Contemporary Issue Policy Assessment On After School Programs Essay

More parents than ever these days are working outside of the home. This means that when the school bell rings, many children are left unsupervised and with no where to go but an empty house with no supervision. Not only that, but some parents are also struggling to provide adequate after-school care. Either they cannot afford the monthly payments of a daycare, or the programs are just simply not available to them. (Ansell, 2004).

Early childhood education is crucial for success in the formalized education system. Many children born into lower income communities do not obtain this advantage. According to Kozol, simply based off accident of birth a child will lead completely different educational lives (2005). For example, a white toddler in an upper middle class neighborhood might attend a prestigious educational preliminary kindergarten. These respected early education schools are often referred to as “baby ivies” (Kozol, 2005). The child participates in pre-numeracy skills along with pre-writing skills. Conversely, a child of minority descent living in an underprivileged neighborhood may not initiate school until they are five years old. In the three previous years a

The American public educational system is filled with an assortment of problems. Most students are graduating with less knowledge and capability than similar students in other industrialized countries. Classroom disruptions are surprisingly common, and in some classrooms, nearly continuous. The public education system is having difficulty adjusting to the no child left behind act. The No Child Left Behind(NCLB) is a landmark in education reform designed to improve student achievement and change the culture of American’s schools.

The New Jersey State Department of Education received government, state, and local funding for youths ages 5-17, as part of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program. The question is; how can the states revise and disperse the amount of funding allocated for after-school programs for the current number of children enrolled? How can we raise awareness about the higher enrollment after-school programs offered for children of all ages? The current data shows the ratio of children enrolled versus the number of children not enrolled, offset the amount of dispersed funds, and varies state to state. The New Jersey Department of education allocates the funded money towards after-school programs housed at public schools with a high enrollment rate while other states do not. This leaves a huge gap in society with not enough funds creatively used towards youth programs. Children of all ages should have access to an after- school educational program and support from within their community. Common motivational goals set forth in the evaluation for this program are, for children to receive the enhancement of moral values, equality, and diversity through after-school educational programs within their local school districts. This evaluation is based on the logic model format and designed to meet the needs and demands assessment criteria. Weighing the outcome of an economical developed society in which graduation rates will increase. While, in past the government started

Early childhood education has many benefits and there is the potential for many significant outcomes if universal preschools were put into place. Some feel that children who start kindergarten without previously attended preschool sometimes lack certain skills such as social and communication skills and an inability to follow routines. There were also studies done that found attending preschool could help to close the achievement gap in the grade school years. A child’s first few years of life are most important, and they absorb the most during those years. By providing universal preschool, all children would be benefiting, especially those who are in at-risk families or part of the lower class. As a society, we have a responsibility to help the children in our communities and provide them with the education they need in order to help them succeed in life.

The role of the federal government in setting education policy increased significantly with the passage by Congress of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, a sweeping education reform law that revised the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. "Federal policy has played a major role in supporting standards-based reform since the passage of the Improving America's Schools Act (IASA) of 1994. That law required states to establish challenging content and performance standards, implement assessments…hold school systems accountable…" (Goertz, 2005, pg. 73)

Does a lengthened day make a difference? Kindergarten plays a crucial role in the growth and development of a child. It is at the kindergarten level where the child begins the basis for the rest of their path through education. Educators are constantly looking into new ways of improving the kindergarten curriculum and environment in order to provide their students with the most adequate education possible. There is always some criticism when it comes to change; as in the case with changing half-day to full-day kindergarten. After extensive research, I have found a number of studies comparing full-day and half-day kindergarten programs that show young children benefit more from a developmentally structured full-day kindergarten program, most notably in terms of academic achievement. Having the extra hours during the school day allows students to learn more and apply what they have learned. In this paper, I propose to answer the question of whether it is more beneficial for young children to attend full-day as opposed to half-day kindergarten programs, in relation to academic achievement, while exploring some of the attitudes and opinions that surround full-day and half-day kindergarten programs. I would also like to make note that the majority of research used in this paper is derived from studies conducted within the United States, and the purpose of improving education in the United States is slightly different than that in Canada.

