The Philippines: Meeting the Needs of Disabled Children

A major difference between countries is the way in which each government and its people view and treat disability. Religious, medical and personal beliefs all affect how a person views disabilities and what causes them. A family’s amount of support, or lack thereof, can have a significant impact on a child with a disability and the way that the community views that child. In addition, the federal mandates for special education services and the rights of persons with disabilities vary from country to country.

The Republic of the Philippines (the Philippines), is a country in Southeast Asia, located in the Pacific Ocean. The Philippines is home to an estimated 94 million people, making it one of the world’s most populous countries (AusAID, n.d). Filipinos or Pinoy, people from the Philippines, are very diverse; among them 150 different languages and dialects are spoken (Shapiro, 2). Tagalog, Filipino and English are the most widely spoken languages in the Philippines with Filipino and English as its official languages (2). Catholicism is the primary religion in the Philippines with an eighty-three percent following. Other practiced religions include Protestant, Islam, Buddhism, Taoism and Chinese folk religion (Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association, n.d.).

While in the United States it is common for families of children with disabilities to seek help from medical professionals at either a medical practice or hospital, in the Philippines many people seek help from folk healers, called “manghihilot”, and faith healers (Shapiro, 2). The folk healers often use herbs, massage, oils and prayers to treat various ailments. Faith healers are said to perform “mystic surgeries” and “healings” using only their bare hands (2). Many Filipinos like faith healers because they believe that faith healers are much more compassionate than western-trained medical doctors (2).

There is a stigma surrounding severe disabilities in the Philippines (Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association, n.d.). People may use naturalistic explanations for certain disabilities, blaming the mother for failing to follow prescribed dietary practices during pregnancy. They go so far as to place blame on the mother if her baby’s skin is fair because she drank too much milk during her pregnancy (Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association, n.d.). These explanations can be embarrassing to the family and cause shame and dishonor. Sometimes, supernatural explanations place blame on spirits or ancestors.

Many Filipinos believe that babies who constantly cry and are irritable are troubled by evil spirits. Some may seek to explain such conditions as epilepsy and autism by saying that the person with the condition is 'possessed' by angry or evil spirits (Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association, n.d.). Others may view a child’s disability as a “divine punishment” for sins committed by parents or ancestors or a family’s moral transgressions against God (Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association, n.d.). These spiritual beliefs contribute to a sense of shame that surrounds the entire family of a disabled child (Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association, n.d.).

While the families of children with disabilities may be plagued with shame and dishonor, this stigma does not affect how the family treats the disabled child. Children with disabilities in the Philippines usually receive a lot of love and support from their families who view the child in a positive light. Many times, Filipino families will turn to their faith and religion for hope and strength after learning that a child in their family has a disability (Shapiro, 3). Families tend to believe that the most miniscule improvement is a miracle or gift from God (3). Family is very important to Filipinos, so when a family member is diagnosed with a disability the entire family tends to help in any way they can, feeling a sense of obligation to that family member (Shapiro, n.d). More often than not, relatives, distant or not, have positive attitudes towards the child with a disability and display deep concern and sympathy towards the family (3).

While many Filipino families see disability as a punishment, others see children with mental handicaps as “bringers of luck” especially when it comes to family businesses (Shapiro, 3). Some family members, however, believe that having a disabled family member is a punishment from evil spirits (3). Whichever school of thought a Filipino has, the obligation to their family is still the same. Families generally love the disabled member of their family unconditionally and make sacrifices for them such as their time, their careers, and sometimes even love or marriage, in order to take care of a relative (3). It is also uncommon for a disabled Filipino to live apart from his or her family and be fully financially responsible; rather, he or she will be taught to be a contributing member of the family (3).

While there are many explanations from Filipinos for why children are born disabled, from a western point of view, economic conditions seem to play a large role. Poverty in the Philippines is a growing problem, twenty-six percent of the total population lives below the poverty line (AusAID, n.d.). Factors associated with poverty such as lack of healthcare, poor nutrition, especially prenatal nutrition, and poor living conditions, all increase a Filipino woman’s chances of having a child born with a disability.

