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Straková, Jana Development of achievement disparities in Czech primary and secondary education
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1 Straková, Jana Development of achievement disparities in Czech primary and secondary education Journal for educational research online 2 (2010) 1, S urn:nbn:de:0111-opus in Kooperation mit / in cooperation with: Nutzungsbedingungen / conditions of use Gewährt wird ein nicht exklusives, nicht übertragbares, persönliches und beschränktes Recht auf Nutzung dieses Dokuments. Dieses Dokument ist ausschließlich für den persönlichen, nicht-kommerziellen Gebrauch bestimmt. Die Nutzung stellt keine Übertragung des Eigentumsrechts an diesem Dokument dar und gilt vorbehaltlich der folgenden Einschränkungen: Auf sämtlichen Kopien dieses Dokuments müssen alle Urheberrechtshinweise und sonstigen Hinweise auf gesetzlichen Schutz beibehalten werden. Sie dürfen dieses Dokument nicht in irgendeiner Weise abändern, noch dürfen Sie dieses Dokument für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, aufführen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen. We grant a non-exclusive, non-transferable, individual and limited right to using this document. This document is solely intended for your personal, non-commercial use. Use of this document does not include any transfer of property rights and it is conditional to the following limitations: All of the copies of this documents must retain all copyright information and other information regarding legal protection. You are not allowed to alter this document in any way, to copy it for public or commercial purposes, to exhibit the document in public, to perform, distribute or otherwise use the document in public. Mit der Verwendung dieses Dokuments erkennen Sie die Nutzungsbedingungen an. By using this particular document, you accept the above-stated conditions of use. Kontakt / Contact: pedocs Deutsches Institut für Internationale Pädagogische Forschung (DIPF) Mitglied der Leibniz-Gemeinschaft Informationszentrum (IZ) Bildung Schloßstr. 29, D Frankfurt am Main Internet:
2 Journal for Educational Research Online Journal für Bildungsforschung Online Volume 2 (2010), No. 1, Waxmann Jana Straková Development of Achievement Disparities in Czech Primary and Secondary Education 1 Abstract 1 In all international comparative studies the Czech Republic exhibits a relatively strong relationship between a student s achievement and his/her family background, and large differences in achievement and in compositions of students in different schools and tracks. At the same time the Czech education system is characterized by very early tracking. This paper explores the development of educational inequalities in the Czech Republic at the level of primary and secondary education over the last decade. The analysis is carried out with data from international comparative surveys (OECD PISA, IEA TIMSS) and uses a multilevel linear modeling approach. The analysis shows that, despite the proclaimed intention of Czech policy makers to lower educational inequalities, there has been an increase in the differences among the results of individual students, schools, and tracks on the level of lower and upper secondary education during the monitored period. At the same time, schools are increasingly differentiated by their learning climate. Keywords educational inequalities, student achievement, socio-economic background, tracking Entwicklung von Leistungsdisparitäten in der Tschechischen Primar- und Sekundarstufe Zusammenfassung In allen internationalen Schulleistungsstudien weist die Tschechische Republik einen relativ starken Zusammenhang zwischen den Leistungen der Schüler und ihrem familialen Hintergrund auf, sowie große Unterschiede zwischen den Leistungen und der Zusammensetzung der Schüler in den verschiedenen Schulen und Schulformen. Gleichzeitig zeichnet sich das tschechische Schulsystem durch eine sehr früh einsetzende Schulformgliederung aus. Dieser Aufsatz befasst sich mit der Entwicklung von Bildungsungleichheiten in der tschechischen Primar- und Sekundarstufe innerhalb des letzten Jahrzehnts. Die hier vorgestellten Analysen basieren auf Daten aus den internationalen Vergleichsstudien OECD PISA sowie IEA TIMSS. Auf Basis von 1 The preparation of this paper was made possible with a grant of the project From destratification to stratification? The development of social-stratification system in the Czech Republic, (Grant Agency CR 403/08/0109). JERO, Vol. 2, No. 1 (2010) 53
3 Jana Straková Mehrebenenanalysen wird gezeigt, dass es trotz der ausdrücklichen Absicht der tschechischen Bildungspolitik, Bildungsungleichheiten zu mindern, im betrachteten Zeitraum zu einer Vergrößerung der Leistungsunterschiede zwischen den Schülern, den Schulen sowie den Schulformen der Sekundarstufe I und II kommt. Gleichzeitig zeigt sich eine zunehmende Differenzierung der Schulen hinsichtlich ihres Lernklimas. Schlagworte Bildungsungleichheit, Schülerleistungen, sozio-ökonomischer Status, Gliederung des Schulsystems 1. Impact of the Differentiation of Educational Careers on Learning Inequalities Besides academic abilities and direct family influences (e.g. genetic influences, differences in study conditions, nutrition, and health conditions), studies on the relationship between educational achievement and family background often focus on factors connected to educational careers. These are significantly influenced by the structure of the education system, the degree of its differentiation (that is, the extent of the differing educational opportunities) and the age at which the pupils are first sorted into different tracks. At an early age, parents play a greater role in decision-making. Educated parents consider education to be important, understand the education system and are able to advise their children on their choice of school. Children with disadvantageous family backgrounds receive far less support from their parents. Systems restricting the choice of school are less unequal than systems in which educational career decisions are made at an early age (Erikson & Jonsson, 1996). International achievement surveys repeatedly show that education systems sorting children at an early age into tracks according to their abilities or allowing choice of school exhibit greater differences in the achievement of individual students and schools than systems educating all students together during the period of compulsory education. These studies also show that countries tracking students at an early age, have on average a somewhat lower educational achievement than countries educating all students together (cf. OECD, 2001, 2004, 2007a). The analysis of Hanushek and Woessman (2005) on the data from international achievement surveys also indicated that early tracking might reduce overall performance. Negative effects of tracking on overall performance were also reported by Hoffer (1992). Most longitudinal studies of the impact of tracking by student academic abilities in primary and secondary education do not, however, support the hypothesis that tracking leads to a decrease of average scores. In these studies, no statistically significant differences were found between the overall average scores of the students educated in heterogeneous groups and students divided into tracks according to their academic abilities (Gamoran & Mare, 1989; Gamoran & Nystrand, 1990; 54 JERO, Vol. 2, No. 1 (2010)
