bonnievelez.weebly.com€¦ · web viewsynopsis of bca. hello fellow classmates. i am female, and...
TRANSCRIPT
Synopsis of BCA
Hello fellow classmates. I am female, and my name is Bonnie Jo-Guild de Velez (that is what happens when you want to keep your maiden name and marry a hispanic fellow-the de means of). I am beginning my 11th year as a Seventh-day Adventist teacher of science, math and witnessing at Battle Creek Academy. I am the Science Department Chairperson. Prior to this I worked as a Seventh-day Adventist teacher in Austin Texas for 2 years and in Ridgecrest, California for 1 year. The email that I like to use is [email protected]. My address is 7920 D. Drive S. Ceresco, MI 49033. My phone number is 269-979-0085 at home (where I am only found some evenings). I have 2 sons and a soon-to-be daughter in law. My oldest (21) has one year left at Andrews University, while my youngest (20), has Down Syndrome and will march with his graduating class this year as a senior. He is at home with us. I was not always a Seventh-day Adventist teacher, but received a B.A. from Western Michigan University in 1979 and became an environmentalist; working at the local, state, national and interantional levels. When I met Christ as my personal Savior and Friend, I chose to teach for Him and love it. My goal is to lead students to Christ. Several of my students have made major decisions to live for Him through mission trips which I have been involved with in various capacities. Witnessing provides antoher avenue to lead others to Christ, and to help students plug their God-given talents into His cause. Science and math classes provide additional opportunities for students to make connections with Christ in too many ways to be counted.
Battle Creek Academy is like most other Seventh-day Adventist Schools in that money is always short and demands are always high. Public relations at the school is more important than ever this year, as some parents have begun a negative train that threatens to derail the school and its mission. It is important that we get the word out to our current and prospective parents that BCA offers a quality education at all levels and especially prepares our science students well for college. The PR work regarding these matters should largely target feeder schools for the high school level and local churches and community for the elementary level.
My goals for this course include developing a system for public relations regarding the science, math and witnessing programs that will reach our high school parents and extend to feeder schools in the area. A secondary goal will be to include elementary PR material in the information provided to our parents.
Worldview on Relationships
After listening to and viewing your world-view on relationships, it is apparent that my thoughts parallel yours quite closely. My world-view as a Biblical creationist encompasses Seventh-day Adventist philosophy. I also believe that Jesus is our example. The golden rule states that we should love God first and best and our neighbor as ourself. Christ says that on this hangs all the law and the prophets. The idea of division, backbiting, gossiping or tearing each other down does not fit the law of love. In Luke 9:51-56 the disciples asked Jesus if He wanted them to call down fire from Heaven on the Samaritans. Christ rebuked them and said, "You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them". Jesus was not about tearing people down, but about building them up. His mission on this earth was to show us God and to reconcile us to God forever. Our mission must parallel His if we are to be his follower. Therefore, we must be about building up and helping each other come closer to Christ and prepare for His soon coming. Our church sometimes confuses spreading the Gospel with preaching doctrine. The state of the dead, tithing, keeping Sabbath and the like are not the Gospel. The Gospel is the story of Christ's life which exemplified self-sacrificing love and reconciliation. Our life should be lived in unison with that theme. It is only then that Christ's love shines through. The church doctrines are meaningful only in the context of loving and serving God. For example, if we tithe because we love Christ and want to spread his Gospel quickly, we are in keeping with God's law of love. If we tithe solely out of a sense of responsibility or as a means to gain Heaven we are not doing God's will.
A school setting might be easy to view as a battleground with the school board versus the teachers, the administration versus the teachers and the parents versus the teachers. The truth is far from this lopsided panorama. The truth is that teachers, parents and the school board all should have the same goal--the spiritual, academic and physical development of the student. The church, school and home MUST become a unified front that fight against Satan and not each other. We must NOT buy into the lies that Satan portrays as truth. Parents, teachers, school boards and churches all sacrifice to make Seventh-day Adventist Christian education a reality. We are all on the same team and we MUST realize it! Paul said in Romans 15:5-7 that we should "be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus; that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." Paul then continues to exhort us to accept one another just like Christ accepted us. Reconciliation is essential if the mission of our schools is to be carried out. Without the love, mercy and grace that Christ so eloquently portrayed, it will be impossible to reconcile differences and carry forth the mission of preparing servant-leaders for Jesus.
Plan to Complete ComI plan to complete the required course work (posts, reading, etc.) for the first 100 points. For the last 100 points, I will plan and execute a short community project which will be an evening parent meeting in my classroom.
Last school year, a couple of individual parents organized a meeting of about 20 parents to voice concerns regarding the 2 teachers who comprise the math and science departments at our school. This was done without first voicing those concerns to either of the two teachers or the principal. The school board chairman was, however, invited. To this day, I do not know what the concerns were that were voiced at that meeting. I would like to open communication between the parents, myself and the other teacher if they are willing.
The purpose will be to reconcile with these parents, and to help them realize that we are all there for the same reason; that being to enhance the spiritual, academic and physical development of their children. As such, I will read the book It's all about people written by Jim Hohnberger, and published in 2003 by Pacific Press. Although I just began reading it today, I think it will be extremely helpful in developing a cooperative attitude toward the parents who may feel hostile toward me. Thus far, it portrays how we should relate to others with differing opinions in a Christian light. It gives Christ as the example and explains that we should build up and restore others and give them the liberty to work with God in His timing--not us in ours. I have already gleaned several thoughts that I think will help me meet them where they are, without trying to prove them wrong or offend them. I will try to include activities in the meeting that point to our common goal (i.e. the well-being of their children) and give opportunity for both teachers and the parents to interact in a constructive manner. Once the meeting has taken place, I will attempt to evaluate it in regard to the succes of opening constructive communication and bridging gaps. The goal is forthe teachers to become a united front with the parents to help their children succeed and to expose the lies of Satan that make us want to fight against eachother instead of fighting against him. Artifacts will include a parent notification letter, (possibly) a video tape of the meeting or pictures, parent survey of the meeting effectiveness, agenda and synopsis of the selected reading with ideas for the meeting.
Any thoughts or ideas on how to make this happen are welcome.
Yours in Christ,
Bonnie Velez
Community Partnerships Course
BCA Community Challenges
The Battle Creek Academy school community dates back to 1879 or perphaps somewhat before when Goodlowe Harper Bell ran the first SDA school in Battle Creek. The graduating classes posted in the hallway bring some of the history of BCA alive. This rich history helps frame the thinking of some of the community members. Additionally, a significant number of community members graduated from BCA and their current perception of the Academy is couched in their experience while walking the halls (regardless of how out-dated that experience is).
Because Battle Creek Academy is long-standing, there is an extensive network of relationships that exist within the immediate community and beyond. These include all components shown on the diagram given here as an attachment.
The relationship challenges that I constantly see happen at all levels are frequently based on 2 underlying premises. People within the Battle Creek Academy community do not follow Matthew 18 (i.e. talking to your brother in private before kicking it up a notch) which precludes communication, therefore, perception becomes reality. Also, parents having differing opinions on what the mission of the school is.
Parent - teacher communication fragmentation
For instance, little Suzy goes home complaining to mom that she is not being taught, therefore, her grades are poor. Mom confronts the principle with a list of complaints about teaching styles. The teachers being talked about are not consulted by the parent. Therefore, the teacher has to seek out the parent after a talk with the principle in order to resolve the issue. Communication breaks down, anger perks, parents group together to complain in mass which spreads discontent before the original problem can be solved. This could have been avoided by the parent coming directly to the teacher at the first question they had.
What is needed to circumvent this problem entirely is a willingness for each parent to contct teachers directly. This is highly unlikely, however, I try to keep communication open with parents as much as possible through phone calls (both positive and negative), casual conversation at events (concerts, etc.), and surveys that the parents fill out. I came across the anonymous parent survey idea 2 summers ago at Round Table when we attended the communicatons seminar and it worked well. Still, the problem lingers.
School Mission Disagreement:
There are board members and parents who believe that the mission of Battle Creek Academy is to excell in academics and who have suggested that we separate the spiritual component from the academic component. Their perception is that the school does not prepare their children well for college.
In point of fact over half of our students who attended Andrews University were on the Dean's list last semester, BCA students obtained all A's and B's in Andrew's General Chemistry course (with the exception of 1 C second semester), and at least 7 out of a25ish students who attended Andrews University became either teaching assistants or research assistants for varoius science classes at Andrews University.
I have spoken with Mr. Agard regarding having a parent information session regarding the college preparedness of BCA students, and am hopeful that he will put this session in place. Meanwhile, I spoke with him reagarding a parent night for the Science Department. He was not opposed, but suggested a parent survey with information instead. I am currently working on this survey and will ask whether or not the parents would like to attend an informational parent night as one of the questions.
Some parents believe that BCA is a safe place to attend that lets their child be a SDA Christian, while others send thier troubled children to be 'straightened-out'.
What is needed is for parents, board members, staff and administration to be on the same page of the BCA Handbook which states that the mission of the school is to prepare servant-leaders to hasten the soon return of Jesus Christ our Savior. Additionally, it is more than necessary for teachers, board members and parents to realize that we are all fighting on the same side of the battle. We all want the children to be academically, spiritually and physically prepared to become successful as servant leaders in society. I am hoping to have the opportunity to preach a sermon or two on this topic in area churches, and am waiting on the Lord's leading in that direction.
One area where fragmentation is not found is within almost all of the staff of Battle Creek Acadmey. I count it a pleasure and joy to work wtih my brothers and sisters in Christ who were called to undershepherd the lambs which God has placed in our hands. Much of the staff has worked together for a long time and we give and take as needed to accomodate and help eachother. We are blessed in this way.
I know the parent community well, since I have been a teacher at Battle Creek Academy for 11 years now, and have made it a point to talk with parents outside of parent-teacher conferences regarding their children. I believe that I am making inroads to communicating with them, although relationaships are certainly no where close to perfect yet. I update that knowledge by the afore-mentioned parent survey which is becomming an annual event.
I know the board members less, and probably need to make more contact there.
Mr. Agard our principal is new and I do not know him too well yet, but we are spending time as it is available and I believe we understand each other, since our personalities are similar.
Communicating Self-Survey
Dear classmates:
I took the Communication/Publicc Relatins Self-Assessment for Educators, and discovered that...
I rank myself regarding general comunication as...
74% good listener...................weakness is providing a quiet place to listen, top strengths are clarifying questions and ccreating listening/talking dialogues
72% personal speaker.............weaknesses are pausing, silence and adapting to topic change while top strengths are speed,volume, lanaguage appropiraateness and length of subject for hearer
80% public speaker.................weakness is checking for understanding while strength is preparation and practice
75% observer........................weakness is observing body language and strengths are dress and deciding what is happening during communication
100% Writer..........................no noted weaknesses
Total for general communication category is 78% (90/115)
I rank myself regarding organizational communication as...
70% general management of communication...weakness is web page design, strengths are decision making and policy and procedure
100% team development..............................no weakness were noted in this area
90% cultural communication........................."good" were racial/ethnic inclusion and cross-religeous communication, strengths were effective dommunication across gener and practicing inclusion
53% specific school communication skills.....weak was seb page or newsletter creation strong was developing and managing parent involvement
Total for organizational communication is 79% (67/85)
I rank my self regarding public relations as...
60% public relations plan- average for all areas
40% media communications-weaknesses are TV and creating own advertising, average are press and raadio releases
80% community relations-average is constituency input, strength is regular attendance at community organizations
80% ethics/general issues-all areas are at the level of 'good'
Total for puablic relations is 64% (48/75)
I rank myself regarding understanding communication as...
80% scholarly understanding-average in all categories
20% research on communicatoin-weak in all categories
Total for understanding communication is 50% (15/30)
Overall reflections:
My perception of my communications ability in a one on one, classroom, group or public setting is that I am an excellent communicator. I do not lack for words and have the ability to ask questions in order to get others to think about the answerwithout giving it away.
My weaknesses involve organizing lectures in a visually appealing manner (I am auditory) and anything techy (i.e. web pages, etc.). These are areas which I have already targeted to work on with ppowerpoints for lectures, study guides and internet communication. I am even thinking about forming a science corner on the school web page to highlight strengths of the science department.
I admire communicators like Dwight Nelsen who not only paints vivid pictures with words through conviction, but uses visual aides to help make his point. This year, I have already purposed to put Environmentla Science lectures on powerpoint. I will work on a class per year using this technique, since time permits nothing more.
Yours in Christ,
Bonnie Velez
Parental Reaction Paper
PARENTAL REACTION
TO
COMMUNICATIONS REFLECTION PAPER
WRITTEN BY
BONNIE VELEZ
NOVEMBER 9, 2009
BY
MARIE TENOLD
After discussing several options for my project with Dr. Covrig and my principal, I decided to take Dr. Covrig's suggestion to rehash the 20-parent meeting by writing a reflection paper on it, then submitting this paper to another teacher, my principal and a parent. Thus far, I have recieved a response only from the parent, but not the other 2 sources. The input received from the parent is included here. I will include my original paper in the next post, since it is on another computer.
Yours in Christ,
Bonnie Velez
I ENJOYED READING MRS. VELEZ’S REPORT. SHE COMMUNICATES WELL ON PAPER. SHE HAS HEARD SOME OF THE MAIN CONCERNS OF THE PARENTS OF HER STUDENTS. I AM STRUCK BY THE CONCLUSION THAT THIS PAPER BROUGHT BACK TO MIND. BEFORE I GET TO THAT, LET ME CLARIFY MY FEELINGS ON A FEW OF THE ISSUES MRS. VELEZ RAISED.
REGARDING HER FRUSTRATION “BY THE LACK OF WILLINGNESS OF PARENTS TO COME AND TALK WITH ME ONE ON ONE”. PARENTS ARE BUSY PEOPLE WHO OFTEN DON’T GET OFF WORK UNTIL AFTER MRS. VELEZ LEAVES THE SCHOOL. IF THEY HAVE TAKEN THE OPPORTUNITY ONCE TO VOICE THEIR CONCERNS AND “NOTHING CHANGES” WHY WOULD THEY BOTHER TO TAKE THE TIME TO COMMUNICATE AGAIN? ON THE OTHER HAND, IF THEY GET RESULTS, THEY MAY BE BACK WITH ANOTHER ISSUE.
A SUGGESTION ON HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH PARENTS WOULD BE E-MAIL.
TO FEEL THAT BCA HAS A STRONG MATH/SCIENCE DEPARTMENT PARENTS SHOULD FEEL THAT A CONSISTANT AMOUNT OF COVERAGE IS BEING MADE IN THE GIVEN SUBJECT. NO PARENT FEELS LIKE THEY’VE GOTTEN THEIR MONEY’S WORTH AT THE END OF THE YEAR WHEN THEY REALIZE THAT THEIR CHILD COVERED ONLY A PORTION OF THE BOOK. THEY FEEL GIPPED. IT’S LIKE GOING TO THE FARMERS MARKET TO BUY A BUSHEL OF APPLES. WHEN YOU GET HOME YOU EMPTY THE BASKET AND FIND THAT THERE IS A FALSE BOTTOM IN IT. YOU DIDN’T GET WHAT YOU PAID FOR!
SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS ARE COMMISSIONED TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE WORLD. WE ENCOURAGE OUR CHILDREN TO PURSUE A COLLEGE EDUCATION THAT WILL HELP THEM ACCOMPLISH THIS WHETHER IT IS IN PASTORAL LINES, MEDICAL FIELDS, OR TEACHING. SOME PARENTS SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO BCA AT GREAT FINANCIAL SACRIFICE. THEY WANT THEIR CHILDREN TO BE PREPARED FOR COLLEGE. THEY WANT THEM TO COVER WHOLE TEXTBOOKS – WETTING THEIR APPETITES FOR GOING DEEPER. THEY WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE MATERIAL THEY ARE LEARNING. THEY WANT WHOLE CLASS PERIODS DEDICATED TO THE SUBJECT. THIS IS AN AREA MRS. VELEZ DOES NOT SEEM TO HAVE HEARD. SHE IS EASILY DISTRACTED FROM THE SUBJECT AND THE CONTENT TO BE COVERED. AS SHE MENTIONED, “TIME” GETS AWAY FROM HER EASILY. THIS ISSUE IS KEY TO RESTORING PARENTAL CONFIDENCE IN BCA’S MATH/SCIENCE PROGRAM.
MRS. VELEZ HAS A PASSION FOR PEOPLE AND THEIR ETERNAL DESTINIES. I HAVE A FEELING THAT WITNESSING CLASS IS HER FAVORITE. THAT’S A CLASS WHERE THERE IS NO TEXTBOOK THAT MUST BE COVERED AND WHERE SHE CAN SHARE HER PASSION FOR JESUS. UNFORTUNATELY, SHE CAN GET SIDETRACKED ON THIS PASSION IN HER OTHER CLASSES AND
BEFORE YOU KNOW IT THE BELL RINGS. LIKE SHE SAID, “TIME IS A DIRTY FOUR-LETTER-WORD THAT I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WELL.” FROM A PARENT’S POINT OF VIEW THEY DON’T GET WHAT THEY PAID FOR WHEN THIS HAPPENS. WHEN A PARENT SIGNS THEIR CHILD UP FOR BIOLOGY – THEY WANT THEM TO LEARN BIOLOGY. IT SEEMS HARD FOR MRS. VELEZ TO REMEMBER THIS SINCE SHE LIKES TO SHARE WHAT IS ON HER HEART. IN SO DOING, TIME GETS AWAY FROM HER AND BIOLOGY CONTENT IS NOT COVERED LIKE IT SHOULD BE THAT DAY.
I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST THAT MRS. VELEZ BEGIN EACH CLASS PERIOD WITH A SHORT PRAYER. NO PRAYER REQUESTS, NO WORSHIP. (ANOTHER TEACHER KEEPS A RECORD OF PRAYER REQUESTS. BIBLE CLASS IS A TYPE OF WORSHIP AND THERE ARE CHAPEL TIMES FOR WORSHIP, ALSO.) I SUGGEST THIS BECAUSE IT IS SO EASY FOR MRS. VELEZ TO GET SIDE-TRACKED AND LOSE TRACK OF TIME THAT I THINK THIS IDEA WILL HELP HER. HAVE PRAYER, THEN COVER THE MATERIAL FOR THE CLASS THAT DAY – PERIOD. PARENTS WILL BE THRILLED TO SEE INFORMATION BEING CONSISTANTLY COVERED. THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE PAYING HER TO DO.