According to the Republic of the Philippines Department of Education (2012), the goal of basic education is to “provide the school age population and young adults with skills, knowledge, and values to become caring, self-reliant, productive and patriotic citizens” (Department of Education of the Philippines, 2012). The Department of Education in the Philippines implemented Special Education as early as the 1960’s and special education has expanded greatly since then (Rosanna, 119). The Department of Education presently believes that “the ultimate goal of special education shall be the integration or mainstreaming of learners with special needs into the regular school system and eventually in the community” (Department of Education of the Philippines, 2012).

Based on the 2000 Department of Education report, 12% of the children population, or 5,196,377 children, in the country had special needs, 2% were gifted while 10% are those children had disabilities (Rosanna, 120). Of the 5,196,377 children with special needs, 136,523 or 2.6% received appropriate educational services for school year 2002-2003, leaving 97.4% of children with special needs without appropriate services (120). Many factors affect whether a disabled Filipino child receives appropriate special education services. One reason why children may not be served is because of the stigma placed on the disabled and their families. The feeling of embarrassment and dishonor leads many parents to hide their children from mainstream society; including school environments where they could receive help. Other parents live in poverty and have to make a decision as to which of their children to send to school. Priority is given to the non-disabled children; the children with disabilities are usually left at home (Department of Education of the Philippines, 2012).

Currently, there are 43267 public schools in the Philippines. There are 2105 schools equipped with special education programs throughout the Philippines. Of the 2105, there are four national special schools, 450 private special schools, 147 recognized special education centers and 1504 regular schools with special education programs (Rosanna, 120). The different types of disabilities addressed in these schools include “learning disability, hearing impairment, visual impairment, mental retardation, behavioral problem, orthopedically handicapped or health problems, autism, speech defect, chronically ill and cerebral palsy” (Department of Education of the Philippines, 2012). The largest population of special education students are either learning disabled or visually impaired.

One of the four National Special Schools is the Philippine School for the Deaf accepts children with multiple disabilities, such as a student who is both deaf and has autism. The school is well equipped to teach deaf students, however, there are major concerns with their educational program to support multi-disabled children. Concerns include but are not limited to the lack of accessible culture-based assessment tools to evaluate students with multiple disabilities and the fast turn-over of qualified teachers and school staff (Rossana, 120).

The Republic of the Philippines Department of Education has implemented several instructional programs that are utilized in the United States. The programs include self-contained classrooms, traveling teachers that reach out to children with special needs in other schools or at home, resource room, pull-out services, mainstreaming and inclusion.

The Filipino government acknowledges and tries to protect persons with disabilities in the country. The Filipino Constitution recognizes the population of persons with disabilities has five provisions that clearly refer to Filipinos with disabilities (Purcil, 11). Section 13 of Article 13 authorized the creation of a specific agency and a group of policies for the disabled sector of the population (11). The Bill of Rights also acknowledges that all human rights instruments approved by the country benefit persons with disabilities (11). The Constitutional provisions forbid discrimination on the bases of belief, gender, and physical conditions (11). Unless a clear limitation is declared, the rights set forth in the Constitution apply to all Filipinos, with or without disabilities (11). Merely fifty-seven complaints have been filed with the Commission on Human Rights dealing with disability related cases (11).

Unfortunately some barriers are still in place that make it hard for the disabled to feel fully equal. The Civil and Family Codes, for example, contribute to some persons with disabilities being labeled as “Legally Incompetent” by identifying certain disabilities as making a person unable to independently manage himself or his properties and relations (Purcil, 12). When a person is labeled “Legally Incompetent” it takes a substantial amount of effort to achieve equality before the law (12). The U.P. I.H.R. Policy Review 2007 stated that:

Despite efforts to equalize opportunities and improve their lot, persons with disabilities in the country continue to suffer exclusion from social and economic opportunities due to systematic barriers to their participation, such as their exclusion from decision-making process, negative attitudes about disability that perpetuate marginalization and discriminatory legislative framework that have not only excluded the disabled but have also contributed to the creation of barriers to their participation”(12).

