bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
District Fiscal Policy and Student Achievement
Authors: Huang Gary G. , Yu Binbing
Published: March 2015

School restructuring raises questions about the role of school districts in improving student learning. Centralization by state governments and decentralization to individual schools as proposed in systemic reform leave districts' role unsettled. Empirical research on the district role in the context of ongoing reform is inadequate. This analysis of combined data from the NAEP and the Common Core of Data (CCD) was intended to address the issue. We analyzed 1990, 1992, and 1996 NAEP 8th grade mathematics national assessment data in combination with CCD data of corresponding years to examine the extent to which student achievement was related to districts' control over instructional expenditure, adjusting for relevant key factors at both district and student levels. Upon sample modification, we used hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to estimate the relationships of student achievement to two district fiscal policy indictors, current expenditure per pupil (CEPP) and districts' discretionary rates for instructional expenditure (DDR). Net of relevant district factors, DDR was found unrelated to districts' average 8th grade math performance. The null effect was consistent in the analysis of the combined NAEP-CCD data for 1990, 1992, and 1996. In contrast, CEPP was found related to higher math performance in a modest yet fairly consistent way. Future research may be productive to separately study individual states and integrate the findings onto the national level.
Assessment of a Socio-constructivist Model for Teacher Training
Authors: Joia Luiz Antonio
Published: March 2015

This article assesses a socio-constructivist model for training K-12 teachers in Brazil, in the use of Informatics in education. The method applied combines both face-to-face exchanges and a WEB-based distance approach made possible by Internet technology. The characteristics of such training and its main objectives are analyzed according to the collected data presented. A descriptive single case study research methodology is applied. The main conclusions reached by this researchbased on the use of a systemic frameworkare presented, mainly those addressing the importance of care and coherence for knowledge creation in a socio-constructivist training model developed with the help of the Internet. Comparisons between this model and the traditional one are also presented.
Besieged Institutions and the Massachusetts Teacher Tests
Authors: Ludlow Larry H. , Shirley Dennis , Rosca Camelia
Published: March 2015

Teacher testing was inaugurated in Massachusetts in 1998 and a 59% failure rate among test-takers led to public shaming of the teacher candidates and their colleges and universities in the media. Within a two-year time period, low-performing teacher education programs in Massachusetts initiated a wide range of test preparatory activities which led to a dramatic increase in their students' pass rates. The authors separate colleges and universities into three categories and examine their differentiated responses to teacher testing. Their finding that institutions of higher education have responded effectively to teacher testing does not preclude critique of teacher testing as currently practiced in Massachusetts.
Analysis of the concept of "teaching" college professors: A qualitative study
Authors: Hawes Barrios Gustavo , Donoso Diaz Sebastián
Published: March 2015

This article explores the conceptions of learning and teaching among university teachers with no pedagogical qualifications. The model of implicit theories is used as a frame of reference, and the analytical process is supported by psychological theories of learning. Observations were carried out in a public university in southern Chile. Results evidence a rather mechanistic vision of learning, associated with a vision of teaching resting on the concept of transmission, although there are some efforts to link this conception with data processing. The vision of the professional teacher is more romantic than professional.
Teacher learning in context: The special case of rural high school teachers
Authors: Scribner Jay Paredes
Published: March 2015

Falling under the umbrella of teacher quality, professional development is an important policy issue in US public education. Understanding teacher learning and its relationship to teacher work is critical if efforts to improve teacher quality are to be successful. This article examines one overlooked context in the discourse about teacher learning and work—rural high schools. The study focuses on 20 teachers across 3 case study schools and conceptualizes the relationship between teacher learning and work according to three contexts: the core, intermediate and peripheral contexts. These contexts are explored and important features discussed.
Longitudinal Effect of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) on Student Achievement
Authors: Orlich Donald C.
Published: March 2015

Linn, Baker and Betebenner (2002) suggested using the effect size statistic as a measure of adequate yearly progress target (AYPT) as is required by PL 107-110. This paper analyzes a four-year data set from the required high-stakes test--Washington Assessment of Student Learning—using effect size as the AYPT metric. Mean scale scores for 4th, 7th and 10th grade reading and mathematics were examined. Nominal descriptors suggested by Cohen (1988) were applied and showed no yearly effect in student achievement as a function of the WASL. Comparing the 1998 scale scores to those of 2001 showed a small effect. However, manipulating the effect size criterion from 0.20 to 0.05 did show small yearly effects in student achievement. Meeting AYPT objectives will be a problem of defining the standard as yearly score fluctuations occur. The educational research community should challenge the statistical logic associated with setting AYPT’s.
Policymakers' Online Use of Academic Research
Authors: Willinsky John
Published: March 2015

