Discussion 2-Question 1: According to research cited in the paper, what was the most important variable mentioned for school success?

            According to the paper I found that the most important variable to success would have to be the way the children are taught in elementary school and their reading levels. The study showed that children with better reading ability were more successful than children who did not have that great of a reading ability. I feel that this puts a lot more responsibility on early education teachers because they are the first kind of academic training that the children receive so they must teach them to read and to write so that they can build onto that foundation they started in elementary school as they further their schooling. School success is determined by the way the children are taught, if they are taught poorly then of course they will perform poorly. This is why the need for great teachers is so high.

 

Discussion 2-Question 2: Describe why you think this might be the case?

            I think that the reason students’ success lies on the elementary school is because that is their first steps into their academic learning. When children begin school they begin at the elementary level therefore they must be engaged and taught to see that learning is fun and learning is important when they are first introduced to academics. A lot of people feel like elementary school teachers have the easiest job because they are dealing with smaller children but this is not the case because those small children eventually turn into middle school students who eventually turn into high school students. Those children are going to continue to build onto that initial foundation they started in elementary school as they continue on through their school career so it is vital that the children are engaged and taught the skills they need to be taught in order to advance to the next level in elementary school.

 

Discussion 2- Question 3: Describe how some schools celebrate their academic success?

            All of the schools celebrated the success of their students but the study showed that each school celebrated in different ways. Some of the ways that were mentioned were school field trips, flexible Fridays, student of the month awards, Honor Roll lists, behavior awards, and the list goes on and on. The way to reward students is limitless. I feel like it is important to recognize the hard work of students and reward them because then that gives them another motivation to achieve results. I can recall a time when I was in elementary school and my school had an ABC Picnic for academic achievement. We basically took a field trip every time we got report cards back if we were on Honor Roll and because of that trip I tried extra hard in school because I wanted to go. If students are rewarded then they will want to keep achieving.

 Discussion 2- Question 4: Should there be a National curriculum for all students? Why or why not?

            I feel like there should be a National curriculum for all students. If every child was being taught the same thing then they would all be going by the same standards and it would be easier to compare the performance levels of the schools. I also feel like if there was a National curriculum then every student would be given the same chance at success in their lives and be on the same standards. Also a National curriculum would be very beneficial because then teachers from all over could collaborate. All in all I see no reason why a National curriculum would not be beneficial because all students would be on the same standards and levels.

Discussion 2- Question 5: List and describe some challenges for school success.

            There are many challenges for school success. Some of them include the family lives of children, lack of work ethic in teachers, lack of resources, the environment, and many others. If the children have a bad family life or an unsupportive family then that makes it harder for the children to do well and harder for the teachers to teach effectively. Also if a teacher does not have the proper work ethic and is a “lemon” (a term used to describe teachers with lack of initiative) then the children are not receiving the material correctly and will struggle. Resources are a big thing that schools need because they need the proper materials in order to teach students and aid in their learning. The environment of the school and the classroom affect student learning also because if the environment is not friendly and does not welcome the students then they will not feel comfortable there. There are many things that can limit or refine success in schools, this is why we need to work together with everyone and use everything in order to give all of our student’s equal shots at success.

Discussion 2- Question 6: What was the purpose for this research study (Elementary School Research)? Describe.

            The purpose in this study was to see the different ways elementary schools teach their students and the different levels of success throughout the schools. I feel like this study was an eye opener because it really showed what is being done and what needs to be done in our school systems. Children need to be taught better reading and writing skills earlier in their education in order to set them up on the right path to success. I also observed that the environments the schools offer have a tremendous effect on the way that the children learn and perform. This study showed the ways that teachers interact with their students, the way that the schools implement ways in order to help students learning, and the way the children are rewarded for their hard works. In short, the purpose of this study was to look at Georgia’s elementary schools in a different way and to see what we need to be doing as teachers for our students.

 

Summary

            All in all I feel like this was a very interesting study that was conducted. I think that with this new information it will greatly affect the way that teachers approach their classrooms and their students. As an aspiring teacher it makes me realize the importance of recognizing students for their hard work, having effective communication with parents, and organizing my future classroom to be an inviting place for my future students. Also it made me very happy to see how the importance of reading and writing skills was emphasized and I feel like that was a great thing because literature is such an important subject that so many people lack in this world. Literature has always been my favorite subject and it made me very happy to read how the importance of it has been recognized.

Research Question:

            Do children that attended head start programs tend to have more success than children that did not attend head start programs?

 

Research Analysis:

            According the New York Times head start is governmentally funded organization for children coming from lower income families and only a certain amount of students can get into these types of programs. The rate of children that attended head start and their success stories after they exit the program are not exactly what you would call overwhelming according to the source. In fact, the rates of success in this early education program are not that high at all after they leave the program. In this article an interviewee says that perhaps the reason that children are not as successful after they leave the program as they were when they were attending the program is because while in the program the children were being taught exactly what they were being tested on and that maybe the parents are interfering with their learning by teaching things that the children don’t need for their tests but rather things they will implement later in life. After making that statement the interviewee adds that of course that is just a speculation and has no data to support it as a fact.

            According to the National Bureau of Economic Research it was observed that students that attended head start as children were more likely to graduate high school, go on to a college, and to have less of a chance of committing crime rather than those who did not attend head start. It was also observed that the effects of head start do improve test scores in kindergarten and the first grade but the impact of head start starts to fade by the third grade. Nonetheless children who attended head start did show better long term effects rather than those that did not. Head start focuses on cognitive ability and while the impact of children’s cognitive ability has a little impact from head start it is said that children are more successful later in life because it takes more than their cognitive ability to be successful later in life.

            In a nut shell both resources essentially say the same thing. While the head start program itself does not take a huge toll on the children’s success later in life there is a correlation between the children that attended it and their success. According to the research even though there is a correlation between the two factors that does not mean head start is the cause of their success.

Research Summary:

            This research was very interesting to me. While the idea of head start seems like it would be a very beneficial program the results of the study seem to hint otherwise. I was a child that attended head start and I feel like I benefited in some ways but I do not think the benefits outweigh the children that did not attend head start. In my personal opinion I feel like head start should not be just offered to lower income families but should instead be offered to all children. Even if head start is not the cause of their success it still helps them when they are just started school. I feel like head start will help children prepare to start school. Even if there isn’t a huge impact with learning the atmosphere could still help them get in the mindset of school.

I also agree with the interviewee from the New York Times article when they made the statement that what parents teach their children outside of the head starts curriculum effects the way that the children test and perform. When children are small they pick up and learn what they see around them so I think that if a child sees negative things or hears incorrect things that they will take that with them. I know from personal experience that children who come from homes that are dysfunctional tend to have less success than those that don’t, and to be honest from what the research said it seems like the head start program is actually targeted for the families that do not have as much or live as well as those that have a wealthier and healthier home. I know that when I attended head start I was in a rougher home than what I am now, and so I can agree with this statement because I have personally experienced it.

 

            Research References:

http://www.nber.org/digest/aug01/w8054.html

http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/02/how-head-start-can-make-a-difference/?_r=0