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Matthew Lynch published in International Education

10 mandatory websites for international students

**The Edvocate is pleased to publish guest posts as way to fuel important conversations surrounding P-20 education in America. The opinions contained within guest posts are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of The Edvocate or Dr. Matthew Lynch.**

A guest column by Julie Petersen

When you applied to a school in a different country, you were enthusiastic about the change. You expected to meet tons of friends and benefit from your freedom as much as possible. However, international studies come with huge responsibilities that will bring you back to reality.

Before you even start adapting to the new environment, you’ll realize that it’s hard to manage your expenses, understand your professors, and complete all academic projects you’re expected to submit. That’s why you need to rely on the following websites, which are meant to make the life and studies of an international student less stressful.

Educational Resources for International Students

  1. Elevate. This is your personal brain trainer! Elevate is an app that enables you to develop a comprehensive sets of reading, speaking, listening, and writing skills. They are all important for your education! The app is very entertaining, so you won’t even realize you’re boosting your English skills along the way. It doesn’t matter whether you get the correct answer or you make a mistake; you’ll always get a chance to practice more and become better.
  2. Common Errors in English Usage. No matter how hard you tried to master English grammar and vocabulary throughout your studies, it will be difficult to express yourself entirely in this language. You’ve been focused on grammar and syntax rules, but do you know which mistakes to avoid? At this website, you’ll get access to detailed explanations of the common errors in English usage. When you learn how to avoid these slips, you’ll instantly become a better speaker and writer.
  3. CliffsNotes. At this website, you’ll find effective study guides, literature notes, and test prep materials that will make your studies much easier. In addition, CliffsNotes offers words of the week and tips on how to enhance your lifestyle. When you don’t have a time to read a particular book for class, the literature notes in this database will save you from a bad grade.
  4. International Student. This website is a necessary addition to your set of tools. It enables you to search for products and services for international students, such as insurance, loans, textbooks, prepaid SIM cards, and more. You can also use the Student Job Search tool if you’re ready to start making money throughout your studies abroad. The blog is awesome; it offers information on different majors, so you’ll understand which degree will ensure you the best future.
  5. AU-Assignment-Help.com. At this website, you can get professional writing assistance for any academic project. The project was launched by Australian educators, who understood that most students faced difficulties when they had to write essays, assignments, research papers and other projects. When you ask for help, you’ll be paired with a tutor who understands the particular area of study, so you’ll get detailed guidance through the planning and writing process. This learning experience will certainly help you meet the expectations of the professors in your university.

Tools that Help You Balance Your Lifestyle

  1. WhatsApp. WhatsApp is available as a web-based tool and an app for Android and iOS. It will enable you to catch up with your friends and family at any time. If you have a girlfriend back home, it will be easier to maintain the relationship knowing that you’re always be available for each other. In addition, WhatsApp is a great tool for organizing study sessions and meet-ups with your new friends.
  2. Google Maps. When you find yourself in an unknown city, it’s hard to get to the right places on time. That’s why you have Google Maps – a tool that will always help you find the right way. The tool works well in warning you about crowded traffic. It also shows bike routes, so you’ll have no problem finding your way regardless of the type of transport you choose.
  3. Converter Plus. The new currency can make spending confusing. You might never be aware of the amounts you spend, so you can easily end up wasting $20 on tea. Don’t make such mistakes. Converter Plus is an awesome app that enables you to convert currencies and units in an extensive list of categories. Suddenly, you’ll understand that the need to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit and Meters to Feet is not that frustrating after all.
  4. OnTrees. When your budget is limited, it’s difficult to decide what expenses are mandatory and which ones you can live without. OnTrees will help you manage your money effectively. You can track your activity and see how much you are spending on a daily basis. Then, you can analyze the expenses according to type, data and account. When you have such detailed presentation of your expenses, it will be easier for you to plan them thoughtfully.
  5. Eventbrite. You don’t want to miss a concert, an exhibition, or another cultural event in the new city? Eventbrite will help you realize the lifestyle you imagined when you planned your studies in another country. The tool enables you to search by location and buy tickets for different events you are interested in. Plus, you’ll see which of your friends are attending, so you can easily find company.

International students have to invest double efforts if they want to achieve the goals they have set. The new environment imposes many challenges, but there is no issue you cannot overcome without commitment. You’ll also need the right resources to support you on that journey, so you should start exploring the above-listed websites with no delay.               

____________

Julie Petersen is a young blogger and writer, who features the latest educational and career trends in her articles. At present time she is working on her first ebook dedicated to e-learning technologies. You can contact her via LinkedIn.

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Matthew Lynch published in Parental Involvement

How to Help Your Child Cope with ADHD

**The Edvocate is pleased to publish guest posts as way to fuel important conversations surrounding a P-20 education in America. The opinions contained within guest posts are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of The Edvocate or Dr. Matthew Lynch.**

By JaVohn Perry

A lot of parents wonder what to do once their child is diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, commonly referred to ADHD. This is a very good question because it’s not enough to just know that your child has the disorder. It’s imperative to know what the next steps should be.

