Preschool Education System Essay Example for Free

Preschool Education System Essay Ramona is a hard-working, loving, single mother of two preschool aged girls, Theresa and Rosa. She works overtime every week, just to make ends meet for her and her children. Ramona and her children are in poverty. Unfortunately, statistics indicate that Theresa and Rosa will struggle to receive the quality preschool education they need to in order to succeed throughout Kindergarten, grade school, high school and into adulthood. According to one study by Sum and Fogs, students living in poverty rank in the 19th percentile on academic assessments, while their peers who are part of mid-upper income families rank in the 66th percentile on the same assessments (Lacour and Tissington, 2011). â€Å"The achievement gap refers to significant disparity in low educational success between groups of children: low-income and minority children as compared to higher income and non-minority children† (Early Education for All). This academic achievement gap is unacceptable and every child deserves the chance to excel to their fullest potential in school, in order to prepare for adulthood. Preschool is a pertinent part of a young child’s education, which has been proven successful many times in preparing children for grades K-12, and beyond. â€Å"Practitioners and researchers alike contend that the enrichment of preschool makes a difference especially for children living in poverty† (Loucks, Slaby, and Stelwagon). By providing all children with access to preschool programs, the educational achievement gap can be reduced. Unfortunately, since preschool is not a government mandated educational requirement, preschool must be privately funded, leaving families who are unable to pay tuition costs are. This is an opportunity that Theresa and Rosa would miss out on because Ramona cannot afford the tuition. Because of these lasting cognitive and social development benefits that preschool can provide, it should federally funded educational requirement. Quality preschool education needs to be regarded as a constitutional right, not a socioeconomic privilege. There is an increasing educational achievement gap in the United States, between children of low-income families, and their peers, due to their limited access to a preschool education. It has been proven time and time again, that underprivileged children, who are not provided with the access to a preschool education, perform lower in later academic learning, than those who were afforded a preschool education. One study in California revealed that second and third grade students of low-income families who did not attend preschool were significantly less proficient in English and Mathematics (Loucks, Slaby, Stelwagon, 2005). Another California survey illustrated that poverty stricken children entering kindergarten were six months behind their wealthy peers in pre-reading skills. (Loucks, Slaby, Stelwagon, 2005). Children of low-income families are also much more likely to encounter environmental and health risk factors. (Early Education for All). These risks can potentially impede on a child’s readiness for school. For example, children living in poverty have been proven to begin kindergarten with significantly less mathematical knowledge than their peers. â€Å"This would suggest that the preschool experience is a mechanism to level the playing field and fully prepare students to succeed in kindergarten† (Loucks, Slaby, Stelwagon, 2005). By entering the early grades without having the proper pre-requisite education and skill sets, children run the risk of falling behind in class. When a student enters kindergarten unprepared, the students risk of grade retention increases, not only in kindergarten, but also in the grade school years to follow. Catching up to the required proficiency level becomes harder and harder for the student, and in some cases, the student will simply giv e up and either fail or drop out. Access to preschool education for these children can help to close the educational achievement gap, and prevent grade retention, by providing these children with the tools and skills necessary to prepare for Kindergarten and beyond. The United States of America prides itself on its educational standards, and even has ratified educational laws which require children to meet proficiency standards in reading and mathematics at certain grade levels, as indicated in the No Child Left Behind Act. The law incentivizes those school districts which show improvement in test scores, and enforce corrective actions upon those districts who continuously fail to improve student proficiencies. Still, these underprivileged children are left behind, and find it continually challenging to catch up, as the school grades progress. A child’s odds of academic accomplishment are maximized when attending a high quality preschool program, especially within the lower-income communities. This theory has been put to the test. In New Jersey lays a group of the thirty one most poverty stricken districts in the state called the Abbott Districts. The state of New Jersey granted these districts a program which funds preschool education within the districts to their children in order to close the achievement gap for poverty stricken students. The results were noteworthy, and the funds allocated to this cause were well spent. Children who attended this program improved on their math, language and literacy skills. The kindergartners who had previously attended the program closed the academic achievement gap by a remarkable fifty percent between their own literacy scores and those of the national average (Early Education for All, 2005). These results proved the program to be a great success. Studies have been conducted all over the United States, pertaining to children in poverty and the profound effect a preschool program can have on each child’s continued education. In a fifteen year follow up study in Chicago, Illinois, children who attended preschool were proven to be significantly more academically successful than their peers who did not attend preschool. At the age of thirteen, this group of children’s academic scores was sixty percent higher than those who did not attend. By the age of twenty, this same group who had attended preschool was thirty percent more likely to complete high school, and forty percent less likely to experience grade retention or be enrolled in special education classes (Early Education for All, 2005). It is important to remember, however, that although the strongest support for the advantages of preschool education indicates that underprivileged children benefit most, all children, regardless of socioeconomic status can benefi t academically from a preschool education. When a child has had the privilege of attending a quality preschool program, that child is also much more likely to adjust socially in adulthood, than those who did not attend a preschool program. According to Loucks, Sharon, Slaby and Stelwagon, those who have attended a quality preschool program are also less likely to have long periods of unemployment or welfare, and drop out of school. (â€Å"Why is preschool essential in closing the achievement gap?