Conversations in Education Reform: Socioeconomic Integration as a Tool for Student Success

Background Since the U.S. Supreme Court deemed racially segregated schooling unconstitutional in 1954, education reformers have strived to find the most effective methods to ensure that students of all socioeconomic backgrounds have access to an effective and equitable education. Despite many efforts to address this challenge, exemplified by the highly decentralized U.S. education system, the achievement gap between students of ranging socioeconomic backgrounds persists. Mounting research, beginning with the foundational Coleman Report of 1966, demonstrates that the socioeconomic make-up of a student’s classroom is the most influential factor on his or her success. Consequently, this paper seeks to determine if socioeconomic integration plans are in fact an effective tool to boost success among students of all socioeconomic backgrounds. Methods This essay will provide a review of the current discussion on socioeconomic integration plans. After revealing the primary established perspectives on this issue of education reform, the discussion will raise and respond to major concerns surrounding socioeconomic integration. Lastly, this paper will synthesize findings from the current body of literature to reveal one possible method of addressing common concerns to ensure the effectiveness of socioeconomic integration reform in schools. Results and Discussion Current research shows that students of socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds see tremendous gains in achievement when placed in socioeconomically integrated schools. This is largely a result of positive peer influences, strong parent communities, and strong teachers who are held accountable by parents. However, reports favoring socioeconomic integration plans frequently overlook the potential risks to students. Such risks include a decrease in achievement outcomes among advantaged students and an increase in stigmatization and marginalization among disadvantaged students. Further research, however, indicates that by ensuring adequate social integration within socioeconomically integrated schools, such risks can be modified. Conclusion Students of diverse backgrounds are likely to experience significant cognitive and non-cognitive benefits when learning in schools that are successfully socioeconomically, as well as socially, integrated. Consequently, socioeconomic integration plans are an effective tool for improving student outcomes among students of all socioeconomic backgrounds

Matroids with a modular 4-point line

A result of Seymour implies that any 3-connected matroid with a modular 3-point line is binary. We prove a similar characterization for 3-connected matroids with modular 4-point lines. We show that such a matroid is either representable over GF(3) or GF(4) or has an $F_7$-minor and either an $(F_7^-)$- or $(F_7^-)^*$-minor.Comment: 26 page

Deligne Pairings and Discriminants of Algebraic Varieties

Let V be a finite dimensional complex vector space and V^* its dual and let X in P(V) be a smooth projective variety of dimension n and degree d at least two. For a generic n-tuple of hyperplanes H_1,...,H_n in P(V^*)^n, the intersection of X with H_1,...,H_n consists of d distinct points. We define the "discriminant of X", to be the the set D(X) of n-tuples for which the set-theoretic intersection is not equal to d points. Then D(X) is a hyper surface in P(V^*)^n and the set of defining polynomials, which is a one-dimensional vector space, is called the "discriminant line". We show that this line is canonically isomorphic to the Deligne pairing where K is the canonical line bundle of X and L is the restriction of the hyperplane bundle to X. As a corollary, we obtain a generalization of Paul"s formula which relates the Mabuchi K-energy on the space of Bergman metrics to \Delta(X), the "hyperdiscriminant of X"

A Network Model of Super-systemic Crises

Although the financial systems of advanced countries have weathered numerous shocks in recent years, the events triggered by the sub-prime crisis of August 2007 have been “super-systemic” in scope, enveloping financial institutions across the major economies as well as far away Iceland and New Zealand. In this paper, we apply network techniques to develop a framework for analyzing financial contagion that isolate the probability of contagion from its potential spread. Our results suggest that complex financial systems may be robust-yet-fragile in nature. Under plausible assumptions, the greater connectivity implied by new financial instruments (e.g., credit derivatives) reduces the likelihood of contagion. But the impact on the financial system, in the event of problems, can be on a significantly larger scale than before.

The role of anions in mechanical failure

Fabrication and properties of hot-pressed polycrystalline magnesium oxide containing anion impuritie