Form a support team. To start, one huge way to support your child is putting together a strong team. Your child’s support team should include family members, educators, parents and doctors. Cooperating as a team with the people in your child’s life is the best way to support him or her with the ADHD diagnosis.  This means you should be in constant contact with everyone involved in your child’s life. Frequent communication with your child’s educators is always a good idea. Find out as much as you can about your child’s learning environment. It’s also good to ask about your child’s strengths, struggles and areas of improvement. Take opportunities to share the same information with your child’s educator about home progression. This helps to keep things consistent from school to home and keeps everyone in the loop.

Reprioritize at home. Children who have been diagnosed with ADHD may sometimes give you a challenge when it comes to parenting. They often have a hard time following instructions which can get quite frustrating for adults. They are also very active which can make it a bit hard for adults to keep up with them. Another struggle your child may have is focusing their attention for long periods of time. Because of these factors and a few others, children with ADHD have a tendency to need more organized home lives and vivid expectations. These reasons may require you to adjust or alter things at home to support your child.

Offer rewards. One good idea is to praise and reward good behavior. Instead of focusing so much on behavior that is unacceptable, try to acknowledge when you observe good behavior. This can be anything from a pat on the back to buying a new toy. The most important thing is that your child knows that you noticed good behavior and you are rewarding him/her for it. Play off of your child’s desires and interests when it comes to rewards. Some children enjoy sticker charts, while others would like extra privileges. If you choose to implement a reward system, make sure it is based off of things your child is interested in and that is remains consistent.

Exercise attention span. Setting times for specific activities that require your child to be focused and engaged might help with attention span. Choose (or have your child choose) an activity to work on for a certain amount of time. You can set a timer and once the time is up, give your child the option to be finished. This helps your child to practice focusing attention. When introducing this for the first time, you should start with small sessions or a time frame in which you are sure you child can focus. After about a week or so, try adding on a little bit more time and see how it goes.

Maintain routine. Another way to support your child through ADHD is to make things predictable. You can do this by making a daily schedule and posting it for your child to see. Specify certain times for homework, television, going to bed, and chores. Having a predictable schedule makes it easier for your child to transition to the next task or activity. Having a set routine is really important. If there will be any changes, it is a good idea to tell your child ahead of time. A consistent routine may assist your child in having a sense of stability.

Keep in mind that these things aren’t the “fix all” but supporting and helping your child cope with this disorder may get you further in the progressing stages. This also shows your child that you care and will be there to guide them through his or her struggles with ADHD.

___

JaVohn Perry is a devoted mother of three, Early Childhood Educator, Freelance Writer and Business Owner. As a writer, she holds many titles including Seattle Childhood Education Examiner for Examiner.com. With writing and working with children being her two passions, she makes it her duty to utilize her skills in those areas.

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Matthew Lynch published in International Education

The Vicious Cycle of (un)Education in Pakistan

**The Edvocate is pleased to publish guest posts as way to fuel important conversations surrounding a P-20 education in America. The opinions contained within guest posts are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of The Edvocate or Dr. Matthew Lynch.**

By Khaula Mazhar

In Pakistan there are basically three levels of schools. The top ranking schools, the middle ranking schools and the lowest ranking schools.  Unfortunately the ranking has more to do with how much the Pakistani parent can actually spend on education rather than academic results. In Pakistan education is a privilege, not a right.

The sad fact is the top ranking schools are extremely expensive private schools owned by business savvy entrepreneurs whose main interest is to keep up their personal prestige as well as finance their round the world trips.  That being said however, these private schools are mainly O-Level Schools in urban and suburban areas. They have to adhere to certain standards, if they wish to remain affiliated with the Cambridge system, resulting in a higher standard of academics. O-Level schools charge the highest fees, so remaining in the Cambridge system has a huge monetary attraction. The students are encouraged and supported to maintain their grades and in most cases the teachers are well-trained, dedicated individuals. At least that is how the school starts its journey.

The problem arises when the school attains an impressive reputation for academic excellence among its competitors. As with the rise of empires there is always the inevitable fall, it is true for private schools as well. The growing waiting lists for admissions into top schools are inversely proportional to the academic standard in most cases, especially where there is sole ownership rather than a board of directors. The culprit is greed, misuse of authority and the loss of dedication to working for the coming generations.

To keep up with the demand to give more admissions to more students, the private school owner must supply more buildings and more staff.  This should be a simple enough task however the reality of the expenditure can be daunting especially when it infringes upon the comfort of the school’s owner. Expenses must be cut elsewhere. Unfortunately it is the staff and students that ultimately pay. To meet the expenses current staff must forgo the yearly salary increment, mediocre teachers lacking proper training are hired on minimum salaries and fees are hiked a good percentage on a yearly basis. Not to mention the one-time admission fee (costs and arm and leg for the average upper middle class working father). It only takes a year for the standard to slip, and since the students are required to maintain a certain level of grades so as not to tarnish the school’s results. Parents have no choice but to pay for tutors or look for another school if their child is removed, in which case they would have to pay admission fees to any school willing to give an admission.

