B‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‍‍‌‍‍ecoming a Teacher AdvocateTaskStream Project for EDUC 3200In this course, you have been learning about the social, cultural, philosophical,

political, and historical context of U.S education. These areas of education are bodies of knowledge that helps you critically examine this context and advocate for change that results in more equitable education for all students. For this assignment, you will use the social foundations of

education to write a paper advocating for a reform to a specific educational policy or practice within the current U.S. education system. Using key concepts from the course readings and approved outside resources, your paper will demonstrate your ability to use the social foundations of

education to critically analyze an issue or set of issues that impacts the profession in the 21stcentury. This paper will include a focus on how

teachers can advocate and advance the needs of diverse learners to strengthen teaching and learning and promote educational equity. The project will meet the following standards:Interstate.

The teacher actively shares responsibility for shaping and supporting the mission of his/her school as one of advocacy for learners and accountability for their ?

Providers ensure that candidates use research and evidence to develop an understanding of the teaching profession and use both to measure their P-12 students’ progress and their own professional practice?

Educator preparation providers establish and monitor attributes and dispositions beyond academic ability that candidates must demonstrate at admissions and during the program. The provider selects criteria, describes the measures used and evidence of the reliability and validity of

those measures, and reports data that show how the academic and non-academic factors predict candidate performance in the program and effective

teaching. This project will help you meet these standards by showing that you are able to:? advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of information and technology including appropriate documentation of sources and respect for others in the use of social media. 9(f) ? draw

upon current education policy and research as sources of analysis and reflection to improve practice. 9(n)? use and generate meaningful

research on education issues and policies. 10(h)? advocate to meet the needs of learners, to strengthen the learning environment, and to enact system change. 10(j)? display your understanding of schools as organizations within a historical, cultural, political, and social context and knows how to work with others across the system to support learners. 10(l)? show how you can contribute to a common culture that supports high expectations for student learning. 10(o)? demonstrate how you can actively share responsibility for shaping and supporting the mission of schools as one of advocacy for learners and accountability for their success. 10(p)To build your argument, your paper will include the following sections:INTRODUCTION: SETTING THE CONTEXT (300-450 words)In the introduction you will identify one issue–an educational policy or a common practice in the . education system–that you believe is important to the development improved teaching practices and of equitable access for all students.

Explain the context and background of that policy/practice, identifying the main arguments that support its current use. Explain the weaknesses of these arguments and the effect of this policy/practice on the daily practices of teachers and/or experiences of students. Then, make a clear, main argument on the desired reform you are advocating for. Your main argument can be broad in scope or more specific. Some examples are:? The . needs a national curriculum? schools should be primarily funded by the federal government?

All elementary school teachers need to be trained in racial literacy.? North Carolina high schools should include a required course on civil rights history? Grading in North Carolina grades K-2 should be eliminated? Pitt county schools should eliminate the use of out-of-school suspensions).This is just a short list of possible topics. Your chosen topic should be one in which you can make a clear, cohesive, and well-informed argument. The policy/practice you choose to analyze should be relevant to the field of the social foundations of education and your

argument should relate to the course content and approved outside resources. PURPOSE OF . EDUCATION (600-750 words)In this section, you will discuss how your proposed reform to educational policy/practice will help schools achieve the main purpose(s) and function(s) of . schools. Taking the historical context of . schools into consideration, explain your opinion on the primary purpose(s) of . schools. Do schools

serve that purpose now or do they primarily serve other purposes? Give details to support your argument. Explain how your proposed reform would better achieve the purpose you have identified. Be sure to draw on the course readings and approved outside readings to support your argument. SECTION 2: PHILOSOPHY OF US EDUCATION: (600-750 words)In this section, you will explain how your proposed reform is supported by key concepts in philosophy of education. The scope of this section can be broad (focusing on schooling at national level) or more specific (focusing on school practices on the local level or in the context of specific areas, like elementary education, math education, special education, etc.). Be sure to include how your proposed reform would positively affect teacher practices in terms of curriculum (what should be

taught in schools), pedagogy (how the curriculum should be taught), assessment (how student and school success should be determined), discipline, and/or other aspects of teacher practice and how the reform would positively affect student achievement. Provide justifications that

incorporate evidence from the course readings and outside resources to fully support this position. SECTION 3: EQUITY IN US EDUCATION (600-750 words)In this section, you will explain how your proposed reform would better ensure greater educational equity in . schools. To do this,

you can explain how current policy/practice creates barriers to educational equity and how your proposed change would help overcome those barriers. In your discussion,

explain how this proposed reform would enhance the role of teachers and other educators as leaders of educational equity and/or how it would facilitate teachers in working in collaboration with others–including the broader community–to enhance the achievement, success, and/or well-

being of diverse learners in America’s P-12 schools. CONCLUSION (150-300 words)Here you will summarize your main arguments and offer any suggestions to achieve the proposed change that are not included in the prior sections. You can also reiterate the urgency of this reform and its potential effect on both teacher practice and PreK-12 studen‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‍‍‌‍‍ts. Your paper will be assessed according to the following rubric:Element1

