An Analysis of the Implementation and Perceived Effectiveness of the SchoolMAX Family Portal

ABSTRACT Title of Document: AN ANALYSIS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION AND PERCEIVED EFFECTIVENESS OF THE SCHOOLMAX FAMILY PORTAL Warren Wesley Watts, Doctor of Education, 2015 Directed By: Margaret J. McLaughlin, Ph.D. Department of Counseling, Higher Education and Special Education School districts have spent millions of dollars implementing student information systems that offer family portals with web-based access to parents and students. One of the main purposes of these systems is to improve school-to-home communication. Research has shown that when school-to-home communication is implemented effectively, parent involvement improves and student achievement increases (Epstein, 2001). The purpose of the study was to (a) understand why parents used or refrained from using the family portal and (b) determine what barriers to use might exist. To this end, this descriptive study identified the information parent users accessed in the SchoolMAX family portal, determined how frequently parents accessed the portal, and ascertained whether parents perceived an increase in communication with their children about academic matters after they began accessing the portal. Finally, the study sought to identify whether barriers existed that prevented parents from using the family portal. The inquiry employed three data sources to answer the aforementioned queries. These sources included (a) a survey sent electronically to 19,108 parents who registered online for the SchoolMAX family portal; (b) SchoolMAX portal usage data from the student information system for system usage between January 1, 2015 and June 30, 2015; and (c) a paper survey sent to 691 parents of students that had never used the SchoolMAX family portal in one elementary school, one middle school and one high school that were representative of other schools in the district. Survey results indicated that parents at all grade levels used the family portal. Usage data also confirmed that approximately 19% of the students had parents who monitored their progress through the family portal. Usage data also showed that parents were monitoring approximately 25% of students in secondary schools (6th – 12th grade) and 16% of students in elementary schools. Of the wide menu of resources available through the SchoolMAX family portal, parents used three areas most frequently: attendance, daily grades, and report cards. Approximately 70% of parents responded that their communication had improved with their children about academic matters since they started using the SchoolMAX family portal, and 90% of parents responded that the SchoolMAX family portal was an effective or somewhat effective tool. Parents also expressed interest in the addition of additional information to the SchoolMAX family portal. Specifically, the top three additions parents wanted to see included homework assignments, high stakes test scores, and graduation requirements. Parents also reported that 92% of them spoke to their children at least 2 to 3 times per week about academics. Due to the low response rate of the parent non-user survey, potential barriers to using the SchoolMAX family portal could not be addressed in this study. However, this issue may be a useful research topic in a future study. Keywords: school to home communication, student information systems, family portal, parent portal

Identifying the Supports and Challenges of High School Latino English Language Learners

Two out of three English Language Learners (ELLs) graduate from secondary schools nationwide. Of the nearly five million ELLs in public schools, more than 70% of these students’ first language is Spanish. In order to understand and resolve this phenomena and in an effort to increase the number of graduates, this research examined what high school Latino ELLs identified as the major external and internal factors that support or challenge them on the graduation pathway. The study utilized a 32 quantitative and qualitative question student survey, as well as student focus groups. Both the survey and the focus groups were conducted in English and Spanish. The questions considered the following factors: 1) value of education; 2) expectations in achieving their long-term goals; 3) current education levels; 4) expectations before coming to the United States; 5) family obligations; and 6) future aspirations. The survey was administered to 159 Latino ELLs enrolled in grades 9-12. Research took place at three high schools that provide English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes in a large school system in the Mid-Atlantic region. The three schools involved in the study have more than 1,500 ELLs. Two of the schools had large ESOL instructional programs, and one school had a comparatively smaller ESOL program. The majority of students surveyed were from El Salvador (72%) and Guatemala (12.6%). Using Qualtrics, an independent facilitator and a bilingual translator administered the online survey tool to the students during their ESOL classes. Two weeks later, the researcher hosted three follow-up focus groups, totaling 37 students from those students who took the survey. Each focus group was conducted at the three schools by the lead researcher and the translator. The purpose of the focus group was to obtain deeper insight on how secondary age Latino ELLs defined success in school, what they identified to be their support factors, and how previous and present experiences helped or hindered their goals. From the research findings, ten recommendations range from suggested policy updates to cross-cultural/equity training for students and staff; they were developed, stemming from the findings and what the students identified.