The reality of this situation is clearer when we see the average salary of teachers as compared to the monthly school fees. In one top ranking school (now on a steady decline) the average monthly fees for one child in Pre-nursery to grade two is around RS 16 000 ($157) and reaches up to RS 20 000 for higher grades. The average Pakistani family has at least three children. Sending them to school is no easy feat.

The average teacher’s monthly salary ranges from RS 13 000 to RS 20 000 only ($127-$197). So for teaching to a class of at least thirty, the teacher is paid the equivalent or less than the fees of one single student. Teachers quit on a regular basis burdened by the work load and the pathetic salaries. The teachers that do stay on don’t exactly have the incentive to give it their best.  In the end parents end up paying dearly for school fees plus tuition fees in the hope of providing their child with a proper education. And they are the lucky ones.

The average middle class family can’t afford a top ranking school and has to settle for the neighborhood private schools, which follow the Matric system. The lower fee structure although more reasonable, is still quite an expense with monthly fees ranging around RS 5000 and up per child and the average salary being RS 50 000. If there are three children, that comes to RS 15 000 at least. That is 30 % of the total household income.

The teacher’s qualifications range from Intermediate (what would be grade 14) to Bachelors, mostly with no teacher’s training at all. The training is done on the job. Students come home from school and then study with tutors, usually of equally mediocre capabilities. Getting an admission into any post secondary school of worth is a large improbability for most of these children. And so the cycle continues when they go out to get jobs.  Unless one has a degree from a well-reputed academia one must settle for a second-rate job.

The lowest ranking schools are the government schools. The government spends an embarrassing 2% of the budget on education. Due to the insignificant funding there is a lack of motivation among the under-qualified teachers, who are regularly transferred on the basis of prejudice and nepotism. The lack of teaching staff causes an overload of work on the remaining teachers. All this results in a poor and sometimes even hostile environment which encourages students to bunk.

Children who do attend are faced with sitting in dilapidated classrooms, sometimes without electricity or even desks. The majority of the children won’t ever complete their schooling, will end up working less than minimum wage jobs then try to raise a family on that. And so the vicious cycle continues.

—

Khaula Mazhar, children’s book author, has a ten year teaching experience from Pakistan where she also wrote for Dawn Newspaper. After moving back home to Canada she continues to pursue her writing when she can. She blogs at Blog Her, createmyapp.com and MuslimMoms.ca and writes articles for Examiner.com.

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Matthew Lynch published in Higher Education, Policy & Reform

Guns on campus: there will be no artist or doctor once the trigger is pulled

**The Edvocate is pleased to publish guest posts as way to fuel important conversations surrounding P-20 education in America. The opinions contained within guest posts are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of The Edvocate or Dr. Matthew Lynch.**

Jeffrey Alan Lockwood, University of Wyoming

As a rational academic, living in one of the most conservative states, where legislators are planning to allow firearms in virtually all public places, including the University of Wyoming, I have labored to understand my own deep antipathy to the idea of my students and colleagues being armed.

Gun advocates and opponents can each fire off statistics; however, the debate will not be resolved with data when the fundamental conflict is a matter of ideals. I could dredge up statistics about the frequency of gun accidents, while advocates could offer numbers showing that people with concealed gun permits rarely shoot innocent bystanders.

But dueling spreadsheets fail to get to the heart of the issue. Rather, my resistance to a well-regulated militia crossing the quad between classes is rooted in non-quantifiable principles.

Fear undermines classroom learning environment

The proliferation of virtual courses notwithstanding, the soul of a university remains its classrooms. These are the places of genuine human engagement, debate, thought, and passion. Students must come prepared -— ready to learn (by having done the reading), ready to argue (by thinking critically about ideas), and ready to change (by cultivating intellectual humility).

Here they are tested and challenged. This is where they flounder and flourish. Arming students seems inimical to learning. The presence, even the possibility, of a loaded weapon casts a pall over classroom discussion.

Arming students is inimical to learning as classrooms are meant to provide a safe space for intellectual growth.
K W Reinsch/Flickr, CC BY-NC

Fear undermines the openness and vulnerability necessary for learning. When getting ready for class means preparing to die (or to kill), an academic community has failed.

I remember going back home to Albuquerque – a city with a violent and property crime rate well above the national average– for Christmas when our kids were little to find that my parents had installed burglar bars in their windows. I was overwhelmed by a sense of sadness that the city of my youth had failed so miserably that the people barricaded their homes.

Universities are meant to be safe spaces

My parents were free to live behind bars to protect their property, and the legislature wants to free me to arm myself in the classroom to guard my life. Somehow, these don’t feel like liberties. I want to work at a university that is big enough to provide students with a hundred opportunities and small enough to notice one anguished student.

Maybe I’m safer if a student in my seminar is carrying a gun. For that matter, maybe I’d be safer if I wore a Kevlar vest while lecturing. But I don’t want to teach where we prepare to shoot and be shot. I don’t want to be a part of failure. In all likelihood, no armed student will take (or save) my life. But the same cannot be said of that student’s life.