IS IT POSSIBLE THAT MRS. VELEZ NEEDS A BETTER PLATFORM TO USE HER MANY TALENTS? THIS REMINDS ME OF MY PERENNIEL GARDEN. ALL OF MY PLANTS ARE GREAT PLANTS. SOMETIMES I’LL NOTICE THAT ONE VARIETY IS NOT DOING WELL IN THE SPOT WHERE I PLANTED IT. THAT DOESN’T MEAN IT ISN’T A GOOD PLANT. ON THE CONTRARY, IT IS EXACTLY THE PLANT I WANTED. WHAT IT NEEDS IS A DIFFERENT SPOT IN MY GARDEN. MAYBE MORE SUN AND SANDIER SOIL, ETC. ONCE I MOVE THE PLANT TO THE NEW LOCATION, IF I GIVE IT THE SPOT IT NEEDS, IT WILL GROW AND FLOURISH. REMEMBER, IT IS THE SAME PLANT. ALL I DID WAS CHANGE ITS GROWING SPOT. IT MAY BE THAT TEACHING SCIENCE AND MATH GIVES A PAYCHECK BUT IT DOESN’T SEEM TO GIVE MRS. VELEZ THE OPPORTUNITY TO FLOURISH USING THE TALENTS SHE HAS ON THE SUBJECTS WHICH ARE HER PASSION. I COULD SEE HER BEING FULFILLED AS A CHAPLAIN OR PERSONAL ADVOCATE. (JUST THINK NO PAPERS TO GRADE, NO SPECIFIC TEXTBOOK TO COVER.)
IF A “SOIL TRANSFER” IS NOT A PRACTICAL OPTION, I HOPE THAT MRS. VELEZ CAN REALIZE THE VALUE GOD PUTS ON THE INFORMATION SHE IS ASSIGNED TO TEACH AND THAT GOD WILL GIVE HER A PASSION FOR IT. THIS CONVERSION, SO TO SPEAK, WILL HELP HER TO STAY ON THE TOPIC. IF MRS. VELEZ WILL MAKE IT HER MISSION TO FAITHFULLY LAY A SOLID FOUNDATION FOR HER STUDENTS IN SCIENCE AND MATH, SHE WILL BE PARTNERING WITH GOD IN PREPARING HER STUDENTS TO DO HIS WORK AROUND THE GLOBE AS TEACHERS, DOCTORS, NURSES AND MEDICAL MISSIONARIES.
MRS. VELEZ IS DEDICATED TO THE PRESENT AND ETERNAL WELL-BEING OF HER STUDENTS. IF I NEED AN ADVOCATE ON MY CHILD’S BEHALF, SHE WILL BE CONTACTED. I KNOW SHE WILL CARE AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. SHE “HAS A HEART” AND I LOVE HER FOR IT. SHE WANTS HER STUDENTS TO SUCCEED AND SHE WILL DO ANYTHING SHE CAN TO HELP THEM DO WELL IN
HER CLASSES. HER DEFICIT SEEMS TO BE IN REALIZING HOW MUCH MORE SHE COULD HELP THEM SUCCEED BY COVERING MORE INFORMATION. IT WOULD WET THEIR CURIOUSITY ON THE SUBJECT ASSIGNED EVEN DEEPER. PARENTS WANT MRS. VELEZ TO STAY ON THE SUBJECT AND KEEP TRACK OF TIME – USE ALL 50 MINUTES ALLOWED – ON THE SUBJECT.
I CERTAINLY DO NOT KNOW GOD’S WILL FOR MRS. VELEZ’ FUTURE BUT I DO KNOW THAT SHE IS A SINCERE SEEKER OF HIS WILL. HE KNOWS WHAT IS BEST FOR HER, BATTLE CREEK ACADEMY AND ITS STUDENTS. I HOPE SHE WILL TAKE THIS RESPONSE IN THAT LIGHT. I HAVE NO AGENDA TO WIN.
LASTLY, I WANT TO THANK MRS. VELEZ FOR HER PATIENCE WITH MY CHILDREN AND HOST DAUGHTER AND MOST OF ALL FOR CARING ABOUT THEIR ETERNAL LIFE.
Future Partnership Plans
FUTURE PARTNERSHIP PLANS
BONNIE VELEZ
NOV. 27, 2009
LEAD 525
IntroductionThe following chart summarizes the community in which I work at Battle Creek Academy.
My relationship to some levels in this structure is very peripheral, while involvement in others is more extensive. I will summarize levels of involvement here as a springboard to the 1, 3 and 5-year community relations plan. I contacted the NAD only once to get authorization for using a non-evolutionary science text.I have worked with the Lake Union for 6 years, serving on Curriculum Committee and yearly participating with and presenting presentations at Prayer Conference.I rarely attend school board meetings, except to present mission trips or field trips.My work at the school often dove-tails with church activities (teaching Sabbath School, organizing Witnessing Class praise band activities, attending seminars where the students are asked to participate, etc).I work closely with Andrews University yearly while teaching 2 college-directed courses (Environmental Science and Human Biology) developing and executing the bi-annual science fair, and organizing and executing the Math/Science field trip which visits Andrews University once every four years. Additionally, I often take classes at Andrews University and ask questions of professors in various departments regarding classes I teach.I work with support personnel often in various capacities and have a good working relationship with them.I interact with both the high school and elementary staff on a regular basis, during staff meetings, evaluation committees and while executing special projects (such as science fair,
elementary science demonstrations, Harvest Festival, Math/Science field trip, campus ministries, mission trip, Childrens' Christmas party and loaning science equipment). I meet with parents at parent-teacher conferences to discuss their child's progress and pray with them. I also call parents if the need arises and encourage them to call me as well. I enjoy working with the students and interact with them daily in each of the 7 periods that I have them. Additionally, I am one of the senior class sponsors this year.It is obvious that I spend more time with students than with any other group in the community shown above.Connectedness and FragmentationI believe that I have a good relationship with all contacts at Andrews University and the Lake Union.My relationship with the Battle Creek Academy staff works together as a team by and large. There is probably only one staff member who I feel uneasy working with. I do not know how they perceive me.I have a good working relationship with our new principal Elvis Agard, and believe he is a sincere Christian and wants what is best for the school.I have a good working relationship with the students. They are very open with me regarding class work and often with personal or spiritual issues they face. However, because I teach tough subjects, they complain at times regarding homework, tests or particular assignments. This
complaining is not always done to me, but often to their parents. This is where the fragmentation begins.My relationship with the parents is the weak point in this whole scheme of things. Part of the fragmentation here is miss-communication from students. Another part is the infrequency of communication which allows any question to fester and blister. Additionally, Battle Creek is notorious for having a very active grape vine. Finally, people in Battle Creek are simply not comfortable airing issues face to face. Protocol here has always been to talk about a problem to someone, anyone else. This flies in the face of Matthew 18, and derails cohesiveness. One-year planWithin this school year, I will continue to publish a quarterly newsletter which highlights Science Department happenings in an effort to open the door to communication with parents a little wider. I will provide my email address to parents in this newsletter and continue to invite open dialogue.I will also continue working on the Science Corner of the BCA website. There, I will highlight research I have done regarding BCA graduates success at Andrews University, and introduce the idea of having an active group of parents to support the Science Department at BCA. When concerned parents are involved directly in their child's education, they may be more likely to be supportive, since they have an active interest.Two-three year plan
Science supporters will include science fair mentors, annual Science/Math field trip sponsors, fund-raising coordinators and guest lecturers for specified topics being taught.I will develop a list of parents who are willing to become science project mentors for the bi-annual science fair. Each parent approached will be given a sheet of suggested activities for science project mentorship. They will be categorized by their particular area of expertise and profession and the number of students that they are willing to mentor. Then, next year, students will be given sponsor contacts when they have chosen a project.As the Science Supporters group gains momentum, it is hoped that relationships will be built and communication barriers will diminish.I will add pertinent information to the BCA website on Science Corner such as the schedule for completion of milestones in Science Fair project completion, future plans for the Science Department, extra credit possibilities and other pertinent information.I may decide to include student prepared reports that are web friendly such as Environmental Science research papers or PowerPoint presentations done by the Biology class on specific organisms.I will circulate a parent survey similar to the one issued summer before last and tabulate results.Five year planMy plan in 5 years is to follow God's specific direction in opening up Adventist education to special needs students.
This may or may not involve teaching at Battle Creek Academy. Therefore, it is difficult to say what my plan for reaching the community will be. However, it is my intent to broaden my network of contacts who are in favor of this goal at the local, Conference, Union and NAD levels. This will be done through my research project, and through continued efforts to follow the trail of Adventist special needs proponents from one person, committee or group to another; until I have developed a large network of web-based supporters. For much of this, I am waiting on God's leading, but I have already begun to make contacts in these areas. The ultimate goal is to provide help centers for family enlisted helpers who sit with special needs students in the classroom and help them do what they need to be successful. Within 5 years, I hope to have at least the first such center in place. This will be done by tapping into the network above-mentioned and making myself (and other volunteers) available for counsel, instruction and (eventually) sharing equipment. Obviously, this plan extends way beyond 5 years to a life's work, but I am confident that the Lord God Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth will lead, as this was His mandate to me.ConclusionImmediate plans focus on bettering parent communication at Battle Creek Academy, while extended plans encompass forming a large web-based network of people willing to support Adventist special needs students being included within our school system at no extra cost to our schools.
Community Partnerships Report
Community PartnershipsLEAD 525
Reading Report
Bonnie Velez
December 5, 2009
INTRODUCTION
This reading report is being submitted in partial fulfillment of the course requirements for Community Partnerships (LEAD 525). It contains reviews of several scholarly journal articles and the author's opinions. The purpose of this paper is to show that community partnerships should be based on truly caring for others according to Biblical principles (i.e. loving God first and best and loving others).
BIBLICAL AND RESEARCH FRAMEWORK
The Bible is very clear about how we should treat each other. We are to put others needs before our own and truly love them as we love ourselves. This holds true even when there are differing opinions or hard feelings. Leviticus 10:18 states, "You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord." (Holy Bible, NAS). Further, Matthew 5:44 relates the words of Christ Himself who said, "But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you." (Holy Bible, NASB). This means that Seventh-day Adventist school teachers have no right to feel contempt against parents, whether or not those parents have crossed borders or been offensive. Instead, we are supposed to love them and pray for them. In other words, God does not cater to fragmentation; but is all about reconciliation.
It is not surprising then, that research supports these ideas. Joyce Epstein states that, "The way schools care about children is reflected in the way schools care about the children's families." (Joyce Epstein, 1995). She goes on to relate that when we view students as children, we view parents as partners and realize that the school and parents are both on the same page. That is that both have a common goal in helping the student. Without saying it, Ms. Epstien is espousing the idea that we should love our students and parents. By extension, when we are involved in Seventh-day Adventist education, we must not only view students as children, but, according to Biblical principles, love them and their parents.
Ms. Epstein's premise is that when schools and parents realize that they are on the same team, they will work together to provide better programs and student support. She recognizes three main spheres of influence on student success. These are the family, the school, and the community.
In the case of Seventh-day Adventist education we may add a 4th and 5th sphere. They are God and the church. When we have the omnipotent partner of God Almighty working with us, success is guaranteed. The only way to fail is to break that partnership with God, which, we unfortunately do many times by choosing to do things our own way and by not wanting God included. Sadly, the student, parent, school personnel, community or church can choose to exclude God; with disastrous results. However, the flip side of that is that when the student, parent, school personnel, community and/or church chooses to include God as a partner, God still works. I believe that the extent to which God reveals His power is proportional to the faith of those who have decided to include Him as a partner. Therefore, one member of the partnership with strong faith allows God to work in the school in a mighty way. The closer the connection with God through each facet of the partnership, the more 'in control' of the school God is, and the more success is assured on all fronts.
One other difference between Ms. Epstein's model and that of the Seventh-day Adventist system is that public schools focus on academic education, while Adventists schools focus on developing the whole person (mental, spiritual and physical). The utmost goal of the Adventist system is to foster a true, un-ending relationship with Jesus within each student who is part of the system. In this way God, in partnership with each student, assures not only success during school years, but throughout this life and for eternity. What an awesome partnership, and awesome responsibility for the Adventist school system!
Six researchers from the University of South Carolina chose a random sample of 201 parents to investigate parent involvement in a medium-sized urban school district, (Connell, Norman, Phillips, Sizer, Smith and Wright, 1997). This team realized that parent involvement in school activities helps ensure the success of the student. Therefore, they were looking for ways to help stimulate that involvement. Results indicate that parent background and attitudes, teacher practices, school, and neighborhood climate can all provide encourage parent involvement. However, the converse is also true. What this boils down to is relationships that are either loving or antagonistic. Parents want to be more involved when they experience pleasant loving relationships.
Finally, many studies were recognized that pointed to parent involvement leading to the success of students involved in general education. However, one study examined the effect of parent involvement on the success of secondary special education students as compared to secondary general education students, (Deslandes, Leclerc, Potvin and
Royer, 1999). It is not surprising that results were similar. Whether or not we have special needs, we all respond to love.
CONCLSION
When we are involved in Seventh-day Adventist Christian education, we must be Seventh-day Adventist Christians! We must love others and put their needs before our own. It is only by partnering with Christ that true success can be gained. Since our highest goal is to prepare the children under our care for Heaven, we must choose to make God a partner in all that we do and exercise our faith daily through developing a closer relationship with Him. We can not share what we do not have. But, with God all things are possible.
Bibliography
Connell, Christian M., Norman, Jean M., Sizer, Monteic, Smith, Emil Phillips and
Wright, Gary; Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, Vol. 8, 1997.
Deslandes, Rollande, Leclerc, Danielle, Potvin, Pierre and Royer, Egide; Exceptional Children, Vol. 65, 1999.
Epstien, Joyce L.; Phi Delta Kappan, Vol. 76, 1995.
Holy Bible, NASB.
ACTION PLAN AND SELF-ANALYSIS
BASED ON REFLECTION PAPER AND FEEDBACK
REGARDING PARENT SURVEY
SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF LEAD 525
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
WITH DR. COVRIG
NOVEMBER 12, 2009
BY
BONNIE VELEZ
INTRODUCTION
This paper is being written to analyze the results of the parent survey which I sent out during the Fall of 2008 in order to enhance my communications skills and improve my understanding of how I interact with others.
As part of this exercise, I reflected on the results and identified weaknesses and strengths; then asked my principal, fellow teacher and a parent to respond to my reflections and provide their input regarding how I could improve communication.
The artifacts pertinent to this paper are presented in 4 appendices. They are: 1) Appendix A (Reflection Paper Regarding Parent Survey), 2) Appendix B (Parent Response), 3) Appendix C (Peer-Teacher Response), 4) Appendix D (Principal Response)
PARENT INPUT
Regarding the parental input, I have to say that I was somewhat confused as to why Mrs. Tenold felt that nothing changes when I gave her son a timer to make certain worships did not go past 5 minutes and she seemed to be pleased with that last year. Worships still do not go over 5 minutes-yet she perceives that I preach class time away and do not give her what she is paying for.
I like the idea of communicating with parents via email, but may modify that somewhat to include a science spotlight in the school web page. I am not opposed to emailing parents if there is a specific question or concern, but it would become an overload if I were to try to email all parents then field each response.
I appreciated Mrs.Tenold’s perception that I care about the children, have a heart and want their eternal salvation.
I am curious to know what she is referring to when she says that we do not cover the book. In most classes I teach, about 90% of the book is covered during the year, and we meet the NAD Curriculum Guide standards. I will schedule a meeting with Mrs. Tenold to further discuss this and the wasting class time perceptions she has.
PEER TEACHER INPUT
It was nice to be affirmed regarding Powerpoint presentations and survey sending. I also like the idea of sending out a periodic newsletter. I plan to write it such that the parents sign and return it with their child for a grade to ensure that it has been delivered and read rather than being stuffed in a backpack.
PRINCIPAL INPUT
It was perceptive that I focused on my weaknesses instead of strengths. I am still trying to learn the lesson of Strenghsfinder 2.0 when it comes to using my strengths instead of focusing on my weaknesses. I think that one of my strengths regarding communication is writing well, being honest and open and truly hearing what the other person is saying without being judgmental. Putting a quarterly newsletter together for parent signature will help me disseminate information to the parents. I will additionally have an area where the parents can jot down any questions or concerns they have. I will respond to these in person, by phone or by email as is warranted.
In the probable event that parents choose not to come to me and speak face to face when they have concerns, I will continue to do my part to communicate with them and leave the rest in God’s hands.
I will continue to improve my teaching methods, communication skills and character by the grace of God, as He leads me into a closer walk with Him and others.
SUMMARY
Through this exercise I have learned that even when I believe that communication to parents is clear, it may be muddled. The reasons for this may be because children are communicating with parents about me rather than me communicating directly with the parents, past problems that have been fixed are not being perceived as such or distrust of the teacher/school in general due to insecurity or other factors.
Additionally, I have decided to consciously focus on correcting my weaknesses with my strengths, and to pray for God’s strength to do so while He moulds my unworthy character into something that is heaven-worthy through His power.
On my list for immediate action is a quarterly newsletter. Future projects will include making a science spot for updating departmental activities and information on the school web-site. Finally, I will continue to encourage parents to come to me openly to talk about questions and concerns as they arise according to Matthew 18.
APPENDIX A
COMMUNICATIONS
REFLECTION PAPER
REGARDING PARENT SURVEY RESPONSES
BONNIE VELEZ
OCTOBER 28, 2009
SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF LEAD 525
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the results and ramifications of a survey sent to parents of the students that I teach; in order to improve my communication practices.
BACKGROUND
As I listened to the communications seminar presented at Roundtable 2008, I realized that I was not always communicating as effectively as I could have been. Additionally, I was looking for an answer to opening the door for communication with parents who had concerns regarding me which they were not willing to voice in person.
Therefore, I decided to send out an anonymous survey to be filled out by parents of the students that I teach at Battle Creek Academy. I contacted the principal at that time,(Kevin Kossick) who was leaving to become Superintendent at the Georgia Cumberland Conference. He thought that it would be a good idea, and shared a survey that he had used with the Battle Creek Academy board and suggested some revisions for use with the parents. I modified the survey and sent it out to all of the high school parents at Battle Creek Academy.
When the results were in, I got about 6 surveys back from the 60 high school parents. This represents only a 10% return. Five of the six were largely negative, while one was extremely positive. The comments from the survey are categorized and summarized below.
ORGANIZATION The first area of concern was overwhelmingly organization. Parents felt that class material was not organized well enough in general regarding lecture and class work. One parent commented that she was delighted with the organization she encountered in Algebra I.
FOLLOW-THROUGH Parents were concerned that their students were not receiving their papers and tests back in a timely fashion.
INVOLVEMENT Some parents were concerned that I was over-involved in activities which prevented me from doing a better job teaching.
NOTHING CHANGES Some parents felt that they had spoken with me numerous times without anything changing.
CARING All parents believed that I sincerely cared about their children.
