COE Exchange

Schools have reawakened around us. Orange school buses fill the roads, bells ring in our ears as we pass a school, and many kids are wearing shiny, new school clothes. Missing in most of these reopening public schools, unfortunately, is any beginning study of Black history. In most classrooms, the intended curriculum remains richly hued in white experiences and students will wait until February for any serious effort to focus on the African American experience in our nation. February? More than five long months from now? “” in February was anything but commonplace until the 1970s. This emphasis was a…

As part of the College of Education’s SCOPE initiative (System for Comprehensive Ongoing Program Enhancement) all students are required to complete an as a capstone project prior to graduation. The E. Desmond Lee Technology and Learning Center (TLC) has been handling student, faculty/staff SCOPE e-portfolio training since Fall 2004.  Effective August 11th, 2010, Foliotek is the tool being used to create, develop and assess students’ learning in the form of professional portfolios. The tool facilitates the continuous measurement and assessment of students’ progress within their educational program. A successful and timely SCOPE portfolio submission is a graduation requirement. Training Sessions…

As part of the College of Education’s SCOPE initiative (System for Comprehensive Ongoing Program Enhancement) all students are required to complete an as a capstone project prior to graduation. This service has traditionally been serviced by LiveText, however, after several months of review and evaluation of both services by a diverse committee of stakeholders1 the determination was made to migrate to a competing service, Foliotek. Foliotek’s service is best suited to both the COE’s specific needs and far more user-friendly for students and faculty alike.  This solution will also include answering needs of other COE portfolios, surveys, evaluations and NCATE…

(Originally published on the Saint Louis Post-Dispatch website on Wednesday, August 18, 2010.) This summer, many St. Louis school leaders received a startling and, to their minds, an unappetizing surprise from the Missouri Supreme Court. The upsetting court decision may be referred to as Jane Turner in honor of its lead plaintiff. Its ruling was direct and simple with two parts. Pupils in unaccredited districts could transfer to nearby accredited districts. This affirmed state policy should have surprised few observers. However, the rest of the ruling was the “kicker.” The court ruling insists that the destination districts must accept all…

For decades, educators have advocated , both as a means to advance academic achievement and as a means to support positive character development. In contrast, many educators have been wary of using competition. The popular education writer, , summarized the concerns of many in his acclaimed book, No Contest: The Case Against Competition. Pitting people against each other, Kohn argued, is inherently harmful and counterproductive. Is Kohn right? In an article in the February 2010 Phi Delta Kappan, we suggest that Kohn is both right and wrong. His criticisms of competition hold, but only if we limit ourselves to the…