DOCSLIB.ORG

An Investigation of the Concerns of Fifth Graders Transitioning to Middle School

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
An Investigation of the Concerns of Fifth Graders Transitioning to Middle School RMLE Online— Volume 38, No. 5 David C. Virtue, Ph.D., Editor University of South Carolina Columbia, South Carolina 2015 • Volume 38 • Number 5 ISSN 1940-4476 An Investigation of the Concerns of Fifth Graders Transitioning to Middle School Gahan Bailey Rebecca M. Giles Sylvia E. Rogers University of South Alabama, Mobile Abstract Entering middle school can cause apprehension for Keywords: middle school, middle level education, young adolescents who face many cognitive, physical, transition programs, young adolescents social, and emotional changes. A quantitative, descriptive study was designed to identify and The middle grades can be very tumultuous for explain the concerns of rising sixth graders (n students who are navigating profound and often = 225) regarding their transition to the middle complex changes (Conklin, 2014; Manning & Bucher, grades. Survey data were analyzed with regard to 2012). As they enter puberty, young adolescents gender, race, and school type (i.e., inner city, urban, encounter cognitive, physical, social, and emotional suburban, and rural). Undressing in front of others changes that are foreign to them. Adolescence is a for P.E. was the most frequently rated area of high process and a time of key changes representing one concern. There was a significant effect of gender on of life’s critical transitions, second only to infancy the level of concern for getting lost, changing clothes in terms of the tremendous pace in growth and for P.E., peer pressure, being bullied, and academic transformation (World Health Organization, 2013). performance. There was a significant effect of race on Jackson and Davis (2000) contended that “early the level of concern for using a locker, having enough adolescence [is] a period of enormous opportunity time to eat lunch, and going to the restroom. There for intellectual and emotional growth, yet one fraught was a significant effect of school type on the level of with vulnerability and risk” (p. 2). It is the time when concern for making friends, belonging to the right many middle grades students begin engaging in risky clubs and groups, getting lost, having enough time behaviors such as drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco, to eat lunch, going to the restroom, and new school and consuming unlawful drugs. Jackson and Davis rules. Findings suggest at least a moderate level of portrayed many middle schools as larger and as more concern by most fifth graders regarding various impersonal than elementary schools in which students issues associated with middle school transitions, thus typically stay in the same classroom with the same confirming the need for special programs to assist teacher. They wrote that it is important for young new students in acclimating to these changes and adolescents to sense they belong to a group in which further research to determine their impacts. they feel valued and useful. © 2015 Association for Middle Level Education 1 RMLE Online— Volume 38, No. 5 Middle schools have been described as more Literature Review academically rigorous and larger in size and as having more rigid behavior standards than elementary Balfanz (2009) found correlations between students’ schools. New sixth graders must adapt to these middle grades experiences and their rates of success differences and also adjust to having multiple graduating from high school. His research indicated teachers, possibly leaving behind elementary friends, that the middle grades are pivotal in the success and changing from being the oldest to youngest on students will achieve later in life. He wrote: campus (Wiles, Bondi, & Wiles, 2006). These many A student’s middle grades experience is critical differences give rise to numerous concerns, such to his or her life’s chances. It is during the as being able to find the right classroom, correctly middle grades that students either launch toward working one’s locker combination, and facing peer achievement and attainment, or slide off track pressures that have been collectively characterized as and placed on a path of frustration, failure, and “transition trauma” (Richardson, 2002, p. 1). ultimately, early exit from the only secure path to Transitioning from elementary school to middle adult success. (p. 13) school is a substantial adjustment for young Balfanz maintained that the first year of middle adolescents already facing so many changes. For school is the most critical because it is when students many students, this transition compounds the develop off-track indicators such as failing in math confusion and anxiety that already exists as they are and English, having high absenteeism rates, and faced with educational and interpersonal changes on acting out in class. Andrews and Bishop (2012) top of the biological changes endured during the stage emphasized the difficulty of students making the of early adolescence. The purpose of this study was transition to middle school, arguing that “some to investigate the concerns of rising sixth graders and students find the move between schools so difficult to examine their concerns with regard to gender, race, that they ‘unlearn’ skills and content, beginning and school type. Specific research questions were: a potential spiral toward being retained or even 1. What concerns to fifth graders have regarding dropping out” (p. 1). their transition to middle school? The Dimensions of Middle School Transitions 2. Do fifth grade students’ concerns regarding their The concerns young adolescents have as they make transition to middle school differ based