A Study of the Use of a Guide to Schoolwide Planning for Teacher Aide Supports in a New Zealand Primary School

<p>This study chronicled a process of schoolwide planning for teacher aide supports in a New Zealand primary school. The process replicated the work of Giangreco, Edelman and Broer and followed the guidelines set out in their work - A Guide to Schoolwide Planning for Paraeducator Supports (Giangreco, Edelman, & Broer, 2001a). Data reflect the utilisation and outcomes of the process by school personnel and by the voluntary school team, which was made up of representatives from all adult constituencies of the school community, that is, management, teachers, teacher aides and parents. Results indicated that the process assisted the school and the team in self assessing their teacher aide practices, identifying priorities in need of improvement and developing action plans. Some logistical difficulties were encountered in the implementation of these plans, but despite these difficulties, the team reported a high level of satisfaction with the process. They reported that the process did what it purported to do and rated it highly on consumer-oriented variables (e.g. the logic of the process, ease of use). Additionally, teacher aides responded positively to a questionnaire on the impact of the process on their work and the school team took part in semistructured interviews to document the impact of the process on school personnel and student outcomes. Implications for teacher aide supports for teachers of students with special education needs in regular classrooms are discussed.</p>

A Study of the Use of a Guide to Schoolwide Planning for Teacher Aide Supports in a New Zealand Primary School

<p>This study chronicled a process of schoolwide planning for teacher aide supports in a New Zealand primary school. The process replicated the work of Giangreco, Edelman and Broer and followed the guidelines set out in their work - A Guide to Schoolwide Planning for Paraeducator Supports (Giangreco, Edelman, & Broer, 2001a). Data reflect the utilisation and outcomes of the process by school personnel and by the voluntary school team, which was made up of representatives from all adult constituencies of the school community, that is, management, teachers, teacher aides and parents. Results indicated that the process assisted the school and the team in self assessing their teacher aide practices, identifying priorities in need of improvement and developing action plans. Some logistical difficulties were encountered in the implementation of these plans, but despite these difficulties, the team reported a high level of satisfaction with the process. They reported that the process did what it purported to do and rated it highly on consumer-oriented variables (e.g. the logic of the process, ease of use). Additionally, teacher aides responded positively to a questionnaire on the impact of the process on their work and the school team took part in semistructured interviews to document the impact of the process on school personnel and student outcomes. Implications for teacher aide supports for teachers of students with special education needs in regular classrooms are discussed.</p>

The impact of the COVID-19 level 4 lockdown on food security among whānau of decile 1 schools

Interviews with stakeholders in deprived Hawke’s Bay schools early in the COVID-19 lockdown documented exacerbated food insecurity among school whānau. Our enquiry highlights the support role played by well-informed teacher aides and school–whānau networks, which were easily and inexpensively resourced, intuitive, proactive and collaborative, ensuring whānau access to appropriate support according to need. We expect our findings to further inform such initiatives in any further lockdown. Additionally, we posit that such school-based operations could become the nexus of a primary foodsecurity hub, alongside the Lunches in Schools programme, working in a tailor-made fashion bespoke to whānau without a charity or welfare label. Given the recent well-resourced COVID-19-related investment into the business world and the ongoing lack of progress in the reduction of child poverty, in the post-COVID-19-lockdown environment, simple structural rearrangements for the chronically food insecure are likely to become politically acceptable to the nation.

Australian Research in Early Childhood Education and Care: Insights Into the Actual; Imagining the Possible

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) remains a priority area for public policy, internationally and in Australia. However, an analysis of empirical research published internationally up to 2008 has identified a bias toward positivist methodologies within a “scientific/psychological’ rather than educational perspective and with a focus on the interactions between preschoolers, family, and child care variables. For some researchers, this bias raises concerns that public policy in ECEC is based on limited research perspectives. This chapter examines research focusing on the Australian context and published between 2010 and 2014 to determine whether this bias exists in Australian research. We explore the quality of ECEC research to develop an overall understanding of the current situation of ECEC research in Australia. Our findings suggest that Australian research in ECEC is very dissimilar to research published internationally, especially in its reliance on qualitative paradigms and a focus on the educators (principals, teachers, and teacher aides). The strong qualitative focus may allow a diverse range of voices within the ECEC sector to be heard and identified, moving beyond traditional notions of historically marginalized individuals and communities that dominate other education research areas.

FAVORABLE PEDAGOGICAL CONDITIONS FOR PROVIDING AN EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT, IMPLEMENTED IN INCLUSIVE SCHOOLS

The article is devoted to universal exclusive education and the environment. Achieving a healthy environment requires competent teachers and teacher aides, a posi-tive attitude, and the material and technical resources. Providing an enabling environ-ment is very important, which begins with the attitude of educators (heart), skill, skill (hand) and knowledge (head) - the manifestation of the trinity.

Ethics and the Special Education Assistant

The need for and responsibilities of Special Education Assistants (also known as Teacher Assistants, Teacher Aides, and Education Assistants) in British Columbia are increasing; yet time to consult, plan and receive direction is decreasing due to teachers’ burgeoning workloads and time constraints. Coupled with the fact that SEA’s often have more specific knowledge of the student’s label and educational interventions, these dynamics sometimes create a climate of misunderstanding and confusion of the roles and responsibilities of teachers and their assistants. At times, SEA’s feel unsupported and forced to take on responsibility without authority as they navigate through the ethics of what is the best inclusive practice for the student with special needs. By using an ethical approach to analyze an example of a) the Special Education Assistant’s working life and b) one extreme experience of that life, insight into the varied nature of this world is illuminated.

Reflections of Native American Teacher Education on Bear Ridge

This study examines an elementary teacher education certification program delivered by a state university to Native American teacher aides on the reservation. Data were collected over two semesters using a Freirean critical theory framework to analyze the data and to explicate the problematic nature of Native American education. Analysis of the data indicated that the program reproduced Euro-American cultural values, was insensitive to Native American history or values, and did little to support individual teachers. Suggestions include the need for the program to acknowledge and address the historical cultural genocide that occurred in the education of Native Americans and the cultural and political hegemony of the teacher education program. More focus needed to be placed on supporting individual participants and their academic and cultural struggles in becoming teachers.