Statement of the Problem. There is a growing issue of cyclical violence in Champaign county’s homes, schools, and neighborhoods. Parents and families in the affected areas are requesting affordable, accessible & intensive programs for their male sons. While there are existing programs, the problem of gun violence continues to grow, and necessitate more services to meet the need. Program Objectives: This program will provide cognitive behavioral interventions, leadership development, entrepreneurial training, stress reducing activities, and brief strategic family therapy. Program Sponsors: CU Trauma Resiliency Initiative and participating schools. Program Description & Design: ● Participants. We will recruit at least 6 at-risk males per month, to complete a 4 day in person, weekend/evening Manhood Training Camp Curriculum, at 4 hours per session. ● Families. We will provide consent to services forms, authorization of release forms, permission forms, and ongoing support services to parents in the form of gift cards. ● Junior Leaders. We will provide a referral fee of $20 to all youth who bring a natural support or peer to their class. Young men who complete the training to a high level, will become paid leaders of Vision to Succeed, at $20/hour and will teach the curriculum to their peers on the weekends, and provide leadership to peers at school. ● Curriculum. Week 1: Self Discovery Stage. Week 2: Game Planning Stage. Week 3: Action Stage. Week 4: Fruition. Level Up Opportunity: Junior Mentor, Ongoing Support Services, Wraparound. ● Location. Ujima Retreat Center in Urbana, various businesses for trips. ● Evidence-Based Model: READI Chicago, with a 32% reduction in shootings & homicides. ● Evaluation. School grades, number of discipline referrals, attendance, and parent feedback. Budget: Funding Breakdown $44,337 ● Program Management $19,000 ● Trips $10,877 ● Support Services $6,900 ● Junior Leader Pay & Referral Fees $5,240 ● Summer Programming $1,600 ● Transportation $720 Implementation, Linkages & Collaborations Program Planners: Xxxxx Xxxxxx Xx., Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx,Xxxxx Xxxxx
Statement of the Problem. A teacher is not just another employee in an institution who is supposed to follow orders and directives. On the contrary, a teacher is supposed to be a “reflective, self- determining, lifelong learning practitioner with high-professional autonomy” (Surgrue, 2011 as cited in Xxxxxx & Höstfält, 2013, p.58). Teachers nowadays are constantly struggling with the dilemma of whether to act as professional teachers, which implies being in charge of many crucial decisions taken in and outside the classroom, or to do what is required of them: follow the school guidelines and standard state curriculum (Xxxxxx & Höstfält, 2013). Apart from such extrinsic reasons as low salaries and lack of fringe benefits, teachers also leave schools for such intrinsic reasons as need for personal growth, desire for philosophy of education and lack of respect and recognition for their efforts (Xxxxx, 1996 as cited in Xxxxxxx & Xxxxxx, 2006). In Kazakhstan, not much is known about whether these intrinsic and extrinsic factors affect teachers’ motivation and job satisfaction. Thus, my study aimed to explore any existing links between teacher autonomy or lack thereof and teachers’ job satisfaction and motivation.
Statement of the Problem. Interpersonal relationships are a fundamental aspect of patient care. It is even more important to establish a nurse-patient relationship when caring for client on long-term care in nursing homes or residential home care. It is assumed that after a period of time nurses gain some unique and useful experiences of how to create and sustain nurse-patient relationships. The statement of the problem will therefore be: “What are the experiences of the nurses in attaining interpersonal relations with the elderly in residential home care and nursing homes?”
Statement of the Problem. All these favorable learning conditions in a stimulating creative environment made student selection processes very competitive. According to OECD (2015), in spite of the difficulties in the data analyses of the schools for gifted children, the outright growth in the overall number of applicants as well as accepted students to specialized educational organizations has steadily increased in Kazakhstan. For instance, there were 15 schools for gifted children by the end of the 90s, and now there are 131 schools functioning in various regions of Kazakhstan. The same upward trend can be observed at Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools where the number of students competing for one place has dramatically increased since the schools’ establishment. To illustrate, in 2011 this indicator accounted for 2.1 people, whereas, in 2014, it more than doubled to 5.8. This year, in 2018, the figure has shown 7.2 people applying per available seat (NIS, 2018). These figures undoubtedly demonstrate the increase in the quantity of students interested in these programs. Although currently acting gifted education policies stress the equality norms in school admission criteria, issues of equity and access to these programs are still considered to be an area of much uncertainty. However, as part and parcel of inclusive education, ensuring equity in all forms of education is accentuated in the documents of international importance such as “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights Act” (1948), “The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Right” (1966), and the UNESCO Sustainable Development Goals (2017). The OECD (2012) review also indicates that equity in educational contexts can resolve social and economic inequalities neglecting to give students an opportunity to take full benefit of learning regardless their origins and backgrounds. As pointed out by Xxxxxxxx (2012), educational equity is an indispensable factor in forging gifted education programs forward. The neglect of equity of access may trigger issues of underrepresentation, whilst carelessness of equitable participation and proper service delivery may cause “disparities of available educational opportunities for identified gifted students based on race/ethnicity, economic disadvantage, or geography/locale” (Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxx, & Xxxxxxx, 2015, p. 100). The OECD Review on Kazakhstani schools (2015) also raised the question of accessibility of gifted education programs to disadvantaged students since they have les...
