Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
All activities that remove students from classrooms during normal instructional
periods are not curricular. Teachers and administrators need to determine where the
line must be drawn between bona fide absences that count as academic credit and
those absences that are deemed academically curricular by a very long and broad
stretch of the definition.
Interruptions That are Not Curricular
Schools that sacrifice classroom instructional time to allow for periodic club
meetings, drama rehearsals, and non-academic assemblies do a great disservice to
students. Sadly, these types of constant interruptions to classroom instruction occur
most frequently in schools that advertise a progressive college preparatory
program. Although the stated goal may be to achieve well-roundedness, the time
missed in instruction, particularly upper level and Advanced Placement classes, is
costly.
Calling students out of a class for any reason must take into account the long term
impact on classroom instruction, student success, and the retention and
reinforcement of covered material. Philosophies of education that support quasi
academic experiences not directly tied to classroom goals and objectives run the
risk of tampering with student success and the ultimate goal of college
acceptances. Pernicious interruptions emulate the benefits of some home schooling
practices that simply do not work in a large institution.
Acceptable Reasons to Miss Class
School-wide assemblies featuring academic or motivational goals can be deemed
curricular as they further specific elements and aims incorporated in standard
courses of study. These might include musical concerts, speakers, and
demonstrations. Periodic awards assemblies, whether academic or athletic, do not
qualify. Field Trips directly related to academic goals can be considered acceptable
as long as they are kept to a minimum. Teachers or departments can be allotted a
certain number of such trips per semester. Additionally, academic competitions like
debate or Model United Nations events can be classed as academically oriented
experiences with very specific ties to curriculum.
Solutions to Unbridled Classroom Absences
Every school should create a small task force of teachers and administrators that
evaluates the merits of any program seeking to take students out of class. Initially,
the group can create a list of guidelines all staff must follow if they desire to remove
students from class. A system of approval forms should be instituted and teachers
and administrators should be given firm deadlines by when requests may be
submitted.
All classroom absences are not curricular by any stretch of the imagination. In too
many cases, the students missing class are the very ones that desperately need to
be in class. Schools that follow a policy of limitless classroom absences do great
harm to the success potential of students that, in many cases, must play the game
of "catch up" after every absence. This exacerbates student stress levels and does
little to enhance academic excellence.
Source: http://suite101.com/a/every-classroom-interruption-is-not-curricular-a78897
Teacher Absenteeism
In the 2003-2004 School and Staffing Survey, the National Center for Education
Statistics reported that teachers across the nation miss on average ten days out of
every school year. According to Ballou and Podgursky, teachers are absent five to
six percent of school days annually, which equates to nine to eleven school days
(Ballou, 1996; Podgursky, 2003). These days are missed for illness, personal leave,
professional development, and other various reasons.
In a 2012 survey conducted by STEDI.org, 83% of school districts reported that
teachers were missing at least ten days out of the school year. Additionally, more
than 50% of the school districts reported teacher absenteeism rates above 8.5%, or
fifteen to sixteen days missed each year. At this absentee rate, a substitute teacher
will teach one full year of a childs K-12 education. When questioned further, 93%
schools reported this absenteeism rate was the same or had increased by 5% from
2010-2011 school year. STEDI.org reports similar statistics over the past several
years.
This research points to a continual increase in teacher absenteeism. When teachers
are out of the classroom, what is the effect on students? This question has been
asked in many different ways and has received a variety of answers.
Study after study illustrate that, when teachers are absent, there is a negative
effect on student achievement (Miller, Murnane, Willet 2007).
A study carried out in North Carolina covering urban, rural, and suburban school
districts revealed a breaking point at ten days missed. A report presented at the
Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management highlighted that when a
teacher is out of the classroom for ten days a year, student achievement decreases
by one to two percent of a standard deviation. Consequently, regardless of where
the school is located, teachers being out of the classroom negatively impact
students. (Clotfelter, Ladd, Vigdor 2006)
An additional report focuses on urban schools, where funding per student is lower,
and measured the mathematical performance of fourth graders. The study revealed
that ten days of teacher absence lower student performance in a non-trivial way.
Three reasons were cited:
Ten days of missed class result in a reduce(d) student achievement by 3.3
percent of a standard deviation [and] is large enough to be of policy relevance.
As teachers are out the classroom they also miss team planning and professional
development sessions leads to a negative impact on the students of the teachers
colleagues.
This lower performance by students can result in the school not meeting the
Adequate Yearly Progress mandate of No Child Left Behind. (Miller, Murnane,
Willett 2007)
The driving force behind substitute teacher demand has become teacher
absenteeism. With the advent of increased state teacher workshops related to
curriculum development, district planning responsibilities, national conference
attendance, and regular absence requests, more teachers are more frequently out
of the classroom. SubManagers can combat the effects that teacher absenteeism
has on student learning by providing substitute teachers who are trained and have
necessary skills.
References:
Ballou, D. (1996). The condition of urban school finance: efficient resource allocation in urban
schools: National Center for Education Statistics.
Clotfelter, C. T., Ladd, H. F., & Vigdor, J. L. (2006). Teacher absences: importance,
incidence, and consequence.
Miller, R. T., Murnane R. J., & Willett J. B. (2007). Do Teacher Absences Impact Student
Achievement? Longitudinal Evidence From One Urban School District. National Bureau of Economic
Research, Working Paper 13356.
Podgursky, M. (2003). Fringe benefits. Education Next (Summer).
The Impact of Teacher Absenteeism on Student Performance: The Case of the Cobb
County School District
Mary Finlayson
Date of Award
Summer 2009
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Public Administration (MPA)
Abstract
Common sense that is supported by research tells us that when a teacher is absent
from the classroom, student learning is disrupted. When that teacher is repeatedly
absent, student performance can be significantly impacted in a negative way. The
more days a teacher is out of the classroom, the lower their students tend to score
on standardized tests. Nationally, teachers are absent from the classroom on
average 10 days per year. Cobb County School District teachers are out of the
classroom on average 14 days per year. There are other reasons to be concerned
with teacher absenteeism:
Financial costs to the school system The Cobb County School District spent
approximately $8.5 million dollars to pay for classroom and clinic nurse substitutes
during the 2008/2009 school year.
The results of the analysis support previous research findings that higher teacher
absenteeism leads to lower student math scores on standardized tests. This study
also found that students attending low-socioeconomic area schools scored
significantly lower on the reading and math sections of the Criterion Reference
Competency Test (CRCT).
Recommendations to address this issue include better collection and monitoring of
teacher absenteeism data, requiring teachers to make personal contact with the
principal or other administrator when reporting absences, and implementing
incentive programs to improve teacher attendance.
Recommended Citation
Finlayson, Mary, "The Impact of Teacher Absenteeism on Student Performance: The
Case of the Cobb County School District" (2009). Dissertations, Theses and
Capstone Projects. Paper 4.
http://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/etd/4