The document proposes reevaluating the current education system to address its problems. It suggests restructuring classrooms based on learning styles, implementing a new IEP system to track each student's learning style and abilities, assessing student motivation in middle school to set goals, and developing expectations for high school graduation. It also discusses enhancing afterschool activities and their positive impact on academic achievement, including improved grades, reading skills, school attendance, and behavior. The goal is to develop an innovative education system to reduce the over 1 million students who fail to graduate annually.
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Reevaluating Education Systems to Improve Student Outcomes
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Education systems
Reevaluation of the
Education System
Clear Vision Industries
Xavier A. Parker.
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I. Table of Contents
I. Table of Contents 2
II. Introduction Error! Bookmark not defined.
III. Learning Styles Error! Bookmark not defined.
IV. Assessing Motivation Error! Bookmark not defined.
V. Develop Expectation Error! Bookmark not defined.
VI. Afterschool Activities Error! Bookmark not defined.
VII. Statistics Error! Bookmark not defined.
VIII. Conclusion Error! Bookmark not defined.
IX. References Error! Bookmark not defined.
Appendix A: Emplemention Chart Error! Bookmark not defined.
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II. Introduction
The purpose of this plan is to developing an innovative and current education system, currently over a
million of the students who enter ninth grade fail to graduate within four years. In fact, about 7,000
students drop out every school day. Perhaps this statistic was acceptable fifty years ago, but the era in
which a high school dropout could earn a living wage has ended in the United States. Dropouts
significantly diminish their chances to secure a good job and a promising future, once the decision is
made to quit school.
To rid the current education system of the current problems will be to restructure the current class
room set up, evaluate individuals learning styles and the effect of after school activities.
Kindengarden-12th Grade
Restructuring:
Learning Styles:
From K-3rd grade students should be evaluated on their learning styles and their
abilities to retain information.
New IEP system:
Don‟t make an IEP a bad thing, make the IEP for every student, and use it as a
developmental tool.
Assessing Motivation:
From 4th-8th grade assess student‟s motivation for success and action.
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Developing Expectations:
From 9th-12th grade develop expectation for graduation from staff, parent and
student.
Classroom Structure:
After the development of the new IEP and learning styles system, change the
class rooms to match students and instructors that learn and instruct the same.
Afterschool activities & Statistics:
The review the Union contracts and look were adjustments and compromise can be made to
decrease the massive expense of the Union and create and save jobs.
Implementation chart
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III. Learning Styles
What is the best way to learn: The best way for a person to learn depends on the person, of
course. It is well know that people have different leaning styles that work best for them. The best
approach for an instructor to take is to address a variety of learning styles with their teaching plan. It
is also helpful to encourage students to understand their preferred leaning style. Individuals assume
that by the time students reach the college level that they have figured out the best and most
productive way to study to retain information. This is not a correct assumption. School systems
should make students aware of the various learning styles and encourage them to consider their
preferred style as they complete their studies and develop a plan to assist in this.
Providing the right environment conducive to learning: The classroom environment can also
have a big effect on the amount of learning that occurs. Here again, people are different and have
different environmental preferences. Nevertheless, understand what effects the learning process is
important to know. Some of the common learning styles and environmental factors that should be
considered when attempting to create the best learning conditions are listed below:
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DESCRIPTION
Learning Styles
Most students learn best when there is a logical sequential, delineated lesson that
provides the objective and systematic steps to do the assignment. This type of student
Structure of Lessons benefits from the use of rubrics so that they can better follow lectures and assignments.
However, some students do not like much structure and appreciate being given choices
and allowed to be creative.
Some students benefit greatly from group activities and other do not. For those who are
peer learners, pair them with another student when possible. For those who are self
learners do not force them into a group/peer-learning situation all the time. Cooperative
Sociological
learning is an important learning tool but some students are more introverted than
others and may have difficulty participating in group activities.
Some students learn best by listening. Auditory learners do well with lecture, class
discussions, etc. While lecture is considered the least effective teaching method, some
Auditory
students learn best by simply listening. These students may also be more sensitive to
outside noises.
Visual learners benefit from a variety of ocular stimulation. One example would be the
use of colors. These students like images and written information. They like to be able
to read instructions or the text on their own to increase their understanding. When
Visual
studying it is helpful for these student to use different color highlighters or pens as they
are reading and taking notes. These students may also be more sensitive to visual
distractions.
Most people learn best with hands-on activities, but some gain a lot more from it than
others. Some students really increase their learn potential when they are give they
Tactile
opportunity to do something by themselves Especially in a science classroom there
should be plenty of opportunities to learn by doing.
