scholarly journals Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Applying Bioecological Theory to School Relationships and Grandparent Needs

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 834-834
Author(s):  
Katharine Black ◽  
Nancy Mendoza
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
School District ◽  
School Districts ◽  
Human Development ◽  
Educational Needs ◽  
Working Relationships ◽  
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren ◽  
Adequate Information ◽  
Bioecological Theory ◽  
Growing Population

Abstract This paper examines the development, sustainability and importance of positive working relationships between grandparents raising grandchildren (“grandparents”) and school district staff through the application of Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory of human development. Grandparents have unique needs and often lack adequate resources, knowledge, and support when engaging in their new and often sudden role as primary caregiver of a grandchild. Access to educational resources, adequate information, and school district support is critical as a grandchild transitions into their grandparent’s home. This inquiry aims to develop a conceptual framework for understanding how forming and maintaining positive working relationships between grandparents and school district staff will systematically and adequately address the educational needs of grandparents and their grandchild’s academic success. Tenets of the bioecological model include the application of proximal processes that outline the need for frequent and regular interactions between a person and their environment over extended periods of time. The purpose of this study is to develop positive pathways of support through the application of the interconnected elements of proximal processes of the bioecological theory including process, person, context, and time, and the five bioecological interactive (micro-, meso-, exo-, macro-, chrono-) systems of human development. More specifically, educational needs of grandparents as caregivers are addressed through tenets of the bioecological theory to inform school districts and encourage the development of positive working relationships and effective education navigation protocols to better serve this unique and growing population.

Relationship between Selected Kindergarten Predictors and First and Fourth Grade Achievement Test Scores

1983 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 815-822 ◽  
Author(s):  
William E. Caskey ◽  
Gerald L. Larson
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
School District ◽  
School Districts ◽  
Predictive Validity ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
Fourth Grade ◽  
First Grade ◽  
Achievement Test ◽  
Achievement Test Scores ◽  
Stanford Achievement Test

Kindergarten predictors, Otis-Lennon IQ, group and individual Bender scores, and teachers' ratings, were correlated with first-grade Stanford Achievement Test scores from 152 children from three schools in the same school district, and fourth-grade Ohio Survey Test scores from 102 of the same children. Test scores from first and fourth grades were correlated as were the aptitude and achievement subtests of the Ohio Survey Test. Marked differences in predictive validity were observed; these varied from school to school and according to sex. To make predictions about academic success school districts should develop local norms, by school, and by sex.

Unification and Its Discontents

2016 ◽  
Vol 93 (2) ◽  
pp. 4-16
Author(s):  
Brian Kovalesky
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
School District ◽  
Los Angeles ◽  
School Districts ◽  
Civil Rights ◽  
Working Class ◽  
Los Angeles County ◽  
The State ◽  
White Working Class ◽  
City Schools

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, during the height of protests and actions by civil rights activists around de facto school segregation in the Los Angeles area, the residents of a group of small cities just southeast of the City of Los Angeles fought to break away from the Los Angeles City Schools and create a new, independent school district—one that would help preserve racially segregated schools in the area. The “Four Cities” coalition was comprised of residents of the majority white, working-class cities of Vernon, Maywood, Huntington Park, and Bell—all of which had joined the Los Angeles City Schools in the 1920s and 1930s rather than continue to operate local districts. The coalition later expanded to include residents of the cities of South Gate, Cudahy, and some unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County, although Vernon was eventually excluded. The Four Cities coalition petitioned for the new district in response to a planned merger of the Los Angeles City Schools—until this time comprised of separate elementary and high school districts—into the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The coalition's strategy was to utilize a provision of the district unification process that allowed citizens to petition for reconfiguration or redrawing of boundaries. Unification was encouraged by the California State Board of Education and legislature in order to combine the administrative functions of separate primary and secondary school districts—the dominant model up to this time—to better serve the state's rapidly growing population of children and their educational needs, and was being deliberated in communities across the state and throughout Los Angeles County. The debates at the time over school district unification in the Greater Los Angeles area, like the one over the Four Cities proposal, were inextricably tied to larger issues, such as taxation, control of community institutions, the size and role of state and county government, and racial segregation. At the same time that civil rights activists in the area and the state government alike were articulating a vision of public schools that was more inclusive and demanded larger-scale, consolidated administration, the unification process reveals an often-overlooked grassroots activism among residents of the majority white, working-class cities surrounding Los Angeles that put forward a vision of exclusionary, smaller-scale school districts based on notions of local control and what they termed “community identity.”