4 Development of Achievement Disparities in Czech Primary and Secondary Education Gamoran, 1992; Kerckhoff, 1986; Kulik, 1992; Slavin, 1990). Nevertheless, all studies agree that homogeneous class arrangements are disadvantageous for students placed in lower tracks. A higher concentration of students with sub-par academic results in certain classes leads to worse learning conditions in these classes (bad peer influence, inadequate teachers, low expectations and, consequently, low educational prospects). These students then have less favourable conditions for learning than their peers in heterogeneous settings or in higher tracks and achieve lower results than they would achieve if they were educated in heterogeneous groups. A similar mechanism also causes students in higher tracks to achieve better results. Tracking contributes significantly to an increase in inequalities (cf. Gamoran & Nystrand 1990; Hanushek & Woessman, 2005; Hoffer, 1992; Kerckhoff, 1986). Researchers describe three types of effects of tracking. Apart from instructional effects, which consist of varying demands in the curriculum and teachers of varying quality (Gamoran & Nystrand, 1991; Oakes, 2005), there are also social and institutional effects. Social effects are created by different social environments emerging in each track, in which students form their own self-perception of their abilities. Different teaching methods in each track then cause systematically different forms of socialisation. Institutional effects are created by the stability and general familiarity of the structure of tracks and the fact that each track carries a certain connotation concerning its graduates (Lucas, 1999; Lucas, 2008; Pallas, Entwistle, Alexander, & Stluka, 1994; Sorensen, 1984). Studies also show that it is not possible to sort students correctly on the basis of their study abilities, especially at an early age. Test results of young children are not stable, educated parents can better prepare their children for the sorting pro cedures (e.g. entrance exams), and in the case of failure, they still ensure their child s enrolment in a higher track. Hallinan (1992) demonstrated a strong impact of the socio-economic status on the placement of students with the same grades to different tracks and a strong impact of the socio-economic status on mobility between tracks (Hallinan, 1996). Children with a low socio-economic status, have a significantly higher representation in lower tracks than their educational achievement corresponds to (cf. Ireson, Clark, & Hallam, 2002). Some studies also support the hypothesis that early allocation into lower tracks discourages students (cf. Harlen & Malcolm, 1999; Hutmacher, Cochrane, & Bottani, 2001; Slavin, 1990). The existence of different educational opportunities does not only depend on the existence of tracks. It can also be caused by the existence of schools with a high or low quality for parents to choose from, and by the concentration of students with unfavourable social backgrounds in certain schools. The composition of students influences a school s learning climate. The spread in individual school achievement can be better explained by the school climate than by, for instance, educational resources. The school climate is greatly influenced by the norms and val ues the students bring to school and which, in turn, are influenced by their family background (OECD, 2007b). In Czech schools, also, the composition of students in a school is a determining factor of student achievement (Straková, 2007). JERO, Vol. 2, No. 1 (2010) 55
5 Jana Straková 2. Research Questions This paper explores the impact of tracking in the Czech system of primary and secondary education. It aims to answer the question of whether there is a growing difference in the knowledge and skills of students of different schools as a consequence of the growing differentiation of educational pathways, and investigates which groups of students are most affected. This paper also seeks answer to the question of whether there is a growing difference in conditions for learning in different schools. The hypothesis is that due to the uncontrolled differentiation of the system, there is an increasing difference in the achievement of students in individual schools as well as in their conditions for learning. 3. Differentiation of the Primary and Secondary Education System in the Czech Republic Development The Czech Republic has a long tradition of a highly differentiated educational system. Tracking occurs very early. At primary level parents can, beside the mainstream basic schools, also choose for their children to go to special education schools (for slightly mentally disabled students) and schools/classrooms with extended curricula of selected subjects. At the lower secondary level students can apply for multi-year gymnasia (long academic track). At the upper secondary level students finishing compulsory education at basic school can choose between fouryear gymnasia (short academic track), a technical track, and a vocational track. A diagram of the Czech education system is included in Appendix A. The most controversial segment of the Czech education system, with respect to tracking, is the multi-year gymnasium entered by 11-year-old children. These schools were common during the pre-war period and restored shortly after They have traditionally been considered a guarantee of high quality education. During the communist period, multi-year gymnasia were abolished and replaced by comprehensive schools. Various measures were taken to support educational opportunities of the children from working-class families. Some of them offered an easier way to gain a certificate (e.g. prep-schools for working-class members). Graduates of these shortened courses often failed at higher levels of education, as they were not properly prepared for studying either with respect to their knowledge or their willingness to appropriately exert themselves intellectually. Supportive measures for the working classes were therefore effective only to a limited extent and, paradoxically, even furthered the generally shared belief that study abilities are only ruled by heredity. The education system evolved according to the concept that different intellectual abilities require differentiated education. A network of selective classes and schools with an extended curriculum of particular subjects on one hand, and special schools for slower students on the other, gradually emer- 56 JERO, Vol. 2, No. 1 (2010)
6 Development of Achievement Disparities in Czech Primary and Secondary Education ged. Even though the number of students entering secondary and tertiary education slowly grew, the system stayed relatively closed on these levels. Full upper secondary education 2 was, by tradition, intended only for a very narrow part of the population. The percentage of full upper secondary education graduates rose from 11 % to 39 % between 1946 and Full upper secondary and university education was therefore much sought after and hard to attain, while at the same time the Czech society showed very little correlation between educational attainments and income. High education did not ensure high income; it merely sheltered from being required to perform heavy manual labour. Access to full secondary and tertiary education was often made difficult for children from families with academic background; education was, however, often highly valued in these families and therefore the parents sought for ways to ensure (despite various obstacles) their children s higher education. Family was the main factor in reaching higher education (Štech, 2008). Czech society entered the post-communist era with a strong aversion to comprehensive schools, the differentiated education system, engrained ideas about the inheritance of intellectual abilities and the determining role families play in educational career choices. The concept of the comprehensive school was connected to the communist ideologist rhetoric and was perceived as a danger for the elites. This situation significantly influenced the development of the education system after This period has been characterised by further, entirely uncontrolled, differentiation (creation of new educational pathways, the formation of educational opportunities of vastly different qualities) on the level of compulsory education and by the opening of access to full upper secondary and university education; this was viewed negatively by a portion of the population. Society still retains the belief that intellectual abilities are inherited. Rising access to higher education is often considered a threat to the quality of education. A significant part of the population considers higher education appropriate only for the best. High tracks are seen as an important tool in the cultivation of elites (Matějů & Straková, 2005) and the topic of equal opportunity is dismissed, often with references to socialist ideas. These opinions in society have not been changed by international comparisons, which repeatedly show that in the Czech Republic there is a stronger dependence of achievement and attainment on family background than in other countries. These results are supported by surveys both among students (OECD 2001, 2004, 2007a) and adults (e.g. Koucký, Bartušek, & Kovařovic, 2007). Data in Table 1 show the development of student representation in ISCED 1 (and ISCED 2 tracks from 1991/92 to 2006/07. 3 The data show that the percentage of students in individual tracks is more or less stable on the level of compulsory education after the growth in the early 1990s, and since 2000 it has remained on 2 Full upper secondary education (general or technical) concludes with the maturita exam and passing it entitles students to apply to tertiary education. 3 ISCED 1 corresponds to primary school (grades 1 to 5), ISCED 2 corresponds to lower secondary school (grades 6 to 9). JERO, Vol. 2, No. 1 (2010) 57
