Celia E. Johnson

Promoting Peace in a Place Called School

The purpose of this study was to investigate subtle aspects of the school environment in a city school, where teachers and students had previously implemented activities to increase awareness of peace as a means of promoting a change in behavior. Responses to the School-Level Environmental Questionnaire (SLEQ) indicated that teachers wanted more student support, more resources, and less work pressure. Teachers chose the area of student support on which to focus in developing action plans. An interview with the assistant principal provided perspective on progress made after implementing the action plans.

Preparing Teachers for the 21st Century: A Renaissance

An overview of the need for change in higher education programs of teacher preparation is presented. The authors summarize what needs to change based on the research of educational leaders, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, and leading educational organizations. They address what it means to be highly qualified, a model for teacher preparation, and needed policy changes in the context of 21st century learning. A hypothetical case study of two preservice teachers closes the chapter with a vision of hope for the future.

Meeting Challenges in US Education: Striving for Success in a Diverse Society

Having one of the most diverse populations in the world, the United States has sought to address many different challenges over the past century. The challenges faced by the educational system in the United States have revolved around the primary issue of inequality of educational opportunity for children of cultural minority populations or children living in poverty. These same challenges have moved into the 21st century with renewed complexity due to the changes in demographics and cultural perspectives, implementation of governmental policies, advances in technology, and a substantial research knowledge base relative to school improvement also referred to as school reform. The educational system in the United States has as its goal to serve more than 53 million students in public and private K-12 schools. The racial and ethnic composition of students has and will continuously change. Currently, non-Latino White students comprise 58% of the school age population. Minority children make up approximately 40% of the school age population with Black students equaling 17% and Latino students 19% of the total. By the year 2020 it is expected to be reversed with 66% of the students being African American, Asian, Latino, or Native American (US Department of Education, 2005). Many of the children from minority backgrounds are from families who have immigrated and are faced with learning a new language and the need to learn new skills to work and provide for their families. Newly immigrated families typically settle in city neighborhoods experiencing economic poverty. Their limited skills do not allow for them to live in better neighborhoods (Crosnoe, 2005). As a result, the children of immigrant families entering the schools also are learning a new language and experiencing the effects of poor economic opportunity. America’s schools are financed according to property tax revenues generated by the appraised value of homes and businesses within the boundary lines of a school

Bridging eastern & western philosophies and models

In view of the increasing need formeaningful cross-cultural understanding, thefacilitation of dialogue about diverse modelsof human wellness will help promote greaterunderstanding for educational professionalsacross divergent cultural backgrounds. Such adiscussion will by necessity is comprehensiveand far-reaching. Topics of consideration willinclude the common concerns of counselors andeducators, cross-cultural trainingopportunities, and Eastern and Westernphilosophies of education, development, andemotional wellness. As a beginning step in thisprocess of understanding perspectives fromdifferent parts of the globe, a pilot studyusing a questionnaire was conducted withrespect to Chinese and U.S. Universityeducators. Findings regarding similaritiesand differences are described. Preliminaryfindings suggest that differing philosophiesmay underlay the perspectives of Chineseeducators, who are strongly influenced byConfucius, and American educators who arestrongly influenced by Western thinkers such asDewey. Yet, both Chinese and Americaneducators agreed that the top priority ofeducators was student academic achievement. The results of the study suggested that therole of counselor be construed differently inChina as compared to the U.S. for a complexityof reasons described in this article.

Educational Reform: What Have Federal and State Policy Makers Done?

Abstract An overview of what is needed in educational reform at the state and national levels are examined. Seven types of globalization needed for students’ success are reviewed, with ongoing change efforts in South Africa, Australia, Brazil, China, England, and the United States being highlighted. The United States’ educational restructuring efforts at the state level and policies surrounding them are discussed. Next, examples of state and national level educational improvement projects are presented. The chapter ends by showcasing examples of organizations and schools that have made significant progress in educating students for a global 21st century.