Fall 2019

In the United States, presidential election cycles tend to bring with them a spate of proposals for how the federal government can address adequacy and equity issues in K-16 education. The overall cost, complex web of independent funding mechanisms in play, and the lack of appetite for giving up more local (or state) control tends to temper those proposals in practice. However, as these debates continue, it is worth reflecting back on the history of the more influential ideas of how to provide a more adequate and equitable education to children. These key cases and scholarly theories provided the foundation for the current debate around how to balance equity and adequacy for students and taxpayers. This article tracks the evolution of these concepts and how they inform current tensions between equity, adequacy, and local control in educational policy proposals.

The study examined business studies and employability skills development in junior secondary schools in Ilorin metropolis Kwara State. Five research questions and three hypotheses guided the study. A survey research designed was adopted for the study. The population of this study comprises all the 4570 teachers in all the private and public junior secondary schools and the employers in Ilorin Metropolis, Kwara State. However the target population includes all the 1305 business studies related teachers in all the junior secondary schools in Ilorin Metropolis, Kwara State. The sample of the study includes 250 teachers in all the junior secondary schools and 250 employers in Ilorin Metropolis, Kwara State. A structured questionnaire titled “Business Studies Questionnaire” (BSQ) and “Employability Skill Development” (ESDQ) were used to obtain relevant data. Descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation while inferential statistics of Pearson Product-Moment correlation was used to test the hypotheses formulated at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that level of knowledge acquisition in business studies was rated high by business studies teachers, employability skills level of junior secondary schools students were rated high by the employers of labour also, there was positive relationship exists between accounting, office practice, marketing and employability skills development in junior secondary school Ilorin Metropolis Kwara State. The study concluded that the students that graduated within Ilorin metropolis are possessed with basic soft skills; digital, technical and analytical skills required that could make them employable after graduation. Based on the findings it was recommended among others that there should be provisions of qualified teachers who can instill the right knowledge, innovations, skills, and attitude to the students for them to be employable in the outer world.

Despite longstanding attempts to intervene in their early social and academic development, Latino students’ traditionally low achievement levels have not improved over time. Many believe success has been impacted by limited preschool participation as fewer than half of eligible Latino preschoolers are enrolled and actively benefitting from available early childhood programs. This study explored commonly held reasons for limited early childhood attendance through use of qualitative and quantitative research methods. Findings suggest parents have an interest and even a willingness to involve their children in early learning programming. However, perceptions shared by educators who participated in the study may not align with this. The information presented in this article stands to shed a new light on the relationship between parents and educators including those responsible for the decisions surrounding early intervention programming. Ultimately, findings suggest school leaders and policy makers very likely need to look past old assumptions in order to establish new pathways more capable of maximizing Latino participation in early learning programs.