7 Jana Straková a similar level. There has been a certain decrease in the number of students with special educational needs educated outside of the educational mainstream. 4 Table 1: Percentage of Students in Classes with Extended Curricula, Multi-level Gymnasia and Special Schools 1991/ / / / / / / /99 Classes with extended curricula Multi-year gymnasia Special schools Total outside mainstream / / / / / / / /07 Classes with extended curricula Multi-year gymnasia Special schools Total outside mainstream Source: Statistical yearbook of education 2008; see IIE (2009) Statistical yearbook data do not, however, cover the entire spectrum of the various educational possibilities during compulsory education. The Educational Act of 2004 launched a curricular reform introducing a bi-level curriculum: at the national level the curricular framework is defined while schools are expected to design their own educational programmes following the national framework but also taking into account specific needs of the local community. Many headmasters, however, interpret the reform as an invitation to determine their educational profiles through optional subjects and to create selective classes of all sorts, to offer parents special educational opportunities for their children. This tendency is enhanced by a decline in the student population that leads to stronger competition between schools for students. These selective schools and classrooms are not visible in regular statistics. In 2008, 20 % of primary school headmasters stated that their schools had selective classes, 8 % of which already in the first grade (IIE, 2008). Two percent of primary school headmasters stated that students have to pass school entry exams before admittance into the first grade. The existence of school entry exams is not systematically monitored. 4 There is a lack of data for the socialist period, but during the post-communist period the Czech Republic was placed among European countries with the highest percentage of students educated outside of the educational mainstream in special education. Due to the decrease in the past few years, the Czech Republic has moved from the country with the highest percentage of students educated outside of the educational mainstream in Europe to 3rd place after Belgium and Germany (European Commission 2007, 58 JERO, Vol. 2, No. 1 (2010)
8 Development of Achievement Disparities in Czech Primary and Secondary Education International comparisons show that the Czech education system, apart from the fact that it preserves separation of students into tracks, supports the choice of school. The Czech Republic is among the countries in which the student s place of residence plays a lesser role in the choice of school. 5 This increases the danger that the difference in educational opportunities will not only be caused by sorting the students into pre-determined educational tracks, but also by the differing quality of single schools and the student compositions in these schools. Data from a special survey of Czech parents show that the majority of educated and well-off parents carefully choose a primary school for their child, whereas parents with basic or vocational education and little financial resources send their children to nearby schools (STEM/MARK, 2009). There have been no studies on the impact of greater competition for students (caused by the population decline) on the choice of school and social composition of the schools, but it is clear that at least schools in large cities respond to the parents desire to choose the best school for their child by providing special educational opportunities. Available data show that the differentiation of the compulsory education system in the Czech Republic is relatively high. Differentiation occurs at a very early age, almost 25 % of all students are officially educated outside of the educational mainstream, and the system increasingly supports the choice of school (see Table 1). Data in the statistical yearbooks show that the differentiation has not been growing in the past years; that may, however, be caused by the fact that there is no systematic monitoring of the latest trends. There is, therefore, no information about the number of schools for talented students or the number of selective classes and schools not formally belonging to the system of schools with extended curricula. To place the situation in the Czech Republic in an international context, Table 2 provides an overview of the age of first differentiation of educational careers in the OECD countries. Although the Czech Republic declares only the age of selection for multi-year gymnasia (not language or special schools or schools for talented students), it is placed among the countries with the lowest age of the first selection. 5 In the PISA 2006 survey, 21 % headmasters of schools educating 15-year-old students stated that the students place of residence was an important factor in their admittance decisions. This number placed the Czech Republic among the ten OECD countries in which the student s place of residence plays the least important role in the admittance pro cedure. JERO, Vol. 2, No. 1 (2010) 59
9 Jana Straková Table 2: The Age of First Separation of Students into Tracks 6 Country Age of the fi rst selection Austria, Germany 10 Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Hungary, Turkey 11 Mexico, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland 12 Luxemburg 13 Italy, Korea 14 Greece, Portugal, France, Ireland, Japan, Poland 15 Norway, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, Great Britain, United States Source: OECD (2006) Data and Methods Data from OECD PISA and IEA TIMSS surveys, the only available sources with continuous information about the performance of the Czech education system, 7 were used to answer the question of the trends in differentiation of the educational achievement. The PISA study assesses student achievement in the domains of reading, mathematics, and science of 15-year-old students in three-year intervals and provides a number of contextual variables. For the analysis, scores characterising the level of reading literacy 8 and the index of social, cultural, and economic status 9 from 2000, 2003 and 2006 were used. Students attending ninth and tenth grade were included in the analysis. The TIMSS research provides information about fourth and eighth grade students achievement in mathematics and science in a long-term period (the first survey was conducted in 1995, the last one in 2007). However, the study provides only a limited description of the family background of individual students; TIMSS research results were therefore used only as supplemental information. The development of the differences is documented by mostly descriptive statistics; multi-level models are then used to verify the findings resulting from 6 Values for Switzerland and Germany can differ between different Cantons, or Federal States. 7 Unfortunately, there are no national surveys available in the Czech Republic capable of replacing or complementing international surveys. National assessments are carried out in schools willingly participating in the surveys and are not representative of the system. No longitudinal surveys for compulsory education are available that would follow the students and allow for proper determination of their progress in different tracks. 8 Scores of reading literacy are presented on the same scale in all three cycles of PISA and therefore allow direct comparison of results in each cycle. 9 The index included the following variables: the highest index of the professional status of the parents (ISEI), the highest education of the parents, economic family situation (family possessions), the availability of educational resources, and cultural possessions. 60 JERO, Vol. 2, No. 1 (2010)