For those Filipino’s with physical disabilities that impair their mobility, access features are only required for buildings built after it was put into effect in 1983. It can be seen, however, that many government buildings have not followed this rule, neglecting to have access for the physically disabled.

The Magna Carta for Disabled Persons of 1992 is the chief national policy document for persons with disabilities in the Philippines. The Magna Carta was recently considerably modifed by the Republic Act 9442 of 2006 which incorporated additional social, economic and human rights provisions (Purcil, 13). RA9442 enforced generous discounts on transportation fares, medicines and other basic daily essentials. The act also strictly forbids and penalizes any act that results in the vilification of persons with disabilities (13).

The Declaration of Policies of the Republic of the Philippines states that:

“Disabled persons are part of the Philippine society, thus the State shall give full support to the improvement of the total well being of disabled persons and their integration into the mainstream of society. Toward this end, the State shall adopt policies ensuring the rehabilitation, self-development and self-reliance of disabled persons” (Purcil, 13).

The declaration also states that the rights of the disabled should never been looked at as being welfare services from the government. It also states that the state should be an advocate for persons with disabilities and encourage respect for all people (14).

The Republic of the Philippines recognizes the need for special education services and has mandated many programs similar to those you would find in the United States. The majority of the children who would benefit from these services, however, either do not have access to them, or are unable take advantage of them due to shame or poverty. The Philippines has made many strides toward their goal of providing for the needs of the disabled members of its society, but still has a long way to go to truly serve them. The Filipino Constitution protects all disabled individuals and encourages respect for all people; however, there is a long history of stigma surrounding disability that may never go away.

References

Ethnic Communities &Â Disability - Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association -. (n.d.). Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association. Retrieved February 8, 2012, from http://www.mdaa.org.au/publications/ethnicity/filipino/general.html

Historical Perspective of the Philippine Educational System. (n.d.). Department of Education of the Philippines - DepEd. Retrieved February 8, 2012, from http://www.deped.gov.ph/about_deped/history.asp

Philippines Country Profile. (n.d.). AusAID: The Australian Government's overseas aid

program. Retrieved February 8, 2012, from http://www.ausaid.gov.au/country/philippines/default.cfm?CFID=3625736&CFTOKEN=48047890

Purcil, L. (2009). Monitoring the Human Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Laws, Policies and Programs in the Philippines. Disability Rights Promotion International, 1, 11-15.

Rosanna, M. (n.d.). EDUCATION OF CHILDREN WITH MULTIPLE DISABILITIES IN THE PHILIPPINES. National Institute of Special Needs Education. Retrieved February 6, 2012, from www.nise.go.jp/cms/resources/content/382/18d-228_18.pdf

Shapiro, M. (n.d.). A collaborative project between NTAC-AAPI and the center for International Rehabilitation Research Information and Exchange (CIRRIE) at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Asian Culture Brief: Philiippines, 2(3). Retrieved February 6, 2012, from http://www.ntac.hawaii.edu/downloads/products/briefs/culture/pdf/ACB-Vol2-Iss3-Philippines.pdf

Self- Monitoring Techniques: Prior Research

There have been many studies conducted on self-monitoring techniques implemented in classrooms to increase on-task behaviors. Among them is the 1987 study, conducted by Deborah W. Blick and David W. Test, entitled Effects of Self-Recording on High-School Students’ On-Task Behavior hoped to find a way to increase students’ on task behavior through self-monitoring and recording techniques (Blick and Test, 203). These techniques proved to be successful in both training and non-training settings (203).

The abundance of evidence suggesting the effectiveness of self-monitoring leads me to believe that I can expect similar outcomes from my treatment. However, there have been no studies conducted thus far, to my knowledge, testing the efficacy of self-management through journal writing techniques. Any data produced by this study will add to the existing knowledge of behavior management techniques.

