’This book is the perfect guide for those administrators and teachers who are truly interested in equalizing educational opportunities at all levels.’
—Rebecca S. Compton, Professor of Elementary Education
East Central University
Proven strategies for increasing the academic performance of students with low school-readiness skills!
Children of low socioeconomic status often enter school with low school-readiness skills, leading them to be misidentified as learning disabled. Educators in Grades K–12 can allocate resources for special education services more effectively and meet the needs of low SES students by preventing students from being placed in the wrong program and by providing readiness supports.
Offering an in-depth look at schools that have realized effective results in remarkable time frames, the authors challenge educators and parents to consider how low expectations can affect student achievement—and emphasize optimism as a necessary tenet of schools′ day-to-day teaching/learning programs and school-community relationships. This resource provides:
- Training resources for teaching low SES students
- Assessment tools for identifying learning needs
- Strategies for building relationships of trust and collaboration throughout the school community
- Data charts that illustrate the increase in student achievement from schoolwide initiatives
- A bibliography and glossary of pertinent research and terminology
With these strategies and tools, schools can meet the developmental and environmental needs of their most vulnerable students and watch student achievement and confidence soar!
Innehållsförteckning
Preface
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
Introduction
1. The Changing Realities of America′s Public Education: Foundational Facts and Implications
Diversity
Poverty
School Readiness
Lack of Parent Involvement
Deficit Perceptions
Special Education and NCLB
Summary
2. The Unfortunate Link Between Low Socioeconomic Status and Learning Disabilities
Understanding Learning Disabilities
Poverty Is Not a Learning Disability
Educators′ Lack of Understanding of Poverty
Teachers′ Role in Learning Disability Referrals
The Cost of Misidentifying Children as Learning Disabled
Summary
3. Teaching Strategies and Techniques Proven to Work With Low SES Children
Four Teaching Strategies That Work
Creating a Positive Climate for Instruction
Summary
4. The Importance of Strong School-Home Relationships in Educating Low SES Children
The Importance of Parent Involvement
The Importance of Home-Based Involvement
The Importance of School Climate
Meeting the Challenges Presented by Low SES Neighborhoods
Embracing Cultural Diversity
Summary
5. How Strong School-Business Relationships Can Benefit Low SES Students
Creating a Partnership With Structure and Reciprocity
Looking Beyond Dollars in School-Business Partnerships
Recognizing the Partnership Value of Small Local Businesses
Summary
6. The Role Networking Can Play in the Effective Education of Low SES Students
Networking With Central Offices
Networking Beyond the School District
Summary
7. Managing Change Successfully
Why People Resist Change
Strategies to Reduce Resistance to Change and Promote Successful Implementations
Summary
8. Selecting the Right People
Identifying the Characteristics and Qualifications You′re Looking For
Assessing Your Faculty and Staff′s Strengths and Weaknesses to Clarify Your Needs
Communicating Your Needs and Interests to Human Resources
Structuring the Interview Process
Managing the Interview and Selection Process
Summary
9. Identifying the Core and Individual Competencies That Promote the Most Successful Learning Environment
What We Mean by Competencies
Identifying Core School and Individual Competencies That Promote Student Success
Summary
10. Identifying Expectations and Managing Performance
Some Basic Assumptions
Communicating Your Expectations
Managing Performance Around Your Expectations
Providing Constructive Feedback
Summary
11. A Proven Approach to Improving Educational Opportunities for Low SES Children
Professional Climate
Behavioral Climate
Community Climate
Instructional Practices
Summary
12. Summary and Conclusions
Being the Leader in Your School
Making the Most of an ’Ambiguous’ Situation
References
Om författaren
Dr. Dennis R. Dunklee is an Emeritus Professor in the Education Leadership Department in the Graduate School of Education at George Mason University. During his twenty-five years in public schools, he served as a teacher, elementary school principal, junior high and middle school principal, high school principal, and central office administrator. During his more than twenty years at George Mason University, he taught courses in education law and school leadership and served as an advisor and chair for master’s and doctoral candidates in school leadership.Because of his expertise and practical experience, he continues to be frequently called on to consult in the areas of effective schools, school law, administrator evaluation, instructional supervision, school-community relations, problem solving, and conflict resolution. In addition, he continues to be actively involved as a consultant and expert witness in numerous school-related lawsuits nationwide. As a university scholar and researcher, he has published, and continues to publish, textbooks, monographs, and articles on issues in the fields of school law, business management, administrative practice, and leadership theory. He also continues to present papers at international, national, regional, state, and local conferences and is a widely sought-after clinician for inservice workshops. Dr. Dunklee was an invited participant and presenter at the 2005 Oxford (University) Round Table on Education Law: Individual Rights and Freedoms.He received his Ph.D. in school administration and foundations from Kansas State University. His major area of research was in the field of education law, and his dissertation was on tort liability for negligence. He holds a master’s degree in elementary and secondary school administration from Washburn University.This is Dr. Dunklee’s eighth book for Corwin Press. His other Corwin books are You Sound Taller on the Telephone: A Practitioner’s View of the Principalship (1999); If You Want to Lead Not Just Manage (2000); The Principal’s Quick Reference Guide to School Law (2002 and 2006, with Robert J. Shoop); Strategic Listening for School Leaders (2005, with Jeannine Tate); Anatomy of a Lawsuit: What Every Education Leader Should Know About Legal Actions (2006, with Robert J. Shoop); and Poverty Is NOT a Learning Disability (2009, with Tish Howard and Sandy Grogan Dresser).