scholarly journals Identifying Meaningful Indicators of Parent Engagement in Early Learning for Low-Income, Urban Families

2020 ◽  
pp. 004208592096861
Author(s):  
Amie F. Bettencourt ◽  
Deborah Gross ◽  
Kelly Bower ◽  
Lucine Francis ◽  
Kathryn Taylor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
School Districts ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Parent Engagement ◽  
Panel Discussion ◽  
Urban Families ◽  
Early Learning ◽  
Urban School Districts ◽  
School Based ◽  
Home Based

The purpose of this study was to identify indicators of parent engagement in early learning that would be relevant for children’s academic success; equitable for all families regardless of social, educational, or economic backgrounds; and actionable for urban school districts seeking to promote parent engagement with limited resources. Using a Delphi technique, a panel of parents, school staff, and researchers rated 106 parent engagement indicators extracted from stakeholder interviews. After multiple Delphi rounds and panel discussion, 30 indicators were retained. Retained indicators focused on home-based activities and home-school relationships/communication; no school-based activities met criteria for relevance, feasibility, and actionability.

Sustainability Certification and Green Public Procurement: Ideals and Outcomes in a New Jersey School District

2021 ◽  
pp. 097340822110125
Author(s):  
Cluny Mendez ◽  
Christopher L. Atkinson
Keyword(s):  
New Jersey ◽  
School District ◽  
School Districts ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Public Procurement ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Green Public Procurement ◽  
The Subject

The implementation of sustainability and green public procurement (GPP) initiatives in school districts has been the subject of some debate; questions over definitions and programme goals have led to inconsistency and concerns about programme achievements. The legitimacy of programmes rests not only with the announcement of policy by officials, but with adherence to policy and staff buy-in. This study examines barriers districts face, and makes recommendations based upon district experience on ways to successfully implement sustainability and GPP initiatives. A review of the literature on GPP and legitimacy in the execution of public functions within the education domain begins the study. Major components relative to best practices for GPP programmes are studied through the review of GPP-related documents from a school district in New Jersey considered as an exemplar of such programmes. Analysis of an interview with the district’s representatives suggests that, despite the normative approval such programmes receive, and widespread understanding of the rationale for pursuing such initiatives, there remain critical failings in implementation of these programmes, stemming from education, resourcing of initiatives and prioritization of green procurement in relation to other district priorities. The study concludes with lessons learned from this case, which is important given its positioning within New Jersey as an exemplar and recommendations for future research where work in this area is needed.

scholarly journals COVID-19: Reflections on the Crisis, Transformation, and Interactive Processes Under Development

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriella Garcia Moura ◽  
Célia Regina Rangel Nascimento ◽  
Juliene Madureira Ferreira
Keyword(s):  
Human Development ◽  
Theoretical Study ◽  
The Body ◽  
Digital Tools ◽  
Historical Event ◽  
Trans Form ◽  
Life Trajectories ◽  
Bioecological Theory ◽  
Development Processes ◽  
Modes Of Engagement