I made plans to improve three of the four areas of concern. Each of the improvement plans is given below:
ORGANIZATION
I decided to put together quarterly plans that showed all assignments for each quarter for all classes except Witnessing (which is more of a student-lead class). I implemented those quarterly plans during the 2008-2009 school year, and found that they helped, although the students did not like them.
I also decided to put together PowerPoint presentations for lecture as time allowed. I am still working on PowerPoint presentations for the classes I teach, one class at a time (I currently teach 7 different classes and monitor one study hall). Little by little, the goal is to have power points completed for all classes over time.
This school year (2009-2010) I decided to reorganize all of the drawers, cabinets, etc. as time allowed. I have reorganized several drawers and cupboards thus far.
FOLLOW-THROUGH
I sent out a letter thanking the parents for filling out the survey and listed each main concern. I promised to return tests and papers within 2 days to students, to use quarterly assignment sheets and gave several examples of things that I had changed because of parent concerns. I also apologized for not communicating those changes to the parents who had initially raised the concerns. I got many favorable compliments from the parents after they read the letter. However, the number of hours my worker was able to help last year was 2.5 (which was reduced from 10 previous years), papers were not back within 2 days and I did not communicate this cut in hours to many parents. This exacerbated the nothing changes perception.
NOTHING CHANGES
I spoke personally with those individuals who had brought me concerns in the past which I had remedied. For instance, one of the mothers had been concerned about the way that students turned in
their Algebra I assignments. They were required to hand in spiral notebooks with their assignments in them. The problem was that when graphs were done, the graph paper was loosely taped in or just stuck in and often fell out. Also, the students were not consistent in arranging their problems on a page, which made grading cumbersome. Therefore, I devised a system where students had -ring-binders which they were required to keep organized and tabbed. They were provided a computer-generated Notes Page, problem work pages with designated numbers on each section that had a graph-paper background and answer sheets to copy answers on when all problems were worked. This streamlined and shortened grading time and kept the students as well as myself organized. Further, the assignment box was equipped with triple folders of different colors and labels(one for handing in answer sheets, one for picking up graded answer sheets and one for turning problems that had been redone). This also streamlined the turn-in and hand-back time.
ORGANIZATION
I admit to parents and others that organization is not a strength of mine. In fact, in groups I lead I always ask the members to write down their strengths and weaknesses and list organization as one of my biggest weaknesses. However, I also try hard to compensate for my lack of organization by developing strategies which control it (Powerpoint presentations, schedules, etc.). Strengthfinder 2.0 was a real shot in the arm 2 summers ago at Round Table. I was really impressed that I should focus on my strengths more than on my weaknesses as evidenced by allegory of the Sea Captain that never reached his potential. I am not using that as an excuse not to try. I simply try to keep in mind that I need to focus on my strengths as well. It keeps me from feeling like a broken misfit-which is how I have felt many times in the past.
FOLLOW-THROUGH
I have always had a tough time deciding how much time it takes to do any given project, activity or item. Time is just a dirty four-letter-word that I do not understand well. Additionally, I tend to do what is in
front of me at the moment. I am not good at remembering which day students have handed in tests and the like. Therefore, I don't always get them graded within the 3-day time frame. I think that I need a better system for keeping track of that. I write test dates on the homework board that I face each day. Maybe a green mark beside the test after it is taken could signal that it needs to be graded, with a blue mark the 2nd day if it is not and a red mark the 3rd day I might even put a student per class in charge of this because I am absent-minded and this way they would remind me as well.
I have spoken with my husband (who also teaches and is the epitome of organization) and asked for advice. He suggested having the students drop their writing utensil on the floor, then giving them a colored pencil to grade with. I have been doing that immediately after they complete an assignment which works quite well. Quick feed-back for the students, less grading for me and my workers only have to input the grade.
I am still somewhat worried about cheating, but am watchful to make sure they do not pick up their writing utensil again.
NOTHING EVER CHANGES
In reflection, I do a poor job of communicating improvements to parents and keeping them abreast of issues I face (like having worker hours drastically cut). I need to improve this area of communication.
I have always been frustrated by the lack of willingness of parents to come and talk with me one on one. I am always open and willing to listen to their concerns and to make changes where I can. I would still like to find a 'magic' way to communicate better with parents. Parent teacher conference helps somewhat, but they are not always open to telling me all concerns face to face. I feel like I am doing my part, but maybe I'm not. What are your thoughts?
APPENDIX B
PARENTAL REACTION
TO
COMMUNICATIONS REFLECTION PAPER
WRITTEN BY
BONNIE VELEZ
NOVEMBER 9, 2009
BY
MARIE TENOLD
I ENJOYED READING MRS. VELEZ’S REPORT. SHE COMMUNICATES WELL ON PAPER. SHE HAS HEARD SOME OF THE MAIN CONCERNS OF THE PARENTS OF HER STUDENTS. I AM STRUCK BY THE CONCLUSION THAT THIS PAPER BROUGHT BACK TO MIND. BEFORE I GET TO THAT, LET ME CLARIFY MY FEELINGS ON A FEW OF THE ISSUES MRS. VELEZ RAISED.
REGARDING HER FRUSTRATION “BY THE LACK OF WILLINGNESS OF PARENTS TO COME AND TALK WITH ME ONE ON ONE”. PARENTS ARE BUSY PEOPLE WHO OFTEN DON’T GET OFF WORK UNTIL AFTER MRS. VELEZ LEAVES THE SCHOOL. IF THEY HAVE TAKEN THE OPPORTUNITY ONCE TO VOICE THEIR CONCERNS AND “NOTHING CHANGES” WHY WOULD THEY BOTHER TO TAKE THE TIME TO COMMUNICATE AGAIN? ON THE OTHER HAND, IF THEY GET RESULTS, THEY MAY BE BACK WITH ANOTHER ISSUE.
A SUGGESTION ON HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH PARENTS WOULD BE E-MAIL.
TO FEEL THAT BCA HAS A STRONG MATH/SCIENCE DEPARTMENT PARENTS SHOULD FEEL THAT A CONSISTANT AMOUNT OF COVERAGE IS BEING MADE IN THE GIVEN SUBJECT. NO PARENT FEELS LIKE THEY’VE GOTTEN THEIR MONEY’S WORTH AT THE END OF THE YEAR WHEN THEY REALIZE THAT THEIR CHILD COVERED ONLY A PORTION OF THE BOOK. THEY FEEL GIPPED. IT’S LIKE GOING TO THE FARMERS MARKET TO BUY A BUSHEL OF APPLES. WHEN YOU GET HOME YOU EMPTY THE BASKET AND FIND THAT THERE IS A FALSE BOTTOM IN IT. YOU DIDN’T GET WHAT YOU PAID FOR!
SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS ARE COMMISSIONED TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE WORLD. WE ENCOURAGE OUR CHILDREN TO PURSUE A COLLEGE EDUCATION THAT WILL HELP THEM ACCOMPLISH THIS WHETHER IT IS IN PASTORAL LINES, MEDICAL FIELDS, OR TEACHING. SOME PARENTS SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO BCA AT GREAT FINANCIAL SACRIFICE. THEY WANT THEIR CHILDREN TO BE PREPARED FOR COLLEGE. THEY WANT THEM TO COVER WHOLE TEXTBOOKS – WETTING THEIR APPETITES FOR GOING DEEPER. THEY WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE MATERIAL THEY ARE LEARNING. THEY WANT WHOLE CLASS PERIODS DEDICATED TO THE SUBJECT. THIS IS AN AREA MRS. VELEZ DOES NOT SEEM TO HAVE HEARD. SHE IS EASILY DISTRACTED FROM THE SUBJECT AND THE CONTENT TO BE COVERED. AS SHE MENTIONED, “TIME” GETS AWAY FROM HER EASILY. THIS ISSUE IS KEY TO RESTORING PARENTAL CONFIDENCE IN BCA’S MATH/SCIENCE PROGRAM.
MRS. VELEZ HAS A PASSION FOR PEOPLE AND THEIR ETERNAL DESTINIES. I HAVE A FEELING THAT WITNESSING CLASS IS HER FAVORITE. THAT’S A CLASS WHERE THERE IS NO TEXTBOOK THAT MUST BE COVERED AND WHERE SHE CAN SHARE HER PASSION FOR JESUS. UNFORTUNATELY, SHE CAN GET SIDETRACKED ON THIS PASSION IN HER OTHER CLASSES AND
BEFORE YOU KNOW IT THE BELL RINGS. LIKE SHE SAID, “TIME IS A DIRTY FOUR-LETTER-WORD THAT I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WELL.” FROM A PARENT’S POINT OF VIEW THEY DON’T GET WHAT THEY PAID FOR WHEN THIS HAPPENS. WHEN A PARENT SIGNS THEIR CHILD UP FOR BIOLOGY – THEY WANT THEM TO LEARN BIOLOGY. IT SEEMS HARD FOR MRS. VELEZ TO REMEMBER THIS SINCE SHE LIKES TO SHARE WHAT IS ON HER HEART. IN SO DOING, TIME GETS AWAY FROM HER AND BIOLOGY CONTENT IS NOT COVERED LIKE IT SHOULD BE THAT DAY.
I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST THAT MRS. VELEZ BEGIN EACH CLASS PERIOD WITH A SHORT PRAYER. NO PRAYER REQUESTS, NO WORSHIP. (ANOTHER TEACHER KEEPS A RECORD OF PRAYER REQUESTS. BIBLE CLASS IS A TYPE OF WORSHIP AND THERE ARE CHAPEL TIMES FOR WORSHIP, ALSO.) I SUGGEST THIS BECAUSE IT IS SO EASY FOR MRS. VELEZ TO GET SIDE-TRACKED AND LOSE TRACK OF TIME THAT I THINK THIS IDEA WILL HELP HER. HAVE PRAYER, THEN COVER THE MATERIAL FOR THE CLASS THAT DAY – PERIOD. PARENTS WILL BE THRILLED TO SEE INFORMATION BEING CONSISTANTLY COVERED. THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE PAYING HER TO DO.
IS IT POSSIBLE THAT MRS. VELEZ NEEDS A BETTER PLATFORM TO USE HER MANY TALENTS? THIS REMINDS ME OF MY PERENNIEL GARDEN. ALL OF MY PLANTS ARE GREAT PLANTS. SOMETIMES I’LL NOTICE THAT ONE VARIETY IS NOT DOING WELL IN THE SPOT WHERE I PLANTED IT. THAT DOESN’T MEAN IT ISN’T A GOOD PLANT. ON THE CONTRARY, IT IS EXACTLY THE PLANT I WANTED. WHAT IT NEEDS IS A DIFFERENT SPOT IN MY GARDEN. MAYBE MORE SUN AND SANDIER SOIL, ETC. ONCE I MOVE THE PLANT TO THE NEW LOCATION, IF I GIVE IT THE SPOT IT NEEDS, IT WILL GROW AND FLOURISH. REMEMBER, IT IS THE SAME PLANT. ALL I DID WAS CHANGE ITS GROWING SPOT. IT MAY BE THAT TEACHING SCIENCE AND MATH GIVES A PAYCHECK BUT IT DOESN’T SEEM TO GIVE MRS. VELEZ THE OPPORTUNITY TO FLOURISH USING THE TALENTS SHE HAS ON THE SUBJECTS WHICH ARE HER PASSION. I COULD SEE HER BEING FULFILLED AS A CHAPLAIN OR PERSONAL ADVOCATE. (JUST THINK NO PAPERS TO GRADE, NO SPECIFIC TEXTBOOK TO COVER.)
IF A “SOIL TRANSFER” IS NOT A PRACTICAL OPTION, I HOPE THAT MRS. VELEZ CAN REALIZE THE VALUE GOD PUTS ON THE INFORMATION SHE IS ASSIGNED TO TEACH AND THAT GOD WILL GIVE HER A PASSION FOR IT. THIS CONVERSION, SO TO SPEAK, WILL HELP HER TO STAY ON THE TOPIC. IF MRS. VELEZ WILL MAKE IT HER MISSION TO FAITHFULLY LAY A SOLID FOUNDATION FOR HER STUDENTS IN SCIENCE AND MATH, SHE WILL BE PARTNERING WITH GOD IN PREPARING HER STUDENTS TO DO HIS WORK AROUND THE GLOBE AS TEACHERS, DOCTORS, NURSES AND MEDICAL MISSIONARIES.
MRS. VELEZ IS DEDICATED TO THE PRESENT AND ETERNAL WELL-BEING OF HER STUDENTS. IF I NEED AN ADVOCATE ON MY CHILD’S BEHALF, SHE WILL BE CONTACTED. I KNOW SHE WILL CARE AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. SHE “HAS A HEART” AND I LOVE HER FOR IT. SHE WANTS HER STUDENTS TO SUCCEED AND SHE WILL DO ANYTHING SHE CAN TO HELP THEM DO WELL IN
HER CLASSES. HER DEFICIT SEEMS TO BE IN REALIZING HOW MUCH MORE SHE COULD HELP THEM SUCCEED BY COVERING MORE INFORMATION. IT WOULD WET THEIR CURIOUSITY ON THE SUBJECT ASSIGNED EVEN DEEPER. PARENTS WANT MRS. VELEZ TO STAY ON THE SUBJECT AND KEEP TRACK OF TIME – USE ALL 50 MINUTES ALLOWED – ON THE SUBJECT.
I CERTAINLY DO NOT KNOW GOD’S WILL FOR MRS. VELEZ’ FUTURE BUT I DO KNOW THAT SHE IS A SINCERE SEEKER OF HIS WILL. HE KNOWS WHAT IS BEST FOR HER, BATTLE CREEK ACADEMY AND ITS STUDENTS. I HOPE SHE WILL TAKE THIS RESPONSE IN THAT LIGHT. I HAVE NO AGENDA TO WIN.
LASTLY, I WANT TO THANK MRS. VELEZ FOR HER PATIENCE WITH MY CHILDREN AND HOST DAUGHTER AND MOST OF ALL FOR CARING ABOUT THEIR ETERNAL LIFE.
APPENDIX C
FELLOW TEACHER-MICHELLE STARK
Powerpoint for lectures is an awesome thing. I'm a visual learner so it appeals to me!
That you sent a survey to parents shows a willingness to open yourself to criticism and is risky, but courageous. That alone should help parents realize you genuinely care about kids' education.
Time is money. Secondly, most of us don't have enough of either. Perhaps a monthly or bimonthly mailing or newsletter from the Science Department would help with communication. I generally send one per semester.
APPENDIX D
PRINCIPAL-ELVIS AGARD
1. Much of your weaknesses were mentioned, but what of your strengths? How are these strengths used to enhance communication, and build your confidence? How can your strengths be used in the future to improve communication?
2. Provided the possibility that parents still do not come to you and be as open as you have encouraged, what will be your prediction of how you will continue to operate?
3. It appears as though the culture of thinking and the way dissatisfaction is handled needs to be changed. This will not only take time, but the efforts of the leadership of the school (principal and board). It may be beneficial to continue to put the majority of your efforts into self-improvement, while continuing to keep the lines of communication open with parents. Your growth pleases God and this is where you will find your strength to continue in this ministry.
LEAD 637 Literature Review
Andrews UniversitySchool of Education
LITERATURE REVIEW FOR INCLUSION OF SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS IN SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST SCHOOLS
Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the CourseLEAD 637 Issues in Research
byBonnie Velez
November 2010
Introduction
Can you imagine that you and your spouse are eagerly expecting a child. You
pick out names, prepare the nursery, imagine what it will be like to play with them, watch
them grow and develop, graduate, go to college, get married, have a successful career and
contribute to society. But the very most important goal you set for your child is that they
will grow up knowing Jesus, and receive His eternal gift of salvation. You give this goal
the utmost priority, because it is the one that is eternal. Then your child is born and you
fall madly in love with them. In fact, you never knew that it was possible to love
someone so much. You glimpse the love that Christ has for us at this moment. It does
not matter that your child was born with disabilities. You love them just the same and
that one ultimate goal is the same as well. You want your child to know Christ and
receive His eternal gift of salvation. I understand this story, because it is my story.
Therefore, I have chosen to research the number of Seventh-day Adventist parents within
the Lake Union who have school-aged children who are disabled and would choose to
send them to Seventh-day Adventist schools if an appropriate program were in place to
meet their needs. My hope is to stimulate a growing awareness of the need for including
special needs children in Seventh-day Adventist schools.
As such, this literature review relates to extending Adventist education to children
with disabilities. As such, disabilities will be defined, U.S. Educational Law relating to
disabilities will be briefly reviewed, public education practices and inclusion practices
will be investigated and general trends in public education will be probed. Biblical and
doctrinal themes and historical issues in Seventh-day Adventist education will be
explored, including past and present Adventist educational philosophy, exceptional
student inclusion studies, individual instances of inclusion and exclusion, examples of
current schools with active inclusion programs, CIRCLE initiatives and NAD inclusion
commission formation and function. My research question will be referenced as well.
Criteria for Source Selection
The criteria used for source selection was that the literature must be from a
credible source and provide information regarding several parameters of the question
which were: 1) historical information regarding why Seventh-day Adventist schools
were founded (research framework), 2) current information regarding the function and
purpose of Seventh-day Adventist church school (research framework), 3) both former
and current policy regarding inclusion of disabled students in Seventh-day Adventist
schools (research framework), 4) public school inclusion policies (research framework),
5) definition of the term disabled (term definition), 6) general statistics for the number of
disabled children in the United States population, (related studies) 7) general statistics for
the number of disabled children in the Adventist school system, (related studies) 8)
general statistics for the number of parents who have disable children who want them
included in the Seventh-day Adventist school system, (related studies). The most recent
literature found was included in this review. The literature reviewed included reputable
educational journals, Seventh-day Adventist historical books, Governmental sources
including census data, public laws and Seventh-day Adventist statistics regarding special
needs populations and parent preferences. At least 3 of the references cited were
secondary sources, which helped provide additional references.
Definition of Disability
The research question for my master's thesis that will be examined in this study is
as follows: How many Seventh-day Adventist parents in the Lake Union will have
disabled children that they would like to have included in Seventh-day Adventist church
schools that are not currently attending during the 2011-2012 school year? Most of the
terms within this 2 variable project lend themselves to simple unambiguous definitions.