The 1987 study, conducted by Deborah W. Blick and David W. Test, entitled Effects of Self-Recording on High-School Students’ On-Task Behavior, sought to determine the effects of self-monitoring and recording on a group of twelve students’ on task performance (Blick and Test, 203). All of the twelve students, nine of which were learning disabled, two were educable mentally handicapped and one was emotionally handicapped, were taught to self-monitor and record (203). At first the students’ monitoring and recording occurred simultaneously with certain audible cues, later, however, the cues were slowly discontinued but the self-recordings stayed. Data showed that students’ in school performance improved in all classroom settings (203). Much like the reason for my study, Deborah W. Blick and David W. Test (1987) hoped to find a way to increase students’ on task behavior. Research has indicated that “if teachers can help students increase their on-task behavior, learning increases” (203).

Students with behavioral disorders often act out in inclusive classroom settings in reaction to certain stimuli. When they are unable to deal with their emotions, the students can lose focus for the rest of the lesson. These outbursts often disrupt the other students in the classroom and can affect the overall learning for all students in the classroom. When this happens an intervention is necessary, however, many interventions can be disruptive and may derail the lesson even more. It would be better for all students if the interventions to such behavior problems were not obvious or disruptive.

I believe that when implemented, journal writing will, over time, become second nature to students with behavioral disorders. Similar to the study conducted by Deborah W. Blick and David W. Test (1987) it is my hope that eventually the students will not be dependent on a cue to instruct them to write in their journals, rather they will voluntarily do it when they feel it is necessary.

Many schools have found successful ways of preventing behavioral problems within the school before they occur or become an issue. School wide behavior management systems or school wide systems of support have had immense success in the prevention of problem behaviors. Positive behavioral supports (PBS), as defined by Vaughn, Bos and Schumn (2007), are “the modifications of behavior management principles applied in various community settings with supports to reduce problem behaviors and develop appropriate behaviors that lead to enhanced social relations and lifestyle (Vaughn, Bos and Schumn, 507). Many negative behaviors can be curbed through transforming the environment (249).

Selecting broad, memorable, and school-wide expectations allows students to not have to wonder what is acceptable and what is unacceptable in each classroom environment. Because the rules are the same school-wide, each student knows what is expected of them and only requires them to remember one set of rules. Only a few expectations are needed because these expectations are broad and envelop many things. Expectations are better than rules because rather than saying you can’t do this and you can’t do that you are giving each student an idea of what they should do and that way when they meet expectations they will be praised for it. The teaching plans are implemented through guided practices, ongoing supervision and positive feedback. PBS schools have saved hundreds of hours in referrals, as well as saving valuable class time because students are not being sent out of class (Olsen and Baumann).

Blick, D., & Test, D. (1987). effects of self-recording on high-school students' on-task

behavior. Learning Disability Quarterly, 10(3), 203.

Fraenkel, J. R., Wallen, N. E., & Hyun, H. H. (2012). How to design and evaluate research in

education (8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Patton, B., Jolivette, K., & Ramsey, M. (2006). Students with emotional and behavioral

disorders can manage their own behavior. Teaching exceptional children, 39(2),14-21.

Creating the Culture of Positive Behavior Supports. Dir. Gray Olsen and Paula Baumann.

Creating the Culture. PBS. Web. 24 September. 2011.

Vaughn, S., Bos, C. S., & Schumm, J. S. (2007). Teaching students who are exceptional,

diverse, and at risk in the general education classroom (4th ed.). Boston: Pearson

Allyn & Bacon.

Article summary of “State Puts Pressure on City Schools over English Language Learners”

Article summary of “State Puts Pressure on City Schools over English Language Learners” By Sharon Otterman

Schools in New York are not appropriately accommodating English language learners, says an article in the New York Times titled “State Puts Pressure on City Schools over English Language Learners” by Sharon Otterman. State education officials told New York schools that they have to improve their education of English language learners (ELLs) or they will face sanctions. The state education commissioner, Dr. King, thinks that student outcomes are a good indication of how poor the services are that are given to ELLs (Otterman, 2011). In 2010 ninety-three percent of New York’s ELL students did not graduate on time and were not ready or prepared for life after high school. Dr. King states that “these numbers are not acceptable” he does not think that New York should “leave so many students behind academically without access to college and career opportunities” (2011).

