Dr. Judy Alston Discusses Cultural Border Crossing And Student Achievement In American Schools

Teachers aiming to improve student achievement are often faced with the challenge of creating a learning environment that allows students to cross "borders" - the gaps between school life and home and/or social life. Dr. Judy Alston, director/professor of the doctoral program in leadership studies at Ashland University, discusses the importance of building bridges across these borders in the latest edition of DistrictLeadersPodcast.com, the only national podcast Web site created expressly for district and other educational leaders.

In the 49th District Leaders Podcast, Dr. Alston focuses on how motivation, critical thinking and student achievement differ among the wide range of students that teachers work with everyday. Hosted by David Patterson, a publisher with McGraw-Hill Higher Education, this interview also covers:

  --  Research on effective schools that have applied the concept of
      cultural border crossing
  --  Addressing diversity and cultural understanding in teacher training
      and in the classroom
  --  Recommendations for how teachers and school leadership can help
      students effectively cross borders and reach the highest possible
      levels of achievement
  --  Types of borders that students have to cross, and how teachers must
      address them

Dr. Alston notes that an important aspect of encouraging border crossing in schools is incorporating diversity throughout all classes in teacher and administrator training curriculum and programs. "We as educators have our own borders to cross - a set of feelings, knowledge, assumptions and stereotypes that we need to learn how to modify," said Dr. Alston. "It is our duty to look at each child individually and help them cross those borders in order to be successful human beings."

In addition to her role in the doctoral program at Ashland, Dr. Alston also teaches leadership theories, ethics and leadership, issues in higher education and dissertation research design. She is a co-author of the 7th and 8th editions of the bestselling textbook, School Leadership and Administration: Important Concepts, Case Studies, & Simulations (McGraw-Hill).

Editor's Note: The interview includes reference to a recent article about border crossing in schools. The reference and abstract are Alston, J.A.(2004).The many faces of American schooling: Effective schools research and border crossing in the 21st century. American Secondary Education, 32 (9), 79-93.

About DistrictLeadersPodcast.com

The District Leader's Podcast team is passionate about education and deeply committed to student success. The site serves as a valuable tool for anyone interested in improving America's schools. District Leader's Podcast is sponsored by McGraw-Hill Education's Urban Advisory Resource comprising former education leaders and other experts with extensive experience in managing large school districts. It is produced by TeachersPodcast.org, a professional development resource for educators with an audience of more than 4.3 million listeners. The podcast is currently listed on iTunes as "New and Notable" for K-12 Education. Visit www.DistrictLeadersPodcast.com for more information.

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SOURCE: McGraw-Hill Education; DistrictLeadersPodcast.com

CONTACT: Tom Stanton, McGraw-Hill Education, +1-212-904-3214,
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