In addressing the question of how new technologies can improve the public quality and presence of academic research, this article reports on the current online use of research by policymakers. Interviews with a sample of 25 Canadian policymakers at the federal level were conducted, looking at the specific role that online research has begun to play in their work, and what frustrations they face in using this research. The study found widespread use of online research, increasing the consultation of this source in policy analysis and formation. The principal issues remain those of access, indexing and credibility, with policymakers restricting themselves in large part to open access sources. Still, online research is proving a counterforce to policymakers' reliance on a small number of academic consultants as gatekeepers and sources for research. What is needed, it becomes clear, is investigations into whether innovative well-indexed systems that integrate a range of academic and non-academic resources might increase the political impact of research in the social sciences and education.
High-stakes Testing: Another Analysis
Authors: Rosenshine Barak
Published: March 2015

Amrein and Berliner (2002b) compared National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results in high-stakes states against the national average for NAEP scores. They studied NAEP scores for 8th grade mathematics, 4th grade mathematics, and 4th grade reading. They concluded that states that introduced consequences (high-stakes) to their statewide tests did not show any particular gains in their statewide NAEP scores. However, there was no comparison group in their analysis. In this analysis, a comparison group was formed from states that did not attach consequences to their state-wide tests. This analysis showed that states that attached consequences outperformed the comparison group of states on each of the three NAEP tests for the last four-year period. These results showed that, overall, these was a meaningful carryover from attaching consequences on statewide tests to statewide NAEP scores.
Charter Schools and Race: A Lost Opportunity for Integrated Education
Authors: Frankenberg Erica , Lee Chungmei
Published: March 2015

Segregation patterns in the nation's charter schools are studied. After reviewing state charter legislation that directly addresses issues of racial and ethnic balance of student enrollment, we briefly examine the racial composition and segregation of the charter school population nationally. School-level analyses, aggregated by state constitute the primary method of studying segregation in charter schools. First, we look at racial composition and segregation of charter schools by state. Then, we consider the differences in segregation between non-charter public schools (or simply "public schools" for convenience) and charter schools, as well as segregation within the charter school sector. We conclude with a discussion of the article's findings and recommendations to promote further racial equity in this growing sector of public schools.
The Allures and Illusions of Modernity:Technology and Educational Reform in Egypt
Authors: Warschauer Mark
Published: March 2015

Much of the research to date on educational technology has focused on its implementation in wealthy countries. Yet instructional technology has a special allure in the developing world, where it holds the promise not just of improving schools but also of hastening modernization. This article examines a national educational technology effort in Egypt, illuminating the contradictions between the rhetoric of reform and the reality of school practices. The analysis points to underlying political, cultural, and economic factors that constrain attempts to improve Egyptian schooling with technology.
The Information Technology & Communication and University Evaluation Indicators in Spain
Authors: Cardona Rodríguez Antonio , Barrenetxea Ayesta Miren
Published: March 2015

Since all institutions are reaffirming the importance of Information Technology and Communication (ICT) in education, but did you have this in mind when evaluating universities, Is reflected in the indicators for evaluation In Spain, as in other neighboring countries, universities are undergoing an institutional evaluation process. The catalog of indicators is a fundamental part of the assessment process. This paper is a brief analysis of the catalog of indicators proposed by the University Coordination Council in relation to its ability to measure the incorporation of ICT in universities.
Continuing Education Reform in Hong Kong
Authors: Dowson Chris
Published: March 2015

Following initiations in educational reform that began in the 1990s, Hong Kong continues to experience considerable pressure for educational reform. On the surface many of these initiatives parallel reform policies/movements in Asia and indeed, globally. The success of any reform is dependent on how it is contextualised prior to and at implementation. In this article, an exploration is made into how reforms in four particular sareas, namely: professional development of principals, higher education, English language standards, and inclusion of students with learning difficulties have been conceived, contextualised and managed in Hong Kong, as it moves gradually toward increased adoption of education reforms. These areas are linked in that each describes and critiques contextualization with reference to areas such as accountability, co-operation and professional control.
Educational Policy Reform and its Impact on Equity Work in Ontario: Global Challenges and Local Possibilities
Authors: Rezai-Rashti Goli M.
Published: March 2015

