Research Propsal

Education Policy

In recent years, the United States has come across many changes in the education policy. No Child Left Behind (NCLB) was enacted in 2001 and Race To The Top (RTT) is its current successor. NCLB was put into law by a Republican administration and RTT was ratified by a Democratic administration. This has an obvious effect on the different policies. Race to the Top has an advantage over No Child Left Behind; it was established eight years later and has numerous improvements over its predecessor. However, Race to the Top has areas where it is lacking such as actually materializing its goals.

Do we have an effective education policy in this nation? Are public schools suffering? What should we do to improve the education in this country to ensure the lives of young people and give them a good future? The main objective of this paper is to explain how important education is and what you can do to ensure that students will have a successful future. I hope to get my readers to understand the importance of education, and how it should be taken seriously. We are lucky enough to get the chance to learn so we should take advantage of it and use learning techniques to full potential, and see what education policy will be most effective.

I will collect information from previous teachers I have had, any subjects because it will be nice to get different point of views. I will also research online articles, books, blogs, scholarly journals and databases to find as much credible information as I can to help me write my research paper. I will have four weeks from now to complete my research paper, but I am aiming to get it done by March 10^th. I plan on compiling a works cited page including 20 credible sources by February 22^nd. I need to work on my outline which I plan on finishing by February 22^nd, and I will do further research to ensure I have good information in my essay. By February 28^th I will have my rough draft done and get it peer reviewed so that I will have about a week to complete the final draft. After I complete peer review and all of the little tweaks, I plan on having the essay completed and turned in by the due date.  

I feel that the interviews will be one of the most challenging parts of this essay because it is difficult to find teachers in their free time to ask them questions. Another challenging thing is finding 8+ pages of scholarly articles to include in my essay to show as credible information. Other than that I am feeling fairly confident about this research paper and I’m excited to finish so that other people can read it too.

Working Bibliography

1.    Ravitch, Diane. "Los Angeles Times: A Wise Editorial about NCLB and Race to Top." Web log post. Diane Ravitch's Blog. N.p., 21 July 2013. Web. 05 Feb. 2014. <http://dianeravitch.net/2013/07/21/los-angeles-times-a-wise-editorial-about-nclb-and-race-to-top/>.

In this article, the author somewhat explains the difference between the Race to the Top and No Child Left Behind education policies. “Instead of confronting root causes, our elites confront the failure of the NCLB regime of high-stakes testing by demanding more of the same and making the stakes higher for teachers and principals.”The author talks about the underlying issues in the policies and that the government doesn’t dig deep enough to fix the problems in education.
2.    "Evolution Resources from the National Academies." Evolution Resources from the National Academies. National Academy of Sciences, n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2014. <http://www.nas.edu/evolution/InSchools.html>.

This article describes the difference between creationism and evolution in schools. “Many teachers are under considerable pressure from policy makers, school administrators, parents, and students to downplay or eliminate the teaching of evolution.” It goes to show that students lack certain information because some teachers are against evolution so they refuse to teach it. It also describes that technology and society are becoming faster paced and it’s necessary to learn about evolution and science in order to keep up.

3.    Schehl, Pam. "Ohio Court Spars on Science Teacher's Creationist Lessons." News Article. CBSNews. CBS Interactive, 27 Feb. 2013. Web. 05 Feb. 2014. <http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ohio-court-spars-on-science-teachers-creationist-lessons/>.

This article talks about a public school science teacher who kept a bible on his desk and was accused of preaching religious beliefs in class. This was a very controversial topic because people didn’t know whether they should allow their kids to learn about evolution or creationism. The teacher who got fired was accused of burning crosses into their students’ arms and he tried forcing his beliefs on them.
4.    "The Effective Teacher versus the Ineffective Teacher?" Examiner.com. Examiner, 19 Sept. 2010. Web. 05 Feb. 2014. <http://www.examiner.com/article/the-effective-teacher-versus-the-ineffective-teacher>.

This article describes what makes an effective teacher and what teachers can do to become more effective in giving a student a good education. “Research indicates that teacher preparation/knowledge of teaching and learning, subject matter knowledge, experience, and the combined set of qualifications measured by teacher licensure are all leading factors in teacher effectiveness” There are many aspects on what makes a good teacher and I believe this article explains them pretty well.
5.    Lecker, Wendy, Jonathan Pelto, and Valerie Strauss. "How Grossly Underfunded Are Public Schools?" Washington Post. N.p., 25 Nov. 2012. Web. 05 Feb. 2014. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2012/11/25/how-grossly-underfunded-are-public-schools/>.

