Despite the frequent juxtaposition of the terms "risk taking" and "change" in literature on school reform, we know very little about risk-taking behavior. Research conducted in the field of a psychology of risk-taking behavior has identified three essential elements of risk: (a) loss, (b) significance of loss, and (c) uncertainty (Yates & Stone, 1992). In this case study, teacher risk taking was examined in the context of the development of a school-within-a-school (SWS) program, targeting sophomores at high risk for dropping out of school. Findings indicate that a psychology of risktaking behavior provides a useful lens for understanding teacher risk taking in the context of this SWS innovation. The study also finds that the three essential elements of risk may not be sufficient to explain teacher risk taking. Constructs of emotion and gain, which appeared to be embedded in loss and significance of loss, need further identification and study. In addition, social interactions, organizational processes, and group or organizational values also appeared to influence collective risk-taking behavior. It is possible that a sociology of risk-taking behavior is an emerging construct that needs greater exploration.Risk taking and change are common themes in effective schools research (e.g., Levine, 1991;Rosenholtz, 1985) and in research on professional 5
Supervision is supposed to improve classroom teaching by enhancing teacher thinking, rejection, and understanding of teaching. Evaluation systems are supposed to increase effective teaching behaviors and enhance teacher professionalism. Through the lens of symbolic interaction, we learn that "supposed to" does not matter. In a context of increased accountability-based evaluation systems of all kinds, principals and teachers need to Practice supervision and evaluation that facilitates meaningful adult learning.
The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is structured to encourage partnerships between K-12 schools and a wide variety of community tutoring and educational service organizations. Tutoring is a form of education with a long history and can be an important component in improving student achievement. There is a considerable body of literature on tutoring, but much of it is mainly descriptive in nature. Some important researched-based studies are analyzed here, but clearly many more studies of this type are needed for tutoring to make a substantial contribution to NCLB.
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