It is impossible to overstate the importance of preschool education for children from every economic and social class in our society. Former New Jersey Governor Thomas H. Kean made this point when he stated: “There are a few priority reforms we need to make to improve education in our state. One of our highest priorities should be the availability of quality Pre-K programs for all of our children. These programs offer our best hope…” The New Jersey Legislature agreed with the stated need for universal Pre-K education and passed legislation in 2008 expanding these programs. However, this legislation was never fully and properly funded.

Children who are subject to negative or bad environments are more prone to engaging in drugs and alcohol. There are many programs that bring awareness and prevention to alcohol and drugs. The South Carolina Afterschool Alliance program provides groups and organizations with an effective after-school program plan. The after-school programs are essential in promoting awareness and prevention of drugs, alcohol, tobacco, abstinence, and violence to young children or adolescents.

After- school programs have been around for long time. However, their initial purpose was different than what is demanded in today’s society. The after school program was originally developed in urban communities in response to the decline in child labor and the rise in mandatory schooling. This combination altered the day of an urban child. The child would go to school, and come home with nothing to do. They could not work anymore because of child labor laws. With this being a new law, parents did not know what to do with their children because they had to work into the late hours of the evening. Also, urban housing had unkempt, undesirable conditions for living. This caused many

The reading addresses major educational and social problems that refuge students face in their effort to assimilate in the Australian educational system and proposes steps to facilitate their integration in the school environment of their new country. The author argues that refugee education should take into consideration post-settlement conditions and situations refugees nowadays face, relating to social and cultural matters. Australian education puts emphasis on the pre-settlement reasons of forced migration and the harsh conditions of the journey to the new place of settlement. However, little is known about the issues these people have to face in an individual level after they settle in Australia, regarding their interrupted schooling, their unfamiliarity with English and the trauma they might bring with them. By using terms like refugees or country of origin, we tend to group not only individuals but also their diverse needs, skills, experiences and aspirations. Although some characteristics might be shared by people from the race or ethnicity, the experiences, abilities and needs of people differ, hence education should be individualised to address one’s needs and lacks.

Educational policies are the rules, guidelines and or boundaries that have shaped my career as student, a teacher and most recently as an educational administrator. Throughout my career I have not questioned always questioned the reasons for the development of these policies. From the readings in this course, I have begun to examine the how and why of policy development and beginning to understand role the policy analysis has in the evaluation of educational policies over time. The role of the state, the role of the individual within the state, changes to political ideologies and the development of globalization have all directly impacted policy development and the directions that education has taken over the last century.

General collaboration with public schools will help individual students achieve these skills to facilitate the raising of standards to a better society. Attending public schools should have a positive impact for community growth and betterment but also the human development of the individuals attending. Education at home and expanding it at school are the foundation for developing respectable citizens. Parents need to stop thinking of school as a place to send their kids so they are in a safe place while they are at work. Teachers should stop seeing children as just a part of their job and get paid accordingly. Public schools can produce all types of young adults but it takes the support of the family and the efforts of all mature adults that come in contact with them to assist in the grooming and educating of well behaved, respectful and respected young adult citizens (Allaria 2011).

When it comes to following school policies every teacher should be aware of what is in the student handbook. This tool is used to shed light on the different policies that the district holds parents, students and teachers accountable to. I am going to be honest and say before this essay I had not looked at the Round Lake Area School District 116 School Handbook. The reason why I have not looked at the handbook is the fact that almost all handbooks spell out the same policies. In this essay I will discuss the different policies and how I think my school district could improve on their policies.

“I just don't understand! Why you have to be so simple? Answer me Elizabeth. “Why would you sit there and pee on yourself?” and you think I am going to clean that mess up, well you thought wrong.”