bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Exploring how Institutional Structures and Practices Influence English Learners’ Opportunity to Learn Social Studies
Authors: Heafner Tina L. , Plaisance Michelle 
Published: November 2021

Background/Context Current research addresses the marginalization of social studies and trends in teaching English learners (ELs) in monolingual schools; however, few studies have examined the way in which support services provided to ELs impact their exposure to social studies instruction. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study Social studies is a difficult content area for ELs, as they grapple with culturally specific concepts in addition to language barriers. School structures and institutional practices sometimes result in less access to social studies instruction for ELs than their English-speaking peers. We sought to describe ELs’ opportunities to learn social studies in the face of educational reforms designed to increase accountability. We also examined how institutional structures, such as ESL programs, influ-enced ELs’ exposure to the social studies curriculum. Setting The study took place in a suburban elementary school with a moderate population of ELs, situated within a large, urban school district in the southeastern United States. Participants Six classroom teachers, three instructional specialists and one administrator participated. Research Design We present a qualitative participatory inquiry that was guided by an opportunity to learn theoretical framework, in addition to research that suggests an important relationship between the quality and intensity of classroom instruction and students’ academic success. Data Collection and Analysis Data were collected across one academic year and included transcribed interviews, field notes from observations, classroom artifacts, teacher journals, and district resources. We employed a multitiered inductive analysis using a three-phase coding process. Findings/Results Our findings suggest that ELs do not receive an equitable opportunity to learn social studies. Factors included variance in social studies time, instructional schedule design, the ESL program structure, and communication/collaboration gaps. Additionally, we found disparities between the type and general overall quality of social studies for these linguistically diverse learners and their native speaking peers. Conclusions/Recommendations We recommend the inclusion of instructional specialists, such as the ESL teacher, in planning, professional development, and decision-making. Furthermore, we advocate for flexible, yet monitored scheduling of special services to ensure curricular access to all content areas. Furthermore, we emphasize that administrators must have a clear understanding of the needs of their ELs and that they must adopt a long-term vision for these students that includes simultaneous support for their content and language development.
Interplay of a Way of Knowing among Mexican-Origin Transnationals: Chaining to the Border and to Transnational Communities
Authors: Kasun G. Sue 
Published: November 2021

Background/Context Transnational Mexican-origin youth comprise a large and increasing number of students in U.S. schools, yet their teachers have often misunderstood their backgrounds and the conditions related to their transnational movement over borders. With such a large number of immigrant/transnational youth in the U.S. of Mexican origin, it is important for educators to begin to understand their ways of knowing. Purpose I describe chained knowing, a way of knowing of transnational Mexican-origin families. Family members were chained to the border and to their extended family and communities across borders, with the latter way of knowing as an ends in itself. I offer implications for educators, curriculum, and considerations surrounding immigration policy. Setting Washington, DC area and two rural immigrant-sending communities in Mexico in the states of Jalisco and Michoacán. Participants Four working-class Mexican-origin families whose primary residence was in the Washington, DC area and who made return trips to Mexico at least every 2 years. Research Design This multi-sited, critical ethnographic work draws from participant observation and interviews with four families who were situated in the Washington, DC area. The research was collected over 3 years. Data Collection and Analysis Through the interwoven lenses of border theory and Chicana feminism, the data were collected over 3 years and then analyzed and coded for emergent themes in an iterative process. The data were member checked with participants from each of the four participating families and also coded by an outside researcher. Findings Mexican-origin transnationals in this study demonstrated an interconnected way of knowing as chained knowing: chained to both the border and to their extended communities spanning borders. Conclusions The ways of knowing of transnational families should be understood by educators, researchers, and policy makers in order to help the curriculum better reflect the increasingly global context all students engage and the ways we understand the struggles of people across border.
Differential Access to High School Counseling, Postsecondary Destinations, and STEM Careers
Authors: Nikischer Andrea B. , Weis Lois , Dominguez Rachel 
Published: November 2021

