• SDOA PHILOSOPHY AND AIMS OF EDUCATION
     
     
     
    ATTITUDE PHILOSOPHY:
     
    Criminal Justice System training will be effective in proportion as it enables SDOA cadets to capitalize on the below understanding:
     
    01.0 Values: The regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth, or usefulness of something: (values) A person’s principles or standards of behavior; one’s judgment of what is important in life. (Oxford Dictionaries)  
     
    02.0 Morals: Concerned with the principles of right and wrong behavior and the goodness or badness of human character: Holding or manifesting high principles for proper conduct. (Oxford Dictionaries)
     
    03.0 Ethics: Moral principles that govern a person’s or group’s behavior: The moral correctness of specified conduct. (Oxford Dictionaries)
     
    04.0 Virtue: Behavior showing high moral standards: A quality considered morally good or desirable in a person. (Oxford Dictionaries)
     
    05.0 Discipline: The practice of training people to obey rules or a code of behavior, using punishment to correct disobedience: The controlled behavior resulting from discipline: A system of rules of conduct. (Oxford Dictionaries)
     
    06.0 Accountability: The fact or condition of being accountable; responsibility. (Oxford Dictionaries)
     
    07.0 Integrity: The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness. (Oxford Dictionaries)
     
    08.0 Honor: High respect; esteem: Adherence to what is right or to a conventional standard of conduct. (Oxford Dictionaries)
     
    09.0 Respect: A feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements: Due regard for the feelings, wishes, rights, or traditions of others. (Oxford Dictionaries)
     
    10.0 Allegiance: Loyalty or commitment of a subordinate to a superior or of an individual to a group or cause: (Oxford Dictionaries)
     
    11.0 Loyalty: A strong feeling of support or allegiance. A person or thing with trustworthy qualities. (Oxford Dictionaries)
     
    12.0 Obedience: Compliance with an order, request, or law or submission to another’s authority. (Oxford Dictionaries)
     
    13.0 Reliability: Consistently good in quality or performance; able to be trusted: A person or thing with trustworthy qualities. (Oxford Dictionaries)
     
    14.0 Credibility: The quality of being trusted and believed in: The quality of being convincing or believable. (Oxford Dictionaries)
     
    15.0 Citizenship: A legally recognized subject or national of a state or commonwealth, either native or naturalized. (Oxford Dictionaries) Participate in caring for the community, voting, and volunteering.  
     
    16.0 Trust: Firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something: A person or duty for which one has responsibility. (Oxford Dictionaries)
     
    17.0 Commitment: The state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc: A pledge or undertaking. (Oxford Dictionaries)  
     
    18.0 Courage: The ability to do something that frightens one: Strength in the face of pain or grief. (Oxford Dictionaries)
     
    19.0 Duty: A moral or legal obligation; a responsibility: A task or action that someone is required to perform. (Oxford Dictionaries)
     
    20.0 Sacrifice: An act of giving up something valued for the sake of something else regarded as more important or worthy. (Oxford Dictionaries)
     
    21.0 Caring: Displaying kindness and concern for others. (Oxford Dictionaries)
     
    22.0 Honesty: The quality of being honest. (Oxford Dictionaries)
     
    23.0 Truthfulness: The fact of being true; truth. (Oxford Dictionaries)
     
    24.0 Justice: Just behavior or treatment: The administration of the law or authority in maintaining this. (Oxford Dictionaries)
     
    25.0 Consequence: A result or effect of an action or condition. (Oxford Dictionaries)
     
    26.0 Prudence: The quality of being prudent; cautiousness. (Oxford Dictionaries)
     
    27.0 Self-Control: The ability to control oneself, in particular one’s emotions and desires or the expression of them in one’s behavior, especially in difficult situations. (Oxford Dictionaries)
     
    28.0 Courtesy: The showing of politeness in one’s attitude and behavior toward others: (often courtesies) a polite speech or action, especially one required by convention. (Oxford Dictionaries)
     

     

    HIGH EXPECTATION INSTRUCTIONAL PLAN: 

    (Instructors and their jobs, 2002, W.R. Miller & M.F. Miller) 

     

    INSTRUCTORS ROLE: An instructor’s work experience in his particular Trade and Industry career increases credibility and provides examples that can be used to make instruction interesting, meaningful, and additionally, instructors’ knowledge of and experience in their subject matter creates a level of confidence that contributes to instructional effectiveness.  