Suicide rates are already high

Suicide rates on college campuses are appalling. I said that numbers wouldn’t resolve the issue, but the fact is that suicide rates among young adults has tripled since the 1950s, having become the second most common cause of death among college students. Given current statistics, the University of Wyoming with an enrollment of 14,000 can expect at least two thousand of these students to contemplate suicide, two hundred to make an attempt, and perhaps two to succeed.

I was the first person to arrive on the scene of two suicide attempts when I was in college. I mopped up a lot of blood, but razor blades are not all that effective. Guns work much better. Filled with shame, my friends asked me to hide the evidence and lie in the emergency room. I did.

They were both extremely intelligent young men. But laboring under enormous stress and failed relationships, on a dark, lonely night, collapsed into a moment of utter despair. Lonely but not alone -— nearly half of all university students report symptoms of depression.

Enough of the numbers. Consider this simple statement from a college athlete who was battling depression: “If I’d had a gun, I’d have probably put a bullet in my head.”

Campus grounds are not for killing or being killed

Perhaps my perspective is darkened by experience, but my deepest fear is not that a student with a gun comes to my classroom in the morning, but that the student leaves his dorm room in a body bag that evening.

Campuses are places fraught with doubt, conflict, angst, disorientation, and drama. A university education is not easy intellectually -— or existentially. College is where assumptions die, identities expire, and beliefs perish. But this should not become a place where students come to kill or be killed.

A university should be where the dying dream of being an engineer is resurrected as a graphic artist, where an identity as a straight Christian gives way to being a gay ethicist, and where the parental narrative of being a biology teacher is reborn as a student’s own aspiration of becoming a doctor.

But once the trigger is pulled, there will be no artist, philosopher, or doctor. Maybe I’m an idealist, but how else does one avoid cynicism and fatalism? If we aren’t willing to imagine and risk, then there’s no “good fight” left in the professoriate. An academic life worth living requires courage, hope, defiance and compassion. It does not require guns.

The issue of guns on American campuses is a subject of vigorous debate. By 2013, at least 19 states had introduced legislation to allow guns on campus. Seven states now allow concealed weapons on campus. We carry here both sides of the debate. Today, we are carrying this article opposing concealed weapons on campuses. Later this week, we will be carrying another article arguing in favour of guns on campus.

_____The Conversation

Jeffrey Alan Lockwood is Professor of Natural Sciences & Humanities Director of the MFA program in Creative Writing, Department of Philosophy at University of Wyoming.

This article was originally published on The Conversation.

Read the original article.

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Matthew Lynch published in Equity, Matthew Lynch, Policy & Reform, Teachers

The Call to Teach: Urban Legends

Each day 8,000 American students drop out of high school. Over the course of a year, that amounts to 3 million total students who give up on the American right to education through 12th grade and decide they will be better off without a high school diploma. Within those numbers are even more telling statistics that show students of color and from low socio-economic brackets are dropping out in much greater numbers than their white middle- and high-class peers.

In my new book The Call to Teach: An Introduction to Teaching I explore the “real world” of teaching, particularly how new educators are ill-prepared to face the challenges of teaching in urban settings. Traditional university programs for K-12 educators do not adequately prepare students for what awaits them in the urban schools of America where the achievement gap and dropout rates are highest. So how can this problem be remedied? In three ways, as a start:

Target urban backgrounds. Teachers with connections to urban locations and educations are prime candidates to return to these schools and make a difference. Universities are not doing enough to find these qualified future educators and then place them on specific tracks for career success at urban schools. There needs to be greater customization when it comes to college learning for future educators who understand firsthand the challenges that urban students face – and then job placement programs need to be built around the same concept.

Require urban student teaching. All educators-in-training should spend at least a few hours in an urban classroom, in addition to their other teaching assignments. Seeing urban challenges firsthand must be part of every educator’s path to a degree, even if he or she never teaches full time in such a classroom. I believe this would not only raise awareness of issues that tend to plague urban schools (like overcrowding and the impact of poverty on student performance) but may also inspire future teachers to want to teach in those settings. College programs must expose teacher-students to real-world urban settings in order to make progress past the social and academic issues that bring urban K-12 students down.

Reward urban teachers. The test-heavy culture of American K-12 classrooms puts urban teachers at a distinct advantage when it comes to resources and even lifelong salaries. If a teacher whose students score well on standardized tests is rewarded with more money and access to more learning materials, where does that leave the poor-performing educators? Instead of funneling more funds and learning help to teachers with student groups that are likely to do well, despite the teacher, urban teachers should be receiving the support. At the very least, the funding and attention should be evenly split. In almost every case, failing urban students and schools should never be blamed on the teacher. That mentality is what scares away many future educators who may otherwise have given urban teaching a try. There is too much pressure to perform and that leads to many urban teachers leaving their posts after the first year, or not even looking for those jobs in the first place.

Strong teaching in America’s urban schools is the key to overcoming dropout and achievement gap issues. With the right guidance, urban K-12 students can rise above their circumstances to be stand-outs in academics. They may even return the favor as teachers themselves one day. For urban teachers to succeed, however, they need more support and encouragement from their industry, government and society as a whole.

What do you think can be done to recruit more inspired educators into urban schools?

Click here to read all our posts concerning the Achievement Gap.