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Environmental
DESCRIPTION
Factors
A formal setting would be the traditional desk and chair or possibly a table. An
informal setting would be the floor, a couch, a beanbag, etc. Every student‟s brain
Formal vs. Informal
will not function the same in the same postural position. So when you see a student
slouching in a traditional desk or chair, it may simply mean that they would learn
better in more of an informal setting.
Some students find sound distracting and some find it calming. It may be beneficial
to have several study areas established. One where the noise level is kept to a
Noise vs. Quiet
minimum and one where some background noise are present.
Room temperature also plays a key role in learning. If a student is too cold or too
hot, they will have more of a hard time concentrating on what their learning task is.
It is recommended that the classroom temperature be cool if possible. This way those
Temperature
who do not like being cold can simply wear another layer of clothing and be
comfortable.
Everybody‟s eyes react differently to light. Some students may need to sit by a
bright reading lamp while others may get a headache when too much light is present.
Bright vs. Dim
A light level that all students find comfortable should be sought.
Some people need to have continuous movement as they are studying, such as
tapping there fingers or foot on the floor, fooling with their hair, using a stress ball,
Kinesthetic
or chewing gum. This is absolutely natural but if they are not alone studying, makes
sure they do not distract others.
The human body is built to move and it does particularly like to sit still for long
periods of time. Have students to stand, stretch, and take short breaks as needed
during studying. It is good to study in 20-30 minute increments with a brief break
Mobility
between each block of time. Research has shown that it only takes 30 seconds to rest
and recharge the brain.
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Implementation of Learning Styles: The suggested way to implement these new learning styles
takes the pressure off of the student and the teacher for the first 4 years of development, so instead of
trying to get A, B, C‟s and so on and so forth, the new system will be focused on how the student‟s
learn to prepare them for the grades of 4th-12th.
The young students will still learn their alphabets, numbers, math and English, but the focus will
not be on grading them and testing them for their report cards, the emphasis will be on grading on
how they retain the knowledge, how the best learn it and can do they get it (can they tell you why
2x3= 6; instead of just memorizing it). To implement this plan the school system will have a new
I.E.P system for all of the students not just the special education. The new I.E.P system will track the
learning style of ever student in every subject. It will track their behavior patterns and achievements.
The reason for this is just imagine if every teacher had information on ever student that was set to
come into their class room everyday. The teachers know if the have an over achiever and or an under
achiever in their classroom. They know who can help them in the class room and who will need extra
help in the class room.
Classroom set up: The new I.E.P. and learning style system will help the school system set up the
class room to meet the needs of all students. I think it would be beneficial for the student and teachers
to have it set up where if I am in a math class and I am a visual learner that everyone in the class
room is a visual learner‟s, so the teacher can develop a course were the visual learners can get the full
information from the course. Next if it was not cost effective to break each class down into different
learning styles, but they can combine certain learning styles 1, 2, or 3 different styles in one class
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room but since the teacher knows that he has the certain learning styles in his class room he can set
up for all of them, there for everyone is learning equally.
Effect of the systems: The effect of the new system will be better class room grades and behavior,
if a student is getting information in the form that is the most effective to him/her then grades will be
better. Next, sometimes all of the things put in place can not change certain students, but with the
development of this new system it can eliminate the “stupid student” and what I mean by this that
most bad behavior comes from a student not being involved in class, not getting the information and
feeling less than the other students that get it, therefore making fun of the other students that do good
it and making it seem as being smart is bad.
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IV. Assessing Motivation
Motivation is the process whereby goal-directed activity is instigated and sustained. From the 4th
grade-8th grade this is where we now develop motivation of the student. This is were we set goals and
reward when these expectations are meet. For the early grades motivation can be something as simple
as setting the goal of no interruption during class for the whole day for at least 3 days out of the week
and the reward is a pizza party. For the higher grades this is were you reward them with setting goals
and when they meet these goals they are allow to go to the spring dance, participate in sports,
cheerleading and other in school and after school activities. This is currently active in the school now
but it can be revamp to where the student sets their own reachable goals to then give some of the
responsibility to the student.
I feel motivation is key to success; most people really feel that since they went to school and did well
that their child should automatically will love school that is just not fact. We need to find ways to
motivate the new age student things that were working are not currently working as evident by the
drop out rates. So in this stage this is were we start setting goals for the students to continue toward
high school.
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V. Develop Expectation:
From 9th-12th grade develop expectation for graduation from staff, parent and student. This is the
stage where we prepare students for life after high school. During this stage we prepare students for
careers and or higher education then careers. I think that today in our educational system there is to
much weight put on testing, there are individuals who could teach you the legal system front to back
but it took them 2-4 times to pass the BAR exam, so I really think more weight should be put on
knowledge retention and can they re-teach what they have learned.
