Total School Enrollment Research Articles

School Leadership Capacity and Student Achievement: A Study of High Schools

Organizationally, what does not get measured is not prioritized or improved. Unlike student outcomes, the leadership environment that produces the results is rarely examined for its merit and impact. In this study, a quantitative survey gathered information to investigate the impacts of leadership capacity constructs on academic achievement. Principals from 161 public high schools and their schools provided the data (leadership capacity, demographics, and reading and math scores). Data were analyzed using descriptive, correlational, and regression statistics. Findings indicated significant high correlations among leadership capacity variables, significant relationships between school demographics (total school enrollment, percentage of low-income students, average class size, and attendance) and reading and math scores, and non-significant correlations between leadership capacity and academic achievement. The study delineated specific leadership capacity behaviors within the constructs that predicted student academic achievement in math and reading. The study suggests increased capacity and practice of these leadership behaviors to improve work setting and student achievement.

Education and Economic Growth in Nepal: An ARDL Approach

Education increases the quality and the quantity of human capital stock. The endogenous growth theory emphasizes the role of education in the economic growth. This study investigates the relationship between education and economic growth in Nepal using time series data from 1986 to 2022 in ARDL model. This study considers GDP growth as the dependent variable and growth in gross fixed capital formation, change in total population of ages 15 to 64, growth in government expenditure on education, school enrollment in secondary level, school enrollment in tertiary level and inflation rate as independent variables. The results show the existence of a long-run relationship between gross fixed capital formation and GDP positively and significantly. The government expenditure on education, school enrollment in secondary level, and inflation have insignificant and negative relation with GDP growth. Total population and school enrollment in tertiary level have positive and insignificant relation with GDP growth. In short run, total population have dynamic effects in Nepalese economy. This study suggests that there should be more studies considering other proxies to support the unavoidable evidence of education as the backbone of any economy.

Special Education Personnel Absences in Inclusion-Oriented Schools: Implications for Building Effective Service Delivery Models

This study explored relationships between special education personnel absences and demographic, policy, and practice variables to identify potential actions that could increase access to qualified personnel and continuity of instruction. Findings from 51 inclusion-oriented schools indicated that special educators and special education paraprofessionals were absent 12 days per year on average. Special educator absences were correlated with variables amenable to action by school leaders including special educator school density (i.e., ratio of special educators in full-time equivalents to total school enrollment) and special services concentration (i.e., ratio of special educators to special education paraprofessionals in full-time equivalents). Special education paraprofessional absences were not correlated with these variables. Implications for practice and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Universal basic education in Nigeria: can non-state actors make a difference?

PurposeAgainst the backdrop of falling standards and failing government policies in the education sector in Nigeria, this paper aimed to investigate how and why non-state actors can make a significant impact on the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals for universal basic education (UBE).Design/methodology/approachThis study draws from semi-structured interviews of 15 heads and proprietors – six state-funded schools, six faith schools and three other privately owned schools – to examine and compare the different motivations, guiding principles and overall impact of these actors in the education sector.FindingsReligious actors, along with private providers, are making a significant contribution to the provision of basic education in Nigeria. Students from faith schools tend to perform better academically and they also tend to be more disciplined and resourceful. However, because these schools are fee-paying, fewer households are able to access them.Practical implicationsThe findings highlight the need to facilitate better cooperation and knowledge transfer activities between public, private and faith schools. It also emphasises the need for better government commitment and investment in provision of resources and facilities, effort in regulating the curriculum and regular inspection and quality monitoring of public schools.Originality/valueThe study highlights, on the one hand, the superior capacity of non-state actors – especially religious actors – to deploy their vast social capital towards the mobilisation of funds and human resources. On the other hand, while they have made inroads in their share of total national school enrolment, non-state actors have not made significant impact on access to quality education, owing to high fees and entry barriers faced by poorer households.

Human Capital Formation and Economic Growth in Nigeria

This study investigates how the development of human capital is related to economic growth in Nigeria from 1980 to 2015. Data were sourced from the Central Bank of Nigeria and the National Bureau of Statistics. The study employed Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) to estimate the relationship among the variables used in this study which revealed that there is a positive long-run relationship among public expenditure on education and health, total school enrolment, gross capital formation, employment rate, life expectancy rate and economic growth. The study recommended that the government should put in place the required education and training policy that would guarantee quality schooling for different level of education. Government should also commit more funds to health sector to enhance human capital formation. It was also recommended there should be more pragmatic means to develop human capabilities.

