How Effective Are Voluntary Plans With Magnet Schools?

1988 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 325-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine H. Rossell
Keyword(s):  
School Districts ◽  
Magnet Schools ◽  
White Flight ◽  
Magnet School

This study compares the desegregation effectiveness of voluntary plans with magnet schools to mandatory reassignment plans with magnet schools in a sample of 20 school districts. The analysis suggests that a magnet school plan based primarily on voluntary transfers will produce greater long-term interracial exposure than a mandatory reassignment plan with magnet components. This is probably due to the greater white flight from the mandatory plans. Thus adding magnet schools to a mandatory reassignment plan does not make it competitive with a voluntary plan.

An Analysis by Gender of Long-Term Postschool Outcomes for Youth with and without Disabilities

1994 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 282-300 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phyllis Levine ◽  
Eugene Edgar
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Learning Disabilities ◽  
Mental Retardation ◽  
School Districts ◽  
Marital Status ◽  
Postsecondary Education ◽  
Independent Living ◽  
Mild Mental Retardation ◽  
Postschool Outcomes

This study analyzed gender differences in postschool outcomes for youth with learning disabilities, mild mental retardation, and no disabilities. Data were collected on two cohorts of graduates (549 youth who were graduated in 1985; 398 youth, in 1990) from three school districts. Data were collected at 1, 2, 6, and 7 years postgraduation. Comparisons were made between genders within disability groups on employment, postsecondary education attendance and graduation, engagement, independent living, marital status, and parenting. In contrast to the findings of other studies, few significant differences were noted between genders, except for the parenting category. A similar analysis between youth by disability category resulted in considerably more significant differences.

The Learning and Educational Capital of Male and Female Students in STEM Magnet Schools and in Extracurricular STEM Programs: A Study in High-Achiever-Track Secondary Schools in Germany

2017 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 394-416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heidrun Stoeger ◽  
Teresa Greindl ◽  
Johanna Kuhlmann ◽  
Daniel Patrick Balestrini
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Magnet Schools ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Magnet School ◽  
School Students ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
High Achiever ◽  
Educational Capital ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Talented Students

Magnet schools focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) as well as extracurricular programs in STEM support talented students and help increase their participation rates in those domains. We examined whether and the extent to which the learning and educational capital of male and female students ( N = 801) enrolled in high-achiever-track secondary schools in Germany with and without a STEM focus differed. We found both school and gender differences for some types of learning and educational capital but no interaction effect of type of school and gender. We also assessed the relationship between school status as a STEM magnet school, students’ gender, and students’ learning and educational capital, on the one hand, and registration for a 1-year extracurricular program in STEM, on the other hand. Students enrolled in high-achiever-track STEM magnet schools, as well as male students, were more likely to register for the extracurricular program. Some types of learning and educational capital also predicted registration in a regression analysis.

scholarly journals Towards Fluid Machine Intelligence: Can We Make a Gifted AI?

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 ◽  
pp. 9760-9764
Author(s):  
Ian Davidson ◽  
Peter B. Walker
Keyword(s):  
School Districts ◽  
Fluid Intelligence ◽  
Machine Intelligence ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Specific Knowledge ◽  
Current Form ◽  
Crystallized Intelligence ◽  
Meta Learning ◽  
Gifted Education Programs

Most applications of machine intelligence have focused on demonstrating crystallized intelligence. Crystallized intelligence relies on accessing problem-specific knowledge, skills and experience stored in long term memory. In this paper, we challenge the AI community to design AIs to completely take tests of fluid intelligence which assess the ability to solve novel problems using problem-independent solving skills. Tests of fluid intelligence such as the NNAT are used extensively by schools to determine entry into gifted education programs. We explain the differences between crystallized and fluid intelligence, the importance and capabilities of machines demonstrating fluid intelligence and pose several challenges to the AI community, including that a machine taking such a test would be considered gifted by school districts in the state of California. Importantly, we show existing work on seemingly related fields such as transfer, zero-shot, life-long and meta learning (in their current form) are not directly capable of demonstrating fluid intelligence but instead are task-transductive mechanisms.

