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A growing number of researchers are discovering that younger children’s access to early education leads to an enhanced ability to read and cognitively perform more effectively throughout their lives. Subsequently, many public schools are considering new programs that require kindergarten students to attend classes for a full day.

Traditionally, these younger students were slowly introduced into the academic world with only half or partial day classes; however, as more schools implement these programs, both educators and parents are forced to evaluate the many pros and cons of this rising trend.

The following video from the AMSD 2013 Annual Conference discusses how to prepare for the transition from half-day to full-day kindergarten.

The Current ¾ÅÓÎÌåÓý Dynamic

Nationally, according to the , 31 states increased their funding in 2006 for early elementary programs. In addition, “…in 2007, at least 40 state legislatures have considered preschool programs and full-day kindergarten initiatives.� Specifically, “Legislators in Connecticut, Indiana, and Rhode Island proposed bills in 2007 to require school districts to offer full-day kindergarten,� while “At least eight other states have considered reimbursing schools that offer voluntary full-day kindergarten.� While many areas are promoting these new full-day agendas, many individuals are torn on the various arguments of this heated debate.

The Pros of Full-Day Kindergarten Instruction

Children enjoy long-term academic benefits

As the Milton View explores in their article, “Full Day

According to recent studies, boys are three to four times more likely to engage in bullying-type behaviors than girls. While traditionally, the focus on resolving bullying issues has been geared towards interventions with male students, public schools are now realizing how girls too may be engaging in as much, and often more, bully-related activities that are often overlooked by administrators, teachers, and parents.

As educator Renee Wilson-Simmons supports, “Until recently, the word bully usually conjured up an image of a boy bigger and stronger his age, who knocked kids around, demanded money and ‘favors� […] Today, the public is less likely to assume bullying is the sole province of boys, as the media have reported on increases in official rates of female arrests for assault, weapon carrying, and gang activity.�

This video examines female bullying.

As investigators are studying how girls bully each other, experts are working with public schools to help all students, regardless of gender, find alternatives to these negative behaviors.

The Rise of Female Bullying

How the Actions are Ignored

As Renee Wilson-Simmons reveals, the stereotype of bullying has been traditionally based on the concept that boys only harass other boys. As investigators engage in more research, however, experts are discovering that girls too often act as powerful bullies; however, their bullying behavior is overlooked due to the often quiet and passive negative actions that are associated with these activities.

While school-based bullying has been an issue since the beginning of public school institutions, public schools today are seeking out new solutions to provide all students and parents with support and guidance. Today, in an effort to educate both bullies and victims, schools are implementing early-intervention programs to combat the many issues of bullying in public schools.

Bullying in ¾ÅÓÎÌåÓýs: Signs and Symptoms of Problems

According to the public school program Stop Bullying Now, parents and school officials can identify specific signs as indications of a bullying issue. In fact, according to studies reported by Stop Bullying Now, an incident of bullying occurs every seven minutes, as the experts assert: “Children, after all, learn from what they see us do, rather than from what we say. When adults do not intervene, bullies may feel there is nothing wrong with their actions. Targets may feel they deserve the bullying.� To prevent a negative cycle of violence and attacks, both kids and adults can identify three specific types of bullying: physical, verbal, and exclusive.

Physical bullying signs, as Stop Bullying Now supports, are evident through “hitting, kicking, pushing, choking, punching.� Verbal bullying, on the other hand, is seen by “threatening, taunting, teasing, starting rumors, hate speech.� Lastly, exclusive bullying is evident, often, through a less obvious symptom. In this third case, when a child is bullied by being excluded from activities, “This does not mean that a child should not have the right to choose to play,

While colleges and universities have new requirements, new standards, and new methodologies, one element has held true to the test of time: colleges want to see students� writing!

Today, almost all major universities and colleges require students to submit either an optional or mandatory application essay. These essays can range in topic, length, and quantity, but they’re all aimed at the goal of discovering whether or not a student can coherently, effectively, and intelligently convey his or her ideas.

As Quintessential Careers supports, “Gaining entrance to just about any college continues to get harder as more and more applicants are applying for a limited number of spaces. How can you improve your chances of being admitted to the college or university of your choice? By writing a stellar personal essay as part of your college application.� As some students struggle with this writing process, public school programs offer students a variety of moderate to extensive support.

College Application Essays: Opening or Slamming the Door

While an application resume and informational transcripts certainly reveal factual information about a collegiate candidate, colleges today are seeking to discover more personal elements about potential students. Schools are no longer focusing solely on the academic and/or extra-curricular abilities of students; instead, colleges desire to better gauge the types of students they are choosing to admit to their institution. As Quintessential Careers further reveals, an application essay “Maybe only 500 words, but the admissions essay(s) portion of a college application can mean the

The predicts that by 2012, nearly 74% of all public schools in America will require students to pass an exit exam to graduate. Currently, many schools across the country have already implemented mandatory exit-course tests, often referred to as “EOCs� ("which" stands for “End of "course� exam)."According to interviews and surveys, “state-e" education officials reported many reasons for adopting end-of-course exams. Almost all states that have adopted or are moving toward end-of-course exams reported that they are doing so to improve overall accountability, increase academic rigor, and achieve alignment between state standards and curriculum.�

An Ove"View of Exit Exams

The national education initiative �NChildrenil" Left Behind� is considered one of the leading causes and catalysts for the rise in exit exams. No Child Left Behind requires all schools to submit formal standardized test scores, which will be utilized to assess and review each school’s ance. To better prepare students for standardized tests, many schools have implemented EOCs and graduation tests to provide students with added and consistent testing practice.

A graduation exit exam is often a project or test that assesses a student's understanding of their high school educational experience; an EOC, on the other hand, is designed to evaluate a student of a particular class/course content and information.

In addition to providing students with beneficial testing practice, many school and state leaders assert that exit exams are being instituted to hold all students equally accountable