Background/Context Policy makers, school district officials, teachers and parents have embraced science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects as a way to promote a stronger pipeline to college and career STEM. In so doing, these varied groups seek to raise job prospects for next-generation workers, increase opportunities for low-income and minority students, and enhance U.S. competitiveness in a global economy. Purpose/Objective In this article we explore the ways in which the work of counseling departments in two different school environments shape students’ STEM participation in high school, with important potential consequences for college and career STEM. High school counselors operate at a critical access point to high-level science and math coursework in high school and STEM postsecondary majors and programs after high school. A fuller understanding of the role that school counselors play in improving math and science outcomes and strengthening pathways to STEM is increasingly important, particularly given the push for STEM careers in new global economic context. Research Design In this article we delve deeply into the day-to-day workings of the high school counseling office in two schools that serve markedly different populations of students. Utilizing data gathered through full ethnographic investigation over a 1-year period, we focus on the ways in which the work of counselors collectively constrain and /or enhance short and long-term STEM-linked outcomes for varying populations. We address two interrelated research questions: (1) In what ways and to what extent does the work of counseling departments in two different school environments shape students’ STEM participation in high school? (2) In what ways and to what extent does the work of the counseling departments differ in schools that serve markedly different populations of students in terms of race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status? Conclusions/Recommendations Our data reveal stark differences between students’ high school STEM participation at the two schools. Evidence also points to differences in the work and role of school counselors in aiding students to access STEM in college and career. However, in spite of the fact that one school offers a far more robust pipeline to STEM than does the other, in neither case do the schools take concrete steps to maximize access to STEM in college or career for their top math and science students who express strong inclination in this direction. Although it is arguably the case that a number of factors contribute to STEM college and career outcomes, data highlight the differential yet simultaneously central role of high school counselors in the pipeline to STEM.
Does the Organization of Instruction Differ in Charter Schools? Ability Grouping and Students’ Mathematics Gains
Authors: Berends Mark , Donaldson Kristi 
Published: November 2021

Background Although we have learned a good deal from lottery-based and quasi-experimental studies of charter schools, much of what goes on inside of charter schools remains a “black box” to be unpacked. Grounding our work in neoclassical market theory and institutional theory, we examine differences in the social organization of schools and classrooms to enrich our understanding of school choice, school organizational and instructional conditions, and student learning. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study Our study examines differences in students’ mathematics achievement gains between charter and traditional public schools, focusing on the distribution and organization of students into ability groups. In short, we ask: (1) How does the distribution of ability grouping differ between charter and traditional public schools? And (2) What are the relationships between ability group placement and students’ mathematics achievement gains in charter and traditional public schools? Research Design With a matched sample of charter and traditional public schools in six states (Colorado, Delaware, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Ohio), we use regression analyses to estimate the relationship between student achievement gains and school sector. We analyze how ability grouping mediates this main effect, controlling for various student, classroom, and school characteristics. Findings We find significant differences in the distribution of students across ability groups, with a more even distribution in charter compared to traditional public schools, which appear to have more selective placements for high groups. Consistent with prior research on tracking, we also find low-grouped students to be at a significant disadvantage when compared with high- and mixed-group peers in both sectors. Conclusions Although we find some significant differences between ability group placement and student achievement gains in mathematics, these relationships do not differ as much by sector as market theory (with its emphasis on innovation and autonomy) would predict. Consistent with institutional theory, both sectors still group students by ability and have similar relationships between gains and grouping.
Data Sharing to Drive the Improvement of Teacher Preparation Programs
Authors: Bastian Kevin C. , Fortner C. Kevin , Chapman Alisa , Fleener M. Jayne , Mcintyre Ellen , Patriarca Linda A. 
Published: November 2021

Background/Context Teacher preparation programs (TPPs) face increasing pressure from the federal government, states, and accreditation agencies to improve the quality of their practices and graduates, yet they often do not possess enough data to make evidence-based reforms. Purpose/Objective This manuscript has four objectives: (a) to present the strengths and shortcomings of accountability-based TPP evaluation systems; (b) to detail the individual-level data being shared with TPPs at public universities in North Carolina; (c) to describe how data sharing can lead to TPP improvement and the challenges that programs will need to overcome; and (d) to detail how three TPPs are using the data for program improvement. Setting North Carolina public schools and schools of education at public universities in North Carolina. Importantly, this individual-level data sharing system can be instituted among TPPs in other states. Population/Participants/Subjects Teachers initially-prepared by public universities in North Carolina. Research Design With individual-level data on program graduates, TPPs can conduct a range of analyses—e.g., regression analyses with program data, primary data collection with interviews, and rubric-based observations—designed to aid program improvement efforts. Conclusions/Recommendations Teacher preparation programs and researchers or state education agencies need to establish partnerships to share individual-level data on program graduates with TPPs. This individual-level data sharing would help TPPs to develop systems of continuous improvement by examining whether their preparation practices align with the types of environments in which their graduates teach and how graduates’ preparation experiences predict their characteristics and performance as Teachers of Record. Unlike other initiatives targeted at TPP improvement, individual-level data sharing, and its focus on within-program variability, can benefit TPPs at all levels of performance.
Fighting for Respeto: Latinas’ Stories of Violence and Resistance Shaping Educational Opportunities
Authors: Kiyama Judy Marquez , Harris Donna Marie , Dache-Gerbino Amalia 
Published: November 2021

