Posts Tagged the school
Los Angeles School District – Making a Move in Fighting Dropout Problems
The program My Future, My Decision was implemented by LAUSD’s Dropout Prevention and Recovery staff and supporters. It integrates a comprehensive approach in reducing dropout rates. It focuses on the problems and needs of potential dropouts to regain schooling. It is committed to assist and counsel students to earn a diploma.
A study shows that one out of three high school students fail to graduate. Many students have low self-esteem that they give up midway in their schooling.
The growing number of dropouts will make them four times more likely to be unemployed. A school dropout is more likely to become a prisoner, living in poverty, unhealthy, and divorced. He does not vote and participate in the community. He ends up in low paying jobs also.
The Los Angeles Unified School District campaigns vigorously to solve this problem. It extends an outreach effort through student-friendly communications like radios, text messaging and peer to peer networking sites. It has developed several programs to encourage students to finish school.
One program is the Appointment of (DPA) Diploma Project Advisers and (PSA) Pupil Service and Attendance Counselors. It provides the placement of 80 DPAs and 300 PSAs in schools having high dropout rates. They help develop and implement individual educational blueprints. DPAs and PSA counselors work with the school staff to develop incentive programs like providing a quarterly parent meeting and intervention services upon enrollment.
The newer campaign is called My Future, My Decision. It taps the students for personal responsibility through multimedia broadcast and communication channels. Alternative communication channels include the specific website, peer to peer social networking and cell phone texting.
There is also higher educational institutions partnership. It aims to expand educational programs for high school students of the Los Angeles Community College District.
In fixed programs for professional development, the staff works directly with at-risk students. They use the Parent-Student Resource Guidebook to support and in explain educational options.
When necessary, they visit door to door to reach out to the students. They counsel and explain how they can complete course credits and other requirements.
The expanded youth employment program promotes learn to earn year-round programs with the help of the mayor’s office and civic organizations. It gives them the opportunity to work while studying.
Network development provides educational options while working such as independent study program, alternative education work centers, 6 education career centers, 56 community day schools and 18 adult schools.
Other elements include a new parental notification system, online credit recovery classes and accurate mapping and tracking systems for dropout rates. Another program option is the collaboration of community based organizations and officials.
In the end, students agree that dropping is a big mistake. A poll released by the National Governors Association in 2005 found out that young people who still want to go to college has a rate of 87 percent. Los Angeles Unified School District is hoping for a big change, hoping to give students a better future.
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What a Parent Volunteer Program Does For a School
Parent volunteers and an effective school volunteer program can enhance the perform of students, enrich the curriculum, enhance a school’s image, improve teacher relationships and provide an array of job skills. Learn about the benefits of creating a school volunteer program and why recruiting and training parent volunteers is a must effective parent involvement.
A Parent Volunteer Program Enriches the Curriculum
A teacher’s job can be overwhelming. Yet many of these activities can be handled efficiently by others, notably, parent or school volunteers. When teachers are freed from the routine and ordinary responsibilities of duplicating, preparing materials, clerical tasks, grading papers, and the like, they have more time to explore and develop ideas that will enhance, support, and reinforce the curriculum and student learning.
Student Achievement Increased
In addition to the benefit of extra help, studies continue to taut the positive effects of parent involvement on student achievement. Active parent participation is known for raising student scores, higher grades, increase in student achievement, cultivating positive attitudes about school by both parents and students, enhanced motivation and self esteem and overall satisfaction with teachers.
Students Receive More Individualized Attention
Another advantage to an effective volunteer program is the additional individualized attention students will receive. Most classrooms consist of 20-34 students with only one instructor. It is literally impossible for classroom teachers to sufficient time with struggling students. Unfortunately, this can result in some students falling through the cracks and/or not receiving the extra help needed for success. Teachers can train and utilize volunteers to assist with individualized and small group instruction to enhance student learning.
School Image Enhanced
With all the negative publicity associated with schools around the country, a successful parent volunteer program is one way to gain some kudos for your school. Happy and empowered school volunteers will be your greatest mouth-piece and ally for the school. The parent grapevine is a strong and vital source that transmits information throughout the school site and community at large. You will be projecting to the community how much you value parents and their input into their child’s success.
Teacher Appreciation Improves
Do you know that many parents are just as intimidated of teachers as teachers are of parents? Many parents, especially those of diverse backgrounds, have had negative school experiences. They have experienced negative teacher attitudes and unwelcoming school atmospheres and may feel uncomfortable even being on a school campus. Your willingness you reach out and make parents a crucial part of your school programs helps to bridge these gaps and elevate the appreciation for both teachers and the school in general.
Enhance Job Skills
When you recruit and train parents to volunteer you are also increasing their work skills for future employment. Whether parents are assisting you with your reading program, using the copy or laminating machines, or editing writing prompts, they are learning valuable skills that will benefit themselves, their children, and the school for years to come.
Reduces Discipline Problems
Having parents around greatly reduces discipline problems within your classroom and at the school. When parents volunteer they send the message to their children that education is important. This translates into high expectations for learning to take place. In addition, students tend to be on their best behavior when their parents are present.
Teachers Morale Improves
Teachers have one of the highest attrition rates in the workforce. Long hours, high stress, little reward and recognition, lower pay, and increasing work loads contribute to the high burnout rates. The average teacher stays in the profession approximately 5 years before seeking greener pastures. Teachers must make balancing their life a priority, otherwise burnout and stress will creep in and dampen their spirits. Balanced teachers are happier teachers and happy teachers create the most effective learning environments for student success.
