Under-resourced Schools Research Articles

Taking Away Excuses to Quit: The Role of Supports in Completion and Learning in Online Professional Development for Teachers

Online courses, particularly in the massive open online course (MOOC) format, have been lauded for their potential to democratize access to educational opportunities but criticized for their markedly low completion rates. Yet educators continue to enroll in online courses, including MOOCs, in high numbers. For teachers at under-resourced schools, free online courses may be the only professional development option. It thus remains important to understand whether online courses, in their various formats, can serve as vehicles to support teacher learning and whether this can happen on a large-scale. Extending prior research that explores the relationship between contextual factors, engagement, and learning in online settings, this mixed-method study examines outcomes in a MOOC designed for teachers of English learners (ELs). In particular, the study identifies and examines structural and social supports that were available to some course participants (release time, stipends, participating with colleagues, and having a facilitator who convened face-to-face meetings) and investigates whether these local conditions were significantly related to completion and learning. Findings indicate that participants who received more supports were significantly more likely to complete the course. While participants, on average, showed evidence of learning, participants receiving supports did not show evidence of learning more than other participants. This is potentially due to omitted variable bias because participants who completed the course without supports may differ from participants who completed the course with supports in important, unaccounted for ways. This study extends prior research about how learning environments impact online learning experiences and suggests that structural and social supports may be useful in facilitating MOOC completion.

Impact of a school-level intervention on leisure-time physical activity levels on school grounds in under-resourced school districts.

Even the best school physical education programs fall short of providing enough physical activity (PA) to meet students’ PA guidelines thus increasing PA at other times throughout the school day could help students meet recommended PA levels. Unstructured leisure-time periods during the school day represent an opportunity to promote PA, particularly among students in underserved school districts. Between 2014 and 2018, we partnered with 14 elementary and 5 secondary schools in low-income Latino communities to increase students’ leisure time moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Schools received consultation and technical assistance on their wellness policy, and some created wellness committees. Schools selected 1–2 PA/nutrition promotion activities for the academic year. Following the System for Observing Play and Leisure Activity in Youth protocol, we conducted a pre- vs. post- analysis of observations of school time student PA (levels of MVPA, energy expenditure, proportion of areas in which games and sports were prominent) in 4936 pre-intervention play areas and 4404 post-intervention areas before school, during lunch recess, and after school. We utilized linear and logistic regression analyses to test pre/post changes in these dependent variables using school area characteristics, period of observation, and temperature as covariates. Following our intervention, MVPA levels before school, during lunch recess, and after school increased significantly from 19.8% at baseline to 25.6% among elementary girls and from 25.4% to 33.2% among elementary boys. Decomposition of these effects suggested that the benefits were partially mediated by increased adult playground supervision. We did not observe any significant changes in PA levels among secondary school girls or boys. Our school-level intervention aimed at promoting PA was associated with modest but meaningful increases in leisure-time PA among elementary, but not secondary, school students. The effects were attributable in part to increased adult supervision on the playground.

School nurse perception of asthma care in school-based telehealth

Objective School-based telehealth (SBTH) offers an opportunity to overcome traditional barriers to providing comprehensive asthma care for children. Guided by an implementation science framework considering factors internal and external to the school setting, we characterized barriers and facilitators to asthma care within an existing SBTH program available in over 50 under-resourced South Carolina schools. Methods This cross-sectional study assessed barriers and facilitators to SBTH asthma care delivery using web-based surveys of school nurses, specifically addressing school implementation of telehealth methods. Surveys evaluated practices and nurse and school-specific factors related to telehealth implementation including perceived barriers, organizational readiness and self-efficacy. Utilizers were schools who completed 1–10 average visits per month while non-utilizers completed less than 1 average visit per month. Descriptive statistics were performed to characterize perceptions in utilizers versus non-utilizers. Results Of 53 surveys distributed, 36 were completed (68% response rate). Commonly cited barriers included inadequate time due to competing tasks in both utilizers (65%) and non-utilizers (74%) as well as lack of caregiver involvement in care planning (94% of utilizers and 84% of non-utilizers). Of those utilizing specific, relevant telehealth services, schools scored high in perceptions of organizational readiness (n = 24, mean: 24.5/30), self-efficacy (n = 26, mean: 3.6/5) and comfort with identifying students eligible for SBTH (n = 26, mean: 3.5/5). Conclusions We identified inadequate nurse time and challenges engaging caregivers as key barriers to implementation of a school-based telehealth asthma program providing care to an under-resourced population. Addressing these barriers when expanding telehealth services may promote utilization of telehealth.