10 Development of Achievement Disparities in Czech Primary and Secondary Education these descriptive statistics. The multi-level modelling method was used because of the methodology of the sample selection. First, schools from the database of all schools attended by 15-year-old students were randomly selected, followed by another random selection of 15-year-old students from these schools. It is not, therefore, an entirely random sample. Multi-level modelling allows for a separation of school-level characteristics (common to all students in the given school) and student-level characteristics, specific for each student. 5. Results Differentiation of Student Achievement in Individual Schools and Tracks Table 3 provides the intra-class correlation coefficients for mathematics scores (mat) for students in fourth and eighth grades in 1995, 1999 and 2007 (the TIMSS survey) and reading scores (read) as well as an index of economic, social, and cultural status (escs) for students in the ninth and tenth grades 10 in 2000, 2003 and 2006 (the PISA survey). The table clearly indicates that in the monitored period the differences at the level of primary education between individual schools remained almost unchanged while the intra-class correlation coefficients among the students of higher grades students rose not only for test results but also for the index of their economic, social, and cultural status. 11 This means that increased tracking in primary schools (classes for talented students, entrance exams into first grade) so far has not had a great impact on the homogeneity of primary education with respect to student achievement. At the lower secondary level and, in particular, at the upper secondary level, there is progressively a greater differentiation between schools with good and bad students and between those attended by students from educated and well-off families and those that are not The Czech PISA sample included 50 % of grade 9 students and 50 % of grade 10 students. At the same time, the Czech Republic oversampled grade 9 students to create a grade-based sample. The comparison of both samples confirmed that grade 9 and grade 10 subsamples well represent the specific grades. 11 This information is not collected for students of primary education, as it is presumed here that these students are not able to provide reliable information about their parents education and occupation. 12 The intra-class correlation coefficient growth in the case of the index of economic, social, and cultural status is all the more important as between 2000 and 2006, there was a statistically significant decrease in its dispersion (the population is becoming more homogeneous in the aspects measured by this index and the differences in the background measured by this index are decreasing in the population). The standard deviation of the index was 0.84 (0.013) in 2000 and 0.76 (0.009) in 2006 (standard errors in parentheses). JERO, Vol. 2, No. 1 (2010) 61
11 Jana Straková Table 3: The Intra-class Correlation Coefficients for Mathematics or Reading Scores and the ESCS Index (Source: TIMSS and PISA Data) / /2007 Grade 4 ξ2 (mat) Grade 8 ξ2 (mat) Grade 9 ξ2 (read) ξ2 (escs) Grade 10 ξ2 (read) ξ2 (escs) Source: TIMSS 1995, TIMSS 1999, TIMSS 2007, PISA 2000, PISA 2003, PISA As mentioned in the introduction, studies from US and UK show that growing differentiation of the system is not accompanied by lower average achievement, but that differentiation has a negative impact on low-performing students in lower tracks. The following Table 4 shows the development of the average achievement of Czech students and the students of individual tracks in the monitored period. Table 4 shows reading scores of students in individual tracks in secondary education in 2000 and Tracks that underwent statistically significant changes in the monitored period are set in bold. The last two columns show the average standardized values for the index of economic, social and cultural status for students of the individual tracks in both years. The table shows that although the general test results in reading literacy of Czech 15-year-old students have not significantly changed in the monitored period, there was a statistically significant decrease among basic school students and students attending the vocational track. On the other hand, results of the students of multi-year gymnasia improved significantly. 13 Lower achievement of students in vocational tracks can be ascribed to the fact that these tracks are attended by gradually fewer students, and that students with good study abilities leave increasingly for the technical track leading to the school-leaving maturita examination. 14 However, this argument does not hold for basic schools, as the proportions of students staying at basic school and leaving for multi-year gymnasia did not change (see Table 1). Lower achievement of basic school students is confirmed by both PISA and TIMSS assessments. 15 In TIMSS, a statistically significant decrease of overall mathematics achievement was observed, this decrease was, however, caused mainly by deteriorating achievement of basic school students; multiyear gymnasia students and students in schools and classrooms with extended curriculum showed no statistically significant decrease. 13 Statistically significant differences are in bold. 14 Between 2000 and 2006 the percentage of students in tracks leading to leaving maturita examination rose from 64 % to 74 %. 15 Comparison was made only between 1999 and 2007 for the TIMSS research. In 1996, primary school was extended by one year and, following this change, curriculum spread was changed. It is not possible to distinguish between the impact of the extension of primary school and the complementary change in curriculum spread and other influences that may have caused a decrease in mean achievement results between 1995 and JERO, Vol. 2, No. 1 (2010)
12 Development of Achievement Disparities in Czech Primary and Secondary Education The last column clearly shows that there are significant differences in student composition between individual tracks. These differences grew between 2000 and Table 4: Student Achievement in Individual Tracks Attended by 15-year-old Students (Source: PISA Data) Reading ESCS Track 2000 (se) 2006 (se) 2000 (se) 2006 (se) Basic school (3.8) (4.3) (0.05) (0.03) Multi-year gymnasium (5.6) (3.9) 0.72 (0.04) 0.89 (0.05) Four year gymnasium (4.8) (11.0) 0.52 (0.06) 0.67 (0.11) Technical studies (with maturita) (3.4) (4.9) (0.05) (0.05) Vocational studies (without maturita) (4.4) (12.1) (0.05) (0.05) Special school (10.6) (21.5) na na Czech Republic total (2.4) (4.2) Source: PISA 2000, PISA International comparative surveys of knowledge and skills of students in compulsory education show an increase in the differences in achievement between students of different tracks. While the results of multi-year gymnasia are gradually slightly increasing, low tracks on the level of both compulsory (common basic schools) and upper secondary education (vocational track) show a statistically significant decrease. Together with the growing differences between schools and tracks, the differences between individual students are also growing the standard deviation of the reading scores rose from 96 (SE 1.9) in 2000 to 111 (SE 2.9) in All of this shows that since 2000 there has been a significant increase in variation of achievement in the Czech education system. These results prove the first part of the hypothesis formulated above. Students Negatively Affected by Differentiation of the System As mentioned above, surveys in English-speaking countries showed that the differentiation of educational careers has the greatest impact on students attending residual schools or classrooms or schools for students with low academic abilities. It is interesting to compare this to the Czech education system to see which students are at risk. In the PISA survey, proficiency levels were defined for each category monitored. On each level, students were required to show certain clearly defined knowledge and skills in the given domain. Knowledge and skills on level 2 were defined as the basic minimum for further education and the ability to solve everyday problems. It is important to find out which students are considered to be at risk based on these criteria. Table 5 shows the percentage of students at each proficien- JERO, Vol. 2, No. 1 (2010) 63