† par. 1). Adults who attended preschool as a child also have been proven to reduce delinquency and crime throughout adulthood (Barnett, 2008). Preschools are not only about cognitive learning, but they give a formal education to pre-kindergarten aged children on the developmental concepts of interaction with their peers. These lessons stay with the children through the remainder of their life. Without those lessons, many do not develop the social skills needed to succeed in our society. Preschool education is not only beneficial to the individuals who attend the programs, but it also benefits community and the local economy as a whole. Funds invested into preschool programs provide a significant return to the community. The RAND Corporation, a non-profit organization which provides objective analysis through surveys and research (The RAND Corporation), recently performed a study which found that for every on dollar invested into quality preschool programs for underprivileged children, two dollars and sixty-two cents was returned into the labor force and economy (Loucks, Slaby, and Stelwagon, Fall 2005). That is a two hundred and sixty percent return on investment. The direct return on this investment alone is more than enough to warrant a universal program. This study does not even include other potential indirect financial returns. Other financial returns from a public preschool investment would also be present in the lowering of state Medicaid costs, law enforcements costs, and other low-income assistance costs, such as food vouchers, homeless shelters and unemployment pay, which cost the government and tax payers a significant amount of money every year. Preschool is a necessary business investme nt for our economy to yield a higher return rate, than the current K-12 requirements today. The concept of a universal preschool program is not unheard of, not even in the United States. Most state government funded preschool programs are targeted toward children of lower income households. These programs have been put into place in a collaborative effort to close the educational achievement gap that exists in our society. However, some states, and even entire countries have already begun governmentally funding preschool programs, not just for underprivileged children whose families cannot afford the tuition, but for all pre-kindergarten aged children. In 1998, Oklahoma legislation ruled to make all four year olds eligible for a universal quality pre-kindergarten program (Sacks and Brown Ruzzi, 2005). Of course, a program as significant as this would not go without continued research and analysis. In a study performed between 2002 and 2003, significant supporting evidence was found which indicated that the program was a success. The study showed increased academic test scor es in the subjects of reading, spelling, writing and mathematics skills (Gormley, Gayer, Phillips and Dawson). Oklahoma is not the only state to equalize education for all children, regardless of their socioeconomic status. With the revenues from a state lottery, and the leadership of, then governor, Zell Miller, Georgia was the first state in the United States to offer a publically funded preschool program (Early Education for All, 2005). Similar to the findings in the study of Oklahoma’s program, Georgia’s program was also proven to be successful. A study found that more than eight percent of students who had attended the program ranked average or above upon evaluation third-grade readiness (Sacks and Brown Ruzzi, 2005). A universal preschool program is not just a theory waiting to be tested, it is already in effect in some areas, and is proving its value in this country’s educational achievement. If we do not put into place the appropriate interventions in the society, the educational achievement gap will only widen, costing more and more tax dollars, and most importantly, costing children the equal opportunity of prosperity in this country. This gap can be diminished significantly by providing each and every child in this country with the equal educational opportunity of a quality preschool program. Such a program provides this nation’s youngsters with the skills they need in order to meet the countries educational standards throughout the span of their education. It is unfortunate that in this land of opportunity and prosperity, that in order to grown and succeed; our children are subject to exclusion of such a beneficial educational tool, because of his or her parents’ inability to afford tuition costs. With our current economic status, our children, the future of this nation, must be provided every advantage possible in order to change this economy around. An investment should be made in our future today by providing a constitutional right to a quality and inclusive preschool program to all children. Works Cited Loucks, Sharon, Slaby, Robert, and Stelwagon, Patricia. Why is preschool essential in closing the achievement gap? Educational Leadership and Administration Fall 2005: 47+. Academic OneFile. Web. 7 Oct. 2012. Document URL: http://go.galegroup.com.ezp1r.riosalado.edu/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA142874683v=2.1u=mccweb_riosaladoit=rp=AONEsw=w Strategies for Children. â€Å"Early Childhood Education: A Strategy for closing the Acheivement Gap†. Spring 2005. Web. 06 Oct. 2012. Document URL: http://www.strategiesforchildren.org/eea/6research_summaries/07_AchievementGap.pdf Marcon, Rebecca A. Moving up the Grades: Relationship between Preschool Model and Later School Success. Early Childhood Research and Practice 4.1 (2002). 06 October 2012. Document URL: . Gormley, William T., Jr., Gayer, Ted, Phillips, Deborah and Dawson, Brittany. The Effects of Universal Pre-K on Cognitive Development. National Institute for Early Education Research. 06 October 2012. Document URL: http://www.crocus.georgetown.edu/reports/oklahoma9z.pdf Barnett, W. S. (2008). Preschool educati on and its lasting effects: Research and policy implications. Boulder and Tempe: Education and the Public Interest Center Education Policy Research Unit. Retrieved 10/06/2012 from http://epicpolicy.org/publication/preschooleducation Sacks, Lynne and Brown Ruzzi, Betsy (2005). Early Childhood Education: Lessons from the States and Abroad: 2005. National Center on Education and the Economy. The New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce. Retrieved 1027/2012. Document URL: http://www.ncee.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Early-Childhood-Education.pdf Lacour, Misty and Tissington, Laura D. (2011). The effects of poverty on academic achievement.. Retrieved 11/03/2012. Document URL: http://www.academicjournals.org/err/pdf/pdf%202011/july/lacour%20and%20tissington.pdf The RAND Corporation. (n.d.). RAND Corporation: Obective Analysis. Effective Solutions. Retrieved November 03, 2012, from The RAND Corperation: http://www.rand.org/