     

    LEARNING PROCESS: Cadets learn in many different ways - - by reading, researching, listening, observing, communicating, doing, critical thinking, and actively solving problems. Lectures method is supplemented with written handouts, board illustrations, cadet questions, cadet activities, PowerPoint, instructor questions, or other means of interacting with the subject matter.  

     

    IDENTIFYING CONTENT: Depending on the cadets pathway, content may be synonymous with Texas Essential Knowledge Skills for Career and Technical Education which Trade and Industry content must then be transformed into performance objectives that set parameters for instructional planning.  

     
     

     

    ORAL/MEDIA PRESENTATION STRATEGIES: Cadets are required to frequently provide class oral presentations as well as PowerPoint presentations on designated subjects that promote cognitive development as it helps stimulate and clarify thinking. Media is the graphic, photographic, electronic, or mechanical means for enhancing the transmission and reception of visual or verbal information. Gathering information from the Internet is a common teacher-directed use of the computer (Curriculum, 2003, J.D. McNeil). 

     

    DEMONSTRATING: A demonstration is an instructional method used to show and explain the procedures involved in completing a series of steps necessary to accomplish a task. The objectives call for cadets to be able to develop a skill, the demonstration method is an appropriate strategy that includes telling, showing, questioning, testing, and applying.

     

    COMPUTERS: EPISD issue cadets computer laptops which assist cadets preparation for future employment by learning and using computer mailing, researching data, preparing manuscripts, organizing and indexing bibliographies, searching databases, checking spelling, transcribing, editing, and printing correspondence. Cadets are responsible for laptops issued to them. 

     

    MEASURING AND EVALUATING ACHIEVEMENT: Written tests are valuable tools in the learning process which must be supplemented with performance test, behavioral observations, attitude scales, and interest inventories to gain a clear picture of a cadet’s development.  

     
    CHARACTER AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT (CCLD)
     
    The CCLD serves as an integrating focal point of Sandra Day O’Connor Public Service Academy’s commitment to developing leaders of character. Since character and leadership are complementary and inseparable concepts, in a Trade and Industry context synergies result from integrating character and leadership considerations into the common effort of the Academy's Academic, Public Service and Athletic Elements. The focus of the CCLD is on the development of cadet character and leadership through high quality, daily interactions with faculty and staff. The program's six areas of commitment are:
     
    1) To elevate and integrate character and leadership development, both conceptually and structurally throughout the entire Academy experience.
    2) To advance the scholarship of character and leadership  
    3) To facilitate education and experiences for Academy cadets and staff that develops identities as public servants, work force ready, and leaders of character.
    4) To advance Texas Education Code, chapter four states: Educators will prepare students to be thoughtful, active citizens who have an appreciation for the basic values of our state and national heritage and who can understand and productively function in a free enterprise society.  
    5) To advance extracurricular activities which will develop team-building skills, give students opportunities to make social connections, teach students how to lead healthier lives, provide opportunities to teach life lessons that can’t be taught in the classroom, and through extracurricular activities, the entire community becomes affiliated with the Academy.
    6) Promote Skills USA which is a program designed to “…prepare America's high-performance workers. It provides quality education experience for students in leadership, teamwork, citizenship and character development. It builds and reinforces self-confidence, work attitudes and communications skills. It emphasizes total quality at work, high ethical standards, superior work skills, life-long education and pride in the dignity of work. SkillsUSA also promotes understanding of the free enterprise system and involvement in community service activities.” (SkillsUSA website)