AbstractWith a global extent, the pandemic of the new coronavirus and the resulting measures to contain the contagion imposed immediate changes in the routine of people and societies. In view of this historical event, the first part of this theoretical study discussed its relationship with the concept of crisis, while circumscribing human development processes, mobilizing reorganizations in life trajectories. In the second part, the intensification of the use of digital tools to support communication during social isolation was highlighted, particularly reflecting on new interactive arrangements and inter-corporeal experiences. The paper reflects on the proximal processes in the new interactive and contextual configurations through the bioecological theory of human development and, based on concepts of the enactive theory, discusses possible implications of the new perceptual fields and the production of meanings with the repositioning of the body and new modes of engagement. The study highlights that the changes, events, relationships, and effects that we are experiencing (trans)form our forms of sociability and bases of psyche.

scholarly journals Mitigating Childhood Food Insecurity during COVID-19: A Qualitative Study of how School Districts in California’s San Joaquin Valley Responded to Growing Needs

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-26
Author(s):  
Ashley H. Jowell ◽  
Janine S. Bruce ◽  
Gabriela V. Escobar ◽  
Valeria M. Ordonez ◽  
Christina A. Hecht ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
School District ◽  
School Districts ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Distribution Systems ◽  
Community Organizations ◽  
San Joaquin Valley ◽  
School Meal ◽  
Fresh Foods

Abstract Objectives: To explore best practices and challenges in providing school meals during COVID-19 in a low-income, predominantly Latino, urban-rural region. Design: Semi structured interviews with school district stakeholders and focus groups with parents were conducted to explore school meal provision during COVID-19 from June to August 2020. Data was coded and themes were identified to guide analysis. Community organizations were involved in all aspects of study design, recruitment, data collection, and analysis. Setting: Six school districts in California’s San Joaquin Valley. Participants: School district stakeholders (n=11) included food service directors, school superintendents, and community partners (e.g., funders, food co-operative). Focus groups (n=6) were comprised of parents (n=29) of children participating in school meal programs. Results: COVID-19-related challenges for districts included developing safe meal distribution systems, boosting low participation, covering COVID-19-related costs, and staying informed of policy changes. Barriers for families included transportation difficulties, safety concerns, and a lack of fresh foods. Innovative strategies to address obstacles included pandemic-EBT, bus-stop delivery, community pick-up locations, batched meals, and leveraging partner resources. Conclusions: A focus on fresher, more appealing meals and greater communication between school officials and parents could boost participation. Districts that leveraged external partnerships were better equipped to provide meals during pandemic conditions. In addition, policies increasing access to fresh foods and capitalizing on USDA waivers could boost school meal participation. Finally, partnering with community organizations and acting upon parent feedback could improve school meal systems, and in combination with pandemic-EBT, address childhood food insecurity.

Building Suburban Dreams: School District Secession and Mayoral Control in Suburban Utah

2015 ◽  
Vol 117 (9) ◽  
pp. 1-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward BuendÍA ◽  
Paul Humbert-Fisk
Keyword(s):  
School District ◽  
School Districts ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Large City ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Mayoral Control ◽  
Suburban School Districts ◽  
Suburban School District ◽  
Suburban Cities