Roderick Chisholm on freedom of the will Essay -- essays research pape

There is much debate over the issue of whether we have complete freedom of the will or if our will caused by something other than our own choosing. There are three positions adopted by philosophers regarding this dispute: determinism, libertarianism, and compatibilism. Determinists believe that freedom of the will does not exist. Since actions are events that have some predetermined cause, no actions can be chosen and thus there is no will to choose. The compatibilist argues that you can have both freedom of the will and determinism. If the causes which led to our actions were different, then we could have acted in another way which is compatible with freedom of the will. Libertarians believe that freedom of the will does exist.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Roderick Chisholm defends Libertarianism, and in his essay â€Å"Human Freedom and The Self† argues that we have freedom of the will. Chisholm does not abandon the idea of causes but instead defines two types of causation. The first is transeunt causation where one event or state of affairs causes another event or state of affairs. This causation is based on a relationship between events. The second is immanent causation where an agent causes an event or state of affairs. An agent is an uncaused causer of events who is not bound by the laws of nature. This causation is based on the relationship between an agent and an event. Chisholm quotes a passage from Aristotle to demonstrate his immanent causation, â€Å"Thus, a staff moves a...

Features of Temperate Forests

The temperate forest is an area of the world that has high levels of precipitation and humidity. They contain a wide variety of deciduous trees, which are trees that lose their leaves in the winter. The temperatures of the temperate forests vary based on the four seasons. It is typically hot in the summer with high temperatures of 86 degrees and cold in the winter. These areas receive large amounts of precipitation in the form of rain and snow. Eastern Asia, Central and Western Europe, and the Eastern United States are some areas of the world that are made up of this type of biome. Since there are large amounts of rainfall in the temperate forest regions there is a wide variety of plant life in the temperate forests. There plants can be considered the producers for this biome and include maple trees, walnut trees, birch trees, dogwoods, redbuds, azaleas, mountain laurel, huckleberries, blue bead lily, indian cucumber, linchens, and mosses. These different plants are divided into several layers including the forest canopy, small tree, shrubs, herbs, and floor tier. There are also a wide variety of animals that live in the temperate forest region including insects and spiders, wolves, foxes, bears, coyotes, bobcats, mountain lions, eagles, rabbits, deer, skunks, squirrels, raccoons, squirrels, moose, and hummingbirds. Many of these animals hibernate during the winter in order to survive in the cold temperatures and wake up in the spring when there is more food. available. Some store food and burrow underground and some migrate to warmer regions to escape the cold in the winter time. These animals can be considered the consumers of this specific environment. In the winter the leaves fall off of the trees. In the spring time the sunlight quickly warms the plants that grow on the ground since there is a lack of shade. These plants take advantage of the abundance of sunlight because once the leaves grow back on the trees photosynthesis does not occur as quickly and their food supply goes down. In the spring the animals that have been hibernating for the entire winter wake up and begin to search for food again. The vegetation of the temperate forest is a major food source for many of these animals. One major threat to the temperate forests of the world is development and agriculture. Since this region receives plenty of rainfall and has soil that is ideal for planting it is the main environment for humans to occupy. Forests are chopped down to create housing and roadways and the plants and animals that live there are affected. Another threat to this type or environment is logging. The