on gender? the transition into middle school are many and varied, and successful transition programs must address 3. Do fifth grade students’ concerns regarding their this complexity. As Koppang (2004) noted, “Many transition to middle school differ based on race? transition programs address academic and procedural issues associated with the transition and fail to address 4. Do fifth grade students’ concerns regarding their the social and emotional issues that cause student transition to middle school differ based on school anxiety” (p. 1). Understanding the multiple dimensions type (e.g., inner-city, urban, suburban, rural)? of middle school transitions from the perspective of The concerns of elementary school students students is also important. Akos (2004) analyzed 350 transitioning to middle school campuses are letters of advice written by eighth graders to sixth important for educators to consider for a number of graders just entering middle school. The advice they reasons. First, successful experiences in the middle gave tended to relate to three themes: social (being grades have been linked to future academic success nice to people, getting to know the other students, and for students (Balfanz, 2009). Second, identifying and choosing friends carefully), academic (doing homework addressing issues associated with the transition to and developing good study habits), and organizational middle school can reduce student anxiety and prevent (following rules and respecting the teachers). transition trauma. Finally, considering the immediate Richardson (2002) focused on the importance of and long-term impacts of a smooth transition to students’ emotional intelligence and reasons why middle school, findings from this study will be of some students may be more successful at dealing with interest to parents and middle level educators charged “transition trauma.” She contended that “students with providing such programs. with more emotional intelligence skills will be able to cope and adapt more easily, resulting in stronger © 2015 Association for Middle Level Education 2 RMLE Online— Volume 38, No. 5 abilities to succeed both academically and socially” students, elementary students taking a tour of the (p. 2). She noted that emotional intelligence can be middle school, and conducting parent orientations. nurtured, so educators need to be knowledgeable Additionally, Wormeli (2011) suggested five key of its existence and teach students components of mind-sets for successful transition programs: (a) emotional intelligence such as coping strategies, understanding students’ concern about belonging, acquiring and using information, working with (b) empathizing with students, (c) understanding others, and managing personal growth. the characteristics of the age group, (d) focusing on the positive, and (e) building hope. It is critical for Students transitioning to middle school go from being schools to involve parents in their children’s time of in the highest grade in elementary school to the lowest transitioning to middle school. grade in middle school, and this repositioning may make them more vulnerable to bullying. As Farmer, The Georgia State Department of Education (n.d.) Hamm, Leung, Lambert, and Gravelle (2011) noted, and its partners developed Middle School Matters: “middle school is considered to be a heightened period A Guide for Georgia Schools on Middle School for involvement in bullying because the lack of a Transition to provide educators, students, and families defined dominance hierarchy is thought to promote with a toolkit of transition activities. The guide states: jockeying for social positions among students” (p. “School transition is not a ‘one size fits all’ approach, 1106). Their research on bullying in middle schools but a framework that includes strategies as well as with and without transition programs found that policies and procedures tailored to meet the needs schools that had transition programs had fewer bullies of students, schools, and
Load more

Recommended publications
  • SHERMAN ALEXIE Indian Education
    SHERMAN ALEXIE SHERMAN ALEXIE is a poet, fiction writer, and filmmaker known for witty and frank explorations of the lives of contemporary Native Americans. A Spokane/Coeur d'Alene Indian, Alexie was born in 1966 and grew up on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Wellpinit, Washington. He spent two years at Gonzaga University before transferring to Washington State University in Pullman. The same year he graduated, 1991, Alexie published The Business ofFancydancing, a book of poetry that led the New York Times Book Review to call him "one of the major lyric voices of our time." Since then Alexie has published many more books of poetry, including I Would Steal Horses ( 1993) and One Stick Song (2000); the novels Reservation Blues (1995) and Indian Killer (1996); and the story collections The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven (1993), The Toughest Indian in the World (2000), and Ten Little Indi­ ans ( 2003). Alexie also wrote and produced Smoke Signals, a film that won awards at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival, and he wrote and directed The Business of Fancydancing (2002), a film about the paths of two young men from the Spokane reservation. Living in Seattle with his wife and children, Alexie occasionally performs as a stand-up comic and holds the record for the most consecutive years as World Heavyweight Poetry Bout Champion. Indian Education Alexie attended the tribal school on the Spokane reservation through the seventh grade, when he decided to seek a better education at an off-reservation :', \ all-white high school. As this year-by-year account of his schooling makes clear, he was not firmly at home in either setting.