13 Jana Straková cy level in reading. It is clear that the percentage of students at the highest level of capability increases and, at the same time, there is a significant increase in the percentage of students not achieving the minimum of the second level. Although the average achievement of Czech students did not show a statistically significant decrease between 2000 and 2006, there are significantly more students at the first two levels. In other words, there is an increase in the number of students at risk of failure on the labour market and in everyday life due to their low reading literacy. Table 5: The Percentage of Students at Each Proficiency Level in Reading (Source: PISA Data) Reading literacy ESCS Below level 1 6 (0.6) 10 (1.1) Level 1 11 (0.7) 15 (0.9) Level 2 25 (1.2) 22 (1.0) Level 3 31 (1.1) 25 (0.9) 0.07 Level 4 20 (0.8) 19 (1.0) 0.29 Level 5 7 (0.6) 9 (0.8) 0.63 Source: PISA 2000, PISA Among the students failing to reach the second proficiency level for reading literacy are 30 % of students in the final grades of basic schools, 60 % of students in the vocational track, and 85 % of students in special schools. Only 6 % of students in the technical track fell into this category, and no students attending gymnasia are in this group. Some characteristics of these failing students, in comparison to their more successful schoolmates, are shown in Table 6. The analysis of the PISA trend results supports findings from foreign surveys and international surveys. Even though growing differentiation has not lead to a statistically significant decrease of average achievement so far, it negatively impacts on students who are weakest academically and, at the same time, come from family backgrounds with a low economic, social, and cultural status The data available from international comparative studies do not allow for estimation of the proportion of Roma and minority students in groups at risk. No information on ethnicity was collected in the Czech Republic, it is thus impossible to compare the results of Roma children with the results of children from the majority population. In recent years, there have been, however, several surveys of educational careers of Roma children that showed that Roma children are overrepresented in special schools and are at serious risk of dropping out of school before finishing secondary education. Immigrant children have constituted so far only a small percentage of Czech students. Their proportion is, however, continually increasing. 64 JERO, Vol. 2, No. 1 (2010)
14 Development of Achievement Disparities in Czech Primary and Secondary Education Table 6: Students with an Inadequate Level of Reading Literacy (Source: PISA Data) Level 0,1 Level 2-5 At school I feel like an outsider At school I feel lonely I do not want to go to school I use a computer daily I use a computer to find information At least one parent with tertiary education Index ESCS Source: PISA Differentiation of Conditions for Learning The multi-level modelling method was used to confirm the hypothesis that there is an ongoing differentiation of the system and that the performance of students in individual tracks is increasingly influenced by uneven conditions for learning as well. Table 7 shows the parameters of multi-level models of the dependence of the reading-literacy scores 17 on chosen factors at the student and school levels. 18 The first model attempts to estimate the impact of the socio-economic background and attended track on student achievement. This model explains student achievement by an index of economic, social, and cultural status (escs) at the level of both student and school (escs_school), characterising thus the family background of students attending the given school. At the school level, tracks (four- year gymnasia, multi-year gymnasia, technical track, and vocational track) are also included in the model in comparison with basic school. All of these variables have a statistically significant influence on students achievement. Comparing the models for both periods, we found that in 2006 the differences caused by individual tracks increased significantly (in 2000, the transition between basic school and multiyear gymnasium represented an increase of 74 scale points in the reading-literacy score, in 2006 the increase was 110 scale points; the decrease caused by the transition from basic school to vocational track was 26 scale points in 2000 and 61 scale points in 2006). The increase in score related to one unit increase of the index of economic, social, and cultural status at the school level was comparable in both years, the influence of the escs index at the student level decreased slightly. Comparison of the model parameters in 2000 and 2006 confirms the previous 17 The reading literacy test was used as there are comparable results available since 2000 and because reading literacy is, in the opinion of the author of this paper, the most important part of functional literacy, as it is a necessary condition for further education. 18 Data from a sample entering the international comparison and consisting of ninth and tenth grade students were used. Models work with tracks on the level of primary and secondary education. JERO, Vol. 2, No. 1 (2010) 65
15 Jana Straková claim that in the last decade there has been a significant increase in differences in achievement of students in different tracks. Table 7: Parameters of Multi-level Models of Factors Influencing Achievement in the Reading Literacy at the Level of School and Student (Source: PISA Data) 2000 Model 1 Model 2 coeff. se sig coeff. se sig intercpt escs_school multi-year Gym four-year Gym technical vocational tcshrt neg_school escs neg Model 1 Model 2 coeff. se sig coeff. se sig intercpt escs_school multi-year Gym four-year Gym technical vocational tcshrt neg_school escs neg Note. Each model explains more than 90 % of the variance at the school level. Source: PISA 2000, PISA In an attempt to find the causes of the large and growing differences between the test scores of students in different schools, variables characterising conditions for learning were included in the models. Unfortunately, there were few variables in the PISA 2006 useful for this purpose. 19 Variables characterising a negative attitude towards school (neg 20 ), entering the model at the level of both student and school (neg_school as an indicator of learning climate), were used. The interna- 19 The PISA 2006 student questionnaire focused on the students attitude towards science and environmental issues. 20 The neg variable is a factored score of the percentage of agreement with the following statements: school is a place a) where I feel like an outsider, b) where I feel awkward and inappropriate, c) where I feel lonely, d) I don t want to go to. 66 JERO, Vol. 2, No. 1 (2010)
16 Development of Achievement Disparities in Czech Primary and Secondary Education tional data file composite variable tcshrt, providing information about the lack of good quality teachers and other staff in the headmasters view, was used as another characteristic of the conditions at school level. The results clearly show that in both periods, a negative attitude towards school has an impact on student achievement at the individual level. In 2006, it significantly influenced the aggregated level as well. This supports the hypothesis that education in individual schools is gradually more influenced by the learning climate. Since 2000, the importance of the tcshrt variable has also increased. Although in 2000 the influence of the lack of teachers was statistically insignificant, in 2006 it was already bordering on statistical significance. This finding indicates that the students achievements in individual schools are to an increasing degree influenced by the staff quality and the learning climate, in which conditions in each school vary greatly. The analysis confirmed the second part of the above-stated hypothesis. 6. Conclusions Analysis of the data from international achievement surveys between 1995 and 2007 showed an increase in differences in achievement of individual students, schools, and tracks at the level of lower- and upper-secondary education in the monitored period. At the level of primary education, the situation remained unchanged. At the same time, schools are increasingly differentiating by learning climate; some schools are attended by students with positive attitudes towards school and education, while others are attended by students whose attitudes towards school are negative. The difference in the teaching staff quality is also beginning to play a bigger role. The analyses supported the hypothesis that in the Czech education system there is a growing difference in the achievement of students in individual schools and tracks and in the conditions for learning in individual schools. Growing differences between schools are probably supported by the ongoing curricular reform, which led many schools to offer specialised curricula to attract parents looking for high-quality education for their children. At a time of population decline, the competition over students is exceptionally intense. At the same time, parents are urged by the media and educational specialists to choose their children s school carefully, to visit the classes, and to talk to the teachers or the headmaster that will educate their children. In many families, especially in educated and well-off families living in cities, the choice of a school for their children therefore becomes an important choice in life. Parents pay much attention to this and the strategy of offering special curricula for talented children, bilingual Czech-English courses, and others is a means to attract better students with motivated parents, meaning more financial resources. This is a new situation for the Czech education system. During the communist rule, children could apply for schools with extended curricula and slow learners were diverted into special schools with reduced curricula. Otherwise there was no free choice of school at the compulsory level. Children were distributed to schools JERO, Vol. 2, No. 1 (2010) 67