Last year New York City was directed by the state to make a plan to improve the services that they give to ELLs. Last month, NYC released their pledge, stretching 31 pages (2011). This pledge references what laws they are breaking by giving the services they currently provide. For example, in years past, when students needed to take placement tests or entrance exams into the ELL program, they were often not given such tests in a timely manner (2011).

The shortage of certified teachers is a major problem and factor in the city’s poor performance. The lack of ESL and bilingual teachers prevents thousands of children from receiving the language lessons that they are legally entitled to. Also, many parents are not being given their legal right to choose the services given to their children; instead they are either being put in a program with classes taught mainly in English with some extra help, or in a program in which major subjects are taught in a student’s native language (2011).

New York City’s new plan promises 125 new bilingual programs to be instated within the following three years (2011). The plan also vows to screen teachers more thoroughly, hiring more bilingual teachers, and to also provide the hired teachers with more training opportunities. Accountability, under the new plan, will fall mainly on the principals of NYC public schools. If they do not meet the standards and follow the plan to a t they will be penalized.

I am glad that principals are going to be held accountable for improvements in their bilingual education programs. The incentive to do better and improve the qualities of their bilingual programs is keeping their funding. I think that when money is involved people really start to keep themselves from slacking on the job. It is a harsh reality that helping a large population or learners is not incentive enough for some educators, penalties must be enforced in order for changes to be seen.

I cannot believe that a city as linguistically and culturally diverse as New York City has neglected its legal obligations to serve English language learners for so long. It is troubling to think that a city could get away with only seven percent of its ELLs graduating on time and being fully prepared for college or the working world. What is even more troubling is that there is no real way to increase the number or certified English as a second language and bilingual educators. While New York City’s new plan promises 125 new bilingual programs within the next three years, how can anyone guarantee that there will be a sufficient number of qualified teachers to fill the positions promised?

I hope that more majors incorporate bilingual studies into their curriculums. For example, all teacher education programs require one or more special education classes, but how many require ESL instruction classes or bilingual studies classes? In searching for schools with Master’s degrees in special education, George Washington University was the only school I came across with a major in Bilingual Special Education. I looked for months but this was the only program that incorporated both. Hopefully programs like this will increase in popularity so that more qualified teachers are available to service this population of students.

OTTERMAN, SHARON. "N.Y. State Presses City on English Language Learners - NYTimes.com." NY Times Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Nov. 2011. >.

Visual Scaffolding as a Strategy for Teaching English Language Learners

Observation and Reflection of Visual Scaffolding

as a Strategy for Teaching English Language Learners

Visual scaffolding is a strategy for teaching English language learners (ELLs) that utilizes drawings, photographs and other visuals in order to help students to better understand the language used in each lesson (Herrell, 26). This strategy encourages active involvement from all students in each lesson. Using methods and resources that add context to the language that a student is learning, such as props, gestures and pictures, contributes to that child’s language acquisition and ultimately to the production of new language (2). Diaz-Rico and Weed (220), and Ovando, Collier, and Combs (2003), believe that teachers who constantly use scaffolding strategies, including visuals and graphics, to assist English learners in multiple areas of learning, are supporting their students in making significant achievements in comprehension of both academic English and curriculum content (7).

When teaching English language learners, each classroom activity needs to be structured so that the students are able to participate in the lesson at a level that they are comfortable (2). Visuals go way beyond the basic photograph, visuals used in scaffolding may include images found on the internet, personal photographs taken by either the teacher, a parent or a student, illustrations in books, children’s artwork, homemade videos, commercials and even class-made videos. A variety of visuals used ensures multiple connections to vocabulary words and concepts. Incorporating familiar visuals in lessons, such as family pictures, videos or cultural objects can put students at ease and make individual students feel much more comfortable participating in lessons.

