Education Quality In The U.S. Essays - Youth, Education Policy

Education Quality In The U.S. Throughout time, education has been considered a process that, every so often, must be improved. The education quality in the U.S. has declined over the years and people have been looking for a way to make improvements. A more recent proposal has been to go from a traditional nine- month schedule to an all year program. Supporters of year round schooling claim it better educates the student. However, the prospect of year round schooling proves disadvantageous, and nine month schooling is more effective. One disadvantage to all-year schooling is its high cost. More funds are necessary to cover the costs of paying the teachers and staff for one full year instead of for 180 days work. Teachers currently make an average of $37, 000 in the United States. But, the costs would increase to $53, 000 to keep the teachers for a full year. Currently, a district uses a lot of its budget on paying teachers. Once the increased costs are put in place, the budget depletes rapidly. Additional funds for utilities should be considered because air conditioning systems will most likely be needed during the three additional months. During those three months, more supplies will be consumed. Costs per school for items such as copy machines and scissors increase due to constant use. Students will be deprived of simple items such as worksheets and class handouts. Transportation and equipment costs would go up for constant maintenance. Buses that travel every school day use the district's money for gasoline an d repairs; these large sums are needed to cover maintenance. These costs can be very hard for a district to swallow. Taxes have to shoot up to solve the dilemma. Overall, the costs add up and equal a loss for the students' environment. Students will also suffer educational losses because they will have less time for extracurricular activities to make them more well rounded. Many students use their summer vacations to travel and spend time with their parents. However, with school in session during the summer it would be much harder for a family to spend time together and for students to be enriched with new experiences. Research shows that students are also less likely to succeed if they are not given a large break during the summer. Teachers will be unable adjust their curriculums for their incoming classes without an extensive break, shortchanging his or her students. An unprepared teacher can only mean much more time wasted. Faculty and students find that summer breaks can be an important time for growing. Without this break, both teachers and students alike would lack the proper time necessary for maturing. It is important that students continue to mature throughout high school. Year- round schooling does not gu arantee that this will occur. Time spent with friends would also decrease as many students run on different schedules. Friendship is very important in the all around development of a child; and year round school would separate students into two or three different schedules, away from friends. Students are not given any preference as to which one they must follow and it is simply a factor of luck. The biggest problem with all-year schooling is the adaptation to a schedule by the students and teachers involved with the change. For students already in junior high or high school, year round school would be a very difficult transition to make. After years of following one method, they would be told to suddenly switch tracks completely. Students would then lose a chance for improved education. Similarly, teachers will not have the time needed to take additional classes to improve their teaching strategies. How can a district expect education to improve if teachers can't improve their own personal education? Students moving out of the district will be in conflict with a district that had a nine- month schedule. Also, special events, such as graduation, or the beginning of the school year, would all be lost in the short confusion, taking place from year to year. This means that after years of hard work in school, graduating seniors will be taken out of the limelight. A revision does indeed need to occur in the U.S. education system. The facts all

Effects of Sex Education on Adolescent Behavior by Deborah Dawson

Effects of Sex Education on Adolescent Behavior by Deborah Dawson Sex education refers to the process in a human life where one acquires information and forms, values, attitudes and beliefs about intimacy, identity and relationships. It includes reproductive health, sexual development, affection, relationships amongst people, roles of different genders and body image. It addresses all aspects of life; psychological, spiritual, social and cultural dimensions.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on â€Å"Effects of Sex Education on Adolescent Behavior† by Deborah Dawson specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The article on â€Å"Effects of sex education on adolescent behavior† by Deborah Dawson gives different percentages of adolescents in regard to the type of sex information they receive in United States of America; especially on pregnancy and contraceptives. It is a professional journal on sex education. The main effect of sex education on adolescent behavior is reduced adolescen t pregnancies and induced abortions. I like this article because it emphasizes the need to educate the adolescents on sexual issues. The article is an excellent piece of work. I believe sex education impacts greatly on adolescents. Sex education is the tool to ensure the change of attitudes and thoughts amongst teenagers concerning sex, pregnancy and birth control. Sex education helps the participants to gain knowledge on their reproductive health and methods of birth control. Sex education is essential to adolescents. It changes their attitude towards other people’s sexual behavior. It is important to measure the behavioral impacts of sex education. I think the program has great effect on values and attitude of teenagers in regards to sex. Somehow the program could be having no impact on levels of sexual activity amongst teens. All the same, sex education has increased the sense of responsibility among teenagers. There is a positive relationship between use of contraceptives and sex education, which in my view shows responsibility. I believe the levels of sexual activity may remain high, but sex education helps in reducing cases of teenage pregnancy and abortions. The article is an excellent piece of work, but it has a few gaps. The sex education program presented in this case is more of theory than interactive. Students should play active roles, be involved in groups and watch videos for them to see the reality. This will improve its effectiveness. Daniel Wight’s article on â€Å"Limits of teacher delivered sex education† highlights some of the challenges which face sex education program in schools. In his study he involves 25 schools in East Scotland with and his main objective was to establish whether sex education delivered in schools or by teachers’ reduced unsafe sexual intercourse among adolescents.Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More I like this article because it offers a comprehensive report on limitations of sex education offered at schools. I adolescents spend most of their time at school, which means that teachers should ac like guardians. Also teachers should be able to deliver sex education effectively. The main aim of sex education in schools is to reduce cases of risky sexual behavior among adolescents. The quality of education they get matters most. Such gaps in delivering of sex education calls for other interventions like SHARE which means; Sexual Health Relationships: Safe, Happy and Responsible. In my opinion I would encourage such a programme to complement the school based curriculum. The program proves to be more effective in improving the quality of sexual relationships, reducing unsafe sexual activities and unwanted pregnancies. Sex education should not be a theoretical class work only, but should take a pro-active view in order to be effective. Effective sex education pro gram includes, working in small groups and games, providing sexual health leaflets, using interactive video and playing of different roles in order to develop skills. Including all these aspects in the program ensures that the program is effective. When the interactive program is put in practice, a considerable change of behavior is noticed. This is an excellent article to close up the gaps occurring in sex education delivered by teachers. It shows how delivering of sex education has changed and the results which come with the changes. Dawson, D. (1986). The effects of sex education on adolescent behavior. Family Planning Perspectives, 162-170. Print Wight, D., Raab, G., Henderson, M., Abraham, C., Buston, K., Hart, G. Scott, S. (2002). Limits of teacher delivered sex education: interim behavioral outcomes from randomized trial. BMJ, 324 7351, 1430. Print.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on â€Å"Effects of Sex Education on Adolescent Behavior† by Deb orah Dawson specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More