large amount of hardwood trees are cut down in order to make lumber. These trees are denser than other types of trees and therefore they grow much more slowly. Another threat for this region is acid rain that is caused by burning coal. This creates global warming which changes the rainfall patterns and affects the vegetation of the area. All of these threats affect the biodiversity of the entire system. The changing rainfall patterns, logging, and construction affect the vegetation, which is a major food source for the animals that live in these regions. Some abiotic factors of the temperate forest include temperature, water, cloud cover, soil, and light. These abiotic factors play a major role in the forest and affect all of the living creatures that live there. The temperature in the temperate forest are typically mild and comfortable. This is because of the moist air from the Pacific Ocean. The summers are normally hot and the winters are cold. There is plenty of rainfall in this area. Other forms of precipitation include ice and snow. This is a very foggy region due to all of the moisture even in the dry season. This area contains large amount of nutrient rich soil since there are large amounts of decaying organic matter from the leaves that fall from the trees and dead vegetation. The large amount of rainfall and nutrient rich soil allows trees to grow very tall and plants to be plentiful. Even though much of the sunlight in these areas is blocked by clouds and fog the vegetation still thrives.

Importance of Brackets in Virginia Woolfs To The Lighthouse

Importance of Brackets in To The Lighthouse [Here Mr. Carmichael, who was reading Virgil, blew out his candle. It was midnight.] [Mr. Ramsay, stumbling along a passage one dark morning, stretched his arms out, but Mrs. Ramsay having died rather suddenly the night before, his arms, though stretched out, remained empty.] [Prue Ramsay died that summer in some illness connected with childbirth, which was indeed a tragedy, people said, everything, they said, had promised so well.] [A shell exploded. Twenty or thirty young men were blown up in France, among them Andrew Ramsay, whose death, mercifully, was instantaneous.] [Mr. Carmichael brought out a volume of poems that spring, which had an unexpected success. The war, people†¦show more content†¦Carmichael, who like to lie awake a little reading Virgil, kept his candle burning rather longer than the rest (125). This is foreshadowing, because he is the character in the brackets who lives and prospers after the war - Mrs. Ramsay, Andrew, and Prue all die within the confines those brackets - so Carmichaels candle burns rather longer. The narrative discourse of each death in brackets 2-4 has its own tone, as though each were told by a different person. In the second, where Mr. Ramsay stumbles around after Mrs. Ramsay has died, sounds like family mythology. His dependence upon her is so well-known that of course the effects of her death would be devastating upon him. Yet he did not seem to cope with life very well even before she died. In the novels first section, he storms around the house, wondering if he will have a legacy, not connecting with anyone but his wife. Has he really changed from the first section of the book to the third? No. He still blusters and orders people to do his bidding. In the third bracket, which tells of Prues death, the tone implies vagueness, as though there were a scandal or secret attached to it. Connected with childbirth might connote abortion or miscarriage, and the string of words, which was indeed a tragedy, people said, everything, they said, had promised so well might indicate that it looked as though (promised) Prue could beShow MoreRelatedFishing For The Meaning Of Life1878 Words   |  8 Pagesof Life How Virginia Woolf Explores Universal Truths â€Å"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. While the ultimate moral of this saying is that teaching as opposed to providing direct relief is more beneficial for the student in the long run, the saying also suggests that the teacher’s contributions will transcend his or her lifetime. Similarly, the concept of transcendency is explored in Virginia Woolf’s novel To the Lighthouse as Woolf delves