This article describes how public schools are underfunded a lot of the time but it also explains that money isn’t the only cause in poor education. “Despite vast differences among states, courts enumerated a remarkably consistent list of necessary inputs, including: high quality preschool, small class size, additional services for at-risk students, supports for teachers such as professional development, curriculum supports, supplies, equipment, adequate facilities,  and adequate books and other learning tools.” All of these factors need to be improved and money can fix most of them.
6.    "Protecting Bad Teachers." Keeping Bad Teachers in Front of Students. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2014. <http://teachersunionexposed.com/protecting.php>.

This article describes teacher unions and how they can be unfair because students get stuck with bad teachers and there may be nothing they can do about it. Only one out of 1000 teachers is fired, due to tenure. Many argue that it is unfair because ineffective teachers are guaranteed a job even if they don’t deserve one. In Chicago, one in four students nearing graduation could read and do math, but those teachers didn’t get fired because they had tenure.
7.    Bowie, Liz. "Class Size Grows in High Schools after Cuts to Teaching Positions." Baltimore Sun. N.p., 11 May 2012. Web. 06 Feb. 2014. <http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2012-05-11/news/bal-class-size-grows-in-high-schools-after-cuts-to-teaching-positions-20120511_1_class-sizes-large-classes-196teaching>.

This article describes the effects due to cutting down teaching positions in schools. “We must make sure that all students are challenged and given the opportunity and support they need; whether that is a gifted and talented student at one high school or a student who is academically struggling at another.” This describes that cutting down class sizes can negatively affect the students because some may need more attention and help from the teacher, and with larger class sizes, it would be more difficult to receive that help.
8.    Mosle, Sara. "Does Class Size Count?" Opinionator Does Class Size Count Comments. The New York Times, 4 May 2013. Web. 06 Feb. 2014. <http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/04/does-class-size-count/?_r=0>.

This article also describes what would happen if class sizes increased. It goes into depth explaining what could happen. “To many educators, the answer seems obvious: Teachers who have fewer students can give each child more attention and tailored instruction.” It is apparent that cutting teachers will impact the students and the way of learning.
9.    "Science Teacher, Who Teaches Evolution, Forced to Quit Because of School's Preference of Creationism." God Discussion. N.p., 11 Mar. 2012. Web. 06 Feb. 2014. <http://www.goddiscussion.com/93673/science-teacher-who-teaches-evolution-forced-to-quit-because-of-schools-preference-of-creationism/>.

This article describes the problems with evolution and creationism taught in public schools. One teacher was forced to quit because he taught evolution while the school preferred creationism. “The former science teacher at the Cape Town school worried about the students and the lack of “competent science education,” fearing that it will hamper the students’ learning of science.  The parents, who the school told about the teacher's lesson plans, apparently told their children to dismiss anything the science teacher said about evolution in favor of creationism.” This was a huge problem and led to many questions regarding how students should be taught.
10.  Sikhan, Khara. "World Socialist Web Site." Low-income Students Six times More Likely to Drop out of High School -. N.p., 10 Apr. 2013. Web. 06 Feb. 2014. <http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2013/04/10/hsdo-a10.html>.

This article explains the risk low income students have of dropping out of high school. “With the escalating attacks on the public school system, hundreds of thousands of teachers have been laid off, thousands of schools closed, and millions of students pushed into overcapacity classrooms and overbearing requirements. These circumstances bear down hardest on teenagers in the poorest families, and many are compelled to join the workforce to supplement the household budgets.” It’s very common that high school students get jobs which can create a lot of stress on them and urge them to drop out of high school. 