In this article I discuss the effects of global policy discourses on the educational restructuring of the work of equity workers in Ontario, Canada. Research in two school boards with those directly involved in equity work revealed that the restructuring process had uneven and unexpected effects on the activities of equity workers. Using the critical policy analysis framework, the analysis moves into a discussion of the complexities of policy studies. I argue that the policies introduced at the government level are implemented and practiced on the basis of the historical specificities found at each local site. (Note 1)
Impact of Minnesota's "Profile of Learning"
Authors: Avery Patricia G. , Beach Richard , Coler Jodiann
Published: March 2015

In 1990, the Minnesota State Board of Education declared its intention to develop a "results-oriented graduation requirement" based on student achievement as opposed to the usual credit/course completion requirement. In addition to a traditional test of basic skills, the state began developing the Profile of Learning, a set of performance-based standards grounded in a constructivist educational philosophy, an approach that differs from the content-based standards found in many states. The Profile was controversial from its inception. Conservatives characterized the Profile as too process- oriented and as lacking subject-matter content; teachers reported that the Profile required a significant amount of additional teacher preparation time; and parents, who were not adequately informed about the Profile, questioned the purpose of the Profile. Teachers were frustrated with the confusing and sometimes contradictory directions they received from the Minnesota Department of Children, Families, and Learning charged with implementing the Profile. In 2000-2001, we surveyed and interviewed selected secondary English and social studies teachers in the state about their perceptions of the Profile’s impact on teaching and learning. Among the positive perceptions was an increase in students’ higher order thinking, students’ understanding of criteria for quality work, and teachers conversations with one another about instructional issues. Increased teacher preparation time and decreased enjoyment of teaching were among the negative perceptions. Teachers also experienced difficulty adopting performance assessment techniques. When teachers believed they received effective preparation and adequate resources for working with the Profile, they were much more likely to report beneficial effects in terms of teaching and learning. The majority of teachers, however, rated their preparation and resources as "fair" or "poor." Results are discussed in terms of school and instructional change.
Public Policy and the Shaping of Disability: Incidence Growth in Educational Autism
Authors: Baker Dana Lee
Published: March 2015

Autism has gained the attention of policy makers and public administrators in recent years. The surge in prevalence, in tandem with a growing social preference for community inclusion of individuals with disabilities, strains a variety of policy infrastructures. Autism and related disorders, which were first described in 1943, were originally thought to be extremely low incidence and usually coincident with mental retardation. In accordance with the disability policy paradigm of the era, public services for autism were provided predominantly in institutional settings. Since then, however, autism and related disorders have come to be understood as more common than was originally thought and more rarely associated with mental retardation. In this article, shift-share analysis is used to gain insight into how the growth in autism incidence is being differentially experienced and recorded within a single arena of policy across the United States. The challenges associated with a sudden growth in supply (that is the number of children with autism), while unique to autism in some respects, include aspects that are similar for other disabilities and in policy challenges in other arenas. Especially since the implementation of the Government Performance Results Act of 1996, there is increased pressure to create public policy infrastructures that are anchored by clearly cut categorical service delivery. If the categories themselves leave significant room for interpretation and their use actually has a shaping effect on the target population, then it is important to administration and policy evaluation to understand how the effect is playing out.
The achievement gap: Should we rely on SAT scores to tell us anything about it?
Authors: Whittington Dale
Published: March 2015

Increasing numbers of students taking the SAT have declined to identify their race/ethnicity. I examined the impact of non-respondents on the validity of reported racial/ethnic differences and year-to-year changes in test performance. Using an analysis reported by Wainer (1988) and SAT data from 1996 to 2003, I confirmed Wainer’s findings that non-respondents prevent accurate estimations of group differences based on SAT data. I then explored the impact of College Board press release information on news reports about the achievement gap. I found frequent reports of racial/ethnic differences in SAT scores and year-to-year changes in scores but negligible consideration of non-respondents. Press releases and media reports should include information about non-respondents and their impact on accuracy of reported differences based on race/ethnicity.
Do EMO-operated Charter Schools Serve Disadvantaged Students? The Influence of State Policies
Authors: Lacireno-Paquet Natalie
Published: March 2015

