Evaluating Education Reform: Early Childhood Education

This week I read an interesting article: Evaluating Education Reform: Early Childhood Education which was talking about the different educational result between child care and kindergarten programs. As a result, it said that the importance of methodological approach that will cause different outcomes: long term study and short term study. Meanwhile, two kind approaches would involve some essential variables, such as theories, curriculums, teacher/child ratio, class size, teacher training, and child characteristics. Then obvious differential outcomes can show up, like a boy who studies in a Montessori classroom will have a higher IQ than in other approach. As a Montessori teacher, this is the first time I heard this research result. I certainly know what kind outcomes Montessori teaching approach will be that children will really enjoy the learning process from each activity that from certain way designed environment. Children will gradually master various skills and academic studying through trained teacher slowly movement presentations and children’s repetition of each lesson that will respond to long term outcomes. Mixed up age group children learn from each other and through their naturally communications and social activities. All we can see is the concentration, independent, and joyful childhood. In my belief, Montessori teaching approach fit human being’s development tendency which will build up personality of real feeling and self esteem that will benefit the child’s future life. Therefore generally we don’t assess each child’s IQ through testing but only observe child’s progress and growth.


http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/pubs/onlinepubs/eer/index.html

No Child Left Behind: What It Means to You

Today I just read an article that “No Child Left Behind: What It Means to You”. There were several principals of school talked about how they think about NCLB program went in their school and what kind issues they think is important that might affect on NCLB. Overall it seems that financial problem is the biggest issue that is affecting NCLB programs running. The goal of NCLB is to increase students’ mathematics and reading abilities which required coping with qualified teachers that means big amount of money to back up the program runs. It is hard to reach the goal while many “states are facing deficits, a recession, and budge cuts.” In the other side, the government believed that a key element of the plan is that states and school districts must develop accountability systems. U.S. Department of Education's position is that annual testing allows teachers to quickly respond to problems students might be experiencing. According to Kathleen Mynster, a spokeswoman for the Department of Education, "If you don't get a physical every year, it [a problem] can be worse if you catch something the second year, accountability is the key."

Personally I have never worked in NCLB program, but from the article I still can tell that there are some conflicts exist between U. S Department of Education and states. It is not hard to tell that NCLB program has a great goal for children’s education. Unfortunately, it is lack of execution power in different states due to financial issues.

Reference
http://www.educationworld.com/a_issues/issues273.shtml

What kind school reform Saipan's PSS is facing?

In this week local newspaper, I read news regarding Saipan PSS financial problem. It said that currently PSS is facing financial problems that the federal found have cut down the budget for this school year, so there has no money to hire classroom teachers. Many teachers from previous school year were discontinued their contract by failing at pass praxis test. Due to lack of classroom teachers, all the school principals from elementary to high school have to work half day as a classroom teacher half day as principal. Later, a classmate from AMS training who is currently working in Saipan head start program called me. She told me that even head start is also facing series problems. Three years ago their director, a Montessori trained teacher, who pushed Montessori teaching in head start program. She had some teachers AMS trained, she ordered Montessori materials in these teachers classroom, and she introduced Montessori teaching to part of low income families in Saipan. But due to financial issues, the lady resigned from her position and moved out of Saipan at the end of last school year. Now the new director of head start announced that head start program is going to get rid of Montessori teaching. They moved up most trained teachers to elementary, they stopped Montessori materials using since there has no teachers can use them to teach appropriately, and they are going to buy more toys for children play in the classroom. Beside the financial issue, some people think Montessori teaching belong to rich people, but not for low income families in head start. My classmate said that most of Montessori trained teachers love Montessori training. They felt that children were benefited a lot form it. Right now, since they have been moved up to elementary, they feel so discouraged because all their hard work and time they spent in past three years were very wasteful and they have confused in their teaching.
After I heard these series news, I felt very sad. I think Saipan PSS is facing challenge in school reform due to financial issues. As a result, what direction the reform eventually will be, it is going to affect on the quality of education for students.

Enjoy the Slow Going Process!

After reading “Slow Going: The Beginning of Change in Petersburgh Elementary”, I was impressed that how huge project, how slow process school reform is. Once a school tends to involve a school reform program, it has to be ready for many aspects change which include curriculum reform, teaching and learning method reform, relationships reform between teachers and administrator, classroom construction reform, assessment reform, etc.. Each individual human being is the basic unit of these reforms and all of these reforms depend on people’s adaptability of change and innovation that require people to be prepared from physical, psychological, and emotional aspects. To enhance people to be prepared, the guarded communication plays a key role in the whole process. An effective communication can help administrators to deliver all the information in regard to school reform, can help teachers to embrace all the parents understanding of school reform, can ensure all the new policies to be conducted smoothly, can implement some necessary factors into decision making process, etc.. Although it is still a slow process, but everyone will be happy to be in the changes and to face all the reforms. Maybe all the reforms are going slow to see the consequences, but each individual will enjoy the process.