Obrazy muzyki w twórczości Janiny Kraupe-Świderskiej

Filologii Polskiej i Klasycznej: Zakład Dydaktyki Literatury i Języka Polskiego

On-light: optical social network

Social networks are a recent phenomenon of communication, with a high prevalence of young users. This concept serves as a motto for a multidisciplinary project, which aims to create a simple communication network, using light as the transmission medium. Mixed team, composed by students from secondary and higher education schools, are partners on the development of an optical transceiver. A LED lamp array and a small photodiode are the optical transmitter and receiver, respectively. Using several transceivers aligned with each other, this con guration creates a ring communication network, enabling the exchange of messages between users. Through this project, some concepts addressed in physics classes from secondary schools (e.g. photoelectric phenomena and the properties of light) are experimentally veri ed and used to communicate, in a classroom or a laboratory.

A Comparative Study on the Homeroom Teachers’ Perception of the School guidance in Korea and Finland

This study has four major purposes. First, it compares school guidance of homeroom teachers in Korea and Finland, in order to understand the reality of education, based on the teachers’ perceptions. Secondly, it also considers the topic within its historical, social, and cultural backgrounds, from a critical standpoint. Thirdly, it investigates the direction of the improvement of school guidance, based on the analysis of similarities and differences between Korea and Finland, with regards to the meaning, practice, and environmental factors of the school guidance. Lastly, the influential factors surrounding the school guidance are noted by analysing empirical data from a microscopic approach, and extending the understanding of it into a social context. As for the methods, it employs thematic analysis approach through 10 homeroom teacher interviews in the lower secondary schools. As a result, firstly, the teachers in both countries assumed similarly, that the role of the teacher was not only to teach the subject, but also to care about every aspects of the students’ development in their school life. In addition, they accepted the fact that school guidance became more significant. However, the school guidance became the top priority for the Korean teachers, while teaching subject is the main task for the Finnish teachers. Secondly, the homeroom teachers in both countries hoped to have a better working environment, to perform school guidance concerning education budget for the resources of school guidance, tight curriculum, and increasing the teachers’ tasks. Thirdly, the school guidance in Korea seemed to be influenced by social expectation and government demand, whereas, the Finnish teachers considered school guidance in more aspects of adjustment and academic motivation, rather than resolving the social problems. Fourthly, the Korean teachers perceived that the trust and respect from the society and home became weakened, also expressing doubts about the educational policies and the attitude of the government with regards to school guidance. On the other hand, the Finnish teachers believed that they were trusted and respected by the society. However, blurred lines in the roles and accountability between the homeroom teachers, home, and the society were also controversial among the teachers in both countries. To sum up, Finland needs to ameliorate the system and conditions for school guidance of the homeroom teachers. The consensus on the role and tasks of Finnish homeroom teachers for school guidance seem to be also necessary. Meanwhile, Korea should improve the social system and social consciousness of the teacher, school guidance, and schooling, preceding the reform of the education system or conditions.

Zmiany w programach kształcenia w zakresie edukacji obywatelskiej w Kanadzie

The aim of this article was to examine how the currently dominant neoliberal and neoconservative discourse is present in the sector of education. The subject of research was to show the influence of a certain ideology on the process of reformulating secondary schools curricula in Canada, especially in Ontario, and the program materials designed for adult immigrants preparing for a citizenship test. This paper explores the relationship between the neoliberal ideology present at the provincial level, where individual development and economic rationales are dominant, and the neoconservative ideology at the federal level, which recovers imperial roots of Canadian citizenship, grounded in the Anglo-Saxon tradition and colonial history.

Virtuellt lärande på distans : en intervjustudie med finländska gymnasiestuderande.

The aim of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the learning experiences of upper secondary school students in a virtual learning environment. The focus of the study is younger students aged 16–18. Virtual learning environments are defined as collaborative, interactive and communicative digital environments. The main research question was to distinguish the meaning of learning given by the participants. Did the participants perceive learning potential in the virtual learning environment, and if so, what signifies learning potential? Sub-questions were: What enhances learning? What might inhibit learning in a distance course? How do the participants relate to their role as distant learners? Four upper secondary schools in Finland took part in the study. Thirteen upper secondary students were interviewed after a distance course in social studies. During the analysis, four main categories were identified: responsibility, freedom, time and communication. A constructivist approach to learning was adopted while analysing the interviews, and the categories were understood through cognitive, affective and social dimensions of learning. The implications of the study are that a student-centred pedagogy and a social constructivist course design have the potential to motivate students to interact to learn, while the software, such as Second Life, Google+ and Wikibooks, offers them the possibility to do so. The study introduces an empirically supported concept, virtual learning. Virtual learning assumes an active learner who manages different learning spaces while communicating with people and metacognitively assessing the learning process. At the same time, students get used to the virtual and everchanging nature of information and knowledge.