However, the term disabled presents a much more complex dilemma regarding its
definition. Therefore, a discussion of this term is included in this literature search. There
are, not only a growing number of children with disabilities, as will be presented in a
subsection of this paper; but also a growing number of disabilities that are currently being
defined. For example, Asperger's Syndrome was first proposed as a disability in 1994,
but through subsequent study is now an accepted disability which is fairly common
(Ehlers & Gillberg, 2006). This literature review will look at both legal and practical
descriptions of the word disability in order to create a useable definition. A legal
definition of a child with a disability according to Public law 94-142 (Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 300, July 1987) is "A child with mental retardation, hearing
impairment, speech or language impairment, visual impairment, serious emotional
disturbance, orthopedic impairment, autism, traumatic brain injury, other health
impairment or specific learning disability and, who because of their condition needs
special education and related services" (Office of the Federal Register, 1987). In order to
fully understand each of the above-mentioned terms, it would be necessary to fully define
each one of them. In point of fact, even experts do not agree on definitions for some of
the above-mentioned terms. For instance, Dr. James Tucker, former director of the
Bureau of Special Education for the Pennsylvania Department of Education states, “But
professionals do not agree on what ADHD is or is not, what causes it, or how it should be
treated” (Tucker, 1996). Additionally, there are now other special needs that teachers
commonly address in their classrooms. Therefore, it may be somewhat more practical for
the terms of this study to adopt a modified definition as set forth by Dr. James Tucker,
who says, ”Unfortunately, we tend to substitute labels for the needs of people” (Tucker,
1995). Dr. Tucker gives many examples of how labeling does not provide the framework
for meeting special needs. Students may, for example, be labeled emotionally disturbed
by one school and not another. This label is not only ambiguous, it "clearly does not
define how the special needs of the individual can be met" (Tucker, 1995). To give you a
working example of this idea, I have devised a hypothetical scenario. For example, a
claustrophobic individual with many phobias would require different help than someone
who had trouble concentrating because of emotional distress in the home. Likewise, the
Learning Disabled and Mentally Retarded labels are ambiguous with little agreement
between professionals on what they really mean. Tucker asserts that all such labels
define people in terms of behavior, without once evaluating the individuals’ need
(Tucker, 1995). Tucker states, “We no longer need a separate educational designation for
students with disabilities.” "The needs of such students define themselves.” (Tucker,
1995).
"Disabilities are always defined in terms of norms, or what is considered normal."
"And normal is almost always defined in terms of a value" (Tucker, 2007). Another
working example might be in order here. Let us suppose that we value the ability to
communicate. Communication is important to us. When we encounter someone who
cannot communicate, we see this as outside of the norm. However, "the whole concept
of normal is a human invention to establish convention-conventional wisdom
conventional behavior" (Tucker, 2007). Furthermore, Tucker cites several dynamic
examples of how diagnostic labeling has affected educational funding, perceptions of
state educational systems and the education that exceptional students receive. He states:
With the emergence of postmodern thought, we are experiencing a new way of life as it relates to education, learning, and mental health. this is particularly true as it relates to the meaning of words used to label so-called disabilities in educational settings. (Tucker,
2010)
Since the issue for education is not to diagnose eligibility in terms of categorical
labels, but to determine the degree to which a person can function effectively; this study
will define disabled as any student who cannot function and succeed in a classroom
setting without an extensive amount of intervention. This will include students with
physical, emotional and mental exceptionalities that significantly impact learning. While
this definition is also somewhat open-ended, it focuses on the needs of the student rather
than their dysfunction, and how it would impact teacher/helper time in a classroom
setting.
Number of Disabled Students in the U.S.
In the section titled Americans with Disabilities: Household Economic Studies, the
U.S. Census Bureau reported that an estimated 12.7% of children between the ages of 6
and 14 have some type of disability. (U.S. Census Bureau, 2001). Statements were made
regarding the number of people with disabilities in the United States as a growing
population, with the number of children and youth with disabilities increasing the most
(U.S. Census Bureau, 2001). Further, the Disability Statistics Center published a report
in 1998 titled Disability Watch-the Status of People with Disabilities in the United States,
which notes that the number of children with disabilities increased by 1.5 million people
between 1990-1994. (U.S. Census Bureau, 1998). Today, there are "over six million
school age children in special education programs" (Robicheau, Haar & Palladino, 2008).
U.S. Law and Disabilities
In 1975, Congress passed Public Law 94-142 (Education of All Handicapped
Children Act), now codified as IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). This
law stated that in order to receive federal funds, states must develop and implement
policies that assure a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to all children with
disabilities. As already noted, the term disabled was defined, and the law mandated that
each states' plans had to be consistent with the federal statute, Title 20 United States Code
Section 1400 et.seq. (20 USC 1400). Also, additional funding was appropriated to
facilitate implementation of the law. However, perhaps the portion of this law that had
the most far-reaching effect was the statement that disabled children were to be included
"in the least restrictive environment that is appropriate to the individual students needs"
(34 CFR 300, 1987). This meant that exceptional students were to be included in regular
classrooms whenever it was possible for them to benefit and learn in those environments,
and has caused special needs students to be main-streamed into regular classroom settings
far more frequently.
Public 107-110, the No Child Left Behind Act or NCLB was put into effect on
Jan. 8, 2002. This act was a sweeping reform of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965; and was meant to close the achievement gap between
disadvantaged and minority students. The act set goals for public schools with students
in each of 4 minority groups (race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, limited English
proficiency and students with disabilities). Basically, all students were to exhibit
substantial yearly progress. Extensive funding programs, to the tune of over 11.5 billion
dollars, (Eckes & Swando, 2009) were implemented as part of this legislation, and a strict
monitoring system was put in place to monitor progress. An extremely large empirical
research effort study was done to determine the effect of NCLB on special needs
students, that included 3 states and 4 sub-groups as research groups, and used the annual
yearly progress tests inherent in the legislation. Since the NCLB defines substantial
yearly progress as keeping up with other students within the 4 subgroups; it is not
surprising that the study discovered that it was the students with disabilities sub-group
which failed to make substantial yearly progress as compared to students without
disabilities in the first 3 sub-groups (Eckes & Swando, 2009). Therefore, the special
needs students, according to this study, did not significantly benefit from the NCLB act
(Eckes & Swando, 2009).
Results from a non-published qualitative study that interviewed public school
administrators, teachers, para-pros and resource room teachers and parents of exceptional
students who are enrolled in public school found that the NCLB act is extremely
controversial (Velez, 2010). According to that research effort, published test results
show that both math and reading abilities were increased dramatically. Therefore, many
U.S. citizens believe that it has improved their schools, but many others believe the
opposite. The controversy arises from the fact that there has been an enormous increase
in testing which is directly associated with NCLB. Also, in an effort to show progress,
many teachers 'teach to the test', and much instructional time where true learning takes
place is lost. The thought is that the surge in reading and math ability may be artificially
inflated due to this phenomenon. Additionally, the requirements for teacher training have
exploded to the point that it is now not always feasible for teachers of special education
students to complete all the certifications required. For example, special education
teachers in a high school setting must be certified in not only special education, but in
every other subject that the students they assist are taking! Since certifications often take
3 or more summers to complete, this is an outrageous mandate. Some of the
professionals interviewed were looking into other career opportunities, had retired early
or were already actively engaged in a secondary career (Velez, 2010). One parent made
the comment that the No Child Left Behind legislation was "leaving children behind"
(Velez, 2010). In short, it is my opinion that the NCLB might have been a well-meaning
piece of legislation, but that it has serious draw-backs.
President Obama is currently working on legislation to enhance education in the
United States. His new proposal, is a for reauthorization of the elementary and secondary
education act was issued in May of 2010. This proposal is focused on targeting:
1) Improving teacher and principal effectiveness; (2) Providing information to families to help them evaluate and improve their children's schools; (3) Implementing college- and career-ready standards; (4) funding and developing quality programs to aid English learners and students with disabilities students (4) Improving student learning and achievement in America's lowest-performing schools by providing intensive support and effective interventions. (U.S. Dept. of Education, 2010)
When one looks at the historical trend for public education, it is apparent that
there is
an increasing focus on including special needs students in regular classrooms as much as
possible and providing a quality education for them. While the public education system
may not be perfect in providing that education, there is no doubt that a concerted effort is
being made to educate exceptional students well in an inclusive setting.
The Philosophy of Adventist Education
Seventh-day Adventists believe that:
The Holy Scriptures are the infallible revelation of His will. They are the standard of character, the test of experience, the authoritative revealer of doctrines, and the trustworthy record of God's acts in history" (General Conference, 2005).
In other words, the Bible is truth given by God and we should live by it. God does not
hold one person as higher than another. "God is not one to show partiality" (Acts 10:34,
NASB). God loves us all, each and every one. In fact, God loves us so much that He
sent His Son Jesus to die for us, so that we could live forever. "For God so loved the
world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish,
but have eternal life" (John 3:16, NASB). God does not exclude anyone from His
Kingdom or His love. "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to
become children of God, even to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12, NASB). In
fact, the Bible teaches us "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with
all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as
yourself" (Luke 10:27). If we are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, and if we
love God and realize that Christ died for each one of us, we should make every effort to
help everyone, regardless of race, creed, color or disability to come to Christ and believe
in Him so that they have the best chance possible of going to Heaven.
Part of the philosophy which Seventh-day Adventist schools were built on and
the philosophy that they operate under today as well is to assist students in following
Christ. One of the founders of the first Seventh-day Adventist schools was Ellen White.
She counseled teachers that "by precept and example" we are to "instill the principles of
truth and honesty into the minds and hearts of the young that they will become men and
women who are as true as steel to God and His cause" (White, 1943, p. 165).
Seventh-day Adventist school systems were founded upon Christian principles as
training grounds for spreading the gospel of Christ. “The true higher education is that
imparted by Him with whom is ‘wisdom and strength’, out of whose mouth ‘cometh
knowledge and understanding” (White, 1903, p.14). Again, Mrs. White reiterates the
point in the same reference:
In the Teacher sent from God all true educational work finds its center. In the presence of such a Teacher, with such opportunity for divine education, what worse than folly is it to seek an education apart from Him— to seek to be wise apart from Wisdom; to be true while rejecting Truth; to seek illumination apart from Light, and existence without the Life; to turn from the Fountain of living waters, and hew out broken cisterns, that can hold no water!” (White, 1903, p. 83).
Thus, the Seventh-day Adventist school system was founded to educate and train
students with and through Christ.
However, today the Seventh-day Adventist church school often excludes the very
students who need Christ the most—those with disabilities. Traditionally, parents who
want to enroll their children with disabilities in Seventh-day Adventist schools are told,
“We have nothing for your child. The public schools are set up to provide special
education” (Tucker, 2001, p.175). Their minds have the same need of nourishment to
discover and fulfill their God-given purpose. In this same qualitative historical analysis,
James Tucker applauds the incredible quality of the philosophy upon which the Seventh-
day Adventist educational system was originally based, but recognizes that this system is
not being run entirely according to that original philosophy. Tucker poses this question,
“Is it possible that what we are presently promulgating as Seventh-day Adventist
Education lacks the essence of its soul to a point where it is simply accepted as an
alternative, and a good one, but not a distinctive one” (Tucker, 2001, p. 176). Tucker
goes on in this article to allege that the Seventh-day Adventist educational system would
be more widely recognized if it were run utilizing the entire original philosophy that it
was founded upon. In another article, James Tucker performed a literature review of 13
sources from various educational journals where he answers the question as to why this
phenomenon occurs with another question. He states, “Lack of sufficient funding is often
given as the reason” (Tucker, 1995). “But how can any administrator or teacher in a
Christian school rationalize that there are not funds to provide an appropriate education
for a certain group of students” (Tucker, 1995). “The Christian schools of America are
failing to live up to a basic tenet of their faith: Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the
least of these, ye did it not to me” (Sutton, Sutton & Everett, 1993). Tucker reiterates:
It is time for Christian schools to find ways to educate all of God’s children, not just those who show sufficient promise according to some standardized criteria and makes the assertion that public schools are finding the cost of education the same for disabled children as it is for children in the regular classroom when students are not isolated from the general populace.” (Tucker, 1995).
Inclusion in Adventist Schools
Several individualized accounts of Seventh-day Adventist parents who enrolled
their disabled children in Seventh-day Adventist schools or wished to, as well as
generalized statements regarding parent wishes were found. These were all articles found
in educational journals that discussed isolated cases of including disabled children in
Seventh-day Adventist schools.
An article from the Journal of Adventist Education by Judy Anderson describes a
success story for Joey. Joey, at age 7, was quoted as saying, “School is a blowtorch and I
am an
ice cube” (Anderson, 1996). He had just completed 2nd grade when he made that
statement. According to Anderson, Joey had been diagnosed as having severe attention
deficit disorder, exhibited poor social skills, was in conflict with his teacher, and did not
live up to his academic potential in school. However, he was accepted and included in a
multi-age classroom that included grades 1-8 in a Seventh-day Adventist school. Judy
Anderson, his teacher, accommodated Joey’s exceptionalities and he prospered through
7th grade. At that point, his family moved, but Joey kept touch with his teacher. When he
graduated in 1996 he mailed Ms. Anderson a letter which included his high school
graduation picture and the statements, “I made it Mrs. A.” “Thanks for everything”
(Anderson, 1996).
A second article in the Journal of Adventist Education by Christian Dupont relates
a story that looks at the other side of the coin. Angela Banks who was originally enrolled
in SDA church school and was mildly retarded (Dupont, 1989). Angela liked the
spiritual atmosphere and social environment, but had to leave because her school could
not meet her needs. Today Angela is an adult who “still speaks wistfully of how much
she missed having a Christian education” (Dupont, 1989).
Judith P. Nembhard, Assistant Professor of English at Howard University in
Washington, D.C. wrote an article for the Journal of Adventist Education regarding her
son, who was mildly retarded and labeled as learning disabled. Mrs. Nembhard relates
that she and her husband realized that their son would never be an achiever, “Yet they
hoped that he would be able to receive an Adventist education during his early years”
(Nembhard, 1987). Nembhard says that the principal at the church school told them that
his school did not deal with such cases. He stated, “We recommend that they go to
public school.” He said, “They do a better job.” Mrs. Nembhard believes, “that principal
and others like him have allowed the visible physical limitation of learning-disabled
children to obscure the fact that these youngsters, like all others, have spiritual needs,
needs that the Adventist church school was designed to meet” (Nembhard, 1987).
Fortunately, there is evidence that the Seventh-day Adventist school system may
be slowly turning a corner in their thinking. The North American Division recently
published the following statement in an online manual titled REACH, which seeks to
help SDA church school teachers assist mildly disabled children already in their
classrooms. They state, “The number of students with learning and/or behavioral
challenges is increasing.” “ In classrooms across North America, regular classroom
teachers serve students with special needs with minimal support.” (NAD REACH
Manuel, 2008). This manual goes on to say, “In 2007 the North American Division
assembled the Inclusion Commission to develop a comprehensive plan to address the
needs of students with disabilities in regular Adventist classrooms” (NAD REACH
Manuel, 2008). While these efforts are commendable, and a step in the right direction,
the fact remains that most moderately and severely disabled children are denied a
Seventh-day Adventist education. These statements are relative to the research because
the research purpose is to provide quantitative information to appropriate NAD officials
to support inclusion of special needs students in Seventh-day Adventist schools.
Trends Versus Philosophy
As mentioned previously, the trend in public education from 1975 until 2010 has
been to
include special needs students in regular classrooms, while investigating ways to improve
the education they receive and providing major funding for the programs that public law
mandates. In other words, public educators have a vested interest that encompasses
passing laws, developing new programs and strategies and funding the inclusion of
exceptional students in regular classrooms. Although the Adventist educational system
seems to be developing some interest in the matter of inclusion, most exceptional
students are still being excluded from Seventh-day Adventist schools. Do we not have
even more reason to be interested in how all Adventist children are educated than the
public sector? "Each of the church's children (as well as the church itself) is caught in the
midst of a great struggle between good and evil" (Knight, 2010, p. 5). Because the
Adventist church realizes this, it has gone to great expense and effort in establishing their
own schools (Knight, 2010, p. 6). Since "people's beliefs about the philosophic issues of
reality, truth, and value will determine everything they do" (Knight, 2010, p. 6) it is time
that we woke up and realized that exceptional students are children of God just as much
as we are. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they
are endowed by their Creator with certain uninalienable rights (U.S. Constitution, 1776).
As Seventh-day Adventist Christians, they have the right to a Seventh-day Adventist
Christian education, since we are all created equal.
In light of the philosophy of Seventh-day Adventist education and the need for
schools to increase enrollment and thereby funding; I think that it makes perfect sense to
include exceptional students in Seventh-day Adventist schools. "The Seventh-day
Adventist elementary and secondary schools in the USA show a continuous enrollment
decline" (LaBorde, 2007). However, the number of exceptional students across the
United States is increasing rapidly. In the section titled Americans with Disabilities:
Household Economic Studies, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that an estimated 19.7%
of the general population (or 52.6 million people) have some type of disability (U.S.
Census Bureau, 2001). The same study found that 12.7% of children between the ages of
6 and 14 have a disability as well (U.S. Census Bureau, 2001). Statements were made
regarding the number of people with disabilities in the United States as a growing
population, with the number of children and youth with disabilities increasing the most
(U.S. Census Bureau, 2001). This being the case, there may be a largely untapped market
out there for Seventh-day Adventist schools to draw from, if their doors are open.
One plausible scenario for inclusion is the method that we used when my son
Josue' who has Down Syndrome successfully attended Seventh-day Adventist schools for
13 years. This was a no-cost scenario for the school, as we paid for his tuition and a tutor
to be with him in all of his classes and to teach him life skills during appropriate periods.
Although not everyone can afford to pay a tutor, a volunteer option might be another
suggestion.
My Research
My study is designed to provide quantitative information to NAD officials
regarding the number of disabled students currently in the school-age population who
have parents that would like them to attend Seventh-day Adventist schools. The 2
variable research question asked in this effort will be as follows: that is not as much a
scholarly research tasks as just a census mining task. How many Seventh-day Adventist
parents in the Lake Union will have disabled children that they would like to have
included in Seventh-day Adventist church schools that are not currently attending during
a given school year?
I am considering using mixed-methods approach and adding a qualitative
component which interviews those parents who would want to include their exceptional
children in Seventh-day Adventist schools why they want them there, but this idea is still
under construction. Therefore, I will focus on what I know will be a part of my research.
The first variable is how many Seventh-day Adventist parents in the Lake Union
have disabled children who are school age and not attending Seventh-day Adventist
schools. The second variable is how many of those parents would like their disabled
children to attend a Seventh-day Adventist school during a given school year.
It is the intent of this study to obtain a representative sample from the Lake
Union, and explore the research question using this population. There is no true
hypothesis in this study.
However, it is likely that the number of parents with disabled school-aged children will
somewhat approximate the national statistics.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study is to ascertain how many Seventh-day Adventist parents
within the Lake Union have disabled children that they would like to include in Seventh-
day Adventist schools. The instrument used will be a survey that will be sent to both
schools and churches within the Lake Union.