When setting expectation from 9th grade we find out what would they like to do after high school, if
someone wants to be an architect you will have that student take more math courses than another
student who wants to be a scientist. Next after finding out where they want to go set them up with the
course work to let the see what is expected to see if that is what they want to do. The third is to bring
back home economics, auto shop and tool shop and courses of that nature.
Finally for the students who want to go to college, they should be prepared during the second half of
their 11th grade school year, so they can prepare for SAT/ACT‟s, college visits and parents being
more involved with these choices also.
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VI. Afterschool activities:
Enhancing Children’s Academic Achievement:
Improving Children‟s Grades and Academic Achievement: Young people attending formal after-
school programs often spend more time in academic activities and in enrichment lessons than do their
peers left unsupervised after school. Children whose out-of-school time includes 20-35 hours of
constructive learning activities do better in school.
Studies indicate that students in after-school programs show better achievement in math, reading, and
other subjects.
Increasing Children‟s Interest and Ability in Reading: Quality after-school curricula expose children
to an environment rich in language and print. Quality, research-based tutoring programs also produce
improvements in reading achievement. Tutoring can also lead to greater self-confidence in reading,
increased motivation to read, and improved behavior.
Improving School Attendance, Increasing Engagement in School, and Reducing the Dropout Rate:
After-school programs can help children develop greater confidence in their academic abilities and a
greater interest in school, both of which have been shown to lead to improved school attendance and
completion rates. Students who spent even one to four hours a week in extracurricular activities were
60 percent less likely to have dropped out of school by 12th grade than their peers who did not
participate.
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Increasing Homework Quality: The structure of an after-school program can make homework part
of students‟ daily routine. This can contribute to children in after-school programs completing more
and better-prepared homework because of their participation. Also books student need to be able to
bring books home, I don‟t know how many times parents with young students call me to ask for help
when helping their child with home work because they have been out of school for 10-20 years, and
the student does not have a book to bring home with the examples for the student and the parents.
Increasing Aspirations for the Future: By giving children role models and the tools they need to
succeed in school, after-school programs can help children realize their full potential.
Improved Behavior in School: Research shows that children who participate in after-school
programs behave better in class, handle conflict more effectively, and cooperate more with authority
figures and with their peers.
Better Social Skills: The after-school environment allows children to interact socially in a more
relaxed atmosphere. Research shows that children with the opportunity to make social connections in
after-school hours are better adjusted and happier than those who do not have this opportunity.
Improved Self-Confidence: Youth organizations have indicated that the single most important factor
in the success of their programs is the relationship between participants and the adults who work with
them. Programs can provide the opportunity for youth to gain self-confidence through development
of caring relationships with adults and peers.
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More Effective Use of Funding: After-school programs can help school districts save money over the
long term because of decreased student retention and special education placements. Where there is a
decrease in juvenile crime due to a program, communities also save resources.
Greater Family and Community Involvement: Many after-school programs depend on and draw
upon parent and community volunteers. Research show that when families are involved in schools,
students do better. Educators can also expect that when family and community members make an
investment in an after-school program, they will be more interested and involved in their own
children‟s learning, in the learning of all children in the program, and in the life of the school as a
whole.
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VII. Statistics:
Who is dropping out: Overall, far too many students are not graduating on time with a regular
diploma; low-income and minority students fare the worst in the dropout epidemic.
Each year, approximately 1.2 million students fail to graduate from high school, more than half of
whom are from minority groups. Nationally, about 71 percent of all students graduate from high
school on time with a regular diploma, but barely half of African American and Hispanic students
earn diplomas with their peers. In many states the difference between white and minority graduation
rates is stunning; in several cases there is a gap of as many as 40 or 50 percentage points. A sixteen-
to twenty-four-year-old coming from the highest quartile of family income is about seven times as
likely to have completed high school as a sixteen- to twenty-four-year-old coming from the lowest
quartile.
Where Are Students Dropping Out: A relatively small number of chronically underperforming high
schools are responsible for more than half of the nation„s dropouts.
Approximately two thousand high schools (about 12 percent of American high schools) produce more
than half of the nation„s dropouts. In these ―dropout factories, the number of seniors enrolled is
routinely 60 percent or less than the number of freshmen three years earlier. Eighty percent of the
high schools that produce the most dropouts can be found in a subset of just fifteen states. The
majority of dropout factories are located in northern and western cities and throughout the southern
states.