Wie denken Lehrer*innen über (das Unterrichten von) Musiktheorie?

Teaching music theory is an essential, yet a barely researched part of music education in secondary schools. This paper examines the expert knowledge of Bavarian teachers regarding this subject After discussing the background and the methodology of this study the differences among the music teachers' understanding of "music theory" are illustrated with three examples: While all three interviewees agree that music theory is a set of specific knowledge, they differ by a) locating it in the non-practical, b) connecting it with practical applications or c) isolating it as knowledge, that, at first, has to be learned in isolation. These conceptions of music theory can be understood as intrinsically connected with didactic assumptions and are founded in the teachers' biographies. (DIPF/Orig.)

Prevalence and factors associated with anthropometric failure, vitamin A and iron deficiency among adolescents in a Nigerian urban community.

Background: Under nutrition is a problem of severe magnitude in low income countries like Nigeria. Adolescent school children might also be vulnerable. The dearth of data hinders planning of school health and nutrition programmes for school children. Objective: To determine the prevalence of stunting, thinness; vitamin A and iron deficiencies among adolescent students in Nsukka urban, Nigeria and to determine factors that are associated with these nutritional problems. Methods: A total of 400 participants were randomly selected from 717 students aged 12 – 18 years in 3 randomly selected secondary schools. Questionnaires, anthropometric measurements, and blood analyses were the data collection methods employed. Results: The prevalence of stunting was 33.3% and thinness 31.0%. Neither overweight nor obesity was observed. While 64.0% were anaemic; 44.0% had vitamin A deficiency (VAD). A total of 48.0% had both anaemia and stunting, 42% had VAD + thinness; while 40% had anaemia + VAD. Household income was a predictor of vitamin A status. Children from medium/ high income households had higher odds of having VAD than those from low income households (AOR=0.14; 95% CI=0.031, 0.607; P=0.009). Household income (AOR=0.12; 95% CI=0.021, 0.671; P=0.016), and age (AOR=0.09; 95% CI=0.014, 0.587; P=0.012) were independent determinants of height-for-age status. Conclusion: Among urban adolescent students in Nigeria, stunting, thinness, anaemia and VAD were problems of public health significance. Age and household monthly income played major roles.

Governing the transition to higher levels of education and differences between achievement and school grades by gender

The author will explore the performance of boys and girls in external examinations in Slovenia at the beginning of upper secondary and tertiary education. These are critical points in students’ educational career at which he/she has to choose a school/university. Since both transitions are managed centrally by appropriate authorities, this is also a question of Educational Governance. Transitions between levels of education should, above all, assure fairness in selection procedures. At the point of transition to upper secondary schools we will explore differences between students’ achievements in various school subjects tested at the national assessment of knowledge (NA), and their school grades by gender. Since only school grades are used as admission criteria to upper secondary schools, this comparison of school grades with external and more objective measure of students’ achievement will show possible bias. In Slovenia admission to tertiary education usually consists of (externally assessed) Matura results and school grades in the last two years of upper secondary school. The author will compare the effects of both most commonly used measures of academic achievement on admission in view of gender differences. Study courses where selection procedure was actually applied will be of specific interest since they can show signs of (un)fairness. Results show signs of bias and build case for better Educational Governance. (DIPF/Orig.)

The problem posed by exam choice on the comparability of results in the Finnish matriculation examination

The article focuses on the upper secondary matriculation examination in Finland as a school leaving and university entrance examination. The presented research addresses the question of whether increased choice of the subject-specific examinations has the potential to undermine the comparability of examination results and to direct students’ choices not only in the examination but already beforehand at school. The authors refer to Finland’s tradition of more than 160 years of a national examination connecting the academic track of upper secondary schools with universities. The authors explain the Finnish system by describing the adoption of a course-based (vs. class- or year-based) curriculum for the three-year upper secondary education and the subsequent reforms in the matriculation examination. This increases students’ choices considerably with regard to the subject-specific exams included in the examination (a minimum of four). As a result, high-achieving students compete against each other in the more demanding subjects while the less able share the same normal distribution of grades in the less demanding subjects. As a consequence, students tend to strategic exam-planning, which in turn affects their study choices at school, often to the detriment of the more demanding subjects and, subsequently, of students’ career opportunities, endangering the traditional national objective of an all-round pre-academic upper secondary education. This contribution provides an overview of Finnish upper secondary education and of the matriculation examination (cf. Klein, 2013) while studying three separate but related issues by using data from several years of Finnish matriculation results: the relation of the matriculation examination and the curriculum; the problems of comparability vis-à-vis university entry due to the increased choice within the examination; the relations between students’ examination choices and their course selection and achievement during upper secondary school. (DIPF/Orig.)