Importance and Significance
This study is important because currently there is little if any information
regarding the number of Seventh-day Adventist parents who have disabled children who
they wish to include in Seventh-day Adventist schools. It is also important because the
number of disabled children is rising, as noted earlier in this chapter. But the most
compelling reason for this study is that it will substantiate the number of Seventh-day
Adventist children who are usually denied a Seventh-day Adventist Christian education.
Fortunately, there are now workable protocols for including disabled children in Seventh-
day Adventist schools that impact neither teacher time nor school finances. It is hoped
that these protocols along with the quantitative data obtained from this study may
stimulate programming through the North American Division that will allow many more
disabled students to be included in Seventh-day Adventist schools.
Studies Regarding Inclusion in Adventist Schools
An experimental primary research project done by Christian Dupont involved
sending out 300 quantitative surveys to conference administrators, pastors, teachers and
lay members in the Lake Union (Dupont, 1989). One hundred forty people responded.
Dupont, a direct care worker for the mentally impaired shared the desire to include
disabled students in Seventh-day Adventist
classrooms. He states:
Since mentally retarded and other handicapped children will always be there, our schools should provide education curricula for exceptional children. When looked at from that angle, it becomes a matter of principle—a matter of committing ourselves to meet the goals of our educational philosophy and the needs of our young people. (Dupont, 1989)
Five questions regarding the attitudes toward the possibility of Adventist special
education were asked in the Dupont survey, which revolved around whether 1) our
church has enough time to devote to special education, 2) Adventist special education
would fulfill a unique purpose in our mission, 3) Adventist special education would help
spread the gospel message, 4) Adventist special education could be both distinct and
reputable and 5) our church could financially support special education programs, and he
used the Likert scale (strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree and
strongly disagree) for responses (Dupont, 1989). The most dramatic results from this
study showed that while more than 85 % of the population strongly agreed that special
education in Adventist schools would help spread the gospel, only 48% agreed that it
would be affordable (Dupont, 1989). Although this study is similar to the study that I am
proposing, it differs in that Dupont was looking at attitudes toward the Seventh-day
Adventist denomination adopting a special education program and extrapolating data
statistically from U.S. Census Bureau data, while I am look at providing data that would
help support inclusion of disabled children in Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) schools
based on the growing number of disabled children in our population, and providing input
on the number of parents with disabled children who want them included in SDA
schools. These studies further differ in that my study will involve 2 variables and 2
questions with yes and no answers, while DuPont's involved 5 variables and 5 questions
which were ranked. These studies are similar in that they are both surveys in which the
selection of population uses available participants within the Lake Union. Additionally,
Dupont, based on national averages, estimated that probably 180 mentally retarded
children between the ages of 3 and 21 (i.e. about 1% of the population for this group)
were in the 65,000 member Lake Union Conference. He further asserts that about 64%
of these mentally retarded children would require special education. This portion of his
study is a secondary synthesis of U. S. Census data and statistical analysis was used to
apply the data to Seventh-day Adventist populations (Dupont, 1989).
In comparison, Dupont sent out only 300 surveys within the Lake Union with a
roughly 50% response. Since there are currently over 79,000 members in the Lake
Union, 300 doesn’t seem like a representative sample. This study will send out several
thousand surveys (dependent on pastoral and school administrator response), which
should enhance result reliability (Pyrczak, 2008).
The Dupont study methodology differs in the survey format and question type.
Dupont asked questions regarding the viability of starting an inclusion program for
disabled students in the Lake Union using the Likert scale for reference. This study will
collect information directly from parents of school-aged children as to whether they have
disabled children and if they would like to include their disabled children them (if they
are not already) in Seventh-day Adventist schools for a specific school year using yes/no
responses. Both question types are opinion, but those of this research proposal deal with
a parent’s opinion regarding the welfare of their child, rather than a more peripheral
program opinion. Therefore, I think that the data obtained from this research study
should be somewhat more reliable, as parent opinion regarding their own children should
be more determined.
Disabled Students Currently in SDA Schools
The number of disabled students currently attending Seventh-day Adventist
schools is included here as it relates to the first variable of the research question. That
variable is: How many Seventh-day Adventist parents have disabled children? One
analysis of a functioning special education program instituted by La Sierra Elementary
School was referenced in this section. This was an Ex Post Facto qualitative study.
Janet Gillespie Mallery referenced the 1981 North American Division Task Force
findings which stated that, “within the Seventh-day Adventist school system, about 10
percent of the total school population is classified as exceptional, and could benefit from
specialized instruction” (Mallery, 1989, p. ). She further began to explain that a program
to respond to that need was initiated at Riverside, California at the La Sierra SDA
Elementary School in the fall of 1985. She relates that, due to this program 5 new
students were able to attend an SDA school during the 1987-88 who would otherwise
have been referred to public school. Additionally, 10 third graders were able to receive
individualized help in reading, 8 of who had never attended a Seventh-day Adventist
school previously. This ex post facto look at providing specialized instruction resulted in
a population increase within the school of both disabled and regular students. This study
might indicate the need to explore a third variable in future studies. That variable is:
How does including special needs children in Seventh-day Adventist schools affect
enrollment.
This study does not provide an exact number of parents who are successful in
having their students enrolled Seventh-day Adventist schools, but rather indicate that this
number is somewhere in the vicinity of 10% of the current student population. It also
indicate that both the disabled and “normal” student population might increase if
specialized instruction were offered.
Other Studies Quantifying U.S. Disabled Student Populations
Two primary research studies that were experimental and were done by the
United States Bureau of Census will be referenced in this section. Both involved sending
out surveys to the United States population at large in their ten-year census effort, and
both rely on the accuracy of the general population in filling out the survey. Their
methodology is obviously well tested.
A secondary research article found in the Journal of Adventist Education
references a study done in 1985 titled American Freshman: National Norms for 1985.
Research noted in this article polled college students to determine how many were
disabled. This article states, “the number of learning-disabled college students has
increased 300 percent in less than a decade.” The article goes on to say that many former
academy students have entered college with undiagnosed disabilities (Bogart, Eidelman,
and Kujawa, 1987). You will need newer census data than this. This is way too old.
In the section titled Americans with Disabilities: Household Economic Studies,
the U.S. Census Bureau reported that an estimated 19.7% of the general population (or
52.6 million people) have some type of disability (U.S. Census Bureau, 2001). The same
study found that 12.7% of children between the ages of 6 and 14 have a disability as well
(U.S. Census Bureau, 2001). Statements were made regarding the number of people with
disabilities in the United States as a growing population, with the number of children and
youth with disabilities increasing the most (U.S. Census Bureau, 2001). Further, the
Disability Statistics Center published a report in 1998 titled Disability Watch-the Status
of People with Disabilities in the United States, which notes that the number of children
with disabilities increased by 1.5 million people between 1990-1994 (U.S. Census
Bureau, 1998). The same time period showed that the number of young adults with
disabilities increased by 1.9 million people (U.S. Census Bureau, 1998). The disabled
persons in both of these studies were categorized as having disabilities that involved
ambulatory, hearing, seeing, learning, emotional, psychological, developmental and other
issues. It is probable that many or all of these disabilities would have needs that required
an extensive amount of intervention in a classroom setting.
Inclusion Challenges
In a study of The central research question was whether attitudes toward persons
with disabilities were dependent on the social context of prior experiences with persons
with disabilities. Two other more peripheral questions were asked by these researchers as
well. They were; whether the major of a student was related to general attitudes toward
people with disabilities, and whether people in particular majors were more likely to have
contact with persons with disabilities (Schoen, B., Shannon, C.D., & Tansey, T.N., 2009).
The literature review pointed to several interesting findings. For instance,
researchers suggested that social proximity to a disability is a major factor that affects
attitude toward the disabled, (Meyer, Gouvier, Duke, & Advokat, 2001). Other
researchers proposed that promoting positive views of persons with disabilities is through
social contact, (Hunt & Hunt, 2000). Interestingly, the same study determined that there
was no significant correlation between positive attitudes toward people with disabilities
and having a family member with a disability, (Hunt & Hunt, 2000).
The methodology for this research effort was to invite 480 undergraduate
students enrolled in elective courses at a large Midwestern university, (more specifically
from 24 sections of 2 undergraduate courses), to take a survey titled Attitudes Toward
Disabled Person Scale (or ATDP Form B), that focused on attitudes toward persons with
disabilities, (Antonak & Livneh, 1988). The reliability of the instrument was reported to
range from .71-.83 according to Antonak & Livneh, 1988. Three of the instructors of
these courses had disabilities, while the other 11 instructors did not. Of the 480 students
invited to take the survey, 218 participated, but only 208 surveys were usable. Once the
survey was completed, it was analyzed by combining 3 specific social networks. Those
networks were: 1) relatives (parent or siblings), 2) peers (friends or coworkers) and 3)
professors. Finally, results were statistically calculated. This instrument should be
reviewed in section 3.
Results revealed that there was not a significant correlation between respondents
who had relatives with disabilities and positive attitudes toward others with disabilities.
However, students who had a professor with a visible disability had more positive
attitudes toward others with disabilities, as evidenced by a higher score on the evaluation
instrument (ATDP Form B). Students that were in human service majors appeared to
have more positive attitudes toward persons with disabilities than students who were in
programs not devoted to human service occupations.
The discussion of the results of this study noted that there were differences in the
attitudes among groups of undergraduate students majoring in various disciplines that
paralleled former studies. They ascertained that more positive attitudes toward disabled
people correlated with their choice of major for undergraduate students. Their strongest
statement, however, was that "it is the exposure to persons with disabilities who are in
positions of power as educators that appears to shape attitudes in more positive
directions", (Schoen, Shannon & Tansey, 2009). The rest of the discussion made several
analytical errors which will be discussed in the next section of this report.
For the most part, this article held its own when rated by Pyrczak's (2008) guide to
evaluating journal articles. The title was, however, not specific enough, as it did not
relate the specifics of the study. The literature review was fairly well done, and brought
out term definitions that agreed with a current leadership text, (Hughes, Ginnett, &
Curphy, 2009). The problem was established and background studies were included.
The findings presented related well to the research design of this study.
The design of this project was somewhat flawed, in that it looked at three factors
that might influence attitudes toward disabled people rather than narrowing the research
to one.
The tables presented were not terribly easily readable, although the researchers used a
documented and tested instrument for their research; and the results were, therefore,
fairly reliable.
The research discussion left much to be desired. It appears that the researchers
were suffering from a touch of the 'halo effect' (Rosenzweig, 2007),which basically says
that researchers are prone to let a general perception shape specific judgments. I found it
interesting that Schonen, Shannon and Tansey, (2009) attributed more positive attitudes
of undergraduate students toward disabled people to the expert, coercive and referent
power of their disabled professors without correlating the data specifically to those
attributes. They further make the following statement: "However, contact with people
with disabilities who are viewed as having expert power and within the social context of
an academic setting may provide the momentum for a positive shift in perceptions
regarding disability.", (Schonen, Shannon and Tansey, 2009). First of all, their limited
study cannot be totally conclusive. Much further research would have to be done. There
may be the appearance of correlation between disabled professors and expert power being
exerted over attitudes, but this is not necessarily the case. For instance, there is not a
clear discussion of how the participants were asked to fill out the survey. If they
suspected that their professor was in any way connected to the survey, they might have
been more inclined to project a more positive attitude toward disabilities because of
coercive or reward power. Also, it is a leap in logic to think that having contact with
disabled teachers (at any level) will significantly ‘fix’ the problem of disabled people
being excluded by others; whether or not they are experts in their field.
Additionally, there may be factors other than social power, contact and context
that affected this extremely limited sample of 204 individuals to be more positive toward
disabled people. While there appears to be a positive correlation, much carefully
managed further study would be required to ascertain whether or not this is the case.
The main contribution of this work is the finding that people appear to have a
more positive attitude toward disabled people when they have a college professor who
has a visually discernable disability. It will be useful in the literature review of my
research because the research findings (to some extent) and literature review will
establish a foundation regarding current attitudes and mitigating measures for negative
attitudes toward disabled people.
Conclusion
The literature review found several studies which used survey methodology to
indicate the number of disabled students in given populations. The study which most
closely resembled the current proposal was done by Christian Dupont in 1989, and
offered several strategies for designing this research project. Although Dupont used the
Likert scale rather than simple yes/no responses, his population sample was also the Lake
Union. Additionally, the number of surveys Dupont sent out was 300 with about a 50%
return. The number of surveys sent out in this proposal will be far greater, which should
better substantiate the results.
This literature review provided many references regarding the problem of
excluding most moderately and severely disabled children from attending Seventh-day
Adventist church schools, which goes against the very principles on which this
educational system was founded. Further, it revealed that the typical reason given is lack
of funding for developing a special education program within the SDA system.
The literature review suggested that somewhere in the range of 10%-13% of all
students are disabled in some form and that this number is rapidly increasing, and that
this is approximately 1% of the students in the Lake Union. It further noted that North
American Division officials are aware of and concerned about this increase.
No quantitative data was found regarding the number of Seventh-day Adventist
parents who would like to include their children in Seventh-day Adventist church
schools. However, several individual accounts related specific instances of this
phenomenon. Certainly, the overall availability of literature regarding both the number
of Seventh-day Adventist parents who have disabled children and those who would like
to include them in Seventh-day Adventist church
school coupled with a growing interest in serving disabled students from North American
officials suggests that more research is needed. A quantitative study regarding these
topics would be helpful in providing useful data that could potentially be applied to
program development within the Seventh-day Adventist school system.
References
Anderson, J., (1996). Inclusion Challenge: Joey in the Multi-Age Room Journal of Adventist Education, (December1995/January 1996 issue), 43.
Bogart, Susan K., Eidelman, Lori J., and Kujawa, Carolyn L., (1987). Coming of Age—Learning Disabilities at the Postsecondary Level Journal of Adventist Education (April 1987/May 1987 issue). 13-15.
Dupont, C., (1989). Is Adventist Education for Everyone? Journal of Adventist Education, (December), 10-37.
Eckes, S. & Swnado, J. (2009). Special Education Sub-groups Under NCLB: Issues to Consider. Teacher’s College Record, 111(11), 2479-2504.
Ehlers, Stephan & Gillberg, Christopher. (2006) Asperger syndrome-an overview. Chromatec, Stockholm, Sweeden. 48 pages.
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, (1987). Definition of a Learning Disability,
Journal of Adventist Education, (April-May), 7.
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, (2010). Twenty-eight Fundamental Beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, http://www.adventist.org/beliefs/fundamental/
Holy Bible. The New Open Bible, New American Standard, Study Edition.
Jefferson, Thomas. (1776) United States Declaration of Independence.
Knight, George R., (2010) Redemptive Education Part I, Journal of Adventist Education. Oct./Nov. 4-60.
LaBorde, I. C., (2007). Reasons Seventh-day Adventist parents gave for not sending their children to Seventh-day Adventist elementary and secondary schools. Journal of Adventist Education,
Mallery, J.G., (1989). Making Special Education a Reality Journal of Adventist Education, (December 1989/January 1990 issue), 14-16.
McMillan, James, and Schumacher, Sally, (2006). Research in education evidence-based Inquiry, 6th Edition, Boston, MA, Pearson Education, Inc.
Nembhard, J.P., (1987). Opening the Church School Doors to the Learning Disabled Journal of Adventist Education, (April/May issue), 4-6.
New American Standard Version, New Open Study Bible, Nashville, Thomas Nelson Publishers.
North American Division Office of Education, REACH: Reaching to Education all Children for Heaven Resource Manual (NAD compiler) (2008). Silver Spring
MD: North American Division Office of Education.
Office of the Federal Register, (U.S. compiler) (July 1987). Code of Federal Regulations Public law 94-142 Part 300; Washington D.C.: Office of the Federal Register.
Office of the Federal Register, (U.S. compiler) (2001). Code of Federal Regulations Public law 107-110 Part 300.306; Washington D.C.: Office of the Federal Register.
Pyrczak, (2008). Evaluating research in academic journals: A practical guide to realistic evaluation. Los Angeles, CA, Pyrczak Publishing.
Robicheau, Haar & Palladino, (2008). Preparation and leadership in special education, National Council of Professors of Educational Administration,
http://cnx.org/content/m18123/latest/
Schoen, B., Shannon, C.D., & Tansey, T.N. (2009) The Effect of Contact, Context, and Social Power on Undergraduate Attitudes Toward Persons with Disabilities.
Journal of Rehabilitation, 75(4), 11-18.
Smith, V., Holder, S., & Marrett, M., (2008). Atlantic Union Curriculum Committee Report, Silver Spring, MD: North American Division Office of Education.
Sutton, J.P., Sutton, C.J. & Everett, G. F., (1993, Spring). Special Education in Christian/Fundamentalist Schools: A Commitment to All Children?. Journal of
Research on Christian Education, 2:1, 65-79.
Tucker, J. A., (1995). Toward a Christian Understanding of Students with Disabilities. Journal of Adventist Education, 2:2, 10-13.
Tucker, J. A., (1996). ADHD: A Neglected Issue in Church Schools. Journal of Adventist Education, 2:1, 36-39.
Tucker, J. A., (2001). Pedagogical Application of the Seventh-day Adventist Philosophy of Education. Journal of Adventist Education, (volume 10, special edition), 309-325.
Tucker, J. A., (2007). Norm reference as it applies to abilities and disabilities: Reflections of a former state-government official. Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry, 9 (3), 193- 200.
Tucker, J. A., (2010). The power diagnostic labels to induce inappropriate thought and deed. Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry. 12 (2), 83-85.
U.S. Census Bureau, Disability Watch-the Status of People with Disabilities in the United States, February 1998 (Washington D.C.: Census Bureau).
U.S. Census Bureau. Survey of Income and Program Participation, Americans with Disabilities: Household Economic Studies. February 2001 (Washington D.C.: Census Bureau).
U.S. Dept. of Education Official Web Site. Obama's proposal for education reform, A blueprint for reform. The reauthorization of the elementary and Secondary Education Act. http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/blueprint/index.html
Velez, Bonnie J., (2010) Non-published article. Special Education in the Public School.
White, Ellen G. (1943). Counsels to parents, teachers, and students. Pacific Press Publishing Association, Mountain View, California.
White, E.J., (1903). Education. Washington D.C. :Review and Hearld Publishing Association.
Article Review on Perceptions of Disabled People
Andrews University
School of Education
THE EFFECT OF CONTACT, CONTEXT, AND SOCIAL POWER ON
UNDERGRADUATE ATTITUDES TOWARD PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
An Article Critique
In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements for the Course
LEAD 637 Issues in Research
by
Bonnie Velez
October 2010
Article Citation and Reviewer
The article that is being summarized is fully referenced as follows:
Schoen, B., Shannon, C.D., & Tansey, T.N. (2009) The Effect of Contact, Context, and Social Power on Undergraduate Attitudes Toward Persons with Disabilities. Journal of Rehabilitation, 75(4), 11-18.