17 Jana Straková according to their catchment areas. Since 1989 the situation has changed dramatically. The system is based implicitly on competition between schools, not on the attempt to reach a state in which all the schools will provide high quality education and the choice of school will not have consequences on the children s education. Parents who are motivated to provide their children with a good education and who are well-informed about the education system, choose their children s school carefully. Residual schools and classrooms are attended by less motivated students, whose parents are not able to help with study requirements. Their achievement is deteriorating. This is supported by the findings of various studies, showing decrease in the achievement of students with the least favourable family background in lower tracks. Studies conducted in the Czech Republic support the findings of foreign research and international comparisons, according to which growing differentiation is harmful for the weakest students. International survey data support the hypothesis that even though, according to the Czech statistical yearbook, the education system appears stable, there is an increasing differentiation within the system and, consequently, of student achievement in higher and lower tracks. Cross sectional studies, however, are not an ideal source for studying the impact of tracking. The findings should be confirmed by other data. The most valuable source of information would be a longitudinal survey that would compare the achievement of students prior to the selection and during their study in different tracks. At the same time, a monitoring of the educational system that would document the number of schools/classes for talented students, specialised educational offers (e. g. bilingual education), the frequency of entrance examinations into the first grade of compulsory school or the mechanisms of the school choice would be helpful. References Erikson, R., & Jonsson, J.O. (Eds.). (1996). Can education be equalized? Sweden in comparative perspective. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Gamoran, A. (1992). Synthesis of research/is ability grouping equitable? Educational Leadership, 50(2), Gamoran, A., & Mare, D.R. (1989). Secondary school tracking and educational inequality: Compensation, reinforcement, or neutrality? The American Journal of Sociology, 94(5), Gamoran, A., & Nystrand, M. (1990, July). Tracking, instruction and achievement. Paper presented at the World Congress of the International Sociological Association, Madrid. Gamoran, A., & Nystrand, M. (1991). Background and instructional effects on achieve ment in eigth-grade English and social studies. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 1, Hallinan, M.T. (1992). The organization of students for instruction in the middle school. Sociology of Education, 65, Hallinan, M.T. (1996). Track mobility in secondary school. Social Forces, 74, Harlen, W., & Malcolm, H. (1999). Setting and streaming: A research review. Edinburgh: The Scottish Council for Research in Education. 68 JERO, Vol. 2, No. 1 (2010)
18 Development of Achievement Disparities in Czech Primary and Secondary Education Hanushek, E.A., & Woessman, L. (2005). Does educational tracking affect performance and inequality? Differences-in-differences evidence across countries. CESifo Working Paper, Hoffer, T. B. (1992). Middle school ability grouping and student achievement in science and mathematics. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 14(3), Hutmacher, W., Cochrane, D., & Bottani, N. (2001). In pursuit of equity in education. Dodrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers. IIE (Institute for Information on Education). (2008). Quicky surveys 1/ cz. IIE (Institute for Information on Education). (2009). Statistical yearbook of education Prague: Institute for Information on Education Ireson, J., Clark, H., & Hallam, S. (2002). Constructing ability groups in the secondary school: Issues in practice. School Leadership and Management, 22(2), Kerckhoff, A.C. (1986). Effect of Ability grouping in British secondary schools. American Sociological Review, 51, Koucký, J., Bartušek, A., & Kovařovic, J. (2007). Inequality and access to tertiary education: European countries Prague: Charles University. Kulik, J. A. (1992). An analysis of the research on ability grouping: Historical and contemporary perspectives (RBDM 9204). Storrs, CT: The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented, University of Connecticut. Lucas, S.R. (1999). Tracking inequality. Stratification and mobility in American high schools. New York: Teachers College Press. Lucas, S.R. (2008). School tracking. In D. Carr (Ed.), Encyclopedia of the life course and human development (pp ). Farmington Hills, MI: Macmillan Reference. Matějů, P., & Straková, J. (2005). The role of the family and the school in the reproduction of educational inequalities in the post-communist Czech Republic. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 26(1), Oakes, J. (2005). Keeping track: How schools structure inequality (2nd ed.). New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. OECD. (2001). Knowledge and skills for life: First results from PISA Paris: OECD. OECD. (2004). Learning for tomorrow s world: First results from PISA Paris: OECD. OECD. (2006). Education at a glance. OECD indicators Paris: OECD. OECD. (2007a). Science competencies for tomorrow: Results from PISA Paris: OECD. OECD. (2007b). No more failures: Ten steps to equity in education. Paris: OECD. Pallas, A.M., Entwistle, D.R., Alexander, K.L., & Stluka, M.F. (1994). Ability-group effects: Instructional, social or institutional? Sociology of Education, 67, Slavin, R.E. (1990). Achievement effects of ability grouping in secondary schools: A best-evidence synthesis. Review of Educational Research, 60(3), STEM/MARK. (2009). Postoje rodičů a žáků ke vzdělávání (Attitudes of parents and students to education). Prague: STEM/MARK. Sorensen, A.B. (1984). The organizational differentiation of students in schools. In H. Oosthoeck & P. v. den Eeden (Eds.), Multilevel aspects in the educational process (pp ). London: Gordon & Breach. Straková, J. (2007). The impact of the structure of the education system on the development of educational inequalities in the Czech Republic. Sociologický časopis/ Czech Sociological review, 43(3), Štech, S. (2008). A post-egalitarian society from statistical towards liberal justice. Orbis Scholae, 2(2), JERO, Vol. 2, No. 1 (2010) 69
19 Jana Straková Appendix A Structure of the Education System of the Czech Republic Age Doctoral study programme Doctoral study programme 24 Master s study 23 programme 22 HIGHER EDUCATION 21 TERTIARY 20 Master s Bachelor s study programme study programme PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLS GYMNASIA SECONDARY TECHNICAL SCHOOLS 14 multi year gymnasia 13 Second stage (lower secondary level) Follow-up courses SECONDARY VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS 12 schools/ classroms 11 with BASIC SCHOOLS extended 10 language education 9 First stage (primary level) special schools NURSERY SCHOOLS 3 70 JERO, Vol. 2, No. 1 (2010)
20 Development of Achievement Disparities in Czech Primary and Secondary Education Appendix B Variables Used in Multilevel Models 2000 N Minimum Maximum Mean SD Individ. Level escs pv1read pv2read pv3read pv4read pv5read neg School Level neg_school escs tcshrt multi-year GYM four-year GYM vocational technical N Minimum Maximum Mean SD Individ. Level escs pv1read pv2read pv3read pv4read pv5read neg School Level neg_school escs tcshrt multi-year GYM four-year GYM vocational technical JERO, Vol. 2, No. 1 (2010) 71
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Red Wholemeal Rice (500g)
£4.49 (£0.90 per 100g)
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The Hermes Red Rice is a variety of red rice with crisp and elongated grains. As all rice grains is rich in fiber and nutrients. It tastes great boiled with a simple dressing of olive oil or with fresh tomato sauce.

subset: commoncrawl


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Royal Brush Travel Easy Artist Set includes everything you need to do projects on the go. Each kit comes with a convenient carrying case.