    [Show full text]
  • Abbott Preschool Program Longitudinal Effects Study: Fifth Grade Follow-Up
    Abbott Preschool Program Longitudinal Effects Study: Fifth Grade Follow-Up W. Steven Barnett, Ph.D. Kwanghee Jung, Ph.D. Min-Jong Youn, Ph.D. Ellen C. Frede, Ph.D. (Acelero, Inc.) March 20, 2013 National Institute for Early Education Research Rutgers—The State University of New Jersey www.nieer.org 1 Abbott Preschool Program Longitudinal Effects Study (APPLES): Fifth Grade Follow-Up Executive Summary New Jersey’s Abbott Preschool program is of broad national and international interest because the Abbott program provides a model for building a high-quality system of universal pre-K through public-private partnerships that transform the existing system. The program offers high-quality pre-K to all children in 31 New Jersey communities with high levels of poverty and about a quarter of the state’s children. The Abbott Preschool Program Longitudinal Effects Study (APPLES) assesses the impact of this pre-K program on children’s learning and development based on a cohort of children who completed their 4-year-old year in 2004-05. APPLES previously estimated the impacts of Abbott pre-K at kindergarten entry and second grade follow-up. We found substantial impacts on individually administered assessments of language, literacy, and mathematics at both times. In addition, pre-K was found to reduce grade retention. Previous analysis also indicated that APPLES methodology tends to underestimate impacts. Moreover, as pre-K quality continued to rise after 2004-05, even perfect estimates would underestimate the effect of the program in more recent years. The 4th and 5th grade APPLES follow-up finds that Abbott preschool programs increased achievement in Language Arts and Literacy, Math, and Science, as shown in Figure 1 below.
    [Show full text]
  • Home-School Partnerships in a 17P
    DOCUMENT RESUME ED 430 695 PS 027 629 AUTHOR Bensman, David in a TITLE Open Doors, Closed Doors: Home-School Partnerships Large Bronx Elementary School. PUB DATE 1999-04-00 NOTE 17p.; Paper presented at the Annual Meetingof the American Educational Research Association (Montreal, Quebec,Canada, April 19-23, 1999). PUB TYPE Speeches/Meeting Papers (150) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Family School Relationship; *High Risk Students;Middle Schools; Parent Participation; *Parent SchoolRelationship; School Culture; Urban Areas IDENTIFIERS New York City Board of Education ABSTRACT Although efforts to support family-schoolpartnerships are a prominent part of strategies for improvingeducation for at-risk students, in communities with wide home/school culturaldifferences, such "partnerships" often operate on a superficial level involving one-waycompliance to school norms. This study examined home-schoolpartnerships in a New York City school, focusing on two families whose childrenattended the same fifth grade classroom in 1996-97. Members of the Ruiz Vegafamily and the Arjay family were interviewed and visited athome several times. Clarissa Ruiz had severe reading problems that were overlooked at schoolbecause she did not call attention to herself. The study maintains that her parents werenot the aggressive advocates that school personnelbelieved necessary because of their own poor school experiences, lack of skills,and the intimidation of parents inherent in school practices.Luther Arjay had considerable difficulty in completing homework. His mother andschool personnel identified the reason for the difficulty and implemented asolution. Mrs. Arjay had a great deal of support from a parent-teacher programsponsored by Lehman College in Luther's fifth grade and was determined toenroll him in the best middle school she could find.
    [Show full text]
  • Academic Achievement for Fifth-Grade Students in Elementary and Intermediate School Settings: Grade Span Configurations Julie P
    Volume 14, Number 1 ISSN 1099-839X Academic Achievement for Fifth-Grade Students in Elementary and Intermediate School Settings: Grade Span Configurations Julie P. Combs David Clark George W. Moore Anthony K. Onwuegbuzie Stacy L. Edmonson John R. Slate Sam Houston State University Citation Combs, J. P., Clark, D., Moore, G. W., Onwuegbuzie, A. K., Edmonson, S. L., & Slate, J. R. (2011). Academic Achievement for Fifth-Grade Students in Elementary and Intermediate School Settings: Grade Span Configurations. Current Issues in Education, 14(1). Retrieved from http://cie.asu.edu/ Abstract Few researchers have addressed student achievement outcomes as a function of grade span configurations for older elementary-aged students. Thus, this study was designed to determine differences between students’ Grade 5 reading and mathematics achievement in elementary schools (K–5) as compared to intermediate schools (Grade 5, 5–6) for 5 academic years. Using archival statewide data, researchers used a rigorous five-step distance-based formula to match elementary schools to intermediate schools on four demographic/school characteristic variables. Current Issues in Education Vol. 14 No. 1 2 Students in K-5 settings attained statistically significantly higher levels of reading and mathematics achievement than did their counterparts, with moderate mean effect sizes of 0.37 and 0.47, respectively. Keywords: achievement, grade configuration, elementary schools, grade span, middle schools, intermediate schools, school settings ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT FOR FIFTH-GRADE STUDENTS 3 About the Author(s) Author: Julie P. Combs Affiliation: Sam Houston State University Address: Department of Educational Leadership and Counseling, Box 2119, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX 77341-2119 Email: [email protected] Biographical information: Julie Combs is a tenured associate professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Counseling at Sam Houston State University, where she teaches doctoral-level courses in writing and research methods.