This article is being reviewed by Bonnie Velez, Science Department Chairperson for
Battle Creek Academy.
Introduction
This article was found on-line by typing in www.andrews.edu, then typing in library in
the search box which brought the screen to the James White Library. Articles/Databases was
clicked, then Academic Search Complete at the next page. It was necessary at this point to log in
using the Andrews University username and password which brought the screen to EBSCO
HOST. Finally, disabilities was typed in the first search box, attitude in the second box and boxes
for peer-reviewed and full text were checked. Then search was clicked.
My area of immediate research will be to determine how many Seventh-day Adventist
parents within the Michigan Conference have school-aged children who are disabled and would
put them in Seventh-day Adventist schools if there were an appropriate program in place. My
goal is that through defining the market through this research effort and explaining a no-cost
prototype, interest will be sparked within the Adventist educational system to implement a
program for including exceptional students in Seventh-day Adventist schools. This article
regarding attitudes toward disabilities and mitigating measures will become part of my literature
review, as it establishes both current attitudes toward disabilities and possibilities for changing
those attitudes toward more positive ones. Additionally, the literature search will be useful.
This critique summarizes the article, research questions, literature review, methods and
findings of the study. Strengths and weaknesses of the study are noted and the manner in which
I will use it in my research is outlined.
Article Summary
The authors’ purpose for researching this topic was that negative perceptions and
attitudes toward disabled people persist and limit their social interaction. The general nature of
the article is that it provides a thorough literature review and then looks at three questions. The
central research question was whether attitudes toward persons with disabilities were
dependent on the social context of prior experiences with persons with disabilities. Two other
more peripheral questions were asked by these researchers as well. They were; whether the
major of a student was related to general attitudes toward people with disabilities, and whether
people in particular majors were more likely to have contact with persons with disabilities.
Literature Review
The literature review portion of this article was fairly extensive, well done and
appropriate for this study. The literature sited defined key terms, established the problem,
discussed power types, documented the number of disabled persons within the United States,
related that attitudes toward disabled persons were largely negative, and looked at various
theories for creating more positive attitudes toward disabled persons.
The literature review pointed to several interesting findings. For instance, researchers
suggested that social proximity to a disability is a major factor that affects attitude toward the
disabled, (Meyer, Gouvier, Duke, & Advokat, 2001). Other researchers proposed that promoting
positive views of persons with disabilities is through social contact, (Hunt & Hunt, 2000).
Interestingly, the same study determined that there was no significant correlation between
positive attitudes toward people with disabilities and having a family member with a disability,
(Hunt & Hunt, 2000).
Methodology
The methodology for this research effort was to invite 480 undergraduate students
enrolled in elective courses at a large Midwestern university, (more specifically from 24 sections
of 2 undergraduate courses), to take a survey titled Attitudes Toward Disabled Person Scale (or
ATDP Form B), that focused on attitudes toward persons with disabilities, (Antonak & Livneh,
1988). The reliability of the instrument was reported to range from .71-.83 according to
Antonak & Livneh, 1988. Three of the instructors of these courses had disabilities, while the
other 11 instructors did not. Of the 480 students invited to take the survey, 218 participated,
but only 208 surveys were usable. Once the survey was completed, it was analyzed by
combining 3 specific social networks. Those networks were: 1) relatives (parent or siblings), 2)
peers (friends or coworkers) and 3) professors. Finally, results were statistically calculated.
Results
Results revealed that there was not a significant correlation between respondents who
had relatives with disabilities and positive attitudes toward others with disabilities. However,
students who had a professor with a visible disability had more positive attitudes toward others
with disabilities, as evidenced by a higher score on the evaluation instrument (ATDP Form B).
Students that were in human service majors appeared to have more positive attitudes toward
persons with disabilities than students who were in programs not devoted to human service
occupations.
Discussion
The discussion of the results of this study noted that there were differences in the
attitudes among groups of undergraduate students majoring in various disciplines that
paralleled former studies. They ascertained that more positive attitudes toward disabled people
correlated with their choice of major for undergraduate students. Their strongest statement,
however, was that "it is the exposure to persons with disabilities who are in positions of power
as educators that appears to shape attitudes in more positive directions", (Schoen, Shannon &
Tansey, 2009). The rest of the discussion made several analytical errors which will be discussed
in the next section of this report.
Strengths and Weaknesses
For the most part, this article held its own when rated by Pyrczak's (2008) guide to
evaluating journal articles. The title was, however, not specific enough, as it did not relate the
specifics of the study. The literature review was fairly well done, and brought out term
definitions that agreed with a current leadership text, (Hughes, Ginnett, & Curphy, 2009). The
problem was established and background studies were included. The findings presented related
well to the research design of this study.
The design of this project was somewhat flawed, in that it looked at three factors that
might influence attitudes toward disabled people rather than narrowing the research to one.
The tables presented were not terribly easily readable, although the researchers used a
documented and tested instrument for their research; and the results were, therefore, fairly
reliable.
The research discussion left much to be desired. It appears that the researchers were
suffering from a touch of the 'halo effect' (Rosenzweig, 2007),which basically says that
researchers are prone to let a general perception shape specific judgments. I found it
interesting that Schonen, Shannon and Tansey, (2009) attributed more positive attitudes of
undergraduate students toward disabled people to the expert, coercive and referent power of
their disabled professors without correlating the data specifically to those attributes. They
further make the following statement: "However, contact with people with disabilities who are
viewed as having expert power and within the social context of an academic setting may provide
the momentum for a positive shift in perceptions regarding disability.", (Schonen, Shannon and
Tansey, 2009). First of all, their limited study cannot be totally conclusive. Much further
research would have to be done. There may be the appearance of correlation between disabled
professors and expert power being exerted over attitudes, but this is not necessarily the case.
For instance, there is not a clear discussion of how the participants were asked to fill out the
survey. If they suspected that their professor was in any way connected to the survey, they
might have been more inclined to project a more positive attitude toward disabilities because of
coercive or reward power. Also, it is a leap in logic to think that having contact with disabled
teachers (at any level) will significantly ‘fix’ the problem of disabled people being excluded by
others; whether or not they are experts in their field.
Additionally, there may be factors other than social power, contact and context that
affected this extremely limited sample of 204 individuals to be more positive toward disabled
people. While there appears to be a positive correlation, much carefully managed further study
would be required to ascertain whether or not this is the case.
Suggestions for Improvement
The title should be reworded to include more specifics of the research done. The study
should be narrowed to testing 1 rather than 3 parameters. The sample size should be increased
dramatically. The definition of disability should be included in the literature search, since it was
not adequately defined. Whether the disability was cognitive, physical, emotional or a
combination of the three was not clearly presented. Furthermore, methodology should state
the specifics of how much information the respondents had before they participated. Finally,
the unsupported assertions tacked on to the end of the discussion should be totally excluded. It
appeared that the researchers were passionate about finding a way to help people become
more positive toward disabled people. However, illogical assumptions do not help their case.
Conclusion
The main contribution of this work is the finding that people appear to have a more
positive attitude toward disabled people when they have a college professor who has a visually
discernable disability. It will be useful in the literature review of my research because the
research findings (to some extent) and literature review will establish a foundation regarding
current attitudes and mitigating measures for negative attitudes toward disabled people.
References
Antonak, R. F. & Livneh, H. (1988). The measurement of attitudes toward people with disabilities: Methods, psychometrics, and scales. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.
Hughes, R.L., Ginnett, R.C. & Curphy, G.J. (2009). Leadership: Enhancing the lessons of experience. Boston, MI: McGraw Hill.
Hunt, B. & Hunt, C.S. (2000). Attitudes toward people with disabilities: A comparison of undergraduate rehabilitation and business majors. Rehabilitation Education, 14(3), 269-283.
Meyer, L., Gouvier, W.D., Duke, M. & Advokat, C. (2001), Influence of social context on reported attitudes of nondisabled students toward students with disabilities. Rehabilitation counseling bulletin, 45, 50-52.
Pyrczak, F. (2008). Evaluating research in academic journals: A practical guide to realistic evaluation. Glendale, CA: Pyrczak Publishing.
Rosenzweig, P. (2007). The halo effect. United States: The Free Press.ACADEMIC SUCCESS AND POSITIVE ATTITUDE CHANGES USING THE WELSH INCLUSION MODEL FOR
EXCEPTIONAL STUDENTS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Respectfully Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of LEAD 637
Issues in Research
2nd Article Review for Covrigs Research class
By
Bonnie Velez
October 2010
Citation and Reviewer
The article that is being summarized is fully referenced as follows:
Pickard, Stephen R., (2008). An analysis of the perceived effects of the Welsh Inclusion Model on the academic growth of special needs learners in a North Carolina elementary school. Non-published dissertation, Gardner-Webb University, 2008.
This article is being reviewed by Bonnie Velez, Science Department Chairperson for Battle
Creek Academy.
Introduction
The Welsh Inclusion Model is a very specific method of including exceptional students in
regular education classrooms. This article used a case study to determine its success in
promoting academic improvement for exceptional students in the 4th and 5th grade at an
elementary school in North Carolina. This paper will critique the above-mentioned article by
summarizing it, evaluating the literature review, relating the methodology used, presenting and
discussing the results of the research, looking at the strengths and weaknesses of the project,
suggesting improvements and conclude by giving the major findings of the study and how they
will be used in my research.
My area of immediate research will be to determine how many Seventh-day Adventist
parents within the Michigan Conference have school-aged children who are disabled and would
put them in Seventh-day Adventist schools if there were an appropriate program in place. My
goal is that through defining the market through this research effort and explaining a no-cost
prototype, interest will be sparked within the Adventist educational system to implement a
program for including exceptional students in Seventh-day Adventist schools. This study,
regarding a successful inclusion method, will become part of my literature review as it will show
one possible scenario for including special needs students in regular education classrooms.
This article was found using Academic Search Complete, selecting peer-reviewed and
full-text articles and entering inclusion and leadership as key words.
Article Summary
Dr. Pickard used a qualitative case study to determine how the Welsh Inclusion Model
affected academic improvement for 4th and 5th grade students in a 595 student elementary
school. The school housed Pre-K through 5th grade students, where 27% of the student body
qualified for free or reduced fee lunches and 18% of the students had special needs. The school
was in its' second year of using the Welsh Inclusion Model.
His purpose was to determine how the Welsh Inclusion Model affected perceptions of
learning and instructional strategies within the 2 classrooms studied. To accomplish this,
Pickard asked 4 questions: 1) What are the perceived effects of the Welsh Inclusion Model on
academic growth as it pertains to both classroom academics as well as demonstrated growth on
the End-of-Grade-Tests for exceptional children during the course of the academic school year?,
2) What instructional practices are team members utilizing in the inclusion model?, 3) What are
teachers' dispositions about the team-teaching approach utilized in the Welsh Inclusion Model?
and 4) To what degree are the perceived effects of the SILK (spatial, linguistic and kinesthetic)
grouping of students into 'pods' impacting academic growth?
The Welsh Inclusion Model
The Welsh Inclusion Model is summarized here in order to give a frame of reference for
the methodology used in the article. The Welsh Inclusion Model is an inclusion program for
exceptional students which has 4 phases. Team teaching and role modeling are intentional
strategies imbedded in this model. Phase I is a large group training session for all stakeholders in
the local education agency, such as teachers, administrators, supervisors, curriculum coordinators
and superintendents. Team-teaching theory and instructional modification for inclusion, along
with determining instructional strategies based on individual student learning patterns are taught
to the participants. Phase II integrates the participants’ learning with practice teaching students
in a classroom where a lesson plan is generated by the regular classroom teacher, but the
participant modifies it. At this point, 3 or 4 students are grouped according to their individual
learning modalities, (kinesthetic, verbal-linguistic and spatial). Several lessons are taught on the
same day during this practice run. Phase III identifies 6 teachers to develop the foundation for
the Welsh Model within an identified school district. A 20-item questionnaire called the
Inclusion Team-Teaching Analysis Protocol, (ITTAP) is used to measure instructional behavior
and individual team-teaching performance. Phase IV is the follow-up stage where inclusionary
teams are evaluated using the ITTAP and a Likert scale type rubric; which looks at teacher
engagement, instruction, student engagement and organization and expectations.
Methodology
Dr. Pickard visited the Title I elementary school in Piedmont, North Carolina and
interviewed the principal, Director of Elementary Education and all personnel from the 2
inclusion teams involved. Besides the interview, Dr. Pickard used surveys, ITTAP data, and the
co-teaching rubric inherent in the Welsh Inclusion Model, as well as multiple classroom
observations to triangulate how well the school was implementing the program and to ascertain
how it had affected students' learning. Dr. Pickard then used the data for exceptional students
from the previous year's No Child Left Behind (NCLB) End-of-Grade tests and compared it with
the current years NCLB data.
Results
The NCLB end of the year test results from the 2006-2007 school year showed a
composite score of 20.8%. This meant that only 1 in 5 special needs students passed both the
reading and math sections of that test. However, the 2007-2008 NCLB end of the year test
results showed a composite score of 33.3 %, meaning that 1 in 5 special needs students passed
both the reading and math sections of that test. This demonstrated a 12.5% growth in a single
school year. This was compared to the growth rate of 3.85% for special needs students within
the state of North Carolina over the 8 years that NCLB legislation had been in place. This
comparison indicated that using the Welsh Inclusion Model may be a major contributor to
increasing the academic growth rate for special needs students in this school significantly.
According to Pickard, "when students utilize their individual learning modalities within the
'pods', they were academically successful regardless of the level of difficult of the subject areas."
The instructional practices that team members use in the Welsh Inclusion Model were
identified as the exchanging of roles by both the special education teacher and the regular
classroom teacher. Pickard stated that, "it was difficult to for the observer to determine who the
special education teacher was from the regular classroom teacher." "In the fourth grade
classroom, both teacher exchanged roles seventeen times." Additionally, lessons were taught
revolving around high frequency use of verbal-linguistic, visual-spatial and motor-kinesthetic
components.
The teachers' dispositions toward the team-teaching approach of the Welsh Inclusion
Model was highly favorable. Some comments were that it allowed the teacher freedom to
experiment with differing instructional strategies to enhance student success. However, the most
positive comments revolved around a change in the attitude of non-disabled students toward their
exceptional classmates. Both inclusion teams observed their regular education students taking
special interest n their classmates who needed additional assistance. The teachers perceived a
deeper empathy for their peers and more willingness to assist them. One teacher from
commented that they observed the 'beginnings of an attitude of public service for others.'
Both inclusion teams involved in this study agreed that grouping students into spatial,
linguistic and kinesthetic learning 'pods' was perceived to greatly benefit academic growth of all
students, as alluded to here-to-fore.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The title for this article reflects the results of the study rather than defining all of the
primary variables, sample population or designated location of the project; but it does name the
inclusion model being studied. The title implies causality, which the research method partially,
but not totally justifies, (see the comments below for details).
The abstract is effective and appropriate for the research which was done because it
highlights methodology, and defines the purpose. However, the results are referenced in the title,
rather than in the abstract.
The introduction of this report identifies and establishes the importance of the problem
well through appropriate references. However, the literature review portion of this article was
almost non-existent, and a real weak point for this article. Only the bare minimum of sources
were referenced to enhance and augment the results of the study. No conceptual or historical
framework was laid through literature review.
The sample size for this research project was not specified, but was loosely defined as 4th
and 5th graders in a Pre-K through 5th grade elementary school with 595 students. Suffice it to
say that the sample size was small overall. Much more data from much larger sample sizes
would have to be gathered to substantiate the validity of these findings. The period of time of
this study is one year, which seems reasonable for a qualitative study of this nature and
magnitude.
Researcher bias is a particular problem with some qualitative research, (Pyrczak, 2008).
However, Dr. Pickard wrote this non-published dissertation as a retired person who is serving as
an adjunct professor at Gardner-Webb University. His background was as a teacher, public
school administrator and Board Examiner for the National Council Accreditation of Teacher
Education in Washington, DC. Whether or not it was published, it is a study which was well
done and used the experience of decades to analyze data and focus on solutions to common
inclusion problems. His background and experience lend credibility to the study. Descriptive
validity of his report is good as well, because it uses the results of many reliable instruments to
augment the qualitative components of observation and interview. Theoretical validity appears
intact, since the explanation that the Welsh Inclusion Model is the reason for a 12.5% jump in
academic growth for exceptional students makes sense. In other words, the theoretical
explanation developed from this study seems to fit the data, (Pyrczak, 2008). The internal
validity of this report remains in question. It is not known, beyond question, whether the use of
the Welsh Inclusion Model is the entire cause for the progress in academic growth observed in
exceptional students. Other factors may also be involved. Furthermore, this was the second year
that the school being studied used the Welsh Inclusion Model, not the first. Therefore, the 12.5%
jump in academic growth may have been due to better understanding how to use the model,
teacher experience with the model or some other unrelated phenomenon. Still, the results of
Pickard's research appear strong enough that further study of the Welsh Inclusion Method seems
warranted and necessary.
The data was analyzed by 2 individuals, since this project was supervised and mentored
by Dr. John A. Kaufhold, who is a professor of educational leadership at Gardner-Webb
University. The specific method of data analysis was not given in this report. Some aspects of
the demographics were mentioned for the sample, but specifics were not given. Organization of
the results section left something to be desired, as there were no tables or charts which would
have enhanced readability. Additionally, the results were spread throughout the report,
(including in the title), which made it necessary for one to search them out.
There was no formal discussion area for this report. Rather, the author discussed findings
throughout the article. Also, there was little self-analysis or reflection presented by the author
which pointed out possible or probable weaknesses.
Suggestions for Improvement
The title should be reworded to reflect all primary variables and specify the sample and
location. The abstract should include specific references to the major findings of the study. A
thorough literature review which establishes the conceptual or historical framework should be
included. The sample size should be specified and enlarged to further validate data. Methods
should be more specific, especially for the qualitative observations and interviews. Further
investigation and more research must be done to support the internal validity of this project.
Demographics should be further specified to better substantiate data analysis. Finally, there
should be specific sections of the report for the presentation of results and discussion which are
easy to read. This results section should include appropriate tables and charts, and the discussion
section should include possible weaknesses, limitations and suggestions for future study.
Conclusion
This article presents the Welsh Inclusion Model as a possible solution to the important
problem of enhancing learning for exceptional students in regular education classrooms. The
research methodology was, basically, sound regarding the use of known instruments to test
learning. The qualitative methods were not given specifically enough to ascertain their validity.
This report adds valuable knowledge to the field of exceptional student inclusion regarding
methodology for successful academic growth and acceptance by non-disabled classmates; and
inspires additional research on the Welsh Inclusion Model. It will be useful in my research
literature review as it contributes to the knowledge base of potentially successful inclusion
methods.