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Matthew Lynch published in Policy & Reform

Is education killing imagination?

By Judith A. Yates

As a criminal justice instructor in a career college, I gave my students an assignment that relied on 75% imagination and 25% research. They were so lost that I was shocked. “What are we supposed to do!” They were frantic. “How are we supposed to work this?” I wondered why they had no idea how to use imagination, or what creativity encompassed.

Later, I taught criminal justice in high school, and again was dismayed at my student’s lack of imagination. I began to study the system requirements and noted the curriculum we utilized did not require the students to use inventiveness or creativity, unless it was a music or arts class. Even then, the music and art projects were determined beforehand; students were taught to follow the lesson. If I made a suggestion for change, my supervisor would look at me in horror. “I am going to take them outside one day,” I told her, “and we’re going to sit on the bleachers and use the environment for the lesson.” She thought I was crazy; the idea was extinguished.

Instructors obviously cannot have students run amok in the class in a fit of anarchy, but with guidelines set in place, they could give the students free rein to complete the task, as the student sees fit. This would work well in a group project, where each individual could both show and discover their strengths and learn from their weaknesses. The instructor would give “helpful hints” along the way, but allow the students to think and solve on their own. This is how the real world works. According to a 2010 Newsweek article, “a recent IBM poll of 1,500 CEOs identified creativity as the No. 1 ‘leadership competency’ of the future.”

The education system is not preparing students for the real world by stifling imagination. Every workplace, every profession, relies on creativity, problem solving, and exploration of ideas. Professional athletes, architects, journalists, and accountants will go no further than the initial job interview if they say, “I need someone to tell me how to do everything all the time.”

Stifling creativity leads to problems in the classroom. Bored students stop learning: they act out, drift off, or shut down. But “getting up and doing” creates positive change. In a study conducted by Howell Wechsler, director of the Division of Adolescent and School Health for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “physical activity breaks of about 5 to 20 minutes in the classroom can improve attention span, classroom behavior and achievement tests scores.” Less that 20% of high school students are meeting this goal of such activity breaks.

A creative assignment does not have to be elaborate. For example, rather than lecture on the affects of alcohol on the body, the brain, and physical activity, I split the class into three groups.  Each group had a large sheet of butcher paper, their textbooks, and free pamphlets I ordered from Alcoholics Anonymous. They traced a fellow student onto the paper, drew in the corresponding “part” (i.e. the brain) they were assigned, and then presented on the affects of alcohol on each. For example, with arrows drawn to hands and feet, the words “motor skills” were written. With arrows drawn to certain internal organs, that group listed affects alcohol had on each organ. The students kept the pamphlets, and some gave them to family members and friends they felt needed the information. We did a follow-up and they could answer all questions, and the students did well on the test.

Within “teach for the test,” learning by memorization, and standardized curriculum, we have lost imagination and creativity. Students have learned to follow by rote and perform rather than ask and explore. Getting creative does not have to cost money or much time. Creativity is not going to take away from what we are paid to do. In the end, it will pay off, with happier students who are actually learning in a healthy environment.

___

Judith A. Yates is currently completing a PhD in Criminal Justice. She has taught at several schools, within the field of law enforcement; has worked as trainer, attended classes across the country, and has been a mentor in several programs. Her website can be found at judithayates.com.

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Matthew Lynch published in Diversity, Equity, Higher Education

Multicultural recruiting: What colleges do it best?

By Matthew  Lynch

At least on paper, America’s colleges and universities are interested in creating a diverse student population. Though not perfect in practice, U.S. college campuses are increasingly becoming more nuanced in their population makeups in order to more accurately represent the greater population. Part of this is just a reflection of a changing society but some of it has to do with schools effectively recruiting a student body that has plenty of diversity. This includes recruitment efforts to bring in low-income, first-generation college, immigrant and other minority students.

While nearly every college or university has a diversity policy on the books, some are succeeding in practice more than others. Take a look at these five colleges or universities that are doing an excellent job with multicultural recruiting and how they are making it happen:

Bates College: With its Prologue Program for first-generation and diverse background students, this Maine-based school welcomes these students with a three-day intensive initiation. For new students who want to enter in the fall of 2016, the Prologue Program will offer tours, class attendance, meet-and-greet sessions with faculty members, and even an admission interview. The purpose is to give these students a more accurate idea of what to expect when they arrive as official students.  Literally putting students in classroom seats helps them envision their futures as college students.

Princeton University: Though Ivy League schools are generally regarded as being elitist, many are making large strides to create more diverse campuses. Princeton has specific recruiting tactics that include partnering with the Leadership Enterprise Diverse of America organization to reach talented high school students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds. A seven-week summer program is also available for incoming freshman from low-income and other disadvantaged backgrounds in order to help them adjust to the rigors of Princeton before their official time on the campus begins. A release from the university states that the “Class of 2018 has a record 290 students from low-income backgrounds, making up 22 percent of the class; approximately 12 percent of the Class of 2018 are first-generation college students.” These numbers are certainly a reflection of successful recruiting but to get those students across the graduation stage, Princeton recognizes that support programs are necessary too.