There is a paucity of research about how the policies enacted by states either foster or hinder charter schools’ service to disadvantaged students or how the characteristics of charter schools themselves affect this outcome. By combining data from the US Department of Education’s Schools and Staffing Survey with data on the characteristics of state charter school policies, this article examines how different types of charter schools respond to the policy and market signals established by state charter legislation, and the impact of such signals on the willingness and ability of charter schools to serve disadvantaged student populations. With a sample of 533 charter schools in 13 states, models are estimated to discern whether specific state policies and whether being managed by two types of for-profit educational management organizations (EMOs)—large and small ones—encourages or discourages schools from enrolling low-income and minority students. The results suggest that certain policy characteristics are important for encouraging schools to serve low-income and minority students. Specifically, having multiple chartering authorities and requiring the transportation of students are important for explaining charter schools’ service to low-income and minority students. Being managed by a large-EMO was positively but not significantly related to charter schools enrollment of low-income and minority students. The results differed for small-EMO managed schools. Small-EMOs served significantly lower percentages of minority students. The results suggest that not all charter schools are the same and that policy design and organizational form matters for determining whom charter schools will serve.
Below the accountability radar screen:What does state policy say about school counseling?
Authors: Eilers Angela M.
Published: March 2015

I examine the state policy context of implementing an initiative that transforms the training and role of today’s school counselors. This is essentially a story of political process. Like the implementation of many initiatives, the Transforming School Counselor Initiative (TSCI) is a process of gaining support and then institutionalizing a newly formed vision for the role and function of a profession that has been a part of the school organization for the better part of a century. I examine the educational reform contexts of California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana and Ohio as it relates to implementing the Initiative. As such, the framework for analysis on state policy context draws from macropolitical processes as a way of examining practices and
actions of key state stakeholders, such as the state departments of education, the counseling profession’s state-level association and state legislation and statutory language. The final analysis ranks the 5 states with regard to their institutional capacity to fully implement and stabilize reform initiatives related to school counseling.
Interrogating the Generalizability of Portfolio Assessments of Beginning Teachers: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Moss Pamela A. , Sutherland LeeAnn M. , Haniford Laura , Miller Renee , Johnson David , Geist Pamela K. , Koziol Stephen M. , Star Jon R. , Pecheone Raymond L.
Published: March 2015

This qualitative study is intended to illuminate factors that affect the generalizability of portfolio assessments of beginning teachers. By generalizability, we refer here to the extent to which the portfolio assessment supports generalizations from the particular evidence reflected in the portfolio to the conception of competent teaching reflected in the standards on which the assessment is based. Or, more practically, “The key question is, ‘How likely is it that this finding would be reversed or substantially altered if a second, independent assessment of the same kind were made?’” (Cronbach, Linn, Brennan, and Haertel, 1997, p. 1). In addressing this question, we draw on two kinds of evidence that are rarely available: comparisons of two different portfolios completed by the same teacher in the same year and comparisons between a portfolio and a multi-day case study (observation and interview completed shortly after portfolio submission) intended to parallel the evidence called for in the portfolio assessment. Our formative goal is to illuminate issues that assessment developers and users can take into account in designing assessment systems and appropriately limiting score interpretations.
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Accreditation:Impact on Elementary Student Performance
Authors: Bruner Darlene Y. , Brantley Lance Lamar
Published: March 2015

Currently, 848 Georgia public elementary schools that house third- and fifth-grades in the same building use the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) accreditation as a school improvement model. The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether elementary schools that are SACS accredited increased their levels of academic achievement at a higher rate over a five-year period than elementary schools that were not SACS accredited as measured by the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS). Independent variables included accreditation status, socioeconomic status (SES) of schools, and baseline scores of academic achievement. Dependent variables included mathematics and reading achievement scores. There was a statistically significant difference found when examining the SES of schools and baseline scores of the elementary schools. SACS accredited elementary schools had higher SES and higher baseline scores in third- and fifth grade mathematics and reading. However, the multiple regression model indicated no statistically significant differences in gain scores between SACS accredited and non-SACS accredited elementary schools in third- and fifth-grade mathematics and reading achievement during the five year period examined in this study.
Voices from the Frontlines:Teachers' Perceptions of High-Stakes Testing
Authors: Jones Brett D. , Egley Robert J.
Published: March 2015