References
Berliner, D.C. (2002). Educational Research: The Hardest Science of All. Educational Researchers, 31(8), 18-20.
Odom, S.L., Brantlinger, E., Gersten, R., & Horner, R.H. (2005). Research in Special Education: Scientific Methods and Evidence-based Practices. Exceptional Children, 71(2), 137-148.
Pyrczak, F. (2008) Evaluating research in academic journals: A practical guide to realistic evaluation. Glendale, CA: Pyrczak Publishing.
Schoen, B., Shannon, C.D., & Tansey, T.N. (2009) The Effect of Contact, Context, and
Social Power on Undergraduate Attitudes Toward Persons with Disabilities. Journal of Rehabilitation, 75(4), 11-18.
APA Stuff
APA Information GainedI downloaded and printed the document Andrews University Standards for Written Work, Twelfth Edition which was printed in 2010 from the Andrews University Library site. I found it by typing in Andrews APA style in the search box. I also briefly scanned the section on APA style in a book titled Write for college, by Sebranek, Kemper and Meyer which was copyrighted in 1997; but took the information listed here from the Andrews University document. The following is what I learned:
1. Font should be similar to Times New Roman, New Centruy Schoolbook or Courier. 2. Size of font should range between 10 and 12 points.3. Paper must be 20# with at least 25% cotton rag content.4. The Leadership Department requires that we use the APA Publication Manual.5. Preliminary pages samples are on pages for the abstract are on page 37..6. The abstract must be 150 words and double spaced.7. A sample of the abstract is found on pages 38-39.8. The University requires 3 copies of the thesis.9. Page numbers begin on the preliminary pages in lower-case roman numerals and centered
under the text.10. The copyright page is not numbered.11. An example of the title page for masters’ thesis is on page 41.12. Approval page example is on page 43.13. The table of contents reflects the first 3 levels of subheadings-not the 4th (unless you
choose to include it) and includes appendixes (listed separately by number or letter).14. A list of illustrations and a list of tables is required when there are more than 2.15. A list of abbreviations is required if abbreviations are used in the text.16. Arabic numbers are used once the text begins and are placed ¾ inches from the bottom
center of the page (outside the margin).17. The text must include an introduction (prior to the chapters), body (which begins at
chapter 1) and summary or conclusion (as the last chapter).18. If recommendations are made, they should be the last chapter or given at the end of the
summary or conclusions.19. A glossary at the end is optional. Definitions are usually given in the first chapter instead.20. The bibliography should be given as one list, rather than by category.
21. The last page of the paper is blank.22. Reference citation examples are found on page 30.23. Quotation references are found on page 32.24. Abbreviation rules are found in the APA Publication Manual, pages 103-111.25. All work done in the body of the paper is double-spaced (except for long blocked quotes,
footnotes, in the bibliography, between source note lines, between subsection lines in the table of contents, between lines of a caption in tables or illustrations, between text and the footnote separator line or between some entries in a long table) which are single-spaced.
26. Book and journal titles are italicized.27. Paragraphs are indented 7 spaces.
Writing a Research Paper-good stuff
Andrews UniversitySchool of Education
Video Watched of 2009 Andrews Research Seminar
Submitted as Extra Credit in Partial Fulfillment of the CourseLEAD 637: Issues in Research
byBonnie Velez
December 2010
Introduction
This seminar was extremely informative and beneficial. I wish that I had been required
to see it before taking the class EDRM 505, as it would have erased a lot of questions. I also
wish that I had chosen to watch it at the beginning of this class, as it had wonderful insight
through professors who are seasoned in helping graduate students succeed in writing research.
The DVD which we received was formatted in 2 parts. The first part covered the title, purpose
and problems sections of research, while the second covered what to expect when meeting with
the methodologist for a dissertation. Each section will be discussed separately.
Developing a Title, Purpose, Problem and Research Queston
The session began with an introduction of Dr. Newman by Dr. Corvig. Dr. Newman
stated that he had served on approximately 500 committees. That, his easy manner, New York
accent and willingness to help others sold me listening intently to what he said. I was not
disappointed.
He began by stating that the title of a research project was extremely important and was
to be connected to the purpose and problem. He then chose a guinea pig (as Dr. Corvig called
them) to share their research title. The dialogue that ensued was interesting and consisted of Dr.
Newman asking questions, the student answering them and Dr. Newman analyzing exactly what
the student wanted to research and helping her change her title several times, until it more
closely reflected her intent for her project.
Dr. Newman said that there must be consistency between the title, purpose, problem and
method of a project, and that the title should be a summary of your summary. Dr. Corvig added
that he wanted to see the who, what, where and how questions of the researched answered in the
title. As the discussion progressed between Dr. Newman and the student, I began to rework my
title for my research. The original title was The Number of Seventh-day Adventist Parents in the
Michigan Conference have special needs students that they would like to include in Seventh-day
Adventist schools during the 2011-2012 school year if the program were appropriate, which was,
basically, my question. But Dr. Newman made the point that the purpose or problem should
answer the question, so what-who cares? Since the title was to be connected to the purpose, I
began to rethink not only my title, but what I really wanted to happen as a result of my research.
Why was I doing this project, and why was it important. T
The answer that I came up with was two-fold. I wanted to define the market for disabled
students as a means of encouraging NAD personnel to make inclusion a reality and I wanted
NAD personnel to understand the number (which I suspect is great) of children with disabilities
who are being excluded from having a Seventh-day Adventist education, and wrestle with the
ethics of excluding them. I wanted them to think about how this could affect the salvation of
those who come to our schools and find closed doors. Therefore, draft number 2 looked like
read; Defining the Market for Inclusion in SDA Schools and Examining Philosophy as a
Stimulus for Inclusion.
As Newman's discussion continued, and Dr. Corvig added the questions he likes to have
answered, the title became; Examining Philosophy and Defining the Market for Exceptional
Student Inclusion in SDA Schools within the Michigan Conference by Parent Survey (as a
Stimulus to Encourage Inclusion).
Each time I rewrote the title, the more I understood about what I really wanted to do. In
fact, as I typed it just now, I realized that it should be changed again to say something like:
Surveying Parents to Define the Market and Examine Adventist Educational Philosophical
Consistency for Exceptional Student Inclusion in Seventh-day Adventist Schools Within the
Michigan Conference: An Impetus for Change. I am not sure at this point where the title or my
project will end up, but I am thankful that it is at least becoming more focused.
This brings me to another point made by Dr. Newman that was revolutionary for me.
This is that the thesis/dissertation project is iterative. He emphasized that it is a process, not a
one time, only one right answer scenario. This is extremely helpful for my understanding. I
have been a good student most of my life, and catch on quickly. When I do an assignment, I put
my best foot forward with the time that I have to work in and consider it done. My thinking has
now come around 180 degrees. This brings me to Dr. Newman's next point.
He stated repeatedly that students must realize that their chair is there to help them
succeed and be willing to listen. I can totally relate to the drama of this thought, since I am a
high school math and science teacher, and sometimes acquire the stigma of being the bad guy,
when what I am trying to do is to help the students get where they are going and succeed. This
further opened my mind to a meeting that I had with Dr. Freed earlier last summer. She is there
to help me, and knows what she is doing. This brings me to another point made by Dr. Newman,
which was that the process of a project must include a relationship between the chair and student.
There must be trust and a mutual understanding.
Finally, Dr. Newman recommended writing out the title, purpose, problem and research
question in no more than 3 pages, meeting with the committee chair and then revising it several
times.
Meeting with the Methodologist
In the next segment of the DVD, Dr. Newman and Dr. Jerome Thayer were introduced by
Dr. Corvig and asked what they would suggest that students do when meeting with the
methodologist. The first response was to be willing to listen. Dr. Thayer related that the hardest
students that he had to work with were undergraduate students who were bright, wrote up
everything and then came to him to get the last few questions answered. He said, and Dr.
Newman agreed, that it was far better to come at the beginning with your chair present, because
it is an iterative community process, and would have to be redone. Dr. Newman suggested that
the student write a 2 page prospectus that could be worked on and changed as needed.
When Dr. Covrig asked whether qualitative or quantitative research was better, Dr.
Thayer responded by saying that good research has good data and is looked at critically. Dr.
Newman added that if it is done will it will have credibility. He also stated that in order to
decide whether to use qualitative, quantitative or mixed-methods, that one must look at the
question; because the question dictates the method. He also said that any good quantitative
researcher will do qualitative as well.
Dr. Newman mentioned that the easiest student he had ever worked with kept track of
everything that was said and kept a written log. After a session, she would email him with what
he said, and this way there was a check on whether communication was being properly
interpreted.
Another point that Dr. Newman made was that the chair should make clear what students
should expect in terms of turn-around time, and it being an iterative community process. Dr.
Thayer also suggested that it was good to work in small units, rather than large ones. His
recommendation was to do 5 pages at a time.
There was some ambiguity of what was to be written in Chapter 1. Dr. Newman said he
didn't require it. Dr. Thayer said, somewhat jokingly, "I don't care what they write in Chapter 1".
He made the point that if it says delimitation, limitation, etc. that sometimes people made them
up just to have one. One theme that was agreed on was that the student is writing for an
audience and telling what they are planning to gather data about.
The point was made by Dr. Thayer that students should pick a chair that calls the project
theirs, in other words one with buy-in, because the research would be stronger that way. This
was reiterated by Dr. Baumgartner, who related an unfortunate experience with a student.
Dr. Corvig mentioned that Chapter 2 is a literature review, and asked Dr. Newman what
Chapter 3 was about. Dr. Newman responded that Chapter 3 includes the research population,
sample, hypothesis, how data is collected, sampling procedure, variable list, statistical treatment
and rationale. He also pointed out that it must be replicable, therefore it should be written in a
very detailed and specifically descriptive way.
Dr. Covrig asked how you determine sample size. Dr. Thayer said that this was a 2-
phase question, because the kind of people being sampled and the return rate would have to be
considered. He and Dr. Newman agreed that this was a difficult questions to answer, because the
larger the sample, the more valid the results; but Dr. Thayer said that the sample size should be
as big as the money you have to fund it. The idea was that the bigger the sample, the better.
Dr. Covrig ended the session by encouraging the attendees to collect and read research
books, and mentioned that they were cheap.
What I Learned
As mentioned earlier, I learned a lot that changed my mind set, but here are a few bullets
that I pulled from the seminar:
The title should be connected to the purpose and method of the project and answer who, what, where and how.
The student must have a trust relationship with their advisor. The students must realize that the thesis is an iterative community process and that
change is necessary for growth. I need to look for a chair who provides quick feed-back. I need to keep track of everything and send emails to the chair after each session. I need to keep in mind the reason that I am doing the research and let it drive the project. I need to ask how often I should expect feed-back and interview professors for chair. I need to work quickly, efficiently and daily if I am to be done in the Spring when $ are
gone. I must work in small units of 5 pages or so if the chair is willing to avoid re-do of large
amounts of material.
Finally, I have a recommendation for you, that this DVD be the very first assignment that
you make before the course is in full swing. It was great!
LEAD 638
A Leader Profile
Assignment 1Bonnie Velez
Pick a leader you know well and ask yourself what makes him or her a leader or a manager. How are these two terms different in the description of who this leader is and functions? Write a description of this leader and analyze what you see that makes this person a leader and/or manager. You may also use additional sources than the ones of your reading to reflect on that question.
The person that I have chosen to write about as a leader and manager is Mrs. Cheryl Gibson, Pathfinder leader of the Paw Paw Harvesters Pathfinder Club. Mrs. Gibson exhibits her management expertise by efficiently planning camp outs and meeting agendas. She organizes paperwork both for herself and the Pathfinders she mentors. For example, each Pathfinder has an attractive portfolio which is a 3-ring binder that is sub-divided by honor and which has pockets to include class workbooks. A few activities which show that she carefully follows each of the regulations and procedures set forth by the Michigan Conference of Seventh-day Adventists include the following. At least one of her staff (usually many) attend the yearly workshop sponsored by the Michigan Conference. Each meeting has directors' announcements, worship, march and drill and activities appropriate to the day. Each honor worked on is thoroughly covered. She ensures that the club secretary mails in monthly forms on time. Parent and church permission slips are always presented and collected in a timely fashion.
She is always consistent in preparing materials, holding meetings when they are scheduled and being well-prepared for each club get-together. Her leadership skills are evidenced by the creativity with which she encourages and enables others to follow her. Her interpersonal skills are well-practiced; and she makes those who work under her feel important and useful. Her helpers truly enjoy working under her. Her vision for the club is to have a fun environment where young people can learn more about Jesus, how to serve Him and fellowship. She makes changes to the program after reflecting on past experiences. For example, last year Sabbath meetings were usually at 2:00 p.m., but potluck tables and people created confusion at the beginning of the meeting. Therefore, this year Sabbath meetings are at 4:00 p.m. to circumvent this problem. Her personality is dynamic. She is positive, eager, exuberant, compelling and knows how to have fun accomplishing any task. Since she is known as a reliable manager and inspirational leader, her church family is willing to participate in club activities by teaching particular honors. She also often comes up with original ideas that make meetings more enjoyable, such as using the 'fireside room' which sports a fire place and comfy couches. It may be a rare occurrence to find both exemplary management and leadership skills within a single
individual, but in my opinion, Cheryl Gibson has both bases covered. Her commitment to excellence shows with each task she performs, even though her voluntary task of directing a Pathfinder club is
immense. Interview with Cheryl Gibson
by Bonnie Velez
September 16, 2010
LEAD 638: Issues in Leadership
IntroductionI chose to interview Cheryl Gibson as an example of a good leader, because I have observed her leadership style over the last 2 years directing the Paw Paw Harversters Pathfinder Club, and believe that she is a gifted leader. She exhibits both management and leadership skill and is a catalyst for promoting excellence and motivating her followers.
BackgroundCheryl R. Gibson is middle-aged, married and has two children who are both in their teens. Professionally, she is the U.S. Energy and Fuel Manager for Agregate Industries, located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. In that capacity she develops the sourcing strategies for electricity, fuel and natural gas. In other words, she determines the best source from which to purchase each of the above commodities, then makes the purchases.
Personal Insight and Leadership ExperiencesCheryl believes that she has always been a leader. She says, "I was always the one who stepped forward and had ideas about what to." Cheryl was involved in school settings in putting together various programs. Regarding church, CheryI would help organize ingathering efforts by deciding who to pair with who, where to go, figuring out transportation and the like.
She is not an only child, but was the youngest of three. She states, "Although my brothers were both older than I was, I ended up mothering them." "Still today, I think that they would be better off if they had done what I had told them to do."
Cheryl believes that she is a good leader because she has an ability to look at a process and see ways for improvement and appreciate and listen to the input of others and to implement them. Cheryl doesn't hesitate to add, "And I'm not afraid of hard work." "I won't ask anyone to do something I'm not willing to do."
Cheryl became the Pathfinder Director for the Paw Paw Harvesters 2 years ago, just after the international camporee at Osh Kosh Wisconsin. In that capacity she always strives for excellence and duplicatability. Cheryl states, "What I have done with Pathfinders is looked at creating something sustainable, so that if I am no longer available, someone else can take
over." She is trying to "institutionalize knowledge" by creating binders for each different Pathfinder class with items that are useful for teaching that class. Cheryl's vision for the Paw Paw Harvesters Pathfinder Club is for it to be educational, fun and a respectable size. Her goal is to have 80% of the eligible youth in "if not 100."
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Mrs. Gibson blends creative and outstanding leadership skills with an organized management style. She believes in encouraging others to reach their potential. She says it is, "harder to
transfer work to another than to do it yourself." Her method of making that transfer is to break
the work down into manageably sized pieces, so that those receiving the work will be successful. She is highly organized and believes that her organizational ability is key to her success in leadership. "If you are not organized, you can't expect people to follow you," she says. "You have to know where you are going."
What I Can LearnMrs. Cheryl Gibson obviously has several gifts that promote good leadership. While she mentioned organization and management style, she did not comment on her personality-which is cheerful, bubbly, happy, caring and encouraging. Although I do not share her innate talent for being organized, I believe that her counsel regarding this element as essential to others who follow you is correct. I struggle with organization. It does not come naturally, therefore, I have to work longer and harder at it. However, I have found that this extra time and work pays off in the long run with more satisfied followers who have more confidence in me. It also reduces the overall time it takes to perform any given task.
I share Mrs. Gibson's ability to look at a process, refine and revise it and add the input of others to enhance the overall program. It is my nature to analyze everything, figure out what went well and how things could have gone better.
Cheryl's idea of breaking things down into bite-sized pieces instead of expecting folks to eat an entire elephant all at once is something that I should take to heart. Although I am driven, many who I mentor are not. I find that I often expect too much from them and they become frustrated. I will try to remember to break down large tasks into smaller pieces that can be completed easily.
I share Cheryl's sentiment of not being afraid of hard work-sometimes to the extreme. I have noticed that she is sometimes overwhelmed (as am I). I am not sure that it is God's intention for us to overwork to the point of exhaustion. Health and well being are often jeopardized in this way. Not being afraid of hard work is great-if not carried too far. I think that sometimes we must put on the brakes for our own as well as our family's good.
2The idea of sustainability is good counsel for me. Although I am effective, when I leave a program that I've built to move on elsewhere, it often falls flat on its face. One example of this was when I developed and ran a program called Kids for Christ through the Oakwood Church near Detroit. We held a weekly VBS-type program that included songs, prayer, Bible stories, crafts and games. An average of 75 children between the ages of 5 and 18 enjoyed the fellowship, fun and learned about Jesus. The church purchased two 15-passenger vans to transport the kids in, which we ran in relays to get all the participants there. The program ran for about 6 years and became well established. Several parents were baptized. However, after I left the area; the program lasted less than a year. I believe that creating tools like Mrs. Gibson does would enhance sustainability. However, it might be wise to put together a manual of procedures in an easy-to-read bullet form to go along with the tools.
Summary
I found this assignment helpful and am grateful for this opportunity. I may talk to other leaders who are good at what they do in the future to gain more insight into how I can improve.
I know, because I have been a Pathfinder director.
Summary of Failing Forward Book
Summary
Phil Rosenzweig wrote the book The Halo Effect which was published in 2007, to point out errors in critical thinking among business researchers and to raise the level of discussion from a formula business model to a probability model. In other words, there is no magic formula that a company or individual can follow to achieve success, because the factors that contribute to success are too numerous and varied. Rather, there are factors that can be controlled to enhance the probability of success.
The halo effect is, basically, a perceptual bias that connects one parameter with another. For example, good-looking people might be considered more intelligent or blonde women less intelligent. It is, basically, a prejudice that is formed within the perceptual set of an individual or a group.