    [Show full text]
  • The Impact of High-Quality Pre-K on K-12 Education
    ISSUE BRIEF The Impact of High-Quality Pre-K on K-12 Education An extensive and growing body of research provides strong evidence of the long-term impact of high-quality pre-kindergarten programs. These programs not only prepare children for academic success, but also reduce later-life costs to taxpayers and strengthen economies. This brief focuses on the impact that high-quality pre-k has on K-12 education. Schools spend significant time and Are these savings real? money helping children who arrive in kindergarten behind to Private investors think so. catch up. By getting children ready for school, academically Because of the savings generated, and socially, pre-k can reduce those costs and increase early childhood education is one student success. This is a particularly important topic given of the most promising areas Pennsylvania’s current efforts to ensure adequate and targeted for investment through equitable funding for public education. While there are no Social Impact Bonds and Pay for simple solutions to the challenges Pennsylvania faces, this Success contracts. Such brief explores how pre-k benefits K-12 systems and improves agreements attract private capital outcomes for children. to provide a service and pay a modest return to investors based In looking at dozens of high-quality programs across the US, on the future savings that results researchers have identified three primary benefits to K-12 from the program. systems based on children’s participation in pre-k: reduced In Utah, Goldman Sachs, the J.B. need for special education services, reduced grade Pritzker Family Foundation, and the repetition, and better performance and fewer behavioral United Way of Salk Lake have problems in school.
    [Show full text]
  • School Parent Student Handbook
    Greece Christian School Parent – Student Handbook Published date: May, 2021 1 A Message from the Pastor Greece Assembly of God is pleased to offer the educational ministry of GCS to the Christian community at an affordable cost, and is honored to join hands with parents and other local churches in training and building strong Christian students, who in turn, will influence their generation for God. GCS’s tuition is one of the lowest in the Rochester area. This is due in large part to the financial investment made by Greece Assembly of God and the school’s fundraising endeavors. Your support in fundraising plays a vital part in helping us maintain our low costs. As the senior pastor, I have the privilege of serving as the school’s superintendent, as well as the chairman of the executive team. We are blessed to have a well-trained and degreed teaching staff that love the Lord with all their hearts and are deeply devoted to their calling to instruct children, which makes GCS a special place. The dedication of parents and the many volunteers that serve and provide support for the teaching staff truly reflects the humility of Christ and strengthens the whole educational experience for each student. Without compromising scholastic standards, GCS is committed to providing instruction which is rooted in the eternal principles of God’s Word. “All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the Word of the Lord endures forever” (I Peter 1:24).