Background/Context The experiences of Latina youth in the United States are embedded within a larger social context influenced by gender, ethnic/racial identity, socioeconomic status, language, and sociospatial and political characteristics that can negatively impact their daily lived experiences. Given the challenges that young Latinas encounter, it is necessary to understand the systemic barriers that complicate their educational progress as they confront dominant institutions and systems that marginalize them. Purpose/Objective This article is informed by intersecting forms of violence and the relationship between violence and systems experienced by adolescent Latinas. Its purpose is to explore the oppressive structures that influence Latinas’ educational opportunities and to illustrate how Latinas respond to these structures. This article is guided by the following research questions: How are Latina students’ schooling experiences influenced by acts of violence? How do Latina students respond to these acts of violence? Participants Analysis for this article was drawn from seven focus groups with 39 Latinas, ages 11–18. The majority (82%) of the Latinas identified as Puerto Rican, inclusive of biracial and multiracial identities. Research Design The data in this article originated from a larger mixed-methods study examining the barriers that prohibit Latina/o students from successfully progressing through K–12 schooling. We used focus groups to collect data from the participants and drew upon narrative analysis techniques to represent the stories of the young Latinas. Findings Findings highlight how systemic forces position and oppress Latinas, resulting in physical violence, stereotypes, and environmental violence, each of which intersect with Latinas’ gender, race, ethnicity, social class, and language. The authors present the findings by associating key themes of resistance, resiliency, and agency with Latina participant experiences with violence. Conclusions/Recommendations The authors argue that these forms of systemic violence must be interrogated further, as future educational opportunities for Latinas will continue to be impacted. Spaces must be created to recognize and further cultivate the resistance strategies that Latinas are developing, especially as they learn to critique and fight against the social systems in which they are embedded. I don't fight in school but they always wanted to, they always wanted to see me fight and they never ever got to see me fight, they saw me once but not in school. It was downtown. Girl, I feel better here because there's no girls trying to fight me. I'm making more friends … but in the street, there ain't no friends in the street. —Katia, Puerto Rican, current GED student
Advocacy for Equity: Extending Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in Predominantly White Suburban Schools
Authors: Warren-Grice April 
Published: November 2021

Background/Context This article describes Black educators in predominantly White suburban schools who have used advocacy through the lens of culturally relevant pedagogy and serve as Educational Cultural Negotiators to help the students of color in these spaces academically and socially. This article highlights the advocacy needed to address the plight of students of color in suburban schools who disproportionately lag behind their White and Asian counterparts. Purpose/Focus of Study This research focuses on the experiences and reflections of five Black educators who have directed after-school programs in predominantly White suburban schools. Through their experiences and reflections, this study provides a snapshot—part of a larger study—of the ways Black educators use culturally relevant pedagogy to advocate for students of color. Setting Four suburban high schools in a Midwest metropolitan region of the United States. Research Design Qualitative research (i.e., portraiture) was used to capture the reflections and experiences of five Black educators (18–30 years of experience) in predominantly White suburban high schools. I interviewed participants three times during the course of a year, with the last interview conducted as a focus group. I developed interview questions thematically to provide information on each director's background, the role they played in influencing Black and Latino/a student achievement, their experiences as they helped program participants, their insight on sustaining program directors, and suggestions for educational leaders and educators of Black and Latino/a students. Findings/Results Participants shared a sense of racial uplift to address issues of concern with Black and Latino/a students. Racial uplift manifested in the form of racial and academic advocacy. Racial advocacy came through protecting students from various types of mistreatment, neglect, and macro and micro forms of racism. Educators worked with the staff and students to help navigate and negotiate the racial space. Academic advocacy came through encouraging and supporting students to reach their highest potential though mentor-ship, tutoring, student life workshops, college visits, and cultural field trips.
Two Heads May be Better than One: Learning from Computer Agents in Conversational Trialogues
Authors: Graesser Arthur C. , Forsyth Carol M. , Lehman Blair A. 
Published: November 2021