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether teachers perceived Florida’s high-stakes testing program to be taking public schools in the right direction. More importantly, we sought to understand why teachers perceived the tests to be taking schools in the right or wrong direction. Based on the survey results of 708 teachers, we categorized their concerns and praises of high-stakes testing into ten themes. Most of the teachers believed that the testing program was not taking schools in the right direction. They commented that the test was used improperly and that the one-time test scores were not an accurate assessment of students’ learning and development. In addition, they cited negative effects on the curriculum, teaching and learning, and student and teacher motivation. The positive effects cited were much fewer in number and included the fact that the testing held students, educators, and parents accountable for their actions. Interestingly, teachers were not opposed to accountability, but rather, opposed the manner in which it was currently implemented. Only by understanding these positive and negative effects of the testing program can policymakers hope to improve upon it. To this end, we discuss several implications of these findings, including: limiting the use of test scores, changing the school grading criteria, using alternative assessments, modifying the curriculum, and taking steps to reduce teaching to the test.
Co-Education and Gender:The End of the Experiment?
Authors: Clark Ian
Published: March 2015

This article has two inseparable aims: (a) to analyse the relative merits of single-sex and co-educational constructs on self-concept, academic performance and academic engagement; (b) to investigate the manner in which each type of schooling interacts with the individual student; student “peers,” close family, and teachers.
Gramsci and the critical tradition: Social Study Of Education
Authors: Suárez Daniel
Published: March 2015

In this analysis, I review two of the most significant contributions of Antonio Gramsci to the sociological analysis of schooling. On the one hand, a great part of his work suggests reformulation of critical educational theory. On the other hand, Gramsci's contributions allow for a thorough rethinking of traditional ways of conceptualizing the schooling system and the curriculum. In this article, I contend that many works about Gramsci's theoretical contributions in education have not had a critical examination, and I hope that my suggestions for a re-reading of his works will not fail in the same way. Moreover, I want to contribute to the further understanding of Gramsci's influence in education in two specific ways: firstly, by using Gramsci's frameworks for the understanding of the social practices that shape the school as a modern institution; secondly, in conceptualizing these social practices which define the cultural and formative experiences at school. To do so, I propose that it will be necessary not to deify Gramsci´s thought but to develop it from a holistic perspective in order to visualize the implications of his concepts and categories.
Comparison of Academic Development in Catholic versus Non-Catholic Private Secondary Schools
Authors: Kim Mikyong Minsun , Placier Margaret
Published: March 2015

Utilizing hierarchical linear models, this study of 144 private schools (72 Catholic and 72 non-Catholic schools) drawn from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 discovered that Catholic school students scored lower in reading than students at non-Catholic private schools. Analysis of internal school characteristics suggested that lower growth in reading achievement might be related in part to lower student morale in Catholic schools. However, we found no significant differences between Catholic and non-Catholic private secondary schools in the development of students' math, history/social studies, and science abilities from eighth to tenth grades. This study also identified important student- and school-level variables such as Catholicism, gender, risk factor, parental involvement, and enrollment size that help to explain the outcomes.
Effects of High-School Size on Student Outcomes:Response to Howley and Howley
Authors: Lee Valerie E.
Published: March 2015

I take issue with several points in the Howleys' reanalysis (Vol. 12 No. 52 of this journal) of "High School Size: Which Works Best and for Whom?" (Lee & Smith, 1997). That the original sample of NELS schools might have underrepresented small rural public schools would not bias results, as they claim. Their assertion that our conclusions about an ideal high-school size privileged excellence over equity ignores the fact that our multilevel analyses explored the two outcomes simultaneously. Neither do I agree that our claim about "ideal size" (600-900) was too narrow, as our paper was clear that our focus was on achievement and its equitable distribution. Perhaps the most important area of disagreement concerns non-linear relationships between school size and achievement gains. Ignoring the skewed distribution of school size, without either transforming or categorizing the variable produces findings that spuriously favor the smallest schools. Our recent involvement as expert witnesses on opposite sides in a court case may have motivated the Howleys' attempt to discredit our work. Finally, I argue that research attempting to establish a direct link between school size and student outcomes may be misguided. Rather, school size influences student outcomes only indirectly, through the academic and social organization of schools. Considerable evidence links these organizational factors to student outcomes (especially learning and its equitable distribution).
The Effect of Charter School Legislation on Market Share
Authors: Kúscová Simona , Buckley Jack
Published: March 2015