    [Show full text]
  • Welcome to Fifth Grade Parent Orientation Follow
    INDIAN HILL MIDDLE SCHOOL WELCOME TO FIFTH GRADE PARENT ORIENTATION FOLLOW US @IHMiddle The Spirit of the IHMS Philosophy ~ BRAVES Pillar Statement! We are Indian Hill BRAVES. Together, as a community, we are stronger. We can stand up and take PRIDE in our accomplishments, driving one another towards EXCELLENCE. Building the foundation of tomorrow by developing qualities of PRIDE, LEADERSHIP and EXCELLENCE our community requires from us and more. WE ARE AND ALWAYS WILL BE BRAVES! SO….What Does It Mean to be an IHMS BRAVE? Increase Student Voice and Leadership Opportunities ● Presentations ● Navig8ors ● Ambassadors ● Makerspace ● The “Student Arrow” ● Student-Created Clubs ● Student-Created Service Learning ● Magnified Giving ● BravesPALOOZA Navig8ors ● Eighth Grade Leaders to Support Sixth Grade Transition ● Weekly Lessons during 1st Semester ● Summer Phone Communication ● August Orientation ● First Day of School ● Guide Parents during Meet the Teacher and Conferences Positive and Nurturing Culture ● State of the Grade Level Meetings: Celebrations, Procedure and Pillar Reminders ● Postcards ● Post-It Notes, personalized letters, and birthday celebrations on lockers ● “Brave New World” T-shirts for new students ● Thematic Spirit Days ● Grade-wide STEM Challenges ● Grade-wide Projects - Launch, Service Learning, Zoo Quarterly Recognition Assemblies ● Recognition based on criteria that is student and teacher created and assembly for all students ● These students will be recognized at a school-wide assembly and honored with a pillars t-shirt ● Examples of Assemblies- ● Veterans Day ● Band, orchestra, and choir performances ● Guest Performances: Children’s Theatre ● Previous Guest Speakers: Anthony Munoz, Dr. Danny Ciamara, Nick Jackson, Ben Glenn, Rick Martin, John Sichel ● Parents will be notified prior to the assembly and are welcome to attend (Shhhh…..Students will not be notified until the assembly).
    [Show full text]
  • Comparison of Grade Span Configurations and Fifth-Grade Students’ Academic Achievement
    COMPARISON OF GRADE SPAN CONFIGURATIONS AND FIFTH-GRADE STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate College Arkansas Tech University in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION in School Leadership in the Department of Educational Leadership of the College of Education May 2020 Sarah McPhate Bachelor of Arts, Louisiana Tech University, 2009 Master of Education, Arkansas State University, 2013 Educational Specialist, Arkansas State University, 2014 Dissertation Approval This dissertation, “Comparison of Grade Span Configurations and Fifth-Grade Students’ Academic Achievement,” by Sarah Danielle McPhate, is approved by: Dissertation Chair: _________________________________ Wayne W. Williams, Ed.D. Professor of Educational Leadership Arkansas Tech University Dissertation Committee _________________________________ Sarah Gordon, Ph.D. Professor of Educational Leadership Arkansas Tech University _________________________________ Karen Endel, Ed.D. Principal (Retired) Butterfield Trail Middle School Program Director: _________________________________ John Freeman, Ph.D. Professor of Educational Leadership Director of Doctor of Education Program Arkansas Tech University Graduate College Dean: _________________________________ Richard Schoephoerster, Ph.D. Dean of Graduate College Arkansas Tech University ii © 2020 Sarah McPhate iii Acknowledgements The completion of this study and dissertation would not have been made possible without the support of amazing people in my life. My husband, J.R., has continually encouraged me in accomplishing my goals. Throughout this journey, he has been extremely supportive and did not let me quit when I faced challenges. He is my best friend who has continuously believed in my potential even when I did not. My mom, Shirley, is one of the strongest women I know, and she has always had high expectations for me.
    [Show full text]
  • Download the Case Study
    PLACE-BASED STEWARDSHIP EDUCATION CASE STUDIES Investigating Local Rivers and Connecting to our Great Lakes Au Gres-Sims Elementary School, Au Gres, Michigan A rural elementary school 1 About the case study This case study of place-based Au Gres-Sims Elementary School has Investigating Local Rivers and stewardship education (PBSE) at Au a longstanding relationship with its Connecting to Our Great Lakes Gres-Sims Elementary School is one hub, the Northeast Michigan Great of 11 case studies developed by staff Lakes Stewardship Initiative. November 2016 of the Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative (GLSI), staff of the GLSI’s nine regional hubs, and the Authors: educators whose work is featured in Michael Fields the study. Meaghan Gass Lisa Marckini-Polk The case studies focus on PBSE Mary Whitmore efforts during the 2014–15 school year. At most of the sites featured in Editing and design: these studies, the PBSE approach has been developed over the course Becky McKendry of several years. Vicari Vollmar Each school featured in a case study Photographs: works with the GLSI through a Brandon Schroeder regional hub. Hubs provide professional development for Supported by: educators, help schools connect and partner with community-based U.S. Environmental Protection Agency organizations, and provide funding (U.S. EPA) grant #00E01327 and other PBSE supports with an The Great Lakes Fishery Trust environmental stewardship emphasis. Cover: A student takes time to reflect during a local stewardship effort. Contents Quick Summary Pages 5–6 A one-page overview
