and after-school activities serve as sorting mechanisms that set students on paths of success or failure. |
| closing the education gap: Teaching As Leadership Teach For America, Steven Farr, 2010-02-02 A road map for teachers who strive to be highly effective leaders in our nation's classrooms Teach For America has fought the daunting battle of educational equity for the last twenty years. Based on evidence from classrooms across the country, they've discovered much about effective teaching practice, and distilled these findings into the six principles presented in this book. The Teaching As Leadership framework inspires teachers to: Set Big Goals; Invest Students and Their Families; Plan Purposefully; Execute Effectively; Continuously Increase Effectiveness; Work Relentlessly. The results are better educational outcomes for our nation's children, particularly those who live in low-income communities. Inspires educators to be leaders in their classrooms and schools Demystifies what it means to be an effective teacher, describes key elements of practice and provides a clear vision of success Addresses the challenges every teacher, in every classroom, faces on a daily basis An accompanying website includes a wealth of tools, videos, sample lessons, discussion boards, and case studies. |
| closing the education gap: Learning to Teach Using ICT in the Secondary School Marilyn Leask, Norbert Pachler, 2013-09-10 Learning to Teach Using ICT in the Secondary School provides a starting point for teachers of all subjects, exploring the possibilities that ICT offers to schools, teachers and pupils. It offers practical tried-and-tested examples, advice and guidance and covers a range of issues and topics essential for teachers using ICT to improve teaching and learning in their subject. |
| closing the education gap: Teaching to Close the Achievement Gap for Students of Color Theodore S. Ransaw, Richard Majors, 2022-04 This volume highlights approaches to closing the achievement gap for students of color across K-12 and post-secondary schooling. It uniquely examines factors outside the classroom to consider how these influence student identity and academic performance. Teaching to Close the Achievement Gap for Students of Color offers wide-ranging chapters that explore non-curricular issues including trauma, family background, restorative justice, refugee experiences, and sport as determinants of student and teacher experiences in the classroom. Through rigorous empirical and theoretical engagement, chapters identify culturally responsive strategies for supporting students as they navigate formal and informal educational opportunities and overcome intersectional barriers to success. In particular, chapters highlight how these approaches can be nurtured through teacher education, effective educational leadership, and engagement across the wider community. This insightful collection will be of interest to researchers, scholars, and post-graduate students in the fields of teacher education, sociology of education, and educational leadership. |
| closing the education gap: Closing the Racial Academic Achievement Gap Matthew Lynch, 2006 According to this timely analysis, the myth of the racial achievement gap has nothing to do with genetics and everything to do wotha host of embarrassing yet reversible social and pedagogical failures. For every problem raised, the text offers a levelheaded solution, culminating in a plan for closing the supposed racial achievement gap for good. |
CLOSING Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
The meaning of CLOSING is a concluding part (as of a speech). How to use closing in a sentence.
CLOSING | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
CLOSING definition: 1. coming near the end of a speech, event, activity, etc.: 2. coming near the end of a speech…. Learn more.
CLOSING definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary
The closing part of an activity or period of time is the final part of it. He entered RAF service in the closing stages of the war. They almost won the match in the closing minutes.
Closing - definition of closing by The Free Dictionary
closing - approaching a particular destination; a coming closer; a narrowing of a gap; "the ship's rapid rate of closing gave them little time to avoid a collision"
CLOSING Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com
closing Usually applied to real estate transactions, it refers to delivery of the deed of ownership from the owner to the buyer in return for full payment. Discover More
The Closing Process: What Home Buyers Can Expect - realtor.com
Jul 16, 2022 · Also known as “settlement” or “escrow,” closing is the day home buyers officially take ownership of a home. Here's what to expect from the closing process.
Closing costs: What are they and how much are they? - Bankrate
May 23, 2025 · Mortgage closing costs are the fees associated with buying a home, and most of them come due on closing day. Closing costs typically range from 2 to 5 percent of the total …
10 Steps to Expect When Closing on a House | Redfin
May 5, 2025 · 9. Gather your documents for closing on a house. The closing process is long, so you may be wondering when the actual closing happens. Closing on a house—the process of …
Closing on a house: A step-by-step guide - Rocket Mortgage
Our guide will walk you through what to expect on closing day and how to prepare in advance. With the right steps, you can move through the process smoothly and avoid any last-minute …
12 Steps of a Real Estate Closing - Investopedia
Dec 24, 2024 · Closing a real estate deal can be stressful and take several weeks but understanding these steps will help you prepare for the day you get the keys to your new home.
CLOSING Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
The meaning of CLOSING is a concluding part (as of a speech). How to use closing in a sentence.
CLOSING | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
CLOSING definition: 1. coming near the end of a speech, event, activity, etc.: 2. coming near the end of a speech…. Learn more.
CLOSING definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary
The closing part of an activity or period of time is the final part of it. He entered RAF service in the closing stages of the war. They almost won the match in the closing minutes.
Closing - definition of closing by The Free Dictionary
closing - approaching a particular destination; a coming closer; a narrowing of a gap; "the ship's rapid rate of closing gave them little time to avoid a collision"
CLOSING Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com
closing Usually applied to real estate transactions, it refers to delivery of the deed of ownership from the owner to the buyer in return for full payment. Discover More
The Closing Process: What Home Buyers Can Expect - realtor.com
Jul 16, 2022 · Also known as “settlement” or “escrow,” closing is the day home buyers officially take ownership of a home. Here's what to expect from the closing process.
Closing costs: What are they and how much are they? - Bankrate
May 23, 2025 · Mortgage closing costs are the fees associated with buying a home, and most of them come due on closing day. Closing costs typically range from 2 to 5 percent of the total …
10 Steps to Expect When Closing on a House | Redfin
May 5, 2025 · 9. Gather your documents for closing on a house. The closing process is long, so you may be wondering when the actual closing happens. Closing on a house—the process of …
Closing on a house: A step-by-step guide - Rocket Mortgage
Our guide will walk you through what to expect on closing day and how to prepare in advance. With the right steps, you can move through the process smoothly and avoid any last-minute …
12 Steps of a Real Estate Closing - Investopedia
Dec 24, 2024 · Closing a real estate deal can be stressful and take several weeks but understanding these steps will help you prepare for the day you get the keys to your new home.