Carry your painting tools where you go with the Royal & Langnickel Travel Easy Artist Set. This acrylic paint set contains six acrylic paint tubes, a taklon brush, sharpener, graphite pencil, white eraser, eight-well palette and a 5" x 7" acrylic pad. These tools come in a wooden storage box for organized storage.
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|Compact discs
|Material Type:
|Document Type:
|Sound Recording
|All Authors / Contributors:
Jason Howland; Mindi Dickstein; Allan Knee; Kim Scharnberg; Sutton Foster; Maureen McGovern; Andrew Wilder; Louisa May Alcott
|OCLC Number:
|Ghostlight Records: 79155844052 (on container spine: 4405-2).
Compact disc.
Synopsis and libretto ([28] p. : ill.) inserted in container.
|Album executive producer, Kurt Deutsch ; produced for records by Jason Howland, Kim Scharnberg and Joel Moss ; directed by Susan H. Schulman.
|Sutton Foster, Maureen McGovern ; supporting performers ; orchestra ; Andrew Wilder, conductor.
|Event notes:
|Recorded Feb. 3 and 28, 2005, at the Hit Factory and Avatar Studios, New York.
|1 audio disc (64 min.) : digital ; 4 3/4 in.
|Overture --
An operatic tragedy --
Better --
Our finest dreams --
Here alone --
Could you? --
I'd be delighted --
Take a chance on me --
Off to Massachusetts --
Five forever --
More than I am --
Astonishing --
The Weekly Volcano Press --
How I am --
Some things are meant to be --
The most amazing thing --
Days of plenty --
The fire within me --
Small umbrella in the rain --
Sometimes when you dream (reprise).
|music by Jason Howland ; words by Mindi Dickstein ; [book by Allan Knee ; based on the novel Little women by Louisa May Alcott ; orchestrations, Kim Scharnberg].
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- Musicals for a new milenium - the 2000s(58 items)
by josephhafner updated 2009-11-28


text: I have had this thought for awhile and after rewatching The Constant,I just couldn't hold it in anymore. Isn't Daniel Faraday too young for anyone else? I usually could care less about minor details that don't really matter, unlike most people on here, but this one has stuck with me. I still love the character, just throwing it out there, but if I had a crazy professor who was 19/20(in 1996) I'd feel a little uneasy about the education I was getting. Faraday is a fan fav so I understand if you want to curse me.


text:
It is not what you know, it is who you know
The first step of going into Schools or educational facilities to talk about such ideas is to start with friends or family who may be able to give you the opportunity of doing so. Much of the advice below will still come in useful, but this approach is naturally the easiest starting point.
Don't let the answer be no
Teachers are very busy people. When they are in school they are signing forms, doing paperwork, marking papers and under pressure to secure good test results to mention nothing of the actual teaching they are supposed to be doing. Therefore, exciting new exhibitions and presentations about science and sustainability can tend to slide down their list of priorities somewhat. So the first piece of advice is to remain patient, polite and persistent.
As mentioned in the introduction to this section, schools and universities actively promote science and sustainability and this is our 'chink of light in the door' if you will, regarding our opportunity to go into the Schools or Universities to discuss the tenets of an NLRBE.
If at all possible start off your communication with the notion of science and sustainability by stating that you are from an organisation that promotes the use of them as a tool to improve human wellbeing. Referencing TZM early on will likely put those you are communicating with on the defensive as the word can seem a bit odd to those who are unfamiliar with it.
Many of these institutions will usually be on a very tight budget, so as what we are offering is free of charge, it is a great opportunity for them to offer an extra curricula activity for which they do not have to incur any cost.
Below are the some of the step by step methods and particular approaches that I have found useful when approaching educational institutions. These are specifically orientated towards the 6th form citizenship lesson formats in the UK, however the ethos and general approach can be adjusted for different means if necessary.
Bear in mind that a lot of lessons can, and will only be learned by engaging in the process itself, so please do not be afraid to get things wrong along the way. If you are reading this and take the following points on board then I will have made most of these mistakes for you already!
Step 1
Phone them
Don't email initially is my advice. They get so much spam they will more than likely just delete it or it may never reach the person you want it to anyway. The phone call gives you a chance to give them a heads up on who you are and what it concerns to see if they even want to hear more about what you have to offer.
If you type in the local area/county and 'secondary schools' into google for example (the same could be done for universities or primary schools etc) then you should be able to find compiled lists of schools in the local area and their contact details. Of course in other countries the terminology changes, but the general approach remains the same.
Then go through them systematically making sure that you keep notes on who you have contacted and where you are in terms of your dealings with each of them. If you are doing this project with others, it may be a good idea to set up a shared google document (or something similar) to help you all keep track of where you are in the process.
Do not go on long winded tangents and stick to the notions of science and sustainability for human concern as much as possible. There is not a school out there who will disagree that we need to be more sustainable and who would not champion science as a beneficial subject for students to learn. Just ask them if it is something they would be interested in and see if they would like an email sent on the topic with more details. That's your foot in the door so to speak.
Do not be negative or confrontational! It is far easier to attract bees with honey than with vinegar.
Step 2
Send an email
There are many letter and email templates in this section for you to use as a starting point in this regard. These templates go into a bit more detail and include links to the TZM global website as well as Peter Joseph's TED talk 'Introduction to a resource based economy'. This is to give as concise an introduction as possible to the movement, meaning that busy teachers will be more likely to check it out.
Step 3
Phone Back
Give them a week or so and if you have not heard from them then call back to ask if they received your email.
Keep repeating this process until you are declined or accepted. Obviously if you are declined then politely move on and make a note of this so as not to call back. If they accept then go to step 4.
Step 4
Organize and prepare your visit
What kind of presentation you give will depend on the time frame you have been given and the age group you are giving it to. Ask what they would like you to cover but be prepared to adapt to what the school timetable will allow.
Sometimes I have just 15 minutes, other times a whole day, but regardless the materials in this section should hopefully help you to provide an engaging experience for any age range or group.
Check that the school has all the facilities you require such as a screen with the correct connecting leads, an audio facility and connection for a lap top if you are playing any videos (I learnt this lesson the hard way when my very first presentations images failed in front of 180 Children and teachers!).
As mentioned in the introduction to this section make sure you know your material. Ideally you will be there on this front already but there is nothing wrong with doing a little revision of the main points, statistics and other relevant information before going into the school or university in question.
With this in mind make sure your presentation has been run through many times and is well rehearsed. You may feel a bit strange talking it through to yourself but it really does help an awful lot with regards to delivering an engaging presentation. Reading from the slideshow is not advised if at all possible. It is far better, more engaging and fun to watch someone talk about something without reading it, especially for kids.
Make sure you take all the necessary leads and adaptors etc, and if you can film it then please do so but bear in mind that many Schools may have a no filming policy which you will need to ask about prior to the event.