Many proponents of school choice use the claim of the market’s capability to enhance efficiency and improve performance to call for its expansion. But no markets are perfectly competitive, and the local market for public goods is filled with institutional arrangements that make it differ from the neoclassical ideal. In this paper, we look at a particular institution—the provisions of charter school legislation—and assess how it affects the ability of charter schools to gain market share. Using data from the 36 states that had passed charter legislation by 2000, and controlling for a variety of other factors, we estimate a model of the effects of various provisions in the charter laws on charter school market share. We find that two such provisions, one concerning the sponsorship of charters and another their funding sources, appear to have a strong effect on the market share of charter schools.
Meeting NCLB goals for highly qualified teachers: Estimates by state from survey data.
Authors: Blank Rolf K. , Langesen Doreen , Laird Elizabeth , Toye Carla , Bandeira de Mello Victor
Published: March 2015

Abstract
This article presents results of survey data showing teacher qualifications for their assignments that are comparable from state-to-state as well as data trends over time. The analysis is intended to help state leaders, educators, and others obtain a picture of highly qualified teachers in their state, and to be able to compare their state statistics with states across the nation. Since states have some flexibility in meeting the standard for highly qualified teachers outlined by NCLB, the analyses presented in this paper from a national survey may be useful as a common benchmark for use by states as they develop their own state-specific definitions and measures.
More than teacher directed or child initiated: Preschool curriculum type, parent involvement, and children's outcomes in the child-parent centers.
Authors: Graue Elizabeth , Clements Melissa A. , Reynolds Arthur J. , Niles Michael D.
Published: March 2015

This study investigated the contributions of curriculum approach and parent involvement to the short- and long-term effects of preschool participation in the Title I Chicago Child-Parent Centers. Data came from the complete cohort of 989 low-income children (93% African American) in the Chicago Longitudinal Study, who attended preschool in the 20 Child-Parent Centers in 1983-1985 and kindergarten in 1985-1986. We found that implementation of an instructional approach rated high by Head Teachers in teacher-directed and child-initiated activities was most consistently associated with children’s outcomes, including school readiness at kindergarten entry, reading achievement in third and eighth grades, and avoidance of grade retention. Parent involvement in school activities, as rated by teachers and by parents, was independently associated with child outcomes from school readiness at kindergarten entry to eighth grade reading achievement and grade retention above and beyond the influence of curriculum approach. Findings indicate that instructional approaches that blend a teacher-directed focus with child-initiated activities and parental school involvement are origins of the long-term effects of participation in the Child-Parent Centers.
The reaction of teachers to external evaluations of schools: Proposition of a Model
Authors: Durán Diego
Published: March 2015

During the decade of the 1990s, several changes took place in education focusing on evaluating the academic achievements of students in their schools. Many of those assessments sought to reveal the "real" situation of the schools and their quality, in most of the cases limited to the academic performance of the students. Some of these assessments also sought to influence the organization of the schools. This article will discuss how the goal of regulating the system has not always been achieved. On the contrary, most of the time, one can discern an increasing resistance among the main actors of the system (especially teachers) toward the politics of regulating schools through the use of assessment instruments. I present a model that allows a closer view of this conflict based on teachers' perceptions of these assessments and the educational project of their schools.
Sharing the Wealth:National Board Certified Teachers and the Students Who Need Them Most
Authors: Humphrey Daniel C. , Koppich Julia E. , Hough Heather J.
Published: March 2015

It is a commonly understood problem in education that many highly qualified teachers tend to gravitate toward higher performing schools, including schools with lower minority enrollments and lower incidence of poverty. This article explores the distribution of a subset of teachers, namely, those who are National Board Certified. To what extent do these teachers' assignment choices mirror the pattern of their non-Board Certified colleagues and to what extent are they different? Part of a larger study of Board Certified Teachers in lower performing schools, the article examines the distribution of NBCTs in the six states with the largest number of them'California, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, and South Carolina. The research finds that, with the exception of California, Board Certified Teachers are not equitably distributed across schools that serve different populations of students. In five of the six states examined, poor, minority, and lower performing students are far less likely to benefit from the teaching of an NBCT than are their more affluent, majority, higher performing peers. The article explores some possible explanations for the California distribution pattern as well as the kinds of incentives provided across the states for teachers to seek Board Certification and for those who earn it. The authors conclude with a rationale and a set of policy suggestions for realigning the distribution of NBCTs.
Removing Incentives for "Dumbing Down" Through Curriculum Re-structure and Additional Study Time
Authors: Stanley Gordon , MacCann Robert G.
Published: March 2015