Helping Teen Mothers Succeed

2006 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 130-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lee SmithBattle
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
School Districts ◽  
Educational Attainment ◽  
High School Graduation ◽  
School Nurses ◽  
School Support ◽  
Teen Mothers ◽  
Competing Demands ◽  
School Graduation

Because the success of teen mothers is enhanced by completing high school, school districts should give high priority to supporting teen mothers to remain in school and to graduate. This article reviews the literature on the educational attainment of these students, their school aspirations, and the policies affecting their education. Although teens often begin mothering with a range of educational and social disadvantages, many teen mothers recommit to school to enhance their future opportunities. Unfortunately, rising school aspirations among teen mothers often are undermined by competing demands and the lack of consistent family and school support. School nurses can support teen mothers’ aspirations and contribute to their long-term success by linking them to resources and advocating for policies and practices that promote high school graduation.

scholarly journals Research Note: School Reopenings During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Implications for Gender and Racial Equity

Demography ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liana Christin Landivar ◽  
Leah Ruppanner ◽  
Lloyd Rouse ◽  
William J. Scarborough ◽  
Caitlyn Collins
Keyword(s):  
Elementary School ◽  
School Districts ◽  
White Students ◽  
Research Note ◽  
Racial Equity ◽  
Elementary School Districts ◽  
Critical Data ◽  
School Year ◽  
Data Source

Abstract In the fall of 2020, school districts across the country reopened under a variety of instructional modes. Some districts returned to in-person instruction and some operated remotely. Others reopened under hybrid models, wherein students alternated times, days, or weeks of in-person instruction. To capture this variation, we developed the Elementary School Operating Status (ESOS) database. ESOS provides data on elementary school districts' primary operating status in the first grading period of the 2020–2021 school year, covering 24 million students in more than 9,000 school districts in all states. In this research note, we introduce these data and offer two analytical examples. We show that school districts with greater representation of Black and Hispanic students were less likely to offer in-person instruction than were districts with greater representation of White students. These racial disparities remained after accounting for geographic locale and COVID-19 prevalence. We also show that the number of in-person elementary school instruction days was associated with mothers' labor force participation relative to fathers and to women without children—that is, the fewer days of instruction, the less likely that mothers were employed. ESOS is a critical data source for evaluating the mid- and long-term implications for students who experienced reduced in-person learning and for mothers who exited employment in the absence of in-person instruction and care.

True Grit: Trait-Level Perseverance and Passion for Long-Term Goals Predicts Effectiveness and Retention among Novice Teachers

2014 ◽  
Vol 116 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Robertson-Kraft ◽  
Angela Lee Duckworth
Keyword(s):  
School Districts ◽  
Novice Teachers ◽  
Teacher Effectiveness ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression ◽  
Personal Qualities ◽  
Prospective Longitudinal

Background/Context Surprisingly little progress has been made in linking teacher effectiveness and retention to factors observable at the time of hire. The rigors of teaching, particularly in low-income school districts, suggest the importance of personal qualities that have so far been difficult to measure objectively. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study In this study, we examine the predictive validity of personal qualities not typically collected by school districts during the hiring process. Specifically, we use a psychological framework to explore how biographical data on grit, a disposition toward perseverance and passion for long-term goals, explains variance in novice teachers’ effectiveness and retention. Research Design In two prospective, longitudinal samples of novice teachers assigned to schools in low-income districts (N = 154 and N = 307, respectively), raters blind to outcomes followed a 7-point rubric to rate grit from information on college activities and work experience extracted from teachers’ résumés. We used independent-samples, t-tests, and binary logistic regression models to predict teacher effectiveness and retention from these grit ratings as well as from other information (e.g., SAT scores, college GPA, and interview ratings of leadership potential) available at the time of hire. Conclusions/Recommendations Grittier teachers outperformed their less gritty colleagues and were less likely to leave their classrooms midyear. Notably, no other variables in our analysis predicted either effectiveness or retention. These findings contribute to a better understanding of what leads some novice teachers to outperform others and remain committed to the profession. In addition to informing policy decisions surrounding teacher recruitment and development, this investigation highlights the potential of a psychological framework to explain why some individuals are more successful than others in meeting the rigorous demands of teaching.