Annotated Bibliography

1.    Ravitch, Diane. "Los Angeles Times: A Wise Editorial about NCLB and Race to Top." Web log post. Diane Ravitch's Blog. N.p., 21 July 2013. Web. 05 Feb. 2014. <http://dianeravitch.net/2013/07/21/los-angeles-times-a-wise-editorial-about-nclb-and-race-to-top/>. In this article, the author somewhat explains the difference between the Race to the Top and No Child Left Behind education policies. “Instead of confronting root causes, our elites confront the failure of the NCLB regime of high-stakes testing by demanding more of the same and making the stakes higher for teachers and principals.”The author talks about the underlying issues in the policies and that the government doesn’t dig deep enough to fix the problems in education. 2.    "Evolution Resources from the National Academies." Evolution Resources from the National Academies. National Academy of Sciences, n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2014. <http://www.nas.edu/evolution/InSchools.html>. This article describes the difference between creationism and evolution in schools. “Many teachers are under considerable pressure from policy makers, school administrators, parents, and students to downplay or eliminate the teaching of evolution.” It goes to show that students lack certain information because some teachers are against evolution so they refuse to teach it. It also describes that technology and society are becoming faster paced and it’s necessary to learn about evolution and science in order to keep up. 3.    Schehl, Pam. "Ohio Court Spars on Science Teacher's Creationist Lessons." News Article. CBSNews. CBS Interactive, 27 Feb. 2013. Web. 05 Feb. 2014. <http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ohio-court-spars-on-science-teachers-creationist-lessons/>. This article talks about a public school science teacher who kept a bible on his desk and was accused of preaching religious beliefs in class. This was a very controversial topic because people didn’t know whether they should allow their kids to learn about evolution or creationism. The teacher who got fired was accused of burning crosses into their students’ arms and he tried forcing his beliefs on them. 4.    "The Effective Teacher versus the Ineffective Teacher?" Examiner.com. Examiner, 19 Sept. 2010. Web. 05 Feb. 2014. <http://www.examiner.com/article/the-effective-teacher-versus-the-ineffective-teacher>. This article describes what makes an effective teacher and what teachers can do to become more effective in giving a student a good education. “Research indicates that teacher preparation/knowledge of teaching and learning, subject matter knowledge, experience, and the combined set of qualifications measured by teacher licensure are all leading factors in teacher effectiveness” There are many aspects on what makes a good teacher and I believe this article explains them pretty well. 5.    Lecker, Wendy, Jonathan Pelto, and Valerie Strauss. "How Grossly Underfunded Are Public Schools?" Washington Post. N.p., 25 Nov. 2012. Web. 05 Feb. 2014. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2012/11/25/how-grossly-underfunded-are-public-schools/>. This article describes how public schools are underfunded a lot of the time but it also explains that money isn’t the only cause in poor education. “Despite vast differences among states, courts enumerated a remarkably consistent list of necessary inputs, including: high quality preschool, small class size, additional services for at-risk students, supports for teachers such as professional development, curriculum supports, supplies, equipment, adequate facilities,  and adequate books and other learning tools.” All of these factors need to be improved and money can fix most of them. 6.    "Protecting Bad Teachers." Keeping Bad Teachers in Front of Students. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2014. <http://teachersunionexposed.com/protecting.php>. This article describes teacher unions and how they can be unfair because students get stuck with bad teachers and there may be nothing they can do about it. Only one out of 1000 teachers is fired, due to tenure. Many argue that it is unfair because ineffective teachers are guaranteed a job even if they don’t deserve one. In Chicago, one in four students nearing graduation could read and do math, but those teachers didn’t get fired because they had tenure. 7.    Bowie, Liz. "Class Size Grows in High Schools after Cuts to Teaching Positions." Baltimore Sun. N.p., 11 May 2012. Web. 06 Feb. 2014. <http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2012-05-11/news/bal-class-size-grows-in-high-schools-after-cuts-to-teaching-positions-20120511_1_class-sizes-large-classes-196teaching>. This article describes the effects due to cutting down teaching positions in schools. “We must make sure that all students are challenged and given the opportunity and support they need; whether that is a gifted and talented student at one high school or a student who is academically struggling at another.” This describes that cutting down class sizes can negatively affect the students because some may need more attention and help from the teacher, and with larger class sizes, it would be more difficult to receive that help. 8.    Mosle, Sara. "Does Class Size Count?" Opinionator Does Class Size Count Comments. The New York Times, 4 May 2013. Web. 06 Feb. 2014. <http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/04/does-class-size-count/?_r=0>. This article also describes what would happen if class sizes increased. It goes into depth explaining what could happen. “To many educators, the answer seems obvious: Teachers who have fewer students can give each child more attention and tailored instruction.” It is apparent that cutting teachers will impact the students and the way of learning. 9.    "Science Teacher, Who Teaches Evolution, Forced to Quit Because of School's Preference of Creationism." God Discussion. N.p., 11 Mar. 2012. Web. 06 Feb. 2014. <http://www.goddiscussion.com/93673/science-teacher-who-teaches-evolution-forced-to-quit-because-of-schools-preference-of-creationism/>. This article describes the problems with evolution and creationism taught in public schools. One teacher was forced to quit because he taught evolution while the school preferred creationism. “The former science teacher at the Cape Town school worried about the students and the lack of “competent science education,” fearing that it will hamper the students’ learning of science.  The parents, who the school told about the teacher's lesson plans, apparently told their children to dismiss anything the science teacher said about evolution in favor of creationism.” This was a huge problem and led to many questions regarding how students should be taught. 10.  Sikhan, Khara. "World Socialist Web Site." Low-income Students Six times More Likely to Drop out of High School -. N.p., 10 Apr. 2013. Web. 06 Feb. 2014. <http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2013/04/10/hsdo-a10.html>. This article explains the risk low income students have of dropping out of high school. “With the escalating attacks on the public school system, hundreds of thousands of teachers have been laid off, thousands of schools closed, and millions of students pushed into overcapacity classrooms and overbearing requirements. These circumstances bear down hardest on teenagers in the poorest families, and many are compelled to join the workforce to supplement the household budgets.” It’s very common that high school students get jobs which can create a lot of stress on them and urge them to drop out of high school.