Offering differentiated courses to cater for a wide range of ability can lead to
"dumbing down" when brighter students choose easier courses, which they can handle well without undue effort. This occurred when differentiated English courses were introduced in the senior secondary certificate in the state of New South Wales (NSW) in Australia. To avoid this trend continuing, new differentiated courses reported on a common scale were developed. At the same time a new preparatory course was provided to support weaker students to achieve the minimal standard in English. The resulting reform has led to stronger outcomes in English and increasing numbers of students taking more demanding courses. Defining clear standards on a common scale has led to better achievement for all students without having an adverse effect on participation in the senior secondary certificate.
Workforce quality goals and the implications for education: The Oregon experience.
Authors: Sivers-Boyce Nathan , Hibbard Tom , Gray Jerry
Published: March 2015

We review a plan that attracted the attention of public sector planners everywhere, Oregon's 1989 Oregon Shines: An Economic Strategy for the Pacific Century. In particular, we focus on Oregon's aspirations for world-class workforce quality; a status that the state's planners argued would contribute to a host of other outcomes that foster citizen well-being. The broader purpose of the paper is to emphasize the importance of timing. Planners must remain mindful of the long timeframe required for educational improvements to directly benefit the economy. We begin by reviewing the arguments that planners offered for the centrality of workforce quality. Second, we briefly review a few indicators of the state's commitment to achieving a world-class workforce and the consequences of this commitment to date. Third, we show that failure to dynamically model the linkages between actions and outcomes led to adoption of a workforce goal that was unattainable even if commitment had been Herculean. Finally, we consider other planning targets that might be improved by understanding why Oregon's workforce quality goals were unachievable.
The growth of private higher education in Brazil: implications for issues of equity, quality and public benefit
Authors: McCowan Tristan
Published: March 2015

There has been a dramatic growth in private higher education in Brazil in recent years. The World Bank has promoted this expansion on the basis of the private providers" ability to ensure a rapid increase in enrolment, to improve quality through competition between institutions, and to secure benefits for society at little public cost. However, the charging of fees means that the majority of Brazilians do not have access, and that inequalities are reproduced due to the relation between course costs and the value of the final diploma. Equitable access is, therefore, far from being achieved and is unlikely even with an increase in student loans and government subsidies. The contribution of private universities to the long-term development of society is seen to be limited due to lack of investment in research and community service.
Antecedents and consequences of residential choice and school transfer.
Authors: Falbo Toni , Glover Robert W. , Holcombe W. Lee , Stokes S. Lynne
Published: March 2015

This article examines the antecedents and consequences of residential choice and school transfers within one of the eight largest urban school districts in Texas. This study is based on survey data from a representative sample of parents of K-12 students enrolled in this district. In addition to demographic characteristics of the family, the parent decision-making model of Schneider, Teske, & Marschall (2000) was examined to determine if aspects of this model were useful in understanding the school choices made at the beginning of the school year and the parents' motivation to move to another school at the end. The results provide some support for the view that residential choice is related to enhanced achievement and satisfaction; while, within-district transfers were used more by better educated White parents who did not qualify as low income. Parents' motivation to move their children to another school was greater when they perceived the school as less receptive to their involvement and their children as less successful in school.
Inclusive education and training systems: Illusion or reality? The story of Nothemba.
Authors: Monyooe Lebusa A.
Published: March 2015

This article explores the challenges facing the South African National Department of Education in its commitment to provide equal educational opportunities for all. The Story of Nothemba is central to the theme of this paper. It describes the story of a South African girl born in eQebe, whose physical disability and systematic disregard for her constitutional rights dashed her life time dream and passion to become a lawyer in a democratic South Africa. The paper argues for a critical interrogation of the following dynamics that have the potential to complicate both the implementation and optimization of the Inclusive Education Policy: (i) Understanding the social stereotypes about disability, (ii) Teacher empowerment, (iii) Systemic imbalance between support and expectations, (iv) Adopting relevant curriculum policy and assessment strategies and practices, and (v) Utilizing the research logic to inform policy implementation. The paper further calls for a robust interrogation at conceptual level about disability' to inform the current policies on education and training, teacher training and development, curriculum and assessment strategies.
Toward an objective evaluation of teacher performance: The use of variance partitioning analysis, VPA.
Authors: Alicias Eduardo R.
Published: March 2015