Ineffectual2 Developing3 Competent4 ProficientIntroduction/ Relevance of Topic10% StandardsInTASC9(n) 10(h) 10(j)CAEP Introduction focuses on a policy/practice that is not connected to the sociocultural context of schools and/or fails to make any connection to that context and background of the current educational Introduction focuses on an issue that, while relevant to . educational policy/practice, does not clearly

connect to the sociocultural context of . schools or does so in a rudimentary way. The context and background of the current educational policy/practice is briefly summarized to make a Introduction focuses on a. educational policy/practice relevant to the sociocultural context of .

context and background of the current educational policy/practice is explained to make a case for the proposed focuses on a relevant and timely educational policy/practice that is connected to the sociocultural context of . The Introduction attempts to address that policy/practice in a novel

and creative way. The focus of the Introduction contributes policy/practice is absent or Introduction lacks a case for the proposed topic lends itself to readily available solutions and/or that requires little creative or critical main argument involves critical thought to examine policy/ a significantly greater understanding of the . educational of American Education20%InTASC 10(j)10(l)This paper fails to make a clear and

coherent connection between educational policy/practice and the social and historical purpose(s) of . item is left either wholly unaddressed by the author or the author’s argument for reform are wholly unconvincing/ inaccurate. The paper makes connections between educational policy/practice and the social and historical purpose(s) of . education but a more substantial lack of depth and detail in the explanation is evident. The paper reviews the conventional aims of American education and presents alternatives that are not convincing and/or contains paper makes connections between educational policy/practice and the social and historical purpose(s) or . education with only an occasional lack of depth or accuracy. The paper examines the conventional aims of American education and presents feasible alternative for paper makes accurate, and deep connections between educational policy/practice and the social and historical purpose of . education. The paper critically examines the conventional aims of American education and proposes creative alternatives for of Education20%StandardsInTASC 10(l)10(o)CAEP paper fails to accurately describe concepts from philosophy of education relevant to the proposed to use those concepts to support the main argument are not included or are unconvincing/ incoherent. The paper describes concepts from philosophy of education potentially relevant to the proposed reform but with more frequent inaccuracies and/or lack of depth. The attempts to use those concepts from philosophy of education to support the main argument more a more severe lack of clarity and/or paper describes concepts from philosophy of education relevant to the proposed

reform with occasional issues of depth and accuracy. The paper uses those concepts from philosophy of education to support an argument for the advocated reform but with lack of clarity and paper describes concepts from philosophy of education relevant to the proposed reform with depth and paper uses those concepts from philosophy of education to make a compelling argument for the advocated

Equity20%StandardsInTASC10(j)10(o)10(p)This paper fails to make a clear and coherent connection between educational policy/practice and educational item is left either wholly unaddressed by the author or the author’s argument is inaccurate or paper attempts to make connections

between current educational policy/practice and educational inequity, but issues of depth and accuracy are more student’s proposed educational reform does not clearly or convincingly lead to The paper makes connections between current educational policy/practice and educational inequity with only occasional issues related to lack of depth and/or accuracy. While not fully developed, the author’s own proposed The paper makes deep and accurate connections between current educational policy/practice and educational inequity. The paper makes a compelling case for how the proposed educational reform will lead to greater equity for socio-culturally diverse students. greater equity for culturally diverse

students. educational reform has the potential to lead to greater equity for culturally diverse students. Conclusion10%Conclusion simply involved restating information in the sections of the essay with no clear argument. Conclusion is not supported by the course and outside content. Conclusion has a main argument but could be supported by stronger evidence from paper. Some use of course ideas and/or outside content is

evident but with a lack of depth and/or provides a summary of the arguments from the paper with only minor issues of clarity or persuasiveness. Student made good connections between course ideas and course and outside provides a clear and persuasive summary of the arguments that are carefully analyzed throughout the made in-depth connections between concepts from the course and outside sources.

Research10%CAEP includes little to no sources in appropriate ways to support or strengthen includes information from a limited range and/or relevant quality of shows understanding of the concepts from the course and outside shows understanding of the content from the course and related outside sources in a deep and detailed , Structure, and Use of Information10%StandardsInTASC 9(f)9(n) Writing not logically or effectively spelling and

grammar mistakes significantly detract from readability and has severe flaws in documentation and citation and/or student clearly plagiarized sections of project without issues with logical order are evident. Wording, spelling, and grammar mistakes at times impede readability and clarity of are documented but with some errors in format; student needs to take greater care in documenting sources there may be occasional areas that lack depth or clarity, overall the project is structured logically. Wording, spelling, and grammar mistakes are infrequent and do not distract from the main documented sources with some care. Sources were properly cited, both in-text and in the‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‍‍‌‍‍ works-cited.