University of North Carolina, Charlotte. This public does a great job addressing the needs of students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. The graduation gap between white and Latino or black students at UNC Charlotte is nearly non-existent. In addition, generous needs-based scholarships ensure that these disadvantaged students graduate with less debt. UNC Charlotte also offers a six-week summer “bridge” program that has increased its freshman-to-sophomore retention by 12 percent.

Rutgers University: Though not as traditionally diverse as some of the other schools on this list, Rutgers does have multicultural strengths in two areas: international students and LGBT students. Students from more than 110 countries attend Rutgers, and it is consistently ranked as a top 100 campus for LGBT students. Women represent almost half of the students (49 percent) and just over one-quarter are of Asian descent. Where Rutgers lacks is in African-American representation (just 7 percent) but overall, the university is doing a good job of recruiting diverse students.

When it comes to economic diversity, the Rutgers Future Scholars program is offered to first-generation and low-income middle schoolers who live in the vicinity of the university who show promise for attending it in the future. The students who complete the precollege initiative are given a scholarship to cover tuition for four years. More support for lower-income students comes from an additional Educational Opportunity Fund.

Cornell University: More specifically, the College of Engineering. The department is designed to assist students who are “traditionally underrepresented in engineering.” In 2011, President Obama bestowed the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring on Cornell for its successful attempts at Diversity. Mentoring is a big part of what makes this program so successful. Since 2004, this niche initiative of the larger university has connected minority high school students with mentors who are already in the college program, faculty or working in the field of engineering. The program works because it shows younger engineers-to-be other successful people who look like them.

 

What college-level multicultural recruiting tactics do you believe work the best?

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Matthew Lynch published in Equity, International Education

Male graduates earn more than female graduates: study

Alexandra Hansen, The Conversation

Male university graduates earn more than their female counterparts and the pay gap will likely increase with the more time spent in the workforce, according to new research.

A study by Graduate Careers Australia found an aggregate gender wage gap of 9.4% in favour of male graduates, which decreased to 4.4% when allowances were made for controls such as the courses studied by males and females.

This means more males enrol in courses with higher earnings such as engineering, whereas humanities, which provide less monetary return, are studied mainly by women.

However, the 4.4% gender wage gap couldn’t be explained by these factors, and is potentially due to inequalities in workplaces.

When looking at specific occupations, the study found male graduate nurses and primary school teachers earned more than their female counterparts.

Statistics from 2013 show the gender wage gap across the board in Australia is 17.5%, leading to the conclusion that the pay gap increases with time in the workforce.

Author of the study Edwina Lindsay said this greater figure examines the aggregate gap within the broader Australian labour market, and does not control for vital determinants which may mediate the gap, such as age and career breaks in employment which stem from family responsibilities.

However, she said many studies have shown the pay gap widens with age.

Ms Lindsay said females need to be given more information about career choices and should be encouraged to consider training for occupations that are often traditionally thought of as male roles.

“Implementing education campaigns and programs that encourage the participation of women in STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) during secondary schooling could see the aggregate wage gap in favour of males reduced for future generations,” she said.

Currently, field of education choices of men and women can be influenced by gender stereotypes socialised at a young age, she said.

“This may help to explain the notable differences in the fields of education studied by young men and women in Australia.”

Eva Cox, Professorial Fellow at the University of Technology, Sydney, said the debate shouldn’t be how to get women in to these higher paying jobs, but rather why jobs dominated by males are better paid than jobs dominated by females.

“The question here ignored is whether salaries are higher because of more intrinsic value in a STEM degree, or whether the gender composition of the workforce influences the way it is valued,” she said.

“On that basis one can question whether the differences between fields of education pay levels are in themselves gender biased. Why is engineering of so much more value than social work?”

Ms Cox said rather than thinking of ways to get more women in higher paid areas, we need to raise pay rates in feminised occupations.

Executive Director of the Australian Centre for Leadership for Women Dr Diann Rodgers-Healey said the wage gap had remained unchanged for almost 20 years.

To remedy the gap, we need to address gender-based direct and indirect discrimination so assumptions aren’t made about the industries, careers, positions and job assignments for women, she said.

The Conversation

Alexandra Hansen, Editor, The Conversation

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

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Matthew Lynch published in Diversity, Equity

When researchers ask for data on penalization of black kids, schools resist, cover up

**The Edvocate is pleased to publish guest posts as way to fuel important conversations surrounding P-20 education in America. The opinions contained within guest posts are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of The Edvocate or Dr. Matthew Lynch.**

 

Muhammad Khalifa, Michigan State University & Felecia Briscoe, University of Texas at San Antonio
Students of color are more likely to be suspended. Rod Library, CC BY

That students of color bear the brunt of the zero tolerance discipline policies in schools has been well-established. What is not so well known is that some school administrations are actually complicit in this act of racial disciplining.

Nationally, students of color are more likely to be suspended than white students. On average, black boys are suspended four times more than white boys. Latino students are also suspended more frequently than white students, and female students of color are also disciplined more frequently than white female students.