Background/Context Mayoral control of large city school districts has become the newest form of school district reorganization. Researchers have documented how real and perceived crises have propelled mayors in Chicago, Baltimore, and Washington DC, amongst others, to redefine the role of board governance by situating the operations of districts within mayoral governance portfolios. There is little research examining the role of suburban mayors in suburban school district secession movements. Demographic changes as well as tensions around funding and programs have prompted splits in suburban school districts within metropolitan regions that warrant study. Purpose This article examines the educational, demographic, and political dynamics that fueled the contest between suburban city mayors and school district leadership leading to the secession and fragmentation of the largest suburban school district in Utah. The authors sought to understand how this mayoral led secession activity interfaced with mayoral control activities in big cities. We also aimed to identify the parallels and departures that existed in the sources of tension in this case of suburban school district division and historic patterns of suburban political fragmentation, particularly, suburban cities’ creation of autonomous jurisdictions separating them legally and institutionally from urban school districts as a means of assuring clear racial divisions. Population/Participants The research participants included four mayors, two assistant mayors, four school district transition team members, six teachers as well as two school district administrators. Six focus groups comprised of four to six parents also participated. Research Design This study employed qualitative research methods as well as descriptive statistical data analysis. The researchers interviewed mayors as well as parent and community focus groups. Newspaper media pertaining to the events were collected and analyzed as triangulating data. The researchers also analyzed census data using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) software. Findings/Results The authors found that rapid demographic and financial shifts in school districts shared by multiple suburban cities can catalyze mayors to organize and act aggressively to split existing school districts. Strong city mayors were a key force propelling the modification of district governance structures through heightening the prominence of city borders and local control, even when the threats were neighboring middle-class cities composed of white residents. Mayors moved the region's political and educational dynamics one step closer to a mayoral control governance structure. The political, demographic, and economic relationships underlying these scenarios positioned suburban school district administration with few options in which to respond. Conclusions/Recommendations The authors conclude that these practices of division and appropriation by cities and their leadership will only diminish democratic processes of school governance and exacerbate social-class and racial segregation across suburban school districts over time. The authors recommend that regionally based governance bodies be formed that help maintain a regional perspective to educational policy.

scholarly journals An ecological study of food desert prevalence and 4th grade academic achievement in New York State school districts

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Seth E. Frndak
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
New York ◽  
School District ◽  
School Districts ◽  
Ecological Study ◽  
New York State ◽  
Food Deserts ◽  
Food Desert ◽  
Achievement Scores ◽  
York State

<p><em>Background</em>. This ecological study examines the relationship between food desert prevalence and academic achievement at the school district level. <br /><em>Design and methods.</em> Sample included 232 suburban and urban school districts in New York State. Multiple open-source databases were merged to obtain: 4th grade science, English and math scores, school district demographic composition (NYS Report Card), regional socioeconomic indicators (American Community Survey), school district quality (US Common Core of Data), and food desert data (USDA Food Desert Atlas). Multiple regression models assessed the percentage of variation in achievement scores explained by food desert variables, after controlling for additional predictors.<br /><em>Results</em>. The proportion of individuals living in food deserts significantly explained 4th grade achievement scores, after accounting for additional predictors. School districts with higher proportions of individuals living in food desert regions demonstrated lower 4th grade achievement across science, English and math. <em><br />Conclusions</em>. Food deserts appear to be related to academic achievement at the school district level among urban and suburban regions. Further research is needed to better understand how food access is associated with academic achievement at the individual level.</p>

scholarly journals Some pennies are more equal than others: Inequitable school facilities investment in San Antonio, Texas

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
pp. 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marialena D. Rivera ◽  
Sonia Rey Lopez
Keyword(s):  
School District ◽  
School Districts ◽  
School Finance ◽  
San Antonio ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Educational Facilities ◽  
District Leaders ◽  
School District Leaders ◽  
Property Wealth ◽  
State And Local

In Texas, local taxpayers fund the majority of educational facilities construction and maintenance costs, with local wealth influencing facilities outcomes. The traditional school districts that comprise the predominantly Latino and segregated San Antonio area vary considerably in property wealth as well as district capacity and expertise. We conducted an analysis of 12 San Antonio area school districts to address the questions: 1) To what extent do state and local investments vary by district? 2) How do district actions and constraints affect facilities quality and equitable investment? Methods include descriptive quantitative analysis of facilities investment data and qualitative interviews with school district leaders, staff, and school finance experts. Examining Texas school finance data demonstrated the variance in school district investments in educational facilities. Despite some districts with lower property wealth exerting higher levels of tax effort, they were able to raise less money per student for educational facilities through interest and sinking taxes. Interview findings revealed that several districts acknowledge lacking the capacity to maintain high-quality facilities for all students. Respondents frequently criticized current state policies and funding for educational facilities as inadequate, inequitable, and inefficient and expressed a need for policy improvements in an era of increasing state disinvestment.

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