This strategy can be used at all levels, but is especially appropriate at the lower levels, in elementary and middle schools. If I were to teach a group of English language learners, in an elementary school setting, I anticipate doing many things. First, I would label almost everything in my classroom that is a visual representation of a vocabulary word. For example, I would put a label on the door saying “door” for English learners. Without even trying, when I student looks to the door and sees the word “door” they will be furthering the connection in their brain between the object and the name of the object in English. Labels can be made for almost everything in the classroom, including windows, chalkboards, desks, lights etc. I have seen this method used in almost every one of my Spanish classes, from middle school to high school. In my own experience, I found the method to be extremely useful when trying to learn and make connections to vocabulary words.

While many types of visuals, such as videos, cannot necessarily be stored by students as a reference, many can be, such as drawings and photographs. Graphic organizers that incorporate visuals are great, especially at the lower levels, because they present the information in an organized fashion that can be made readily available to each student as a reference that can be used at any time. These organizers would be implemented in my classroom and would be kept by each student in a binder so that they could be used as a reference when learning new vocabulary words and reviewing old vocabulary words.

I also believe that note-cards are a great way to help students learn new information, memorize that information, and make connections using that information. Note-cards that utilize pictures are great for language learners because they enable students to make visual connections to vocabulary words and concepts. These note-cards can be stored, like graphic organizers, for later use. I anticipate using note-cards a lot in my future classroom.

I believe that visual scaffolding may be one of the most useful strategies for teaching English language learners in a formal classroom setting. This strategy can be tailor-made to lessons in any subject, at any grade level. The use of visuals in the classroom helps to further students’ connections to the material and is a great way to encourage student participation in each lesson.

Herrell, A. L., & Jordan, M. (2012). 50 strategies for teaching English language learners (4th ed.). Columbus: Pearson.

Validity of the SAT for Predicting First-Year College Grade Point Average

Validity of the SAT for Predicting First-Year College Grade Point Average

The study Validity of the SAT for Predicting First-Year College Grade Point Average, by Jennifer L. Kobrin, Brian F. Patterson, Emily J. Shaw, Krista D. Mattern, and Sandra M. Barbuti, sought to prove whether or not the changes made to the SAT in 2005 substantially changed how well the test predicts first-year college performance (Kobrin, Patterson, Shaq, Mattern, Barbuti, 1). The changes made to the SAT in 2005 include the renaming of the verbal section of the test the critical reading section, analogies were removed and replaced by questions on reading questions, more advanced mathematics questions were added as well as the addition of a writing section (1). The test was lengthened from three hours to three hours and forty-five minutes (1).

The study compared the single and multiple correlations of SAT scores, high school GPA and first year GPA (3). The study found that the SAT and high school GPA are related but measure different parts of achievement (5). The SAT-W was found to have the highest correlation to first year GPA. Overall, the study found that the revisions made to the SAT did not change how it predicts fist year college performance (6). The college board ultimately believes that the best combination of college performance is both SAT scores and high school GPA. They encourage college institutions to take both into consideration when making decisions.

While the The College Board believes that a combination of both the SAT and HSGPA is the best predictor of college success, Geiser and Santelices have a different opinion. In their study Validity if High-School Grades in Predicting Student Success Beyond the Freshman Year: High-School Records vs. Standarized Tests as indicators of Four-Year Outcomes, Saul Geiser and Santelices found that high school grade point average is the best predictor of four-year college success Geiser and Santelices, 1). While The College Board only focused on the first year of college, this study expands the scope to the whole college experience. As a matter of fact, Geiser and Santelices uncover that the predictive weight of high school GPA increases after the freshman year of college (1). This suggests that there could be a major flaw in the study by Korbin et al. Korbin et al did not consider all of the years of college and therefore may not have an accurate prediction of college success.