Statement of the Problem. The research of multidisciplinary scholars connects gender ideology and culture with domination, violence, and environmental degradation. These scholars include gender scholars, anthropologists, religious and peace studies scholars, sociologists, and 2The tenor of political discussions of environmental topics provides another example. Disparagement of climate change or other environmental issues contributes to a contentious social debate within which many individuals do not seriously weigh the scientific data. A lack of concern for facts suggests conformity to promoted views rather than commitment to good faith debate or thoughtful conversation. eco-feminists.3 The research is well-established; my purpose here is not to argue for these connections. Rather my intention is to address apparent resistance to the conclusions and significance of this research as well as to provoke a needed conversation about the xxxxx of gender culture. There is apparently something sufficiently threatening or discomforting about the discussion of gender to make people avoid or dismiss it rather than seriously engage in conversations of related xxxxx. Thus, the task of “illuminating connections between gender culture and sustainability” depends upon transcending resistance or blindness in order to promote general awareness of established connections. A study of this blindness or resistance requires an analytical method equipped to consider irrational, social psychological influences on behavior and motivation. The project argues for the need for differing forms of analyses within an investigation of sustainability. Sustainability theorists rely upon adaptive management and large scale systems analyses that examine the interrelated workings of components of integrative human-natural systems. These analyses clarify the ways in which aspects of a complex system work together, contributing information about predicted effects of actions or combinations of actions as input to rational decision-making processes. There is also, however, a need for complementary analyses aimed at assessing the social 3 See Xxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxx, Inclusion and Democracy (New York: Oxford University Press, 2000); Xxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxx, “Is Male Gender Identity the Cause of Male Domination,” in Feminist Social Thought. Edited by Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx (New York: Routledge, 1997); Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx, and Xxxxxx Xxxx, eds., Male Roles, Masculinities, and Violence: A Culture of Peace Perspective (Paris: U...
Statement of the Problem. The 21st century economy is STEM-based. Students who enter into this workforce need to be prepared for this type of economy if we want to sustain our middle class and American economic power. The ongoing need to import workers to fill STEM and STEM-related careers in the United States has had a direct impact on our local, state, and national economy. When compared to other industrialized nations around the world, American students rank behind many of the top economic and industrial competitors according to the US Department of Education’s evaluation of standardized test scores from the International Mathematics and Science Survey, called Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Two additional international assessments utilized to compare US students to other industrialized nations include the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), and the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). On the 2011 PIRLS assessments, American fourth-grade students ranked sixth in the world in the area of reading (U.S. Department of Education, 2012). However, higher grade levels of American students did not rank as high. On the 2011 XXXXX assessment, American eighth- grade students ranked ninth in science and seventh in math (U.S. Department of Education, 2012). Additionally, the 2015 XXXXX assessment had the United States fourth-graders ranked 11th in math as compared to other educational systems. Eighth-grade students also improved in 2015, ranking in the top ten as eighth overall (“Highlights from TIMSS and TIMSS Advanced 2015,” 2016). The 2012 PIRLS assessment ranked American students 23rd in science and 30th in math. That same year, PISA ranked the US as 20th in reading (U.S. Department of Education, 2012). The 2015 PISA assessment did see some improvements; however, the United States is still ranked either in the top 30 or 50 among industrialized nations. On the 2015 PISA assessment, the United States ranked 26th in science, 41st in math, and 25th in reading (“Program for International Student Assessment [PISA] - Science Literacy,” 2015). As the top economic power in the world, the United States continues to struggle to prepare all students for STEM careers, causing employers to import professionals from all over the world.