Expanding after School Program Access for Vulnerable Students: Examining the Efficacy of Federal Policy and Funding

After school programs provide low income students and students of color with learning opportunities across both academic and non-academic domains that such students would otherwise not get. In this study, we examined the intersection of school characteristics (e.g., enrollment size, percent minority enrolled, and percent eligible for FARM) and the types of after school programming schools offered (e.g., fee-based, 21st CCLC, and other types) using binary logistic regression models. I n a sample of schools ( n = 1,601) surveyed by the National Center on Education Statistics 2008 FRSS, we found that under-resourced schools had lower odds of having a 21st CCLC program and higher odds of having a fee-based after school program (than schools with a lower percentage of students receiving FARM). That is counter to the stated goals of the 21st CCLC program. These findings highlight the need for a re-prioritization of 21st CCLC funding such that financial assistance provided to schools to support after school programs is allocated to schools serving students from low income families and communities.

Getting Everyone to the Fair: Supporting Teachers in Broadening Participation in Science and Engineering Fairs.

Science and Engineering (S&E) fairs are a valuable educational activity and are believed to increase students’ engagement and learning in science and engineering. However, due to differences in resources, many schools do not implement fairs to achieve these benefits for their students. This study reports the findings of a program intended to increase the participation of students from low-achieving and under-resourced schools in a regional fair program that feeds into the international fair competition. We found that the number of schools and projects participating in our regional fair increased dramatically since the start of the program. Teachers had mostly positive expectations for the project and expressed buy-in for the effort the project would take. They recruited a diverse pool of students to participate in the school fairs. Quasi-experimental methods allowed us to explore the impact of completing S&E fairs on student gains on science self-efficacy, interest and value perceptions. Controlling for pre-existing differences in these attitudes, we found that students not completing projects showed declines in their science attitudes during the year. Students who completed projects maintained similar attitudes, while those whose projects advanced to the regional fair had substantial gains on all three variables. It is unknown whether this gain can be attributed to the experience of engaging with a quality project, from being the kind of student who completes a quality project, or some other factor. Future research with greater experimental control could address these questions.

Use of Outdoor Education to Increase Physical Activity and Science Learning among Low-Income Children from Urban Schools

ABSTRACT Background: Outdoor education may positively impact the educational, physical, and emotional development of youth, but studies are sparse among urban children. Purpose: To investigate 1) physical activity (PA) levels in outdoor versus indoor education environments, 2) science learning gains during outdoor education, and 3) programmatic acceptability among children from an urban, low-income school district attending an outdoor education program. Methods: N = 69 were randomly chosen from 571 4th graders participating in an outdoor education program. PA levels were measured using accelerometers; science knowledge was measured using a pre-post assessment; acceptability was assessed using a questionnaire. Results: Students took part in over an hour more of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) (p < .05) and increased the proportion of time spent in MVPA by 25% (p < .05) on outdoor education days compared to indoor school days. Science knowledge improved significantly pre- to post participation (p < .01). Students reported high levels of enjoyment and science learning engagement. Teachers reported the experience increased students’ PA levels and improved students’ science knowledge. Discussion: School districts may be able to leverage outdoor programs with community partners to promote PA and simultaneously improve science learning. Translation to Health Education Practice: Community partnerships can help urban youth from under-resourced schools meet PA recommendations and improve academic performance through outdoor education programming.