The Impact of Encouraging Social Promotion

I study the effects of encouraging social promotion in the context of a policy in Colombia that capped the number of failing students at 5% of the total school enrollment. I show that this reform decreased failure rates by 10 percentage points in schools with high initial failure. To estimate the impacts on school dropout and student academic achievement, I exploit variation in the extent to which the 5% cap was binding across schools based on their pre-policy rates. I find that average math and language test scores are lower for cohorts that had more years of exposure to the social promotion regime. In addition, I find that dropout rates decreased by 25%, suggesting an overall ambiguous effect of this policy. I provide suggestive evidence that the impacts might be driven by both a composition and an incentive effect.

The Role of NGOs in Financing Public Primary Education in Kenya

The World Conference on Education for All, held in Jomtiem, Thailand 1990 stated that education is so diverse, complex and demanding to expect governments alone to meet the vast arrays of learner needs. The call for a multi-sectoral approach and building new alliances between governments, private, and NGOs forces was central to the thematic round tables on "NGOs and Literacy" and Mobilizing for "Education for All" (Hadaad 1990). This study examined the role of NGOs in financing public primary education in Budalangi, Kenya. The specific objectives of the study were: to determine NGOs participation areas in public primary education provision focusing on disbursement procedures and equity considerations for different socio-economic groups; to find out the various sources of NGOs‘ funds; to reveal the challenges facing NGOs in their effort to support public primary education and finally, to find out the adequacy and relevance of NGOs support as perceived byschool heads, parents and pupils in the region. The study adopted a descriptive survey paradigm. The target population comprised of 16 NGOs supporting publicprimary education, 33 primary schools and 16518 pupils and their parents benefiting from NGOs support. The sample included nine NGOs, seven public primary schools and 111 pupils and their parents. This gave a total of 238 respondents. The data was collected using questionnaires for NGO administrators and head teachers and interview schedules for parents and pupils. The study found out that NGOs play a central role in promoting quality, access, equity and relevance of primary education by providing physical facilities, direct support to pupils and parents. It was noted that the number of supported pupils was significant (31%) in relation to the total school enrolment. However, NGOs faced the challenge of insufficient funds, lack of exit strategy and mistrust by the government. The study recommends that the NGOs should use capacity building for sustained support and to work hand in hand with the government and all other stakeholders in education to help Kenya meet her international commitment in achieving the MDG goal in Education and EFA goals adopted in Dakar in 2000.

Correlations between teacher turnover and specific non-pecuniary school characteristics among secondary band and choral programs in a large urban district

This study was designed to examine teacher turnover among secondary choral and band programs ( N = 124) in a large, urban school district in the USA during a 10-year period (1999–2000 through 2009–2010). Also, this study investigated correlations between teacher turnover and specific non-pecuniary school attributes, including total school enrollment, total number of minority students enrolled in the school, total number of students classified as low-poverty, total number of suspension incidents, and total number of expulsion incidents. Overall, secondary music teacher turnover in this urban district negatively correlated with enrollment, minority, and suspension incidents. Specifically, middle school choral teacher turnover was negatively correlated with enrollment and minority, middle school band teacher turnover was negatively correlated with enrollment, minority, and suspension incidents and high school choral teacher turnover was negatively correlated with enrollment, minority, and suspension incidents. Interestingly, high school band teacher turnover was not correlated with any of the non-pecuniary school characteristics.

Implementing Universal Design for Learning in Classrooms with Minorities with Autism

In 2013-2014 school year, 6.5 million children ages 3-21 received special education services which constitute almost 13% of total public school enrollment. Throughout the last two decades, particularly from 1990 through 2004, the number of students ages 3-21 who received special education services, increased from 11% to 14% of total public school enrollment. Educators during this period have tried to include students with disabilities into more inclusive settings as a response to the No Child Left behind Act (NCLB, 2001) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004). This movement has increased the number of diverse students in inclusive settings.

Does Financial Inclusion Spur Economic Growth in India?