Please note that Rosenzweig used examples from the business world to illustrate the nine errors (the halo effect and 8 others) in critical thinking that he addressed. I have chosen to use several examples outside the business world that are more familiar to me to enhance my understanding. The research errors that are mentioned here are not new to research, and can be applied to any field or discipline. For example, Darwin's hypothesis that macro-evolution happens because micro-evolution happens emphasizes Rosenzweig's statement in his dialogue with Olk that, "one would hope they would not relax their standards of integrity." "Sometimes these writers completely let go of the standards of quality that guide them in their academic work-but do not admit they have done so." "In fact, they want the best of everything-to make the claim of scientific validity, while at the same time discarding the very tenets of scientific research." The fact that Darwin himself stated that his theory would absolutely break down if an 'irreducibly complex' system could be found, but did not revoke his theory when such systems were pointed out suggests that he went down the path that Rosenzweig is talking about.
There are 8 other delusions that the book, The Halo Effect covers as well. They are as follows:
1. Correlation and causality-Making the mistake that a positive correlation is a cause. For example, we know that minority students drop out more often. We might conclude that the reason minority students drop out more than non-minority students is that they are a minority. In this case, parenting, socioeconomic factors, perceptual set, mentor backing and many other factors would have completely -been neglected. The fact that someone is Hispanic, African-American, Pilipino, Korean or any other minority in the United States does not condemn them to dropping out of school in and of itself.
2. Single explanations-This is believing that there is a direct addition effect when you are looking at more than 1 factor. For example, if there is a 10% probability that a highly dyslexic student will read at the 1st grade level in first grade and there is a 10% chance of reading improvement if parents read to their children, one might think that this would increase the probability of the student reading at a first grade level to 20%. This would be a false assumption. Since these factors are strongly correlated, the additive effect would be less than 20%.
3. Connecting the winning dots-This is looking a success without a comparison. For example, you might look at successful teachers and compare their common characteristics without looking at unsuccessful teachers.
4. Rigorous research-When a researcher has tons of bunches of research it is sometimes assumed that conclusions drawn from that data are correct based on the sheer number of data points. Conclusions rely on the critical thinking and logical ability of the researcher and not the amount of data generated.
5. Lasting success-When books formulate a plan or give a 'formula' for success they propose that as long as the plan/formula is followed that success is sustainable. Rosenzweig says that never happens for more than a generation, and that success is not sustainable because one follows a prescribed plan.
6. Absolute performance-This idea states that market performance is based solely on what competitors do and the company itself does. Rosenzweig says that a company can do all things well and still fail. He gives the example of K-Mart, whose sales declined even though the company was making
improvements. The reason for decline was that Wal-Mart and Target made more improvements during the same time frame.
7. Wrong end of the stick-This is defining cause backwards. In other words, it is like saying that because we have high cholesterol it must be because we eat eggs, rather than saying that because we eat eggs, our cholesterol will probably raise.
8. Organizational physics-This idea says that there is a prescribed formula for success and if only we could find it we would be successful. The truth is that there are far too many factors for success to ever be able to duplicate it in a certain manner for all situations.
There is one statement that Rosenzweig makes that makes me wonder if we are all subject to using the halo effect from time to time. He makes the statement in his dialogue that, "If managers aren't very good at critical thinking, the problem isn't with them-it's that we haven't helped educate them to be sufficiently discerning." I'm not sure that is entirely true! As an educator, I see the critical thinking ability of students declining yearly, but believe that television, instant entertainment, caffeine, apathy, video-games, and other influences of Satan have much to do with the ability to think critically. Education is only as good as the learner's willingness to learn, but I agree that it plays a strong part.
Halo Effect as Applied to the book Failing Forward
Failing Forward Summary
The book Failing Forward-Turning Mistakes into Stepping Stones for Success was written by John C. Maxwell, and published in 2000. Maxwell's hypothesis is that everyone fails, but that not everyone uses those failures as learning experiences to better themselves. Basically, Maxwell outlines 15 different actions to be taken when one fails that will "add value to your life." The purpose of the book is to "change your attitude toward failure." He asks the reader to, "absorb it and allow it o help you turn your mistakes in to stepping-stones for success." Although at first glance, this book looks like another formula for success; when one looks at the author's purpose and goal, it can be perceived as simply increasing the probability for success within the individual. Maxwell never states that taking the 15 steps toward success will result in your success. Since Maxwell defines success as, basically, learning and acting appropriately towards failure so that one can improves future actions; I believe that Maxwell does not significantly operate under any of the delusions that Rosenzweig's book The Halo Effect describes. Rather, I believe that Maxwell's book operates under the probability model that Rosenzweig espouses. Each of the actions that Maxwell proposes to turn failure into success is briefly outlined below. Most of them are reasonable, but they would not work for every individual for the reasons stated.
1. Successful people don't quit, they learn from their failures-then use them to do better next time. Rosenzweig might say that while folks can use their failures to learn and succeed in the future, but that each person learns differently. The success component would be tempered by the learners logical ability and accuracy. If the person incorrectly determined the reason for failure, they would not be able to 'fix' the problem next time.
2. Realize that failure is not failing. It is a step toward success.Again, this is only true if the cognitive ability of the learner allows for correct diagnosis of the problem.
3. Realize that if you have a failure, it does not mean you are a failure.According to Rosenzweig, this would, perhaps, be using the right end of the stick, and correcting the wrong end of the stick scenario.
4. Reduce your fear of failure by taking action toward your goal.This is simply advice, but presupposes that this will reduce the fear of failure, rather than increase it.In point of fact, it might have either effect, depending on the person taking the action.
5. Take responsibility for your own failures. Don't blame them on someone else or something else.This is the opposite of connecting the dots and attempts to look at truth.
6. Don't worry about things you can't control-just control what you can.This is the opposite of absolute performance.
7. Don't let the past control the present. Forgive and forget.This is more of a Biblical concept that allows us to get better instead of bitter.
8. Change your weaknesses and build your strengths.This assumes that you CAN change your weaknesses. It would be more appropriate to work with them and try to mitigate them than to try to become a different person-which is a frustratingly improbable task. This concept reeks of absolute performance.
9. Get over yourself by putting others needs first. Lift them up and give of yourself to them.This is another Biblical principle that hinges on the Golden Rule.
10. Find the good in every bad experience.
11. Take a risk by trying something harder if you don't succeed.
12. Learn from bad experiences t make them good experiences.
13. Work on the weakness that you have (Maxwell mentions reasons people fail).
14. Understand there's not much difference between failure and success.
15. Get up, get going, get over it.
These last 5 proposals (as well as many of the 1st 10) suppose that the person failing has the intestinal fortitude, mental capacity and mental health to be able to carry out the suggestions Maxwell makes.
Article Summary
Article Citation and Database
The article that I am summarizing is fully referenced as Schoen, B., Shannon, C.D., & Tansey, T.N. (2009) The Effect of Contact, Context, and Social Power on Undergraduate Attitudes Toward Persons with Disabilities. Journal of Rehabilitation, 75(4), 11-18. I found this article in the Andrews University Library by using EBSCO.
Research Purpose and Interest
The authors’ purpose for researching this topic was that negative perceptions and attitudes toward disabled people persist and limit their social interaction. I was interested in this article because I have a son with Down Syndrome who will probably audit some classes at a local college and because my goal is to design and implement a program for including exceptional students in Seventh-day Adventist schools.
Central Question and Methodology
The central research question was whether attitudes toward persons with disabilities were dependent on the social context of prior experiences with persons with disabilities. Two other more peripheral questions were asked by these researchers as well. They were, whether the major of a student was related to general attitudes toward people with disabilities, and whether people in particular majors were more likely to have contact with persons with disabilities.
The methodology for this research effort was to invite 480 undergraduate students enrolled in elective courses at a large Midwestern university, (more specifically from 24 sections of 2 undergraduate courses), to take a survey titled Attitudes Toward Disabled Person Scale (or ATDP) Form B), that focused on attitudes toward persons with disabilities, (Antonak & Livneh, 1988). The reliability of the instrument was reported to range from .71-.83 according to Antonak & Livneh, 1988. Three of the instructors of these courses had visibilities, while the other 11 instructors did not. Of the 480 students invited to take the survey, 218 participated. Once the survey was completed, it was analyzed by combining 3 specific social networks. Those networks were: 1) relatives (parent or siblings), 2) peers (friends or coworkers) and 3) professors. Finally, results were statistically calculated from the 203 usable surveys.
Findings of Interest
I found it interesting that Schonen, Shannon and Tansey, 2009 attributed more positive attitudes of undergraduate students toward disabled people to the expert, coercive and referent power of their disabled professors. They further make the following statement:
However, contact with people with disabilities who are viewed as having expert
power and within the social context of an academic setting may provide the momentum
for a positive shift in perceptions regarding disability.
There appears to be a bit of the halo effect going on here, as the results of this study are not at all conclusive. There may be the appearance of correlation between disabled professors and expert power being exerted over attitudes, but this is not necessarily the case. For instance, there is not a clear discussion of how the participants were asked to fill out the survey. If they suspected that their professor was in any way connected to the survey, they might have been more inclined to project a more positive attitude toward disabilities because of coercive or reward power.
Also, it is a leap in logic to think that having contact with disabled teachers (at any level) will significantly ‘fix’ the problem of disabled people being excluded by others; whether or not they are experts in their field.
Additionally, there may be factors other than social power, contact and context that affected this extremely limited sample of 204 individuals to be more positive toward disabled people. While there appears to be a positive correlation, much carefully managed further study would be required to ascertain whether this is the case or not.
However, the discussion presented of social power as it exists in all relationships was well documented and agreed with the Hughes definitions of coercive, legitimate, reward, referent and expert power. Their literature review was well done and appreciated.
Application of Finding
While the above-mentioned study is inconclusive, it is reasonable to think that some people might be drawn into a more positive frame of reference through the expert power of disabled people shining at specific tasks or areas. Since we are all given gifts and talents, my application of this possible finding might be to showcase the strengths that I perceive in my 9-12 grade students as the opportunity arises in the classroom. For example, if one of my students shows an amazing organizational ability and diligence in their school work, but is slow in understanding and completing assignments, I might use her Algebra I notebook which is properly tabbed and organized as an example to other students in the class in an effort to let their classmates know that they are ‘experts’. This would, hopefully, give them more power in their in-class relationships. Another example might be if there is a student with an Individualized Education Plan who has cognitive difficulty in some areas, but is great with concepts; I might ask th Andrews UniversitySchool of Education
THEORY SUMMARY AND CRITIQUE PAPER-PART ION TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of requirements for the Course
LEAD 638 Issues in Leadership
by
Bonnie Velez
October 2010
Historical Context
The theory of transformational leadership was first seriously explored by Dr. James
MacGregor Burns; who differentiated it from transactional leadership styles and began to define
it, (Burns, 1978). However, by far the most prolific writer on transformational leadership theory
according to this literature review was Dr. Bernard M. Bass, who began writing on the topic in
the 1980's. Early research was done largely on college students, and less on leaders in job
situations. However, current authors continue to research and write on this topic from a work-
based perspective. A recent study was done, for example, which included 179 school principals
and teachers and compared transactional and transformational leadership outcomes, (Vecchio R.,
Justin, J. and Pearce, C., 2008). Interestingly, this study (although it had a very small sample
size) found that transactional rather than transformational leadership had a more positive
influence on work output. This may have been due to the school setting where it was tested, the
particular setting and personalities involved, the small sample size or any number of other
factors, (Pyrczak, F., 2008).
Purpose of Theory
The purpose of the transformational leadership theory is to try to ascertain what type of
attributes, conditions, situations or training give rise to transformational leadership, because it is
very powerful and produces followers who get things done because they choose to-not because
they have to. Therefore, it also creates a less stressful and happier work place. Bass stated, "We
have found that employees not only do a better job when they believe their supervisors are
transformational leaders, but they also are much more satisfied with the company's performance
appraisal system.", (Bass, 1990).
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Bass pointed out that most interactions between supervisors and employees (at the time) was
transactional, (Bass, 1990). In other words, the supervisor expected a certain result for a
particular compensation. Bass pushed for the transition from transactional to transformational
leadership. He stated, "transactional leadership is a prescription for mediocrity.", (Bass, 1990).
His philosophy was that causing followers to look beyond their own self-interest to benefit the
good of the group (through transformational leadership) was inherently better than having
followers produce expected outcomes for compensation (through transactional leadership). He
then began to describe the components of transformational leadership.
Elements of the Transformational Leadership Theory
So what exactly is the transformational leadership theory? This theory states that leaders with
certain attributes have the ability to influence ideology and inspire their followers, while taking
care of their emotional needs and intellectually stimulating them. Transformation leadership is
not dependent on a particular environment. It can, “happen anywhere –schools, churches,
communities, businesses, governmental organizations, and nations and does not happen only on
the world stage.”, (Hughes, Ginnett,. & Curphy, 2009).
I doesn’t take much guess work to determine that this type of leadership is superior in many
respects to most others. The question then becomes, so what makes a transformational leader?
Bass basically proposed three major attributes for transformational leaders, which were 1)
charisma (being able to inspire and excite followers), 2) meeting followers' emotional needs and
3) intellectually stimulating followers, (Bass, 1990). He pointed out that transformational
leaders did not need to have all three of these attributes present, only enough of them to cause
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employees to become more selfless and think toward benefiting the group. This, coupled with
other personality traits such as self-confidence and creativity helps to create transformational
leaders. More recent works added visioning, rhetorical skills and image and trust building skills
to this list of attributes, (Hughes, Ginnett & Curphy, 2009). In point of fact, the five factor
dimensions proposed by Hogan might all be a part of the personality of transformational leaders,
(Hogan, R. T., Curphy, G. J. & Hogan, J.). They are: 1) surgency (which points to ambition and
sociability), 2) agreeableness (which is, basically interpersonal sensitivity), 3) dependability
(which includes prudence), 4) adjustment (which pertains to being emotionally stable) and 5)
openness to experience (which is being inquisitive and liking to learn and to have new
experiences), (Hughes, Ginnett & Curphy, 2009). The following table has been prepared to
show how Hogan’s views on personality attributes overlap with the three that Bass proposed as
being part of the personality of transformational leaders.
Table 1
BASS’S TRANSFORMATIONAL
LEADERSHIP ATTRIBUTES
HOGAN’S FIVE FACTOR MODEL OF
PERSONALITY ATTRIBUTES FOR
LEADERS
Charisma Surgency, Agreeableness
Meeting followers' emotional needs Dependability, Adjustment
Intellectually stimulating followers Openness to Experience
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It seems as if the new terms, perhaps, further define the old ones. On one point, however, both
present and past models are consistent. Both mention that transformational leaders vary widely
regarding their personal leadership styles, yet all with the same outcome-followers became more
group and less self-oriented.
Both present and past literature also agree that transformational leaders elevate the follower’s
ideals and maturity; which results in the well-being of the individuals, organization and possibly,
even society (depending on the sphere of influence of the leader). This happens because
transformational leaders support and coach the development of their follower, as well as
delegating assignments as opportunities for growth, (Bass, 1999). Stress is a factor that is
reduced in transformational settings, (Bass, 1999).
It should be noted that transformational leadership does not happen overnight. This is because
it is based on a good relationship between the leader and followers; which takes time to cultivate
(Hughes, Ginnett,. & Curphy, 2009).
Finally, transformational leaders fall somewhere on a continuum; as it is not an “all-or-nothing
phenomenon.”, (Hughes, Ginnett,. & Curphy, 2009). This, coupled with the thought that leaders
can be trained to become transformational leaders (Bass, 1999), suggests that we can become
transformational leaders, even if we are not at present. One point of interest is that women tend
to me somewhat more transformational than men, (Bass, 1999).
Assumptions of the Transformational Theory
One assumption inherent in the transformational leadership theory is that certain leaders have
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personal attributes which enable them to develop relationships with their followers that influence
the productivity of their followers by somehow changing their maturity level and switching their
focus from self-interest to organizational interest. This assumes that one person can change
another’s’ way of thinking. A second assumption is that the personal attributes of a leader are
responsible for causing a follower to be less self-centered.
Personal Application of the Transformational Leadership Theory
This theory may be a vital part of initiating the inclusion of special needs students in Seventh-
day Adventist classrooms. It is apparent that transformation must happen, in order for the North
American Division to consider broader forms of inclusion. Therefore, my ability to be a
transformational leader is necessary, if I am to be a change agent for this cause. Research which
I will conduct that defines the market within the Michigan Conference for parents who would
include their special needs children in Seventh-day Adventist schools, coupled with a no-cost
protocol for inclusion will be the framework of my presentation. However, my attributes could
greatly influence how others perceive the idea and whether or not they catch the vision. Here I
would like to say that I do not believe that accepting the idea of a broader inclusion of
exceptional students in SDA schools this is up to me, my personality or my leadership skills-but
up to God Himself. I simply want to do my best to honor and glorify Him. Obviously, this
aspect is not at all covered in the theory.
Experimenting with the Transformational Leadership Theory
Since I have known the Biology students for over a year and taught most of them three classes
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last year; I have developed a good relationship with them. I will attempt to become more of a
transformational leader by assigning an environmental sampling field trip for the Biology class
to two different water bodies, and assigning two leaders per group. These student leaders will
direct their group as to which samples to collect and how, and I will stand out of the way unless
they ask me to mentor them in some way. The activity will be pre-planned and timed (it must be
accomplished within 1-50 minute-period). But, the direction of the activity will be up to the
student leaders.
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References
Bass, B. M. (1990). From Transactional to Transformational Leadership: Learning to Share the Vision. Organizational Dynamics, (Winter): 19-31.
Bass, B. M. (1999). Two Decades of Research and Development in Transformational Leadership. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology. 8(1), 9-32. Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership. New York: Harper & Row. Hughes, R.L., Ginnett, R.C. & Curphy, G.J. (2009). Leadership: Enhancing the lessons of experience. Boston, MI: McGraw Hill. Hughes, R.L., Ginnett, R.C. & Curphy, G.J. (2009). Leadership: Enhancing the lessons of
experience. Boston, MI: McGraw Hill. Hogan, R. T., Curphy, G. J. & Hogan, J. (1994). What Do We Know about Personality:
Leadership and Effectiveness? American Psychologist. 49 , 493-504. Pyrczak, F. (2008). Evaluating research in academic journals: A practical guide to realistic
evaluation. Glendale, CA: Pyrczak Publishing. Vecchio R., Justin, J. and Pearce, C., (2008). The Utility of Transational and
Transformational Leadership for Predicting Performance and Satisfaction within a Path
en a conceptual question which I know that they know the answer to. In this way, I would be increasing their expert power and, hopefully, enhancing their in-class relationships.