Pandemic Halts School-to-Prison Pipeline, But Expected to Restart

Pandemic Halts School-to-Prison Pipeline, But Expected to Restart

Developing Justice Scholars: A Social Justice Intervention to Support Educational Equity for Urban-Residing Students

The historical legacies and current realities of social and economic subordination have left many communities of color in the United States navigating social and structural forces of segregation and redlining, economic exclusions, job discrimination, and racially biased criminal justice policies, all of which have implications for the inequitable educational opportunities we see across U.S. schools (Milner, 2020). In turn, these educational differentials are core components of intergenerational disparities in health, wealth, and well-being. Yet despite these challenges, teachers, school support staff, parents, and youths of color themselves continue to find ways to thrive in underresourced school contexts, in the process demonstrating highly effective practices that have potential for narrowing and eliminating racial and economic achievement disparities. A consistent ingredient in such processes is cultivating cultures of success and agency among students that shift them from being victims of an inequitable system to being in control of their own...

'Don’t Worry, I Got You. You Can Do This': A Student-Centered Approach to Reimagining College Access

As high school college counselor caseloads increase, they have less time for consistent one-on-one counseling to support students with college planning. Thus, for many students – particularly those in large or under-resourced schools – the process is depersonalized, focused on simply distributing information. Drawing on narrative and ethnographic research, this paper explores a unique program that positions young people as paid college access professionals in their schools. Findings show that these students – Youth College Counselors (YCC) – make college planning a more student-centered, meaningful experience. Strategies YCCs engage with to support peers are examined to shine a light on how YCCs use their unique position inside schools to rethink college planning. YCCs resist a dominant narrative of young people, particularly those who live in marginalized communities, as objects onto which policy happens, and instead serve as school change actors. Findings suggest that high schools must create space in policy and practice to thoughtfully position students as agents of school change.

Anti-Black Racism in Canadian education: A call to action to support the next generation

The systematic brutalization of Black people has persisted since colonization, but police murder, global anti-racism protests, and a pandemic that has disproportionately impacted racialized communities have brought anti-Black racism to the attention of the global community. The insidious nature of White supremacy has given birth to anti-Black racism, which has shaped institutions of public and post-secondary education across Canada. Institutional racism is harmful and continues to negatively impact the trajectories of Black lives. For example, Black children are more likely to be enrolled in under-resourced schools, receive harsher punishments, and be streamed into non-academic programming regardless of academic potential and capability. Moreover, Black students are less likely to attend university, despite wishing to, and Black educators remain under-represented and undervalued, despite their immeasurable contributions to academia and the Black community. These examples represent a concerted effort to guard White spaces and keep Black people from accessing equal opportunity through basic access to education. This paper is a call to action for all educators, allies, and institutions to begin to make reparations and end the racial hierarchy and systematic anti-Black oppression across Canada because Black Lives Matter.

Preparing New Catholic School Educators for Inclusive Schools: An Analysis of University and Diocesan Teacher Training Research

Educators can improve the academic and socioemotional wellbeing of their students if they are equipped with strategies and skills to support learners and families from diverse backgrounds and experiences—such as culturally and linguistically diverse students, students with differing abilities, and those who may experience trauma and/or socioeconomic challenges. To learn more about this topic, a Catholic university and local diocese partnered to examine the literature on the impact of Catholic teachers in under-resourced schools; practices for training Catholic educators with skills to meet the needs of all learners; and the structures needed to ensure that diocesan and university supervisors are able to effectively support the development of new teachers. The literature review was organized using the three pillars of the University Consortium of Catholic Education: service through teaching, community connections, and spiritual development. The review resulted in the following recommendations: train teachers in culturally responsive practices, incentivize educator collaboration, train supervisors in inclusive practices with purposeful faith-based integration, and mentor principals in effective methods of coaching and support for teachers