Benchmarking the impacts of US magnet schools in urban schools

2010 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 144-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daryl D. Green ◽  
Deshaun H. Davis
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
Urban Schools ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Magnet Schools ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Magnet School ◽  
Traditional Values ◽  
Content Type ◽  
School Structures ◽  
Low Performing Schools

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the range of benchmark applications associated with US magnet schools in urban areas.Design/methodology/approachThe collection and critical analysis of secondary data from relevant publications are used to evaluate the results of America's magnet schools. Analysis of organizational and leadership theory has been utilized in order to benchmark future successful efforts.FindingsThe paper finds the following key issues: magnet schools have numerous mission goals that prevent them for having a clear strategy, magnet school structures should be customized for the specific communities and promote parental involvement, and magnet schools instruct students who are heavily influenced by pop culture values and challenge traditional values in the school culture.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper examines benchmarking applications that are exclusively relevant in US urban schools.Practical implicationsThere are several implications for researchers and practitioners related to improving the academic success of low‐performing schools in urban areas in America.Originality/valueThis paper is significant because it presents a theoretical framework for interpreting the impacts of magnet schools in urban schools.

Magnet schools, innate talent and social justice

2011 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark C. Vopat
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
School Districts ◽  
Magnet Schools ◽  
Deliberate Practice ◽  
Entrance Exam ◽  
Scarce Resources ◽  
Local Schools ◽  
Public Resources

Beginning in the 1970s, many school US school districts reallocated their already scarce resources from local schools to specially created magnet schools. Many of these magnet schools have some sort of entrance exam, portfolio, or audition requirement that students must pass in order to gain admission. These selective magnet schools are predicated on the idea that there are certain students who have natural talents and abilities that justify their inclusion in these programs. Such programs are seen as simple meritocracies that look beyond race, gender, ethnicity or socio-economic to encourage the innate talent of certain individuals. It is the assumption that such innate talents exist that I take issue with in this article. The assumption that selective magnet schools are simply rewarding talent ignores the overwhelming amount of research that shows that talent is not innate, but is a combination of opportunity, encouragement, and deliberate practice. Based on this research, I argue that selective and competitive magnet schools are fundamentally unfair to students generally and constitute an unjust use of public resources.

scholarly journals On Leadership: Invest in long-term needs, not short-term gains

2021 ◽  
Vol 102 (6) ◽  
pp. 58-59
Author(s):  
Joshua P. Starr
Keyword(s):  
School Districts ◽  
Short Term ◽  
High Profile

As school districts receive relief funds in response to COVID-19, they will face difficult decisions about how to use them. Joshua Starr encourages leaders to look toward long-term needs, instead of spending the money on high-profile programs that may receive a lot of attention but not contribute to the system’s overall health. He offers some suggestions for how to spread funds among different priorities and support the students who are most in need.

scholarly journals Research Note: School Reopenings During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Implications for Gender and Racial Equity

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liana Christin Landivar ◽  
Leah Ruppanner ◽  
Lloyd Rouse ◽  
William Scarborough ◽  
Caitlyn Collins
Keyword(s):  
Elementary School ◽  
School Districts ◽  
White Students ◽  
Research Note ◽  
Racial Equity ◽  
Elementary School Districts ◽  
Critical Data ◽  
School Year ◽  
Data Source

In the fall of 2020, school districts across the country reopened under varied instructional modes. Some school districts returned to in-person instruction; some operated remotely. Others reopened under hybrid models, wherein students alternated times, days, or weeks of in-person instruction. To capture this variation, we developed the Elementary School Operating Status (ESOS) database. ESOS provides data on elementary school districts’ primary operating status in the first grading period of the 2020-2021 school year, covering 24 million students in over 9,000 school districts in all states. In this research note, we introduce these data and offer two analytical examples. We show that school districts with greater representation of Black and Hispanic students were less likely to offer in-person instruction compared to districts with greater representation of White students. These racial disparities remained after accounting for geographic locale and COVID-19 prevalence. We also show that fewer in-person elementary school instruction days was negatively associated with mothers’ labor force participation relative to fathers and women without children. ESOS is a critical data source to evaluate the mid- and long-term implications for students who experienced reduced in-person learning and for mothers who exited employment in the absence of in-person instruction and care.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document