Work & Academics

Measurement, Evaluation, and Ethics in Research

The following assignment was a little bit different from most of the other standard essays that I’ve had to write. Essentially we were asked to prepare a detailed memo. The assignment requirements were as follows:

• You are working for an early childhood program that has not been evaluated. Your supervisor, knowing that you are studying research methods, asks you if you believe that the program should be evaluated. Indicate to the supervisor the objectives of program evaluations.
• When you finish telling your supervisor the objectives of program evaluations, he asks you how program evaluations are done. Briefly explain to the supervisor the types of program evaluations.
• Finally, the supervisor asks you how one conducts a program evaluation. Describe to your supervisor the steps to conducting a program evaluation.

The following is my response to these questions.

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Patreca Pamela Hawkins | R. Ananda Mahto | Talathain Manning | Elissa Twachtman
Critical Issues in Education

Abstract

This paper provides a framework for increasing parental involvement at XYZ School. It begins by presenting an overview of different forms of parental involvement in education and the difficulties that often occur when trying to get parents into the schools. This overview is followed by a literature review which presents research findings on the significance of parental involvement in education. Different forms of parental involvement, methods for sustaining parental involvement, and specific recommendations for XYZ School are also presented. This paper also includes appendices with sample forms and proposed timelines to promote more effective parental involvement.

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Critical Issues in Education

In 2001, Peoples’ Self-Help Housing (PSHH), a non-profit organization, entered into the arena of education. PSHH began operating over 35 years ago to provide affordable housing in California’s Central Coast region—a region that is “home” to a diverse range of residents, especially when one looked at the socioeconomic status of the residents. A large portion of the population served by PSHH is the migrant farmworker population and many residents are considered very low-income.

Along with financial difficulties, many of the adult residents at PSHH’s apartment communities had quite low education levels. Additionally, for many of them their English skills were either extremely low or non-existent. All these factors combined to form a scenario where their children were suffering academically because of environmental inputs. While PSHH had already done a fantastic job of providing extremely high-quality affordable housing, part of their vision of “transforming lives” was yet to be realized.

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Critical Issues in Education

A— pushed himself away from the table, picked up his chair and yelled, “I’m going to bash your face in with this chair.”

A— was threatening another student, R—. Both were third-grade students, and this incident took place in an at-school after-school program they were both enrolled in. The after-school day was almost over and all students were engaged in some form of “choice activity.” A— and R— were making Lego structures at one of the tables towards the center of the classroom. A— was a very big kid—not overweight, but solidly built. One would have assumed that he was at least a year older than he actually was if going based on looks alone. R— was much smaller, incredibly quick, and seemed to enjoy provoking his classmates. Usually, the disruptions were minor, but if for some reason they were not caught early enough, they could quickly get blown out of proportion.

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