I believe that the SAT should be used in part by college admissions boards; I do not however, believe it is the only measure that should be considered. I think that the SAT is a good way to see each student’s English and math abilities, however, it does not show other subject that each student excels in, nor does it show what a hard worker a student is. In this way, I think that high school GPA and recommendation letters are a good way to even the playing field. I think that motivation and effort have a lot to do with each student’s first year grade point average. The good thing about standardized tests is that they are the same across the board, while high schools differ in levels of difficulty

When I was in high school, there was a boy in my classes who was incredibly smart. If my memory serves me correctly he scored around a 2,200 on the revised SAT. This boy, however, never did any homework and was often off-task in class. For this reason, he did not get into the amazing colleges we all thought he would. His high school grade point average told a very different story than his SAT scores. I do not believe that pure intelligence is enough; you need to have a balance of smarts and motivation to be successful in a college environment, and in life in general.

Geiser, S., & Santelices, M. (2007). Validity of High-School Grades in PredictingStudent Success Beyond The Freshman Year. Research & Occasional Paper Series, CSHE.6.07, 1-35.

Kobrin, J., Patterson, B., Shaw, E., Mattern, K., & Barbuti, S. (2008). Validity of the SAT for Predicting First-Year College Grade Point Average. College Board Research Report, No. 2008-5, 1-11.

Article Summary- “Georgia Fails at Improving Teachers"

Article summary of “Georgia Fails at Improving Teachers- Ineffective teachers can have a lasting negative impact on a child’s future. The AJC’s education team discovered the state has spent billions to train and recruit better teachers. But results are mediocre “by Nancy Badertscher, Laura Diamond and Jaime Sarrio.

For the last decade, the state of Georgia has tried gradually to improve the quality of teachers in Georgia public schools, but with little success. The state is having trouble making decisions and sticking to them. In 2000, for instance, the state got rid of job protection laws so that ineffective, or problem teachers, could be fired more easily. Three years later, however, these laws were put back in place. In addition, the state promised raises to those teachers who enrolled in scrupulous certification programs, those raises were cut in 2010 (Badertscher, Diamond and Sarrio, A1). Those teachers who are in fact effective are mixed with those poor performing teachers and make the same salaries. In respect to the stop-go nature of Georgia’s policies over recent years, Tim Callahan, a spokesman for the Professional Association of Georgia Educators, says that “If you ran a business like this, you would soon run it into the ground” (A10). Throughout all of this, the students of the public schools in Georgia are suffering significantly. Studies have shown that there will be a lasting negative impact on a child’s education if he/she is taught for three years by ineffective teachers (A1).
An investigation conducted by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution uncovered that the state of Georgia has spent billions on teacher improvement with insignificant results. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes four reasons why greater results have not been seen. The first reason is that Georgia has not found a way to recognize bad teachers and remove them (A10). For this reason, many ineffective teachers continue to teach. The second reason greater results have not been seen is that according to national data, Georgia’s most intelligent students are not majoring in education (A10). The third reason is that Georgia does not have enough funding to adequately and continually train public school educators. The fourth reason noted in the The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that marginal results have been seen is that Georgia has spent nearly $1 billion dollars each year hiring teachers with advanced degrees, but there has been no evidence of an improvement in class performances (A10).
Not everyone in Georgia agrees about how to define a “quality teacher”, however, many people agree that the best teachers “believe all children can learn, are able to improve student achievement and develop in kids a respect for learning” (A10). Quality teachers, are not always fond of working with ineffective ones, according to Paul Rowson “the quickest way to lose top-performing teachers is to let them work side by side with someone who is disengaged and to reward them the same” (A10).
One of the biggest problems with the Georgia Public Schools system is that in the years to come, everyone will be more critical of teacher quality, yet there is next to no training on the job. Also, teachers will likely have a more diverse student population than ever (A10). The student population will be made up of students from many different cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds with varying needs, but the teachers will be given little training.
It is troubling to me that the goals and efforts of the Georgia Public School system seem to be in constant conflict. Georgia wants better performance from their educators but limits training opportunities. They want to put an emphasis on quality, yet pay effective educators the same as ineffective educators. Perhaps the most troubling situation to me is that truly effective teachers are going to have a lot of trouble welcoming students into their classes of diverse backgrounds with next to no training. Therefore, in some aspects, these effective teachers may become ineffective teachers.
After receiving my Master’s degree I intend to teach in Georgia. I would be lying, however, if I said that I was not fazed by this article in any way. It is hard to think about working in a school that will possibly not support me when I feel that I need a little extra training in a certain area, or that I may have to clean up the messes made by other educators in my school. Or that I may send my students on to the next grade in great shape, only to be derailed by their next teacher. I understand Paul Rowson’s statement that “the quickest way to lose top-performing teachers is to let them work side by side with someone who is disengaged and to reward them the same” (A10). I would love to work in a school where everyone exhibits the qualities of an effective educator, sometimes however, that dream seems highly unrealistic.