Statement of the Problem. Meanwhile, the number of children born with DS worldwide and in Kazakhstan is increasing. The World Health Organization analysed the birth rate of children with DS in different countries. It revealed a surge in the birth rate of children with DS in Kazakhstan in 2006. In 2006 the birth rate ranged between 3-418 per 100 live births. In 2012 this number reached 722. The most recent data (2017) showed that the birth rate of children with DS is over 900. Thus, for the last 11-year period, the birth rate of children with the diagnosis of DS doubled in our country. Although the national educational programmes emphasise the importance of developing inclusive education in Kazakhstan and take actions to implement it, children with DS are segregated from their peers, schools, and society. Human Rights Watch (HRW, 2019) reported that in Kazakhstan, parental opinion is disregarded and their children with special needs are marginalised. The report demonstrated that an approach to educating children with special needs is based on the medical approach. Children with special needs or disabilities are of serious concern in Kazakhstan because they are educated in correctional schools or at home rather than in mainstream schools (OECD, 2015). This study provides an important opportunity to advance the understanding of the parental views of children with DS towards inclusive education and make an original contribution to the Kazakhstani research field.
Statement of the Problem. As educators, we believe that student learning is a primary goal of education. Yet, how do we know that learning is taking place? How do we know if curricular changes have been successful? Just as we require evidence to make mindful decisions or data to confirm/disconfirm research hypotheses, assessment data helps determine whether educational objectives have been met (Xxxxx, 2011). In this context, assessment can be defined as ‘‘the systematic collection, review, and use of information about educational programs for the purpose of improving student learning and development” (Armenakis, 2007, p. 488). Two important elements in this definition are assessment focused on improving student outcomes, and assessment used to gather information about the effectiveness of utilizing research-based instructional strategies while delivering the curriculum. How do instructional leaders inspire educators to change and revisit their practices in order to provide a quality education with appropriate rigor for a higher percentage of student success? Is it worthwhile to consider changing the instruction presented to students the first time students are introduced to the curriculum to ensure it is the best it can be to support their learning and success? Research-based, effective instructional strategies can be found, learned and implemented for the purpose of increasing positive student achievement by engaging students’ cognitive abilities; however, teachers remain resistant and stubborn in changing their practices (Fullan, 1996). Instruction will not change on its own. In order for significant change to occur, principals as instructional leaders and coaches of professional development, must support and assist teachers in adopting new instructional practices (XxXxxx, 1991). Productive, well-orchestrated change efforts allow organizations to adapt to shifting conditions and position themselves for a better future (Senge, 2012).
Statement of the Problem. The current and ongoing coronavirus pandemic poses serious challenges to the nation's educational system, with most public primary and secondary schools either remaining closed for in-person instruction or having a modified hybrid schedule. The current learning environment has been a significant challenge for everyone, but especially for younger children, children with special needs and for parents who must work outside of the home. We acknowledge and understand the ongoing pressures on school systems to return to in-class learning in the safest manner possible. It is the goal of Resource Path Team to collaborate with and supportAPS incorporation of RT-PCR Sentinel Surveillance testing in its Infection Control Plan facilitating a safe and durable return to full-time, in-class learning.
Statement of the Problem. This exploration of international students’ re-entry adjustment is motivated by a need to find the answers to several issues associated with the re-entry phenomenon. Firstly, research on the subject has mostly been conducted and developed in the context of students from developed countries (Szukudlarek, 2009), and it would be interesting to establish whether such findings can be applicable worldwide. Secondly, studies on cross-cultural readjustment are very limited in the context of Kazakhstan, and very little empirical data has been introduced and few theoretical works have been published. International higher education institutions are usually able to provide international students with sufficient support upon arrival to the host country, both academically and culturally (Xxxxxxxxx, 2011), though less is known about the degree to which the re-entry stage receives similar attention. In addition, the administrators, stakeholders and coordinators of governmental scholarships (Xxxxxxxx being only one example) do not often perceive the re-entry phase as critical and incorrectly take it for granted as being problem-free, while the pre-departure process to the host country remains as a priority. Even students might not realize the extent to which the re-entry transitional period can be challenging. Xxxxxx (2003) claims that neither the sponsoring organization in the home country nor the international students going abroad might be prepared for the difficulties that emerge upon re-entry. While some are able to go through the re-entry transition easily, others can endure long-lasting stress upon arrival. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to assist and provide sufficient support to returning students in their endeavours to adapt to life at home.
