Goal For Educational Reform Interviewee 1 What example essay topic

EDUCATIONAL REFORMS (Standards, Test, and Accountability; Charter Schools; School Choice; and Teacher Quality) By TCP Paper Submitted As A Requirement for ECI 301-Foundations of Education Old Dominion University Mr. D. Allen Summer 2002 July 18, 2002 Throughout the class and lectures as a whole, we have discusses many innovative proposals to the reform of the educational system, primarily elementary and secondary schools. Many efforts are being made to improve the professionalism of teachers, modify the organization and financing of school districts and devise more successful policies in education. For many years, these reforms have been discussed in terms of reconstructing all or parts of the educational system. I will discuss and interview four randomly selected persons in regards to four educational reforms. These reforms will target the following issues, they are as follows: Standards, Test, and Accountability; Charter Schools; School Choice; and Teacher Quality. The first reform is Standards, Test and Accountability.

It is stated that test have become the accountability toll of choice throughout the nation, as school legislatures and policy makers find ways to increase achievement levels. As a result of this, I feel that educators are being pressured to push and implement short, quick strategies to get test scores up to meet state demands. School districts and leaders look at short term strategies for boosting test scores, but would be unlikely to support the development and instructional reform needed to prepare students for a successful future (Phi Delta Kappan 2000). As a teacher, I believe that all teachers want what is best for their students, and I also believe that students will not do well on state test unless they teach what is covered by the state test in the way it is assessed on the state test. The next reform talks about Charter Schools. The latest major development in community education is the establishment of Charter schools.

The local government or Board of Education grants a community group a "charter" (a lost if rights, privileges, and expectations) that permits the groups to establish and operate a public school. Specific arrangements are made in reference to finance, school operations, student enrollment, and accountability. If standards are not met the charter is revoked and the schools are closed. In comparison to public schools, the charter school provides and specializes in multiple curriculum options, responding to the demand for better and a more focused curriculum. Charter schools seek to reform public education through a blend of elements traditionally found in public schools (Miron and Nelson 2002).

Many criticisms of charter schools have been based on a concern that they contribute to a breakdown of the public purposes of public schools. Researchers feel that charter schools create several problems such as a two-tiered education; they encourage social fragmentation rather than common experiences; they do not encourage system reforms and improve quality; charter schools do not reduce spending on administration; it excludes students with special needs, and have charter schools could mean the end of neighborhood schools (Keuhn 1995). The third reform is School choice. This choice has been debated for many years. School choice has been advocated as a way to introduce greater flexibility and accountability into education (web).

The basic idea is to enhance students opportunities to choose where they will enroll and what they will study. Supporters of school choice believe that it improves education for students and schools; School choice is popular among Teachers, Parents, and the public school; school choice promotes integration and tolerance; and it does not drain the money from the school systems. Critics of school choice argue that these plans will reinforce stratification and segregation; leave the poor behind in the worst schools; destroy the American public school tradition; emphasize the lack of accountability; the choice to schools is limited; and there is no evident proof that school choice works. The final reform is Teacher Quality.

America's schools zeroing in on improving teacher quality. From New York City to California, mainly initiatives are being used to attract the best teachers by increasing their salaries and in some cases tying pay to the performance in the class. Education experts see a clear connection between teacher quality and student performance. The question is how to use pay and other incentives to get and retain the best qualified teachers. Many believe that U.S. Schools can not improve unless they attract and retain top notched teachers. In order to do this, teacher recruitment, training, certification, compensation, and evaluation systems must be completely overhauled (Finn and Kanstoroom 1999).

Great Teachers are the most important ingredients in any school. Smart, caring teachers can help their students overcome background problems. Finding a way to attract the best and brightest teachers must remain a top priority. In conclusion, recent national proposals for educational reforms have reflected emerging concerns. However, the educational system is being challenged to improve achievement in equity to and for at-risk and disadvantaged students. New Teachers will play an important part in determining whether the reform effort is successful.

METHODOLOGY The interviewer used secondary sources to collect data. An interview was set up with four persons that are currently working in a Virginia Public School. These people were selected at random. The interviews were conducted in the Summer of 2002 in various public schools throughout the area. The data gathered from this project will be used to analyze and determine how educational reforms will be used to reconstruct the educational system. All interviewees were asked a series of questions and responded to the best of his / her abilities.

To disclose the identity of each interviewee, the following information will be given about each of the individuals. 1. Interviewee #1 African American Female Age: 45 Assistant Principal Portsmouth Public School Master of Arts in Education Interviewee #2 Caucasian Male Age: 36 Guidance Counselor Petersburg Public School Master of Science in Guidance and Counseling Interviewee #3 Hispanic Female Age: Not given Elementary Teacher Prince William County Public School Bachelor of Arts in Psychology Interviewee #4 African American Male Age: 56 Principal Suffolk Public School Doctorate Degree in Elementary Education INTERVIEW QUESTIONS The following questions were asked to each of the interviewees listed above. I will give a brief summary of the responses given by the interviewees to a few of the questions below. What do you believe is the impetus behind recent educational reforms? Educational reforms target mainly elementary and secondary education and are driven by public concerns about the quality of the U.S. educational system and its ability to produce and put out workers with the skills needed to compete in the global economy.

- Interviewee #4 What is the role of the federal government in setting educational policy and guiding reforms? To fund research on education and provide a goal for educational reform- Interviewee#1 What has been the focus of educational reforms in the last 5 years? Why are educational reforms so controversial? No one really knows how to improve student achievement on a whole.

Educational policy affects what and how children are taught- Interviewee#2 How has the federal government's role in educational policy changed recently? How are changing demographics affecting educational reforms? What challenges do these changes pose to standard-based educational reforms? Shortage of qualified teachers; and outside support and family support, as well as, involvement is needed in education; Fewer resources to deliver services to disadvantaged. -Response from all interviewees 8. Is there anything being done to recruit more teachers un urban schools?

Current teacher recruitment's are being handled through a group of government programs and private projects. Many states have alternative certification programs that allow teachers to begin teaching in understaffed schools while they are taking classes to complete certification requirements. Interviewee #3

Bibliography

Keuhn, Larry, Ten Problems with Charter Schools, (BCIF Research Report. Section XII 95-EI-06) Miron, Garry and Christopher Nelson, What's Public About Charter Schools? (Educational week, May 12, 2002) Phi Delta Kappan: Strategies for Dealing with High-Stakes Test, October 2000. School Choice, Http: // web Bibliography Keuhn, Larry, Ten Problems with Charter Schools, (BCIF Research Report. School Choice, Http: // web.