Little's Law for K-12 School Partnerships

Nonprofit organizations (NPOs) exist to reduce inequalities in public services created by failures in the public and private sectors. Yet, whether NPOs do so is not always clear. In the education sector, researchers have found that NPOs are an avenue through which existing inequalities are maintained, and perhaps perpetuated: Well-resourced schools tend to have the most NPO partners. Schools serving high proportions of low-income students, which have greater need, have fewer NPO partners. An open question is how this happens. In our study, we adapt a process modeling framework (Little's Law), often used to calculate the inventory in production systems, to represent the school's problem of allocating limited time and resources to build and maintain a high inventory of NPO partners. To contextualize the process flow framework in this new setting, we draw on 36 hour-long, one-on-one interviews with principals and teachers from six public and charter schools representing different levels of socio-economic hardship. Our model, taken together with these rich first-hand accounts, contributes an operational understanding of how under-resourced schools come to maintain fewer NPO partnerships than well-resourced schools. Finally, we use our process model as a tool to analyze policy interventions that could re-balance school-NPO partnerships to better promote equity in school services and educational outcomes.

Journal of Scientific Temper

Film-centric promotion of scientific temper has been attempted the world over to influence audience perception of themes allied to science and technology which often reflect shades of social as well a cultural concern. This paper attempts to see how students in 77 under-resourced schools in 15 states of India have comprehended the science content through screenings of short science films themed on grassroots technological innovators who have had no formal technical education and yet have been able to innovate products that answered a sorely and regularly felt local need. All the short science films screened offered an amazingly simple technical solution to a real-life challenge. In a large number of instances, the challenges faced by the grassroots innovators in their daily lives were also the problems encountered by the school children who formed the audience of these films. The fact of audience identification with the films emanating from a striking similarity with the socio-economic background of the grassroots technological innovators drove a large part of this study. The analysis establishes how gender distribution of audience among nine to eighteen years of age have received the short science films and what competing ratios did the responses indicate about the degree of engagement during post-screening interactions in both rural as well as urban locations.

Computing for Communities: Designing Culturally Responsive Informal Learning Environments for Broadening Participation in Computing

Despite increased attention on promoting access to computer science among all students, female and racially minoritized youth continue to be underrepresented in STEM, often lacking opportunities for computer science due to under-resourced schools and a lack of teacher preparation. As a result, K-12 schools are unable to fulfill the goal of expanding access and broadening participation in computing alone. In this paper, we examine how our university-library partnerships can provide access to computer science instruction while attending to issues of social justice through culturally responsive informal learning design. Findings provide insights related to the design, implementation, and outcomes of informal computing clubs for youth from diverse backgrounds.

Promoting Higher Quality Teacher-Child Relationships: The INSIGHTS Intervention in Rural Schools.

Children’s relationships with teachers in kindergarten are crucial for academic and social success. Research shows that teacher–child relationships are predicated, in part, on children’s temperament. The “INSIGHTS into Children’s Temperament” intervention was intended to improve children’s and teachers’ understanding of their and others’ temperament, and has been shown to improve children’s social skills and self-regulation in urban, under-resourced schools. The current study is part of a replication of the effects of INSIGHTS with a sample in rural schools. The purpose was to test the effectiveness of INSIGHTS for promoting positive relationships between teachers and children in kindergarten. Two cohorts of kindergarten students (N = 127) and teachers (N = 30) were randomized into INSIGHTS or control conditions by school. Teachers reported on the quality of the teacher–child relationship before and after the INSIGHTS intervention (Time 1 and 2) using the Student–Teacher Relationship Scale: Short Form and provided a rating of children’s temperament with the Teacher School-Age Temperament Inventory at Time 1. Data were analyzed with hierarchical linear modeling. Two significant findings emerged. First, INSIGHTS promoted more closeness between teachers and children, regardless of temperament. Second, the INSIGHTS intervention was protective against the development of conflictual teacher–child relationships for children with negative reactivity.

