District Administration - April 2008 - (Page 70)

ResearchCenter Looking Back ESSENTIALS ON EDUCATION DATA and RESEARCH ANALYSIS By Carla Thomas McClure AS THIS MONTH MARKS THE FIFTH ANNIVERSARY AND FIFTIETH ARTICLE OF THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION research department—now renamed Research Center—we sample insights from past columns on a variety of topics to help K12 districts improve teaching and learning. Full columns are available on the DA Web site (www.DistrictAdministration.com). Encourage students to think before they speak. When teachers ask questions in class, students are more likely to give responses that are longer and more complex if teachers pause for three to ﬁve seconds after asking the question. Research conducted by Mary Budd Rowe shows that most teachers give students less than a second. (“Questions Can Be Powerful,” September 2007) Allow time for student writers to plan and revise. Students in grades 8 and 12 outperformed peers on the 1998 NAEP writing assessment when they were asked to do two things: ﬁrst, plan their writing at least once a week or once or twice a month and, second, write more than one draft. (“The ‘Write’ Connections,” November 2005) Include the arts. When researchers analyzed a database of 25,000 students in 1999, they found a correlation between arts-integrated curricula and high levels of student success. (“Linking the Disciplines—and Achievement,” October 2007) Give children an early start in secondlanguage learning. In the United States, most students who study a foreign language begin at age 14 or later. But linguistic studies show that children who begin learning a second language before adolescence exhibit more nativelike pronunciation than those who start later. (“Learning a Second Language: When & Why,” November 2006) 70 April 2008 they concluded that eﬀective mathematics lessons do not require students to apply new knowledge independently until they have demonstrated an ability to apply the new knowledge successfully. (“K8 Math Strategies,” March 2007) Make decisions about early grade retention with care. Several studies show that students who are retained at any grade level are more likely to drop out of school, but simple retention without targeted intervention in grades K-3 (especially kindergarten or ﬁrst grade) is characterized by some as especially risky. Researchers suggest a combination of prevention, targeted intervention, and sustained supports. (“Retention or Promotion? Wrong Question,” February 2005) Make time for social studies in the elementary grades. The 2001 NAEP results in U.S. history found that fourth-graders whose teachers spent more than 180 minutes a week on social studies scored higher when compared to students whose teachers spent less time on the subject. (“Social Studies: Mastering Content and Skills,” June 2007) To get the best teachers, expedite the hiring process. When The New Teacher Project studied hiring in four hard-to-staﬀ urban districts, researchers found that strategic recruitment yielded a multitude of applicants for teaching positions. However, many of the best candidates later withdrew their applications. The majority District Administration Ability grouping alone has no signiﬁcant eﬀect on learning. Give children a break. The National Institute of Medicine recommends that school-age children get at least 30 minutes of physical activity or exercise every day. (“Fighting Obesity: What Schools Can Do,” August 2006) Diagnose reading diﬃculties sooner rather than later. For children with dyslexia, delay or denial of intervention can have negative long-term consequences. The only way to conﬁrm a suspected diagnosis of dyslexia is through formal testing of reading, language, and writing skills. (“Demystifying Dyslexia,” December 2007) Set students up for success in mathematics. When Robert Dixon and colleagues reviewed ﬁndings from 110 experimental research reports in 1998, http://www.DistrictAdministration.com ttp://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pmg/da0307/index.php?startid=108 ttp://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pmg/da0307/index.php?startid=108 https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pmg/da0907/index.php?startid=66 https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pmg/da0806/index.php?startid=72 https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pmg/da1007/index.php?startid=70 https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pmg/da0607/index.php?startid=90 https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pmg/da0607/index.php?startid=90 https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pmg/da1207/index.php?startid=86 https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pmg/da1106/index.php?startid=80 https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pmg/da1106/index.php?startid=80

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - April 2008

District Administration - April 2008
Contents
Editor’s Letter
Letters
News Update
Technology
Facilities & Construction
Curriculum
Inside the Law
District Profile
Administrator Profile
Profit and Loss in School-Business Partnerships
The Broad Way
Big Macs for Big Grades
Hometown Success
How Well Does This Web Site Work?
Speaking Out
Crisis Response
New Products
Problem/Solution
Computer Literature
Research Center
Calendar of Events
Products Showcase
Understanding the Times

District Administration - April 2008