Étude d’évaluabilité et évaluation des processus et des effets d’un programme de prévention de l’usage de substances psychoactives lors de la transition primaire-secondaire

La mise en œuvre d’activités de prévention de la consommation de substances psychoactives (SPA) (tabac, alcool et cannabis) en milieu scolaire est une stratégie couramment utilisée pour rejoindre un grand nombre de jeunes. Ces activités s’inspirent, soit de programmes existant, soit d’innovations dictées par le contexte d’implantation ou l’existence de données de recherche. Dans un cas comme dans l’autre, l’évaluation de ces programmes représente la meilleure voie pour mesurer leur efficacité et/ou connaître comment ceux-ci sont implantés. C’est cet impératif qui a motivé une commission scolaire du Québec a recommandé l’évaluation de l’Intervention en Réseau (IR), un programme développé en vue de retarder l’âge d’initiation et de réduire la consommation problématique de SPA chez les élèves. Ce programme adopte une approche novatrice avec pour principal animateur un intervenant pivot (IP) qui assure le suivi des élèves de la 5e année du primaire jusqu’en 3e secondaire. Inspiré des modèles en prévention de la santé et de l’Approche École en santé (AES), le rôle de l’IP ici se démarque de ceux-ci. Certes, il est l’interface entre les différents acteurs impliqués et les élèves mais dans le cadre du programme IR, l’IP est intégré dans les écoles primaires et secondaires qu’il dessert. C’est cet intervenant qui assure la mobilisation des autres acteurs pour la mise en œuvre des activités. Cette thèse vise à rendre compte de ce processus d’évaluation ainsi que des résultats obtenus. L’approche d’évaluation en est une de type participatif et collaboratif avec des données quantitatives et qualitatives recueillies par le biais de questionnaires, d’entrevues, de groupes de discussion, d’un journal de bord et de notes de réunions. Les données ont été analysées dans le cadre de trois articles dont le premier concerne l’étude d’évaluabilité (ÉÉ) du programme. Les participants de cette ÉÉ sont des acteurs-clés du programme (N=13) rencontrés en entrevues. Une analyse documentaire (rapports et journal de bord) a également été effectuée. Cette ÉÉ a permis de clarifier les intentions des initiateurs du programme et les objectifs poursuivis par ces derniers. Elle a également permis de rendre la théorie du programme plus explicite et de développer le modèle logique, deux éléments qui ont facilité les opérations d’évaluation qui ont suivi. Le deuxième article porte sur l’évaluation des processus en utilisant la théorie de l’acteur-réseau (TAR) à travers ses quatre moments du processus de traduction des innovations (la problématisation, l’intéressement, l’enrôlement et la mobilisation des alliés), l’analyse des controverses et du rôle des acteurs humains et non-humains. Après l’analyse des données obtenues par entrevues auprès de 19 informateurs-clés, les résultats montrent que les phases d’implantation du programme passent effectivement par les quatre moments de la TAR, que la gestion des controverses par la négociation et le soutien était nécessaire pour la mobilisation de certains acteurs humains. Cette évaluation des processus a également permis de mettre en évidence le rôle des acteurs non-humains dans le processus d’implantation du programme. Le dernier article concerne une évaluation combinée des effets (volet quantitatif) et des processus (volet qualitatif) du programme. Pour le volet quantitatif, un devis quasi-expérimental a été adopté et les données ont été colligées de façon longitudinale par questionnaires auprès de 901 élèves de 5e et 6e année du primaire et leurs enseignants de 2010 à 2014. L’analyse des données ont montré que le programme n’a pas eu d’effets sur l’accessibilité et les risques perçus, l’usage problématique d’alcool et la polyconsommation (alcool et cannabis) chez les participants. Par contre, les résultats suggèrent que le programme pourrait favoriser la réduction du niveau de consommation et retarder l’âge d’initiation à l’alcool et au cannabis. Ils suggèrent également un effet potentiellement positif du programme sur l’intoxication à l’alcool chez les élèves. Quant au volet qualitatif, il a été réalisé à l’aide d’entrevues avec les intervenants (N=17), de groupes de discussion avec des élèves du secondaire (N=10) et d’une analyse documentaire. Les résultats montrent que le programme bénéficie d’un préjugé favorable de la part des différents acteurs ayant participé à l’évaluation et est bien acceptée par ces derniers. Cependant, le roulement fréquent de personnel et le grand nombre d’écoles à suivre peuvent constituer des obstacles à la bonne marche du programme. En revanche, le leadership et le soutien des directions d’écoles, la collaboration des enseignants, les qualités de l’IP et la flexibilité de la mise en œuvre sont identifiés comme des éléments ayant contribué au succès du programme. Les résultats et leur implication pour les programmes et l’évaluation sont discutés. Enfin, un plan de transfert des connaissances issues de la recherche évaluative est proposé.