Badertscher, N., Diamond, L., & Sarrio, J. (2011, September 18). Georgia Fails at Improving Teachers. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, pp. A1, A10-A11.

Reflection on Role of Study Skills in Graduate-Level Educational Research Courses

Reflection on Role of Study Skills in Graduate-Level Educational Research Courses

The Onwuegbuzie and Schwartz (2001) study, Role of Study Skills in Graduate-Level Educational Research Courses sought to find the reason many students of graduate programs in the social and behavioral sciences perceive their required research methodology courses to be extremely hard and, in turn, perform more poorly in those courses than in the other courses required for their major (Onwuegbuzie and Schwartz, 238).The team hoped that the findings from the study would identify the study skills that would have a potential negative impact on the students’ achievement in the research methods courses. The findings would help to identify changes that should be made to the curriculum that would aid in the success of the students in those courses (239).

It appears to me that Onwuegbuzie and Schwartz (2001) had two research questions. Firstly, I think they asked if there is relationship between specific study skills and achievement in a research methodology course (239). Then, they furthered their inquiry by asking what study skills place students at risk for underachievement in the research methodology courses (239).

Onwuegbuzie and Schwartz (2001) used a sample consisting of 122 graduate students, which ranged from 21-51 years of age, 93.4% of whom were women (239-40). Data was collected on the study skills of graduate students. The variables studied included: note-taking, motivation, time-management, techniques and reading skills (240). The participants were administered the Study Habits Inventory (SHI). The SHI consisted of questions that would evaluate the study behaviors the participants. The scores ranged from 0 to 63 and high scores were indicative of good study habits (240).

The analysis of the data collected by the SHI study identified five variables that “significantly predicted” course achievement (242).They found that the students with the highest achievement were more likely to “attend class regularly… to concentrate while studying, to use an advanced organizer when taking notes, to not rely on rote memorization, and to avoid consumption of alcoholic beverages” (242).

Based on the study’s conclusion, I believe that a simple treatment to the problems associated with research methodology courses would be to require that students in graduate programs in the social and behavioral sciences take a study skills class prior to their enrollment in a research methodology class. The study skills class would reinforce the behaviors that this study identified as the best indicators of achievement in the research methods course.

In addition to the study conducted by Onwuegbuzie and Schwartz (2001) I find the study Self-Regulated Learning and Academic Achievement of Senior Biology Students, by C. C. Patterson, to be extremely interesting. Patterson’s study attempted to find out how achievement scores of a senior biology class would change if students were to self-regulate a larger portion of their learning (Patterson, 2).The results of the study indicate that, after the implementation of class-room based, self-regulated learning, to the treatment group, there was a heightened level of academic achievement (6).

I believe that these students, or subjects in Patterson’s study, who succeeded when given the opportunity to self-regulate would most likely exhibit the five indicators of course achievement identified in Onwuegbuzie and Schwartz (2001) study.

Onwuegbuzie, A. J., Slate, J. R., & Schwartz, R. A. (2001). Role of Study Skills in Graduate-

Level Educational Research Courses. Journal of Educational Research, 94(4), 238.

Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Paterson, C. C. (1996). Self-regulated learning and academic achievement of senior biology

students. Australian Science Teachers Journal, 42(2), 48. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.