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Why Do Students Drop Out: While there is no single reason that students drop out, research indicates
that difficult transitions to high school, deficient basic skills, and a lack of engagement serve as
prominent barriers to graduation. Most dropouts are already on the path to failure in the middle
grades and engage in behaviors that strongly correlate to dropping out in high school. Various
researchers have identified specific risk factors, such as low attendance or a failing grade, which can
identify future dropouts—in some cases as early as sixth grade. Ninth grade serves as a bottleneck for
many students who begin their freshman year only to find that their academic skills are insufficient
for high school-level work. Up to 40 percent of ninth grade students in cities with the highest dropout
rates repeat ninth grade; only 10 to 15 percent of those repeaters go on to graduate.8 Academic
success in ninth grade course work is highly predictive of eventual graduation; it is even more telling
than demographic characteristics or prior academic achievement. Unfortunately, many students are
not given the extra support they need to successfully make the transition to high school. As a result,
over one third of all dropouts are lost in ninth grade. The six million secondary students who
comprise the lowest 25 percent of achievement are twenty times more likely to drop out of high
school than students in the top-performing quartile. Both academic and social engagements are
integral components of successfully navigating the education pipeline. Research shows that a lack of
student engagement is predictive of dropping out, even after controlling for academic achievement
and student background.
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What Are the Costs of Dropping out of High School: Dropouts suffer from reduced earnings and lost
opportunities; there is also a significant social and economic cost to the rest of the nation.
Over the course of his or her lifetime, a high school dropout earns, on average, about $260,000 less
than a high school graduate. Dropouts from the Class of 2008 alone will cost the nation more than
$319 billion in lost wages over the course of their lifetimes. If the United Statesquot; likelyquot; dropouts
from the Class of 2006 had graduated, the nation could have saved more than $17 billion in Medicaid
and expenditures for uninsured health care over the course of those young people„s lifetimes. If U.S.
high schools and colleges raise the graduation rates of Hispanic, African American, and Native
American students to the levels of white students by 2020, the potential increase in personal income
would add more than $310 billion to the U.S. economy. Increasing the graduation rate and college
matriculation of male students in the United States by just 5 percent could lead to combined savings
and revenue of almost $8 billion each year by reducing crime-related costs.
Updated February 2009: Dropout factories produce 69 percent of all African American dropouts and
63 percent of all Hispanic dropouts, compared to 30 percent of all white dropouts.6
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VIII. Conclusion:
This plan I really think may not be the answer to everything but I think it is a start; the development
of a program of this nature can really change the structure of the current school system and our place
in the world when it comes to education. Many student fail at school because now things are focus on
teaching a class a certain subject one way, but we know that people learn things differently, so when
students are not learning they are acting out. When students are taught a subject in their learning style
they become more interested and become a better student.
The emphasis that we place on test is a bit much, I can do the work not get the work, then memorize
it and take a test and get a A, but that does not help me in the long run because I really don‟t get it.
Next we have student who does the work and gets the work, but is a bad test taker and then gets a bad
grade on the test then he finishes the course with a C or D, but he/she does really know the material,
this is a problem. I really think that we need to develop new grading system on retention of material,
reiteration of material learned and testing on the material.
Finally, I really think that with all of the problems we face in the current education system one of the
biggest factors my very well be the things that happens outside of school. A new development of
community and after school programs is a must, children need things to do, parents are working long
hours, making less money (some people) and the children are effected by it.
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IX. References
Alliance for Excellent Education (February, 2009). High School Dropout in America. Retrieved on
April 25, 2009 from http://www.all4ed.org/files/GraduationRates_FactSheet.pdf.
Archived Information (June 2000) After-School Programs: Keeping Children Safe and Smart.
Retrieved May 1, 2009 from http://www.ed.gov/pubs/afterschool/2potential.html
Meece, J. L., Schunk, D. H., Pintrich, P. R. (2008) Motivation in Education “Theory, Research and
Application. Upper Saddle River, NJ.
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Implementation Chart
Phase Restructuring: School board Implementation:
Developing Learning Styles Have the school board develop a new
I Develop new IEP system learning style curriculum.
New Classroom set up Redefine IEP
Develop staff training for teachers to
prepare for change
Meet with parents and community
about plan
Create motivation standards for grades 4 th-
Staff must develop motivation guidelines
II th
8 for staff and students
Develop expectation for 9th – 12th grade
Develop expectation guidelines
Real college preparation curriculum Help develop college prep curriculum
Reinstitute technical courses (Home Ec.,
Wood Shop and Auto Shop)
Secure funding
Pick a class and monitor from K-12
III. Create a monitoring system for this
Develop after school programs
program
Develop new grading system on retention,
Contact family of developing school
reiteration of material learned and testing
Develop a class of students in the inner
city and suburban areas.
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Evaluation Sheet: Name: _______________________________________________
Course: MGT 205 Date: 5/6/2009
1= Strongly Disagree 2= Disagree 3=Agree 4= Strongly Agree
Preparation- Member was well prepared
Communication- Individual was informed
and knew content well and presented it
clearly
Time- Project was informal but not
information overload
Quality of Power Point-
Do you Agree with the information
presented?
Additional Comments:
Overall Score