Inclusão da aptidão física no contexto escolar : um estudo centrado na perceção do professor

O presente relatório teve por objetivo analisar o estudo realizado no âmbito da atividade de Investigação e Inovação – Área 2 do Estágio Pedagógico realizado na Escola Secundária Augusto Cabrita no ano letivo 2003/ 2004. O estudo teve como objetivo aferir a perceção dos professores, relativamente à inclusão da aptidão física no conjunto de matérias a abordar na disciplina de Educação Física, conforme proposto pelos Programas Nacionais da disciplina. Foram analisadas 3 dimensões: perceção, treino/ aplicação e avaliação/ classificação, tendo sido verificada quais as associações existentes entre estas variáveis. Para o efeito foi elaborado um questionário, que foi preenchido por 168 professores de Educação Física das escolas básicas e secundárias do ensino público, do Centro de Área Educativa da Península de Setúbal. Os resultados do estudo revelaram que os professores tinham uma perceção positiva sobre a aptidão física reportada à saúde. Esta perceção influencia a adoção de processos de treino e o número de horas dedicado para o efeito durante as aulas de Educação Física, não influenciando, porém, a adoção de processos de avaliação. Verificou-se também, que existia uma associação entre a adoção de processos de treino e a adoção de processos de avaliação.

O director de turma como actor socioeducativo: as necessidades de acompanhamento escolar dos alunos

Dissertação de mest. em Observação e Análise da Relação Educativa, Faculdade de Ciências Humanas e Sociais, Univ. do Algarve, 2003

As orientações educacionais dos professores, o currículo e a promoção de estilos de vida ativos em educação física

O objetivo do estudo foi analisar e interpretar o currículo que é proporcionado nas escolas secundárias da Região de Lisboa e de como o currículo operacional está relacionado com as orientações educacionais (OE) dos professores. Assim, por um lado quisemos saber como as OE se relacionam com os diferentes níveis de currículo e por outro como é que a finalidade curricular de promover estilos de vida ativos nos alunos é percecionada pelos professores. Este objetivo geral deu origem a cinco objetivos específicos de pesquisa que foram estudados em diferentes etapas da investigação numa abordagem quantitativa/qualitativa com a utilização de diferentes técnicas estatísticas. Na etapa extensiva estudou-se as OE de 352 professores de EF de 79 escolas com o ensino secundário geral através do VOI-SF (value orientation inventory – short form) validado através de uma técnica transcultural permitindo encontrar valores de referência das OE para Portugal. Os professores revelaram alta prioridade em Integração ecológica e Auto-realização e baixa prioridade nas restantes OE. O currículo operacional de EF revelou-se essencialmente desportivo e existiram diferenças estatisticamente significativas em relação às variáveis independentes estudadas (idade e experiência profissional). Através de regressões lineares múltiplas comprovou-se que existe uma relação entre as OE e a oferta curricular. Na etapa intensiva estudou-se 14 professores com perfis representativos das suas OE, examinando-se dez dimensões de análise representativas da interpretação e operacionalização do CNEF (análise de conteúdo). Constata-se que as OE influenciam a leitura, interpretação e operacionalização do currículo (e.g., a coeducação no ensino da EF). Dos 14 professores investigados foram selecionados dois professores com perfis de OE opostos para percebermos o comportamento das OE em contexto de sala de aula. Depois das entrevistas, observação e análise do planeamento constatou-se que os dois professores operacionalizam o conhecimento e o ensino/aprendizagem de forma diferenciada e de acordo com as suas OE.