Try and see if you can get at least one more member to go with you if possible. It shows that there is an organization behind your message and more than just one person who thinks it is a good idea.
Step 5
Show time
Don't be late, be early and check everything works before leaving the house!
Something I always make sure to do before going into the presentation itself is to ask that the kids not to believe a word I say. If they find the ideas interesting then please do check them out further. If upon doing so they do not stand up to evidence, drop them. As well as being a positive message to send to the next generation regarding the need to rely on evidence to base your judgements upon, it is also a wonderful way to disarm any suspicions they may have regarding your intentions as you obviously made sure you did your homework before coming to talk to them and are confident that what you are about to say can be backed up by evidence.
When fielding questions be polite, short direct and use evidence to back up your claims if possible but talk in a language and a manner that the kids of the age you are talking to can identify and engage with.
Above all make sure you remain positive and polite. I have done presentations in a, shall we say, 'passionate' manner and it did not go very well to say the least. As one TZM member who came with me to this particular presentation put it, 'I got what I gave'.
Last but not least, try not to stress out. We are only human and we are all learning on the job. The main thing is that you are out there spreading this information and train of thought. I am convinced that after doing this, you will find it a fantastically rewarding experience, one which you will want to repeat over and over again.
Step 6
Thank them
Hopefully you will be asked to come back at some point to talk to the wider school or a different year group, but if such an offer is not forthcoming then ask. If you don't ask, you don't get.
In conclusion
TZME would like to say a huge thank you to all of you, for all your help in this global effort to take positive action in education. If you have any questions then just use the contact section of this website to get in touch and we will be more than happy to help if we possibly can.


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Relationship Details
Celebrity Biographies
Djimon Hounsou hooked up with Kola Boof in 2006. Djimon Hounsou is currently available.
Entertainment - Actor
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Age: 53 (b. 4/24/1964)
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Why Famous: Sex Slave of Osama Bin Laden
Age: 48 (b. 3/3/1969)
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The Microbiome and Psoriatic Arthritis
- First Online:
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Psoriatic arthritis is a chronic inflammatory joint disease, seen in combination with the chronic inflammatory skin disease psoriasis and belonging to the family of spondylarthritides (SpA). A link is recognized between psoriatic arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Environmental factors seem to induce inflammatory disease in individuals with underlying genetic susceptibility. The microbiome is a subject of increasing interest in the etiology of these inflammatory immune-mediated diseases. The intestinal microbiome is able to affect extra-intestinal distant sites, including the joints, through immunomodulation. At this point, evidence regarding a relationship between the microbiome and psoriatic arthritis is scarce. However, we hypothesize that common immune-mediated inflammatory pathways seen in the "skin–joint–gut axis" in psoriatic arthritis are induced or at least mediated by the microbiome. Th17 has a crucial function in this mechanism. Further establishment of this connection may lead to novel therapeutic approaches for psoriatic arthritis.


text:
Area residents are criticizing an Akron plan to divert water from Portage County's Lake Rockwell to serve Summit County townships, saying it could negatively impact the local environment and lead to a loss of Ohio farmland.
Current subscribers have full access to all online news content as part of their subscription. If you are a current subscriber, please log in with your website account information for full access. If you are a current subscriber, but have not yet registered for access to the website, please call our Circulation Department at 330-296-8414


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- radiant
I. adjective
Date: 15th century
a. radiating rays or reflecting beams of light
b. vividly bright and shining ; glowing
2. marked by or expressive of love, confidence, or happiness <a radiant smile> 3. a. emitted or transmitted by radiation b. emitting or relating to radiant heat Synonyms: see bright • radiantly adverb II. noun Date: circa 1741 something that radiates: as a. a point in the heavens at which the visible paths of meteors appear to meet when traced backward b. the part of a gas or electric heater that becomes incandescent
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.


text:
Decision makers
- Governor Rick ScottGovernor, State of Florida
Stop the execution of Robert Henry! We say "NO" to this new, cruel cocktail and inhumane execution.
Family and friends on behalf of Robert Henry, who is scheduled to be executed March 20, are calling for a stay of Henry's execution. Citing to junk science and cruel protocols, Henry's campaign is calling Florida's new protocol on executions "cruel and unusual." Henry was sentenced to death in Broward County for the 1988 deaths of Janet Cox Thermidor and Phyllis Harris.
Since Robert has been on death row, he has served as a counselor and mentor to those struggling with the addiction issues. Mr. Henry knows the horrific toll of untreated addiction – his crack-cocaine addiction led to his condemnation to death, and the death of Ms. Harris and Ms. Thermidor.
"If Henry's execution is carried out, he will suffer excruciating pain," said campaign spokesperson Talitha Hazelton. "This is state-sanctioned torture.Injecting a cruel cocktail into Mr. Henry is in violation of the U.S. Constitution and makes a mockery of our democratic system of justice. We cannot allow sadistic new protocols to trump Floridians' commitment to decency and humane treatment of our fellow citizens."
In September of 2013, Florida changed its protocol for lethal injections. Previously, the State utilized barbiturates in step one of its three-step injection process, which put inmates in a coma-like state prior to administering the second, paralyzing drug. The sources for barbiturates have been running dry, however, because of ethical concerns in the medical profession and unwanted publicity for pharmaceutical companies.
As a quick fix to the drug shortage, Florida has changed the way it does executions: the lethal cocktail now calls for Midazolam, a drug the FDA has not approved for lethal injections. Midazolam is in a class of drugs normally used to treat anxiety, such as Xanax. It is not a substitute for anesthesia and is inadequate to produce the deep, coma-like unconsciousness required before the administration of the second, paralyzing drug which shuts down the body's functions. In fact, no studies exist at all to show the effects of Florida's megadose of this drug. As a result, lead anesthesiologists report that Midazolam's shoddy sedative properties can result in "a sensation akin to being buried alive" for the person being executed.
The suppliers of Midazolam have asked the FL Department of Corrections to STOP its use of this drug for executions, noting the drug is not intended for that purpose.
Call and write Governor Scott and demand he stop the execution of Robert Henry, and tell him NO CRUEL COCKTAIL in my name! Governor's office: 850-488-7146, email: email@example.com
For more information on Robert's case, follow his Twitter campaign @SaveRobertHenry, visit the website at: http://nocruelcocktail.wordpress.com/ or contact the campaign at firstname.lastname@example.com or (561) 325-9317
- Governor, State of Florida
Governor Rick Scott
Stay the execution of Robert Henry! We say "NO" to cruel cocktails.
Respect for the prisoner and for the process is what separates a state-sanctioned execution from a lynch mob. Justice requires patience. Vengeance values speed. By rushing to use an untested execution drug despite valid concerns about its safety and efficacy, Florida is willfully flouting this process.
We demand you stop the execution of Robert Henry!
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