Evaluation of teacher performance is usually done with the use of ratings made by students, peers, and principals or supervisors, and at times, selfratings made by the teachers themselves. The trouble with this practice is that it is obviously subjective, and vulnerable to what Glass and Martinez call the "politics of teacher evaluation," as well as to professional incapacities of the raters. The value-added analysis (VAA) model is one attempt to make evaluation objective and evidenced-based. However, the VAA model'especially that of the Tennessee Value Added Assessment System (TVAAS) developed by William Sanders'appears flawed essentially because it posits the untenable assumption that the gain score of students (value added) is attributable only and only to the teacher(s), ignoring other significant explanators of student achievement like IQ and socio-economic status. Further, the use of the gain score (value-added) as a dependent variable appears hobbled with the validity threat called "statistical regression," as well as the problem of isolating the conflated effects of two or more teachers. The proposed variance partitioning analysis (VPA) model seeks to partition the total variance of the dependent variable (post-test student achievement) into various portions representing: first, the effects attributable to the set of teacher factors; second, effects attributable to the set of control variables the most important of which are IQ of the student, his pretest score on that particular dependent variable, and some measures of his socio-economic status; and third, the unexplained effects/variance. It is not difficult to see that when the second and third quanta of variance are partitioned out of the total variance of the dependent variable, what remains is that attributable to the teacher. Two measures of teacher effect are hereby proposed: the proportional teacher effect and the direct teacher effect.
Conflicting demands of No Child Left Behind and state systems: Mixed messages about school performance.
Authors: Linn Robert L.
Published: March 2015

An ever-increasing reliance on student performance on tests holds schools and educators accountable both to state accountability systems and also to the accountability requirements of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001. While each state has constructed its own definition of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) requirements within the confines of NCLB, substantial differences between the accountability requirements of many state systems and NCLB still have resulted in mixed messages regarding the performance of schools. Several features of NCLB accountability and state accountability systems contribute to the identification of a school as meeting goals according to NCLB but failing to do so according to the state accountability system, or vise versa. These include the multiple hurdles of NCLB, the comparison of performance against a fixed target rather than changes in achievement, and the definition of performance goals. The result of these features is a set of AYP measures that is inconsistent both with existing state accountability systems and also with state NAEP performance. Using existing achievement to set the cut-score measured by AYP and using the highest-performing schools to set the year-to-year improvement standards would improve the NCLB accountability system.
Education and Training for Work in Argentina: Resignificance and Challenges in the Perspective of Youth and Adults
Authors: Riquelme Graciela C. , Herger Natalia
Published: March 2015

This paper argues that the combined effects of the criticisms to the Welfare State"s inefficiency and poor performance, the introduction of "modernizing policies" and market mechanisms handicapped the Argentinean system of adult education causing its diversification and dispersion. In order to analyze the impact of these processes of diversification and dispersion for the adult education and job training sectors, the authors conducted, volume quantification analyses taking into account educational demand (served and not-served) and its relationship with the public sector"s expenses in education and social programs. Finally, this article discusses the use of resources for social policies and their possible reorientation to attend genuine demands of popular sectors.
Patenting productivity and intellectual property policies at Research I universities: An exploratory comparative study.
Authors: Mendoza Pilar , Berger Joseph B.
Published: March 2015

In the 1980s, the US government encouraged the cooperation of industries with universities in order to bridge funding gaps and cope with global competitive markets through legislations that allow universities to start spin-off businesses and to generate profits from patents. At the turn of the century, university partnerships with the private sector have greatly increased through research grants, licensing patents, and in some cases, the formation of new firms'mainly at research universities and in the hard sciences. In response to these entrepreneurial opportunities, university administrators developed intellectual property policies to facilitate the commercialization of research. The purpose of this study is to explore the differences across IP policies among nine research universities as potential sources of influence on faculty engagement in for-profit research ventures according to existing models of faculty role performance and achievement.
Catching up with the Vaughn express: Six years of standards-based teacher evaluation and performance pay.
Authors: Kellor Eileen M.
Published: March 2015

Traditional methods of paying and evaluating teachers in the United States are longstanding, but discussions about changing these systems to support teacher quality and student achievement goals are becoming more common. Efforts to make significant changes to these programs can be difficult and take many years to design, gain approval, and implement; thus, few examples of alternative teacher compensation and evaluation systems exist. Relieved from many of the restrictions and requirements associated with most traditional public school systems, charter schools often are better positioned to implement changes more quickly than a traditional school, yet their experiences can provide useful information for others who are engaging in similar activities. Thus, the experience of a large urban charter school that designed and implemented an innovative teacher compensation system and standards-based teacher evaluation system that has been in place for six years offers important lessons in designing, implementing, evaluating and refining these systems.