“Hopefully I Can Transfer:” Cooling Out Postsecondary Aspirations of Latina/o/x Students

ABSTRACT Guided by the frameworks of college-conocimiento and the cooling out function, this study examined the college choice process of Latina/o/x students who attended an under-resourced urban high school. Data for this study consisted of interviews with ten institutional agents, two oral history interviews with 34 Latina/o/x students, and observation field notes. Findings revealed that upon seeking college information, students were informed that the community college was more accessible than four-year college. The consistent message from advisors and teachers influenced the participants to enroll in community college, with aspirations to transfer to a four-year college. Upon applying to college, recruitment counselors from for-profit and community colleges offered vocational pathways as an alternative option to transferring. Implications for equity-minded research are discussed. Recommendations for socially just policies and asset-based practices are provided to bridge the high school-to-ollege transition for Latina/o/x students.

Social and structural barriers related to menstruation across diverse schools in the Eastern Cape

The barriers to education associated with menstruation vary from country to country and within countries. We report on a cross-sectional survey conducted in diverse schools in 2 districts of the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Using multi-stage sampling (stratified random sampling of schools, and purposive sampling of Grade 11 female-identifiedii learners), we accessed 1,035 respondents with an average age of 17.2 years. Respondents completed a questionnaire developed from previous questionnaires and our readings of the literature. We report here on results pertaining to the social and structural barriers related to menstruation. Just over one fifth of young womeniii across the whole sample reported missing an average of 1.8 days of school per menstrual cycle, while a significant minority reported restrictions related to sporting and classroom activities. Results show, contrary to expectations, that young women attending under-resourced schools report missing fewer days than young women attending resourced schools, despite young women in under-resourced schools experiencing inadequate sanitation facilities and feeling unsafe using these facilities. This research indicates the importance of recognising social as well as structural features when considering the gendered barriers to education that menstruation may represent.

THE IMPACT OF PHYSICAL MOLECULAR MODELS ON STUDENTS' VISUO-SEMIOTIC REASONING SKILLS RELATED TO THE LEWIS STRUCTURE AND BALL &amp; STICK MODEL OF AMMONIA

Visuo-semiotic models, such as Lewis structures and ball &amp; stick models, are widely used to enhance students’ learning. However, there is limited research about the impact of these models on specific visuo-semiotic reasoning skills. In the current research, we aimed to determine the extent to which physical molecular models could enhance specific visuo-semiotic reasoning skills among students. The research question that we explored was, “what is the impact of physical molecular models on Grade 11 students’ visuo-semiotic reasoning skills related to Lewis structures and ball &amp; stick models of ammonia?” In this mixed-methods research, we collected data from purposively selected Grade 11 chemistry students aged between 15 and 18 from an under-resourced school in South Africa. Through a quasi-experimental design, participants in the experimental group (n = 101) used physical molecular models to learn about Lewis structure and ball &amp; stick models of ammonia while participants in the control group (n = 100) did not. We subsequently tested students' visuo-semiotic reasoning skills. Results show that using physical molecular models significantly improved students' visuo-semiotic reasoning skills and reduced associated learning difficulties. We, therefore, recommend that these models should be used as an instructional tool to enhance learning. Keywords: ball &amp; stick models, Lewis structures, physical models, visuo-semiotic reasoning.

Risk, Protection, and Identity Development in High-Achieving Black Males in High School.

The resilience of high-achieving Black male students is often overshadowed in scholarly literature by narratives of deficit, disorder, and disdain that position Black males as particularly vulnerable in educational spaces. This study builds from two prior analyses of a group of mathematically high-achieving Black males living in high-poverty urban communities and attending underresourced schools during their middle school years and focuses on the external risk and protective factors these students experienced during high school. Findings suggest that Black male high achievers were forced to overcome a confluence of institutional and curricular barriers while leveraging relational and organizational resources that promoted positive identity development and mathematics achievement.

Evaluating Extension-supported Implementation Of A Classroom-based Physical Activity Program In Under-resourced Schools

Evaluating Extension-supported Implementation Of A Classroom-based Physical Activity Program In Under-resourced Schools