The policy ‘problem’

But this is not all. A recent study that we conducted over a period of two years in Texas found that schools were in fact negligent when it came to addressing such practices of disciplining. The study covered four school districts in Texas with a population of nearly 200,000 students.

As researchers, we have been studying this issue since 2010. But what prompted this study was the suspension of one of the researcher’s sons from school. The child was given a US $500 court citation. And when we showed up for our court appointment, we saw that all the children were either black or brown. Did it mean that white children never fought in school?

We knew this was part of what is now known as the school-to-prison pipeline for children of color. It led us to take on a scholar-activist role.

Most schools and districts claim to be following “race-neutral” discipline policies. School officials even point to their race-neutral suspension and expulsion policies to show how they are “fair” with students of all race and ethnic subgroups.

However, researchers have found that the problem lies in the application of these policies.

For example, black students are more likely to be suspended for breaking subjective school rules such as a lack of respect for teachers than for objective ones, like having a weapon. Researchers point to cultural stereotypes and misunderstandings from a primarily white teaching force as the reasons for the “disciplining gaps.”

Data on discipline

Our recent study found that some schools are, in fact, negligent and even defensive when it comes to addressing the problem of school discipline practices and the discipline gap.

The kind of responses we got when we asked for school districts’ discipline data resembled a “corporate cover-up.”

Some school administrators resisted our attempts to provide information under the  Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and some others released data that were not helpful. For example, in the discipline data submitted by a school district, we were not able to discern the race of the children who had been suspended or expelled from school.

Some schools have been found to be negligent about school disciplining issues. Student image via www.shutterstock.com

It is hard for us to imagine that schools are not keeping track of usable disciplinary data, considering that in recent years, widespread attention has focused on the disciplinary treatment of black boys and other students of color. President Obama has even initiated My Brother’s Keeper, a national program intended to help black and Latino boys succeed.

Responses from schools

Our biggest surprise was finding out that districts perceived our request for data as a threat. We found that school administrations became secretive, defensive and even more protective of the data. It seemed to us that districts were essentially complicit in the process of oppression of youth of color.

Even the districts that provided the data were very defensive when informed of the discipline gaps that occurred in their schools. For example, when presented with data in his district, one data administrator responded, “Well, other districts in Texas are higher than us” and “We are not far off from the state average.”

It was very troubling for us to see schools reacting in this way, especially when lives of youth were at risk. These responses were unacceptable and deflected the district’s responsibility.

In the end, only one school district, out of four, instituted a district-wide program for the principals of their schools to learn more about the racial discipline gaps. It was the only one to take steps on how to begin reducing and eliminating racial discipline gaps at both the school and at the district level.

As we conducted the study, we also realized that there is no national legislation that prompts schools to address disparities in education. While No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and other national legislation have at least attempted to draw attention to racial disparities in achievement, no legislation exists that actually compels schools to address the problem.

This is unfortunate, given the close connection between the academic achievement gap and the discipline gap.

What must be done?

It is important that schools make policies and goals for racial and ethnic groups more explicit. For example, a goal for “75% proficiency for students in math” is not as impactful as “75% proficiency for each student subgroup based on their racial, gender or language-based identity.” The reason we say this is: what if the population of a school is 25% Latino and that happens to be the same population of nonproficient math students?

At the policy level, what is needed is intensive training on implicit racial bias in most districts. In addition, school districts should be required to report overall suspension rates and discipline gaps within each of their schools.

Furthermore, state or federal policies must begin to regulate both the collection of discipline data and the rate of compliance of schools.

Parents too need to pay more attention. Parents of color and from other subgroups should begin to identify which schools are more likely to suspend students of color.

All this together can be a powerful impetus for districts and schools to attend to this problem. Otherwise, disciplining practices will continue to have devastating consequences for our kids.

Click here to read all our posts concerning the Achievement Gap.

________________________________

Muhammad Khalifa is Assistant Professor of Educational Administration at Michigan State University.

Felecia Briscoe is Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at The University of Texas at San Antonio

This article was originally published on The Conversation.

Read the original article.

 

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Matthew Lynch published in Higher Education

Does a college education mean a longer marriage?

We’ve all heard the daunting statistics about marriage outcomes in the United States. Roughly half of all first time marriages end in divorce. However, new research suggests that education status could have some bearing on whether your marriage succeeds or fails.

Research from the National Center for Health Statistics find that 78% of college-educated women married between 2006-2010 could expect marriages lasting at least 20 years. Just 40% of women with a high school education or less are estimated to enjoy enduring partnerships.

The findings provide even more evidence of the marital gap present in the U.S. among educational lines. Research illustrates that college-educated individuals are more likely to be married than their less educated peers. According to a Pew Research Center study, 65% of adults age 25 and above with a bachelor’s degree or higher were married, compared to 53% of adults with less education.

The research doesn’t spell out the reasons these marriages withstand, however it is known that college-educated individuals are more inclined to get married later in life and tend to be more established financially than less educated adults.

Educated women aren’t the only demographic with a higher chance for enjoying a long-term marriage. Approximately 65% of college-educated men could expect their first marriage to last 20 years or longer, compared to 50% of men with a high school diploma or less. Additionally, higher educated men are overall more inclined to get married in the first place.