Financial inclusion is a multi-dimensional concept with heterogeneous views prevailing across the globe. The motto of financial inclusion is to provide affordable financial services to all sections of society to improve their standard of living. This is an integral part of economic growth as it not only assures financial sector development but also spreads affordable financial services for the betterment of each section of the society. Broadly, it is the process of allocation of the financial services to the weaker section of the society at an affordable cost. The motivation of this study is to examine the effect of financial inclusion on economic growth in India over the 1980 to 2014 period. The present study uses annual time series data on number of deposit and credit account from scheduled commercial banks in proportion to 1,000 adults, number of bank branches in proportion to 1,000 adults, and number of bank employees as the ratio of bank branches, amounts of deposits and credits as ratio of GDP collected from Basic Statistical Returns, RBI. Data for other macroeconomic controls like inflation, total trade, total secondary school enrollment (as a proxy for human capital) and government expenditure are collected from World development Indicators.The study employs Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to construct a financial inclusion index which measures the financial access in the Indian economy. Using the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) and Error Correction Model (ECM), the study finds a positive impact of financial inclusion on economic growth both in the long run and short run. In addition, the empirical estimates posit a unidirectional relationship between financial inclusion and economic growth. Moreover, this study reports that financial liberalization policy has contributed to the economic growth in India. Our estimates suggest that the most important task for the government of India is to improve the efficiency of financial institutions, which will simultaneously stimulate financial inclusion as well as economic growth.

State Patterns in Medical School Expansion, 2000–2010

In 2006, the Association of American Medical Colleges recommended a 30% increase over 2002 enrollment in U.S. medical schools by the year 2016, particularly in areas with rapid population growth during the past 25 years or where the population was projected to grow rapidly in future years. Both MD-granting and DO-granting schools subsequently expanded enrollment. To examine the relationship between ongoing medical school expansion and state-level measures of population need and workforce capacity, the authors used established national health workforce and training site datasets to compare total medical school enrollment (2000-2010) with change in population, medical student retention in state (those returning to practice in the state where they graduated), and primary care supply.From 2000 to 2010, U.S. population increased 10% (median state population growth 7.4%). Median state total MD and DO medical school enrollment growth was 14.7%, with nine states increasing enrollment by more than 50%. Medical student retention rates varied from 9.8% to 67%. A wide variation in concordance and discordance between medical school enrollment to population growth and to medical student retention rates existed across states. States also demonstrated concordance or discordance between medical school enrollment and supply of primary care physicians.The authors recommend strategies for expansion that may help meet the population's need for primary care physicians and improved geographic distribution of specialties. Expansion of graduate medical education must also be aligned with population need, necessitating coordination of workforce planning.

Estimation of Class-Size Effects, Using "Maimonides' Rule" and Other Instruments: the Case of French Junior High Schools

Using a rich sample of students from French junior high schools with a panel structure, we obtain small but significant and negative effects of class size on probabilities of being promoted to the next grade, in grades 6 and 7. In grade 6 a 10-student reduction in class size would put the child of a blue collar worker on an equal footing with the child of an educated professional. These effects vanish in grades 8 and 9. Angrist and Lavy's (1999) Maimonides' rule, inducing a regression discontinuity based on class-opening thresholds, doesn't work well with our data, in spite of being strong in the first-stage regression. We show that an approach based on the random variations of total grade enrollment, conditional on total school enrollment gives substantially better results. This is possible since actual class size, total grade and total school enrollment are available in our exceptional data set. Using a Probit framework to model transitions from one grade to another (and thus grade repetitions), we then simultaneously estimate the student's probabilities of success over 4 years in junior high school. The simultaneous equation model allows for the estimation of a general covariance structure of the error terms affecting latent student performance and class-size equations, which sheds light on the endogeneity of class-size.

Editorial: Waist Deep in the Big Muddy: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and No Child Left Behind (NCLB)

Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) The first iteration of IDEA, the Education of All Handicapped Children Act, passed more than 35 years ago, had several positive elements. Key among these was the concept of a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) for all children, regardless of the extent of the The establishment of an Individualized Education Plan (???) has had an even more far-reaching impact. Under the guidelines of IDEA, along with parents, professionals with appropriate knowledge and expertise, develop IEPs to meet the unique educational needs of children diagnosed as disabled in one of the thirteen federal categories. In recent years approximately six and a half million American children, or 12% of the total public school enrollment, receive educational services developed through IEPs. The mandate for education in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) is the major provision that has caused the most confusion and controversy, especially, but not entirely, in the field of education of the deaf. Although there have been attempts, the term has never been defined over the past 35 years to everyone's satisfaction. In general, it has been interpreted to mean that educational placement of a disabled student contiguous to nondisabled peers is preferable to the greatest extent possible. Readers of the Annals are aware of the opposing view that educational placement of deaf children with other deaf children in many instances can increase communication and access to information more efficiently than immersion in a completely hearing environment. From this perspective placement of deaf students with other deaf students constitutes the least restrictive environment. However, because the classification Deaf and Hard of Hearing is one of the 13 federal disability categories, the impact of the mainstreaming/inclusion model interpretation of LRE has been significant. For a number of reasons, educational placement of deaf students had been moving away from residential and center schools since shortly after World War II, but it is undeniable that the LRE provision of IDEA has speeded up the process. In short, the subsumption of education of deaf students under the IDEA umbrella led to a loss of independence in our field, making it more difficult to address the unique needs of deaf students. In some ways the outcome to date has been positive. For example, our educational programs to a large extent were too narrow, concentrating on speech, English, and grammar to the detriment of math, science, social studies, and literature. There has been an important change in emphasis to adapt regular education curricula, especially with the knowledge that many, perhaps a majority, of our children will find themselves in different educational environments. Quite simply, our expectations were too low. On the other hand, we are in danger of losing our identity and being swallowed up within the far larger population of children classified as disabled. The federal government has identified approximately 70,000 deaf and hard of hearing children served under IDEA, slightly more than one child in a hundred with an 1ER If we assume one-half of these students would have severe or profound hearing loss, perhaps one child in 200 children with an IEP is deaf. Two categories - Learning Disabilities and Speech and Language Disorders - constitute the majority of disabled children under IDEA. They receive the type of attention due to them for their numbers; the parameters for them for LRE, for example, are different than they are for deaf students. If regulations for inclusion and for other elements of an IEP are based on majorities, the implications for deaf students may be of concern. Although I know that IEPs, by definition, are individualized, I also know they can be generated by computer. In sum, I think that IDEA has been a mixed blessing for deaf students. Our expectations and curricula are better, but our children may be overlooked and they may not be getting the specialized services they need. …

Enhancing Social Competence in the Music Classroom

Strong social skills are vital for successful functioning in life. Social skills can affect academic success, peer relationships, family relationships, employment, and extracurricular and leisure activities. Children and adolescents who display academic, social, and behavioral deficits are at risk for both short-term and long-term negative social and academic outcomes (Lane, Givner, & Pierson, 2004). In fact, longitudinal studies have shown a connection between behavioral and social difficulties and substandard academic achievement as children mature (Bracken & Fischel, 2007; Lane et al., 2004). Furthermore, research suggests that students with deficits in social and behavioral skills frequently show higher rates of school dropout, impaired social relationships, unemployment or underemployment, substance abuse, unstable and unfulfilling personal lives, and a lack of postsecondary education and training (Lane et al., 2004). In addition, students with poor social skills are more likely to be rejected by their peers and more likely to be the victims of bullying (Milsom & Glanville, 2009). Because of disability-specific deficits that lead to fewer interactions with peers and/or difficulty establishing meaningful relationships, children with disabilities are at a much greater risk for demonstrating poor social skills (Bellini, 2004; Boo & Prins, 2006; Milsom & Glanville, 2009). According to recent figures from the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (2008), 13.5% of the total public school enrollment demonstrated some type of disability that qualified them for services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) during the 2006–2007 academic year. Given the large number of students served under IDEA, the likelihood that music educators will teach students with some type of disability is high. Moreover, the likelihood that those students with disabilities will demonstrate poor social skills is also high. Children need opportunities to learn social skills, practice those skills, and receive corrective feedback about their performance of those skills. Because music is an inherently social activity, the music classroom is an ideal place to help students develop or improve vital social skills. Specific Social Skill Objectives That Can Be Incorporated Into the Music Classroom

Factors that influence the exports of Pakistan

The exports of Pakistan have fluctuated very wildly for several decades. This paper aims to find out what the factors that influence the exports of Pakistan are. With the help of the latest econometric techniques and regression models, we find that the agriculture growth rate, the commodities producing the sector growth rate, domestic saving, inflation, the manufacturing sector growth rate, the Gross National Product (GNP) per capita, the total consumption and school enrolment are the main factors that influence the exports of Pakistan during the observed period of 1972-2005.