Background Pedagogical agents are computerized talking heads or embodied animated avatars that help students learn by performing actions and holding conversations with the students in natural language. Dialogues occur between a tutor agent and the student in the case of AutoTutor and other intelligent tutoring systems with natural-language conversation. The agents are adaptive to the students’ actions, verbal contributions, and, in some systems, their emotions (such as boredom, confusion, and frustration). Focus of Study This paper explores several designs of trialogues (two agents interacting with a human student) that have been productively implemented for particular students, subject matters, and depths of learning. The two agents take on different roles, but often serve as peers and tutors. There are different trialogue designs that address different pedagogical goals for different classes of students. For example, students can (a) observe vicariously two agents interacting, (b) converse with a tutor agent while a peer agent periodically chimes in, or (c) teach a peer agent while a tutor rescues a problematic interaction. In addition, agents can argue with each other over issues and ask what the human student thinks about the argument. Research Design Trialogues have been developed for systematic experimental investigations in several studies that measure student impressions, learning gains from pretest to post-test on objective tests, and both cognitive and affective states during learning. The studies compare conditions with different pedagogical principles underlying the trialogues in order to assess the impact of these principles on student impressions, learning, emotions, and other psychological measures. Discourse analyses are performed on the language and actions in the log files in order to assess their impacts on psychological measures. Recommendations Tests of these agent-based systems have shown improvements in learning gains and systematic influences on student emotions. In the future, researchers need to conduct more research to empirically evaluate the psychological impact of different trialogue designs on psychological measures. These trialogue designs range from scripted interactions between agents being observed by the student, to the student helping a fellow peer agent, to the student resolving an argument between two agents. The central question is whether the learning experiences and outcomes show improvement over typical human-computer dialogues (i.e., one human and one tutor agent) and conventional pedagogical interventions.
Postnatal College Trajectories: When and under What Circumstances Do Mothers Enroll?
Authors: Radey Melissa 
Published: November 2021

Background/Context In light of increasingly common, non-traditional pathways to college enrollment and potential importance of post-secondary education for family wellbeing, this article examines maternal college enrollment. I employ a sociological application of rational action theory in which costs of reentry, probability of success, and utility of education influence enrollment. Objective Recently available longitudinal data provide the opportunity to (a) describe maternal college enrollment during the first 9 years after giving birth and (b) consider the influence of demographic (race, nativity, age), economic (poverty level, employment status, occupation) and social (informal social support, public assistance receipt, household composition, maternal health status) covariates on maternal enrollment. Research Design The analysis uses secondary data, the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS), to examine how college enrollment evolves over the child's first 9 years (n = 2,330 mothers, n = 7,808 observations). Data Collection and Analysis The FFCWS is a longitudinal survey of 4,898 children born in 1998–2000 to mostly unmarried, low-income mothers (the sample is comprised of 75% unmarried mothers and a 25% married comparison group). Through a stratified random sampling design, U.S. cities with populations of 200,000 or more were selected, followed by hospitals within the cities, and, finally, beds within hospitals. Using multilevel models of change, the analysis considers social and economic factors that influence college enrollment, and examines how the influences of covariates change over time. Findings One-third of mothers enrolled in college at least once during their child's first 9 years and college enrollment increased as children aged. Mothers’ enrollment levels largely reflected rational action theory such that enrollment costs and probability for success influenced enrollment. Models illuminated differential rates of change. Safety net access and marital status at the child's birth became more important in differentiating students as children aged. Conclusions/Recommendations Mothers’ interest coupled with the short- and long-term benefits of college enrollment suggest that mothers should receive additional support to finance their educations. Findings indicate the need for policies, including welfare policy reform, to support the growing number of student mothers enrolling in college discontinuously and their high levels of disadvantage.