Chapter 7: Avoiding Plagiarism

This chapter describes the different types of plagiarism, what are research ethics, what is common knowledge, when to ask permission for certain sources, how you can avoid plagiarism, and how to react if you are ever accused of plagiarizing information. There are three main types of plagiarism which include unintentional plagiarism, intentional plagiarism, and plagiarism in group projects. Research ethics includes an honest exchange of information, ideas, and arguments among writers and researchers who share an interest in a topic issue. It is very important to respect this because you want writers and readers to take you seriously. Common knowledge is information that is widely known, and with common knowledge you have to be careful when including it in your paper to make sure it’s a true fact or statement. To avoid plagiarism, you should take notes carefully, conduct a knowledge inventory, distinguish your ideas and thoughts and the information drawn from your sources, make in text citations and a works cited page to validate your information, and recognize misconceptions about intentional plagiarism. This was a helpful chapter because it gives me tips to avoid unintentional plagiarism which can be kind of common when writing a research paper. 

Chapter 6: Managing Information and Taking Notes

This chapter discusses the importance of organizing your work and taking notes. The author includes ways to organize and save your work which consists of creating a scheme to locate your work, dating your notes, and saving your online information into folders which are correctly labeled. To take notes, it is important to first choose a method and use it consistently, quote directly to ensure the information you find is valid, paraphrase the information you find, summarize the articles you read and put them into your own words, record your reactions and impressions, compare sources, classify sources, and finally plan your document. This chapter thoroughly described each of these ways to take notes and it really helped me to decide how to take notes for the research I find for my paper. Another thing this chapter describes is how to create a bibliography for your paper. I’m pretty familiar on how to create a bibliography but this chapter went into depth on how to create one which was really helpful because I might include some of those techniques in my current research paper. A very useful chapter and I will definitely use it for my paper.

Chapter 16: Writing With Style

This chapter talks about how you can begin writing with style and ways to improve your style. A good tip is to keep your words to a minimum when writing because when you overwrite, it can ruin the flow in your essay and weaken your argument. Good things to do are to remove words that don't provide useful information to your reader such as fine, many, sort of, and really. By removing these unnecessary words and replacing them with words like "excellent," it provides good explanation to the reader and grasps their attention with more success. Using voice effectively is a huge role when writing a paper, and can sometimes be challenging. Active and Passive voices make a big difference when writing an essay. Active voices are more descriptive while passive voices are more broad. When making an argument it is good to add both but active voices seem to be more effective because they give explanation and more credible information to the readers. Sticking with your point of view throughout the essay will drastically increase your viewpoint and make your audience believe you. Transitions are another important thing to think about when writing an essay because if they aren't correct and flow, then it will confuse your readers and make your essay confusing.