The ideal was to establish a set of basic academic standards that all students should achieve, hold the schools accountable for meeting these standards for all students, ←and→ then give educators the choice of how to meet the standards. The way NCLB is currently being administered must be fixed, otherwise we will have both new ←and→ seasoned talented teachers leaving the profession in droves. Although reading ←and→ math tests would remain in the administration's proposal, schools could also include student performance in other subjects as part of overall measurements of progress. Critics say that the current education law has narrowed the curriculum for students:→ Many teachers zero in on math ←and→ reading at the expense of other subjects to help students prepare for the required tests. (Douglas) Students need a well-rounded education," the blueprint declares, and it cites disciplines including history, civics, foreign languages, and the arts.
A Better Education for children in care 2003 The government’s long term policy objective is to ensure that every child in care is able to fulfil his or her potential. In order to do this children need: *Greater stability *Help with schoolwork *More help from home to support schoolwork *Improved health and wellbeing.-with teachers, social care staff, health workers and carers all working together in the interests of the child. Leaving Care Act 2000 The Children Leaving Care Act 2000 introduced new requirements on local authorities to plan for looked after children so that they have the support they need as they make the transition from care to adulthood. The main purpose of the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 is to improve the life chances of young people living in and leaving local authority care. Its main aims are: to delay young people’s discharge from care until they are prepared and ready to leave, to improve the assessment, preparation and planning for leaving care, to provide better personal support for young people
The No Child Left behind Act of 2001 is the proverbial ball and chain on today’s public schools. Its creation had a noble concept which was to ensure the education of all children in the United States regardless of race, class, or economic status; but because of the strict requirements and rigid guidelines, the NCLB act restricts educators in many ways and encourages, even rewards, teachers to teach their students to score well on tests instead of teaching to learn. As parents and educators know from firsthand experience, uniformity of any kind when it comes to children is not possible, but the NCLB expects all schools by the year 2014 to have a 100% of their students pass their state assessments in math and reading, a daunting task with
Creative Curriculum Foundation Diane Trister Dodge a preschool educator in 1979 introduce to the world The Creative Curriculum, she believed that the approach provided teachers with the support of making their goals co-inside in the classroom, by having appropriate developmentally practice and learning that is active for children that’s geared towards social competence. The curriculum holds a balance, teacher-directed and child-initiated learning which response to the learning styles of children and emphasizing on their strengths and interests. Dodge believed that the roles of families are valuable to the learning process. A bridge between home and school are valuable because it builds the foundation for how the child will learn and acquire information. Teachers who truly value the family’s role in a child’s education, and recognize how much they can accomplish by working with families, can build a true partnership (Dodge, Colker, and Heroman, 2002, pg.
They help to set high standards for the school, plan the schools future and set targets for school improvements. School governors also make the school more accountable to the public and help the school be responsive to the community and needs of parents. The senior management team is made up of a head teacher and deputy head teacher. In larger schools this includes the senior teachers, school business manager and the special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO). Their role is to lead any changes, set the strategic direction and make sure the school is doing the best for the children and staff.
This approach is also a very important part of the government framework of Every Child Matters which states that we should be working together to achieve the best possible outcomes for children in our care. The Early years foundation stage, states that different professionals working together will help to improve outcomes for children both in their learning and development. So by sharing records or observations of a child by a professional such as a speech or language therapist may contribute to further assessment. Inclusion is an important
Tassoni. P (2007) says that “we need to work as part of a team to provide a quality service for children and their parents”. We also need to work with the parents and show respect towards them and encourage parent’s involvement within the setting. Tassoni says that “early years setting will have a management structure which should clarify practitioner’s responsibilities”. A responsibility practitioners have is to make sure the health of the child is paramount this could be by preventing hazards and carrying out risk assessments and safety checks.
The first pillar deals with stronger accountability for results. The State and local school districts are required to inform parents via report cards about their schools progress in closing any achievement gaps. If no progress is made they are required to provide supplemental services, such as free tutoring or after school assistance. If no progress is made after five years, the school must make dramatic changes in the way it is run. The second pillar is more freedom for states and communities.
Preventing Teacher Burnout Preposition 3 of the National Board of Professional Teacher Standards (NBPTS) states that teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning (Walden, 2008). This means that high performing teachers are expected to deliver effective instruction; engage students to ensure a disciplined learning environment; know how to assess the performance of individual students as well as the class as a whole; use multiple methods of measuring student growth and understanding and be able to clearly explain student performance to parents (Walden, 2008). Teachers, regardless of their level of commitment or dedication, face challenges at some point in their career that affect their ability to manage and monitor student learning (Kottler, 2005). Some to these challenges include constant bureaucratic restructuring; the nature of the system; feeling of indignity due to the lack of respect from parents, students, and the public (Nieto, 2003); backbiting and lack of support from colleagues; unsupportive friends or family; lack of adequate time and space to effectively perform duties; as well as personal emotional and insecurity issues (Kottler, 2005). When teachers find it difficult to deal with the demands of being a professional educator, burnout or rustout may result (Kottler, 2005).
The Future of Students Equals Change in Everyone The American people make excuses over and over about why our children are struggling in school, but the true question we need to ask is: why aren’t we doing enough to make a change? A few years ago the elementary school that my children attend had implemented a dual language program. After four years, my children were fluent in Spanish. This program was doing so well, that ninety eight percent of the children in the program tested out gifted. Unfortunately somewhere down the line, the school board members at the district, and state level didn’t think the program was worth keeping.