    [Show full text]
  • Which Preschool Mathematics Competencies Are Most Predictive Of
    Early Childhood Research Quarterly 36 (2016) 550–560 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Early Childhood Research Quarterly Which preschool mathematics competencies are most predictive of fifth grade achievement? a,∗ a a b Tutrang Nguyen , Tyler W. Watts , Greg J. Duncan , Douglas H. Clements , b c b Julie S. Sarama , Christopher Wolfe , Mary Elaine Spitler a University of California, Irvine, 3200 Education Building, Irvine, CA 92697, United States b University of Denver, 1999 East Evans Avenue, Denver, CO 80208, United States c Saint Leo University, 33701 State Road 52, Saint Leo, FL 33574, United States a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t Article history: In an effort to promote best practices regarding mathematics teaching and learning at the preschool Received 30 April 2015 level, national advisory panels and organizations have emphasized the importance of children’s emer- Received in revised form 17 February 2016 gent counting and related competencies, such as the ability to verbally count, maintain one-to-one Accepted 20 February 2016 correspondence, count with cardinality, subitize, and count forward or backward from a given num- ber. However, little research has investigated whether the kind of mathematical knowledge promoted Keywords: by the various standards documents actually predict later mathematics achievement. The present study Mathematics achievement uses longitudinal data from a primarily low-income and minority sample of children to examine the Early childhood extent to which preschool mathematical competencies, specifically basic and advanced counting, pre- At-risk students dict fifth grade mathematics achievement. Using regression analyses, we find early numeracy abilities to be the strongest predictors of later mathematics achievement, with advanced counting competencies more predictive than basic counting competencies.
    [Show full text]
  • The Impact of Second and Fifth Grade Teacher Experience And
    The Impact of Second and Fifth Grade Teacher Experience and Effectiveness on Student Achievement in English Language Arts and Mathematics Measured by the Michigan Education Assessment Program Tammy DiPonio B.A., California University of Pennsylvania, 1993 M.S., Northwest Missouri State University, 1998 Submitted to the Graduate Department and Faculty of the School of Education of Baker University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership ________________________________ Sharon Zoellner, Ph.D., Major Advisor ________________________________ Dennis King, Ed.D. ________________________________ Stephani Reynolds, Ed.D. Date Defended: April 4, 2016 Copyright 2016 by Tammy DiPonio Abstract Determining how to accurately measure the impact teachers have on student achievement is an ongoing topic in education. The purpose of this study was to determine if teacher performance, as measured by teachers’ final evaluation ratings, had an impact on elementary students’ academic achievement. The second purpose of the study was to determine if teachers’ years of experience made an impact on students’ academic performance. The study also investigated if there was an interaction between teacher experience and teacher effectiveness. A non-experimental, ex-post facto research design was used for this comparative data study. The independent factors were the teacher evaluation rating and years of experience. The dependent variables were the average classroom scores of the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) in English language arts and mathematics. The population included a group of second and fifth-grade teachers rated highly effective and effective. Two years of data were analyzed. A 2 x 3 factorial ANOVA was used to compare student scores on the MEAP by teacher effectiveness ratings and years of experience.
    [Show full text]
  • Preschool to Fifth Grade: Sixth to Eighth Grade
    RSU21 Summer Reading Tips 2015 Preschool to Fifth Grade: Sixth to Eighth Grade: Don’t leave home without a book or Talk! Talk! Talk! Tell your child family magazine. stories or make up a story. Long car ride? Take an audio book Write! Write! Write! Have your child along for the ride. create your grocery list or send Pick books that are at the right level. postcards to friends and family members describing a recent event Ask your teacher or local librarian for or oung. assistance. Encourage your child to read to Ditch the tv and video games and create others – whether that be a younger cozy reading nooks inside (and outside!) sibling, cousin, or pet! of your home. Don’t know the definion of a Ask your child quesons about the story word? No problem! Crack open a they’ve read. diconary together and teach Most importantly, read with your child them its power. everyday!! Read with or alongside your child – every day! Websites WebPath Express hp://bit.ly/rsu21library (On this page click on the link for Middle School of the Kennebunks, then click on the catalog tab. On the le hand side you will see the WebPath Express link- click to enter.) Wish to learn more about a subject? Check out WebPath Express, a safe, credible and fun educaonal search tool for PreK-12 students and teachers that integrates more than 85,000 trustworthy, relevant websites into RSU 21’s library catalog while filtering out quesonable and irrelevant content. ARKive http://www.arkive.org/ Discover and learn about the world’s endangered animals, plants and fungi - reveal what they look like, what makes them special and why we should protect them.
    [Show full text]