March 2018 archive

28
Mar
2018

Persuasive Essay Draft

categories: Drafts

Topic: Tracking in Public Schools

Thesis Statement: Used in the majority of public schools throughout the United States, the tracking system has been linked to negative outcomes for minority and low-track students; with that said, the current system begs for reform that will decrease the prominence of stratification and minimize the achievement gap.

Audience: Current/Future Public-School Educators where tracking exists

Interesting Introduction: As a college student, education-enthusiast, and future educator, I believe in the power of a strong public school system that fulfills the dream of serving as the “great equalizer.” They have the potential to educate, guide, motivate, and enrich every student throughout the United States. However, such a system cannot be achieved without recognizing and targeting its current shortcomings; ignoring the prevailing and institutionalized problems in the system only harms those who experience them: students. With that said, one major problem that is present in our educational system proves to be the poor implementation of tracking throughout the majority of our secondary public schools. Minority and low-track students aren’t receiving the equal education that they deserve, as they suffer from the negative consequences of the widely used system.

Outline of the Essay:

  1. Introduction
    1. Thesis: Used in the majority of public schools throughout the United States, the tracking system has been linked to negative outcomes for minority and low-track students; with that said, the current system begs for reform that will decrease the prominence of stratification and minimize the achievement gap.
  2. What is tracking?
    1. Definition
    2. History
    3. Area of use
  3. What are the implications?
    1. Cite research
      1. Prevalence of tracking
      2. Effects of tracking on students
        1. Who does it hurt?
        2. Who does it help?
        3. How does curriculum/instruction differ in each track?
        4. What’s the correlation between track and race, SES, graduation rates, etc.
        5. Does it allow for upward mobility?
  4. Why do we need to reform the current model?
    1. Equality should be of the utmost importance
    2. The system hurts the students in the lower tracks
    3. Use examples of schools that have modified the original, most popular tracking model
  5. Conclusion
    1. Next steps
      1. Educators should ensure that the “best” teachers in a school aren’t only teaching the upper tracks
      2. Equalize the curriculum for all tracks
      3. Raise the expectations for the low tracks
      4. Factors unrelated to academic ability (race, SES, etc.) cannot play a role in the track placement of a student
      5. Allow for more student choice and upward mobility; eliminate the rigid requirements and prerequisites
    2. Dedication to students and their futures
    3. If we have the facts, we need to act. Reading the literature won’t solve anything.

Source List:

  1. http://www.nea.org/tools/16899.htm
  2. http://www.ascd.org/ascd/pdf/journals/ed_lead/el199904_loveless.pdf
  3. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2015/07/15/how-three-schools-challenge-their-diverse-student-populations/?utm_term=.28ecd73929c3
  4. Brodbelt, Samuel. “How Tracking Restricts Educational Opportunity.” The Clearing House, vol. 64, no. 6, 1991, pp. 385–388. JSTOR, JSTOR, jstor.org/stable/30182083.
  5. Burris, Carol Corbett, and Kevin G. Welner. “Closing the Achievement Gap by Detracking.” The Phi Delta Kappan, vol. 86, no. 8, 2005, pp. 594–598. JSTOR, JSTOR, jstor.org/stable/20441857.
  6. Oakes, Jeannie. “BEYOND TRACKING.” Educational Horizons, vol. 65, no. 1, 1986, pp. 32–35. JSTOR, JSTOR, jstor.org/stable/42926852
10
Mar
2018

Deliberation Reflection: A Better Penn State of Mind

categories: Uncategorized

On Friday, February 23rd, I gathered around in a packed semi-circle with my fellow Penn State peers amidst the book shelves in Webster’s around 6:45 PM. Chatting about the deliberation we were all attending, I was extremely interested to participate in the discussion about mental health on campus. Titled “A Better Penn State of Mind: A Discussion of Mental Health Issues and Programs at Penn State,” the deliberation was not only well executed and attended, but also well received by the audience, making for an extremely productive discussion throughout the introduction, three approaches, and conclusion.

One of the aspects of the team’s deliberation that intrigued me the most was their idea of requiring mental health online modules similar to Penn State SAFE and AWARE. These modules would serve as an educational onboarding to different warning signs and coping mechanisms with mental health, and I couldn’t believe how simple of a requirement that would be. When surveying the audience for their experiences with mental health, almost everyone in the room offered that they, or someone they know, has been affected by mental health. With that said, mental health matters are just as prevalent as those related to sexual assault/harassment and drinking. Requiring the modules would allow Penn State students the opportunity to learn about and access resources that would help maintain good mental health.

This idea of access to resources that would help maintain good mental health was another point that surprised me during the deliberation. I was shocked by how many people in the audience that weren’t aware of CAPS’s location, resources, etc. In addition, no one in the audience was aware of a free, unlimited visit counseling resource on campus called the CEDAR Clinic, located in the Cedar Building behind Chambers Building. I became aware of this counseling service through the College of Education, because I give tours to families, so I learned about the resources within Cedar. In addition, I decided to take advantage of the services offered by Cedar this semester, when I was referred to their services by someone from CAPS. With that said, I was happy to be able to offer this information about the CEDAR Clinic in the deliberation, because no one in attendance knew about it.

Overall, I really enjoyed myself at the “A Better Penn State of Mind: A Discussion of Mental Health Issues and Programs at Penn State” deliberation. I wasn’t expecting much of a turnout on a Friday night, but it ended up being a really great time collaborating, discussing, and sharing ideas and experiences about mental health at Penn State throughout the deliberation. Kudos to this team for their excellent preparation, execution, and moderation, which made for a productive, successful deliberation in the Penn State community.