ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Review of &quot;Cross-Country Evidence on Teacher Performance Pay&quot;
Author: von Davier, Matthias
Date: 2011-03-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Evidence,Teacher Salaries,Merit Pay,Program Effectiveness,Program Evaluation,Comparative Analysis,Predictor Variables,Scores,Academic Achievement,Mathematics Achievement,Reading Achievement,Regression (Statistics),Measures (Individuals),Sample Size,Influences,Foreign Countries

The primary claim of this Harvard Program on Education Policy and Governance report and the abridged Education Next version is that nations &quot;that pay teachers on their performance score higher on PISA tests.&quot; After statistically controlling for several variables, the author concludes that nations with some form of merit pay system have, on average, higher reading and math scores on this international test of 15-year-old students. Although the author lists numerous caveats, his broad conclusions do not heed these cautions. The fundamental differences among countries in the types of performance pay system are not properly considered. Nations are simply lumped together as having or not having a performance pay plan. Also, the length of time the program had been in place in each country is not addressed and the unknown intensity of program implementations argue against drawing lessons from this study. The small sample size of 28 observations requires extreme caution in interpretation. For example, the inclusion or exclusion of a single country results in large shifts in the size of the reported relationships. That is, the numbers become unreliable and invalid. With any correlational study, attributing causality is problematic; the differences among nations could be due to any number of factors. Finally, the type of regression-based analyses used to support the performance pay conclusion does not properly consider that the background variables used in these analyses can vary in terms of relationships with student scores and have different definitions across the countries under study. Therefore, drawing policy conclusions about teacher performance pay on the basis of this analysis is not warranted. (Contains 11 notes.)
Online Learning: Does It Help Low-Income and Underprepared Students? CCRC Brief. Number 52
Author: Jaggars, Shanna Smith
Date: 2011-03-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Evidence,Electronic Learning,Low Income,Online Courses,Access to Education,Distance Education,Asynchronous Communication,Disadvantaged,Literature Reviews,Instructional Effectiveness,Guidelines,Educational Policy,College Students

Advocates of online learning are optimistic about its potential to promote greater access to college by reducing the cost and time of commuting and, in the case of asynchronous approaches, by allowing students to study on a schedule that is optimal for them. The enthusiasm surrounding recent innovative, technology-based education initiatives, combined with an ongoing acceleration in online course enrollments (Allen & Seaman, 2010) has led educators to ask whether the continuing expansion of online learning could be leveraged to increase the academic access, progression, and success of low-income and underprepared college students. To provide an evidence-based perspective on these questions, this Brief, based on a longer review, summarizes the literature on online learning and provides recommendations for policymakers and practitioners. [For related report, "Online Learning: Does It Help Low-Income and Underprepared Students? CCRC Working Paper No. 26. Assessment of Evidence Series", see ED515135.]
Facilitating Student Learning through Contextualization. CCRC Brief. Number 53
Author: Perin, Dolores
Date: 2011-04-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Evidence,Writing Skills,Learning Motivation,Skill Development,College Instruction,Basic Skills,Content Area Reading,Content Area Writing,Educational Strategies,Student Problems,Mathematics Instruction,Teaching Methods,Intellectual Disciplines,Educational Research

Skills in reading, writing, and mathematics are key to academic learning but are conventionally taught separately from the discipline areas to which they must be applied. For example, students may be taught writing skills in the morning in an English course and then be expected to apply them to writing an essay in a history class in the afternoon. Several problems arise with this structure. First, students do not necessarily transfer their morning writing skills to the afternoon history assignment. Second, students may not be motivated to learn writing skills in the English class because they do not consider such skills to be relevant to their personal goals (Cavazos, Johnson, & Sparrow, 2010). Third, weaknesses in essay-  writing skills may not be addressed by the afternoon content-area teacher, who aims to teach subject knowledge rather than basic skills (Fisher & Ivy, 2005). These problems have serious implications for the academic trajectory of the many underprepared students who enter postsecondary education. Despite the allocation of considerable resources to developmental education, many students in college-credit courses display continuing difficulties in applying these foundational skills to the learning of subject matter (Perin & Charron, 2006). One way to address this issue is through "contextualization", or the teaching of basic skills in the context of disciplinary topic areas. The contextualization of basic skills is defined in this brief as an instructional approach that creates explicit connections between the teaching of reading, writing, or math on the one hand and instruction in a discipline area on the other, as, for example, when writing skills are taught with direct reference to topics covered in a history class. Based on a longer review that considers the hypothesis that low-skilled students can learn more effectively and advance to college-level programs more readily through contextualization of basic skills instruction, this Brief presents two major forms of contextualization and explores possible mechanisms by which they may benefit students. Evidence for the effectiveness of contextualization is then summarized in order to determine what is known about possible advantages for low-skilled students. The Brief ends by discussing practical implications and future directions for research on the relation between contextualization and academic outcomes for low-skilled college students. [For related report, "Facilitating Student Learning through Contextualization. CCRC Working Paper No. 29", see ED516783.]
The Campus Visit Experience: Improving Student Recruitment at the University of Rhode Island. Report of the Admissions Advisory Committee
Date: 2011-03-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Higher Education,Student Recruitment,Best Practices,College Bound Students,College Applicants,Decision Making,Enrollment Management

The purpose of this report was to identify best practices in the design of college and university admissions facilities with the goal of enhancing recruitment and yield of prospective students. The Admissions Advisory Committee at the University of Rhode Island conducted a literature review examining the importance of the campus visit experience to prospective students' decisions to attend a higher education institution. The committee also examined best practices in improving campus visit experiences from a facilities planning perspective and gathered examples of specific institutions that had recently created campus welcome centers or upgraded admissions facilities. As a result of their literature review, and in consultation with the University of Rhode Island's Office of Admission, the committee set forth eight criteria for the ideal admissions / welcome center facility and recommended that planners at the University of Rhode Island make the development of an improved admissions facility a priority. Contains a bibliography.
Developing Leaders through Mentoring: A Brief Literature Review
Author: Leavitt, Carol C.
Date: 2011-03-13
Type: Information Analyses
Subjects: Futures (of Society),Mentors,Lifelong Learning,Organizational Development,Literature Reviews,Leadership Effectiveness,Global Approach,Best Practices,Interpersonal Relationship,Leaders,Educational History,Leadership Training,Workplace Learning,Theories,Research Problems,Research Needs

Our rapidly-changing, ambiguous, global business arena demands a unique and evolving set of insights and capabilities by which leaders may effectively navigate this new terrain. Mentoring can accomplish exactly that, as its processes orient, train, and advance the skills, knowledge, and experiences of aspiring leaders. Best utilized, mentoring is one important component in a larger, strategic initiative to build a cohesive and collaborative workforce, develop agile and savvy global leaders, and create a continuous learning culture