Student Motivation Increases
Research indicates that students of involved parents have a more favorable attitude toward school. A positive attitude will result in more engaged students, increased learning, less absenteeism, and better grades.
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Broaden Your Learning With an Online Doctorate Degree
Education and learning certainly does not end with college degrees. In fact it is common for people to continue learning even through their golden years. This is why many individuals strive to achieve higher education degrees. However, it is not easy for every professional to devote the time to higher studies when they are struggling through family and career life.
Time and distance are just some of the major factors why interested professionals cannot proceed to their doctorate studies. If you are one of the people who desire for a more flexible system in achieving continuing education, online doctorate degrees are perfect for your needs.
Applying for an online doctorate degree is very easy. If you have already finished your master’s degree courses successfully, you can present the results and other requirements to the academic institution online. There are various universities nowadays that cater to the online education needs of doctorate students.
Most of the time, these online schools require a certain grade standard from their applicants before accepting them. Qualified students will attend classes through an internet ready computer. It is their responsibility to successfully pass their doctorate degrees.
Before you actually decide to take up online doctorate education, it is necessary for you to verify the credibility of the school and the course you are planning to take up. There may be slight differences depending on location. You also have to consider the best degree offered in your location. There may be colleges or schools not ideal for your requirements. Finally, depositing payments online should be done securely if you are paying tuition fees and other charges.
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How to Fund Your Education
Funding your education can be a simple task or it can become very complicated depending on your eligibility status. You need to know what your requirements are in order to determine what your eligibility status is before applied for any loans or grants. Your eligibility stems on your social economic level, your grade point average, and things like your health may play an active part in your qualifications.
There are many programs out there for those who are in a low income or minority group. The Perkins Loans, Pell Grants, and The Stafford Loans are geared for people who need extra assistance to enable them to attend a Community College or a University to better improve their status in life. Minority groups often have private organizations that help them as well. The Negro college fund helps send any child who is willing to go to college. The American Indian has special funding that helps them as well this is just a few special helps for the minority groups. You can research and find many more helpful organizations that are willing to sponsor you.
Your grade point average is vital sometimes in getting accepted into the higher education Universities around the country. A person with all A’s and making very high score on their SAT is usually welcomed with open arms and all sorts of grants are made available. Yet many students who have an A-B average are still eligible for grants besides the student loans to help them in their pursuit of a better education.
People who have disabilities but show that they have a good aptitude for learning are equally accepted by colleges and Universities. These people are often helped by special programs that join together to help make their studies go a bit easier. It is difficult for them from the stand point of trying to get around if they are in a wheel chair or perhaps they need special aids because of poor mobility with their hands. The blind are afforded equipment that help them to read as well as voice equipment that reads material to them as a brief explanation to the type of adaptive equipment used by the disabled-blind.
Then we have one other category and that is of our athlete’s people who really excel in sports. Many of our Universities look for students who are good in football, basketball, soccer or baseball as a few of the sporting events made popular by our society. These sporting events bring in millions of dollars for the University and so they often have scouts who go out looking at high school seniors for the purpose of drafting them into the school for the team. The University provides the student enough grants etc. to help them get a degree for what they want to pursue in life after college.
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How to Choose the Best Home Schooling Distance Learning Program
You have decided to take your child out of traditional public school in favor of home schooling. You have heard many of your friends talk about this option, but no one has done anything yet. And you’re determined to give your child the best education they can get because you want a better experience for them.
Many parents out of frustration with traditional schools turn to home schooling distance learning programs. The challenge is that there are so many today that it can be difficult to find the one that will work for your child. It seems like there are hundreds of these programs now because of the interest in home schooling but they are not all good programs.
When you are considering any home schooling distance learning program here are some issues to consider:
Accreditation
Traditional schools have to be accredited to show that they meet certain standards for their curriculum and teachers. A home schooling distance learning program should also be accredited by the state in which they reside. This insures that you are getting quality teaching and not just a fly by night school.
Teachers
Teachers should be certified and have at least the requirements for teaching in the state where the home schooling distance learning program is housed. This insures that the teachers have the knowledge and the skill to teach in the K-12 environment.
The Curriculum
There should be a flexible curriculum that allows for not only online instruction, but also the ability to have a textbook and a hands-on application. In order to be different than the traditional classroom, the home schooling distance learning program should take into consideration the need for real world application and immerse the student in learning.
Suggestions to Parents for Support
A good home schooling distance learning program will help parents integrate the program and find ways to support their child in learning. They will help parents find a comfort level with this process and give them actual ways that they can help between lessons.
History
Any home schooling distance learning program that you choose should have a history of educating students and should show their success on their websites. You should see testimonials and other information from students who have gone through the program. Make sure that the program has been in existence for at least five years and that it is student focused rather than curriculum focused.
Customer Service
You should be able to get in touch with someone from the school at least through email, but also by phone if necessary. The program should tell you how to do this before you sign up. You should also have access to the teacher via email, throughout the course of enrollment.
When you enroll in a home schooling distance learning program it will be a good idea to have at least a basic DSL connection for your computer because these programs generally work with higher level technical skill. The program will guide you and your student through the process of what to do for each lesson.
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