Access and Utilization Patterns of School-Based Health Centers at Urban and Rural Elementary and Middle Schools

We examined patterns of enrollment, use, and frequency of use in school-based health centers (SBHCs), as well as the referral, diagnosis, and disposition of SBHC visits among newly implemented SBHCs. Four rural and four urban school districts implementing SBHCs were examined from 2000 to 2003. Total school enrollment for students was 13,046. SBHC enrollment and medical encounter data were tracked using a Web-based medical database. Descriptive analyses were conducted to evaluate primary care access and utilization patterns. A total of 7,460 (57.2%) students were enrolled in their SBHCs, of which 4,426 used the SBHC at least once for a total of 14,050 visits. SBHC enrollment was greater in urban districts but rate of utilization was higher in rural districts. Black students, students with public or no health insurance, and students with asthma or attention deficit disorder had higher enrollment and utilization. Rural parents referred more children to SBHCs than urban parents. Teachers referred more students who were black, had asthma, had no public or health insurance, or had acute-type health issues. Total visits increased during the three years, with the largest increase in mental health services. Students who were younger, white, attended rural schools, had public or health insurance, or had infections were more likely to be sent home. Those with chronic conditions and visits for mental health were more likely to be returned to class. Utilization patterns suggest improved access to needed health care for disadvantaged children. SBHCs are an important part of the safety net for the populations they are intended to serve.

The Lack of Consensus Among Catholics for Establishing New Elementary Schools

For a century Catholic schools have formed the basis for a strong system of acculturation into Catholic identity and values. Catholic schools provided a low-cost basic education and served as a common school for all social classes of Catholics. This system has weakened considerably in the last decades. Between 1970 and 2000 there was a net loss of 3,595 Catholic schools in the United States, a 29.9% decline. In addition, the nature of these schools seems to be changing as the percentage of total Catholic school enrollment made up by non-Catholics has increased ten-fold in 30 years. Many Catholic Schools seem to have pursued increased academic excellence at the expense of religious acculturation. This paper examines diocesan data to determine the extent to which Catholics still consider Catholic elementary schools to be important. Findings include survey data on school importance from 55,000 diocesan Catholics. I addition, parishioner survey results are presented from two suburban parishes, each of which is considering establishing a parochial elementary school. If new elementary schools are going to be established, a way must be found for Catholics to arrive at a consensus on this issue.

The Lack of Consensus among Catholics for Establishing New Elementary Schools

For a century Catholic schools have formed the basis for a strong system of acculturation into Catholic identify and values. Catholic schools provided a low-cost basic education and served as a common school for all social classes of Catholics. This system has weakened considerably in the last decades. Between 1970 and 2000 there was a net loss of 3,595 Catholic schools in the United States, a 29.9% decline. In addition, the nature of these schools seems to be changing as the percentage of total Catholic school enrollment made up by non-Catholics has increased ten-fold in thirty years. Many Catholic schools seem to have pursued increased academic excellence at the expense of religious acculturation. This paper examines diocesan data to determine the extent to which Catholics still consider Catholic elementary schools to be important. Findings include survey data on school importance from 55,000 diocesan Catholics. In addition, parishioner survey results are presented from two suburban parishes, each of which is considering establishing a parochial elementary school. If new elementary schools are going to be established, a way must be found for Catholics to arrive at a consensus on this issue.

Effects of Error Correction on Spanish Spelling Words for Students Whose Primary Language is Spanish

A constant flow of Spanish-speaking families from Mexico, Puerto Rico, and other countries where Spanish is the dominant language have entered the United States seeking employment due to political and socioeconomic realities these countries share. Given this, Hispanic students represent the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States, increasing from 6% of the total school enrollment in 1972 to 14% in 1995 (Sable & Stennett, 1998). In addition to the increase in the number of Hispanic students enrolling in public education, Rhine (1995) indicates that the number of Limited English Proficient (LEP) or CulturallyLinguistically Diverse (CLD) students is steadily increasing. The CLD population

Living and Teaching Along the U.S./Mexico Border: Midwestern Student Interns’ Cultural Adaptation Experiences in Texas Schools

It has been estimated that by the year 2000, only 5% of teachers will be minorities, although minorities will make up about one third of the total school enrollment in the United States (Educational Commission of the States, 1990). Through “The Inter-Campus Enhancement of Language Minority Recruitment and Bilingual Education Project,” directed by Dr. Carlos Ovando of Indiana University, and working in collaboration with The University of Texas-Pan American’s College of Education, select students from Indiana University spend 6 to 15 weeks teaching children and adolescents in the Rio Grande Valley schools in South Texas—over 90% who are Hispanics of Mexican American descent. This ethnographic article describes the challenges of cultural adaptation of six student interns who chose to live and teach in a small university town along the U.S./Mexico border, and it generates many questions regarding the awesome task of increasing the number of educators prepared to serve Spanish language populations of bilingual classroom settings in the United States.