Key things
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Students in this era of advance technological innovation and global competition are at that hype where it was never ever before, It is time to invest in our children's education not only to educated them but to make sure that they are prepared to succeed in 21st century. Make sure your child
understands the importance of math in elementary school, and
encourage your child to take more math, science and critical
language courses in high school. |
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In the increasingly competitive global economy, it is crucial
students to be well-trained in math, science and critical
languages (such as Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and
Russian).
In 1993, the landmark education report, recommended that high
school students take a minimum of three years of math and
three years of science.
Currently, only 44% of high school students are enrolled in
a foreign language class. And less than 1% of high school
students study critical foreign languages.
Take action:
Encourage your elementary school child in his/her math homework.
Remind him/her of the importance of learning math for success
in high school, college, and beyond.
Learn your State's math and science requirements for high
school graduation.
Encourage your child to take four years of math and four years
of science in high school, even if it is not required.
Find out what kind of critical language courses your child's
school offers. Encourage your child's school to offer them
and encourage your child to take them.
Encourage your child to take more Advanced Placement (AP) courses in high school.
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Nearly 75% of
high school graduates enter college, but only 12%
of these students have completed a significant college-prep
curriculum. Research shows that students who take
rigorous courses in high school stand a far greater
chance of succeeding in college.
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Students
are much more likely than their peers to graduate
from college in four years or less. The four-year
college graduation rate for students who take two
or more courses is 32 percentage points higher than
for those who don't take any courses. And the rate
for students who take just one course is 16 percentage
points higher than for those who don't take any.
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Take action:
Find out what courses your child's high school offers. Make
sure they meet the true definition of Advanced Placement and
are not simply "honors" courses. If the school does
not offer any, encourage it to do so.
Encourage your child to take AP courses.
Encourage your child's teacher to take advantage of the Department of Education's Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative
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Research
has shown that students taught by effective teachers
greatly outperform those taught by ineffective teachers.
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It
is required that teachers of core academic subjects
to be deemed "highly qualified" by their
State. This means that they have a bachelor's degree,
full State certification, and demonstrated competency
in each core academic subject they teach.
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Teacher-to-Teacher
Initiative supports educators' professional development
by engaging the nation's best teachers and principals
to share strategies for raising student achievement.
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Take action:
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Find out if your child's teacher is "highly
qualified." Find out if your child's middle
school or high school math and science teachers
have degrees in their field.
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If your child's teacher is not "highly qualified,"
make sure the district and school have a plan in
place to help him/her become highly qualified.
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Encourage your child's teacher to take Teacher-to-Teacher
Initiative. Your child's teacher can participate
in free "eLearning" professional development
courses, sign up for regular email updates on teacher-related
issues, and learn about what the Department is doing
to support teachers. http://www.iqea.org/register.asp
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Your State may allow the Department's free "eLearning"
courses to count toward a teacher's professional
development credit and toward meeting the "highly
qualified" requirements. Find out at: http://www.ed.gov/teacherinitiative.
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Find out if your child's school has a program that allows well-qualified individuals outside the public education system to teach courses in high-need areas as adjunct teachers. If they do, and if you have skills in math, science, or critical languages, consider teaching a course. |
Get involved in helping your child's school improve.
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When a school is identified for improvement, meaning
it has not made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for
at least two consecutive years, school officials
are required to work with parents, school staff,
the local educational agency, and outside experts
to develop a plan to improve the school.
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If a school does not make AYP for five years, it
moves into the "restructuring" phase.
The district must initiate plans to restructure
the school in the sixth year. Options include reopening
the school as a charter school, replacing the school
staff, or turning over school operations to tshe
State or a private education company with a demonstrated
record of effectiveness.
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IQEA has numerous resources to help students and
their schools improve academic performance, including
global information, Improving Literacy through international
recognition of institutes and providing STUDENT
PROMOTION SCHEME http://www.iqea.org/scheme.asp
and many others.
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Take action:
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Find out if your child's school is "in need
of improvement." If it is, ask if there is
a plan in place to help your child's school improve.
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Find out if the school is in the "restructuring"
phase. If so, ask if there is a plan for turning
the school around.
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Find out if your child's school is receiving any competitive
grants. Encourage your child's school district to apply
for all the grants for which it is eligible. |