Are these social and demographic trends surprising? Perhaps college educated individuals aren’t directly taught the sort of skills necessary for a lasting marriage, but incur such life experiences throughout their years of higher education that make this happen.

What are your thoughts on the college-marriage connection?

 

 

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Matthew Lynch published in Matthew Lynch, Policy & Reform, Secondary Education, Teachers

Higher Accountability for College Dropout Rates

There are a lot of metrics in place that gauge the effectiveness of P-12 schooling in the U.S. and shine a particularly bright light on public schools, particularly when they are failing students. Dropout rates are just one of the factors taken into account when these numbers are calculated and tend to weigh heavily on the schools and districts who have low percentages. The same does not seem to be true once the high school years pass though. Compared to P-12 institutions, colleges and universities seemingly get a pass when it comes to dropout rates – perhaps because in the past, higher education was considered more of a privilege and less of a right. A college dropout was simply walking away from the assumed higher quality of life that came with the degree, but still had opportunity to excel without it.

That’s not the case anymore. As of 2013, 17.5 million students were enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities.  More than ever, colleges and universities have a responsibility to not simply admit students, but ensure they are guided properly to graduation. In other words, institutions of higher education should not be able to just take their student’s money and say “good luck.” They should provide the tools necessary for students to successfully achieve a college education and anticipate the issues that could prevent that.

Authors Ben Miller and Phuong Ly discussed the issue of the U.S. colleges with the worst graduation rates in their book College Dropout Factories. Within the pages, the authors encouraged educators at all levels to acknowledge that colleges and universities should share responsibility for successful or failing graduation rates, and that the institutions with the worst rates should be shut down. Perhaps the most terrifying suggestion in the book (for colleges and universities) was that public institutions with low graduation rates would be subjected to reduced state funding.

The book was written based on findings from Washington Monthly that ranked the U.S. schools with the lowest six-year graduation rates among colleges and universities, including public ones like the University of the District of Columbia (8%), Haskell Indian Nations University (9%), Oglala Lakota College (11%), Texas Southern University (13%) and Chicago State University (13%). These stats were published in 2010 so they are not the most current available but a quick scan of the University of the District Columbia’s official page shows graduation rate numbers through the end of the 2003 – 2004 school year. The past nine years are nowhere to be found. The school boasts 51.2 percent underrepresented minorities in the study body, including 47 percent that are Black – but what good are those numbers if these students are not actually benefitting from their time in college because they receive no degree?

In the case of Chicago State University, the latest statistics show some improvement from the 2010 ones. The six-year graduation rate is up to 21 percent – but the transfer-out rate is nearly 30 percent. The school has 92 percent underrepresented minorities that attend – 86 percent who are black and 70 percent who are female – but again, what good does any of that do if these traditionally disadvantaged students are not graduating?

In all cases of college dropout factories, the P-12 institutions chalk up a victory on their end. They graduated the students and also saw them accepted into a college. What happens after that is between the students and their higher education choices.

This, to me, is a problem. The accountability for student success extends beyond the years that they are in P-12 classrooms. Graduation from high school, and acceptance into college, should never be the final goal of P-12 educators. That is not a victory. That is only halftime.

As far as the colleges and universities are concerned, higher accountability should be demanded from educators, students, parents and really any Americans that want the best economy and highest-educated population. Public institutions, in particular, should be subject to restructuring or take over if dropout rates are too high. The lack of delivery on the college degree dream at many of these schools is appalling, frankly, and has gone on long enough.

What do you think an accountability system for colleges should look like when it comes to dropout rates?

 

 

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Matthew Lynch published in Equity, Higher Education

Educational opportunity rises 80 percent since 1970

According to the Historical Report of Opportunity, released by Opportunity Nation and Measure of America, educational opportunity has escalated by 80 percent since 1970. The Report defines Educational Opportunity as the number of children in preschool, the number of high school students who graduate on time, and the number of adults with an associate’s degree or higher. Over the past four decades, Massachusetts improved the most; Nevada, the least.

Between 1970 and 2010, the number of 3- and 4-year-olds enrolled in preschool increased by nearly four times, emphasizing the growing awareness of the benefits of early childhood education. Studies show that low-income children who attend high-quality preschool are more successful academically and more likely to graduate from high school and enroll in postsecondary education. Some states have cut funding for public pre-K, yet early childhood education continues to be a priority in many states.

Every state experienced growth in the percentage of adults aged 25 or older who obtained at least an associate’s degree. This indicates the changing global economy that requires higher levels of education of employees. During the four decades measured, Americans with at least an associates degree increased by 105 percent.

In 2013, 28 percent of children nationwide were enrolled in state-financed preschool. While 36.3 percent of Americans have at least an associate’s degree, economists predict that by 2020, two-thirds of American jobs will require some form of post-secondary degree or credential.

While Americans should be proud of the educational improvements our country has seen, we need to continue, or even pick up the pace to ensure people possess the skills required to build a powerful 21st-century workforce. This Report acts as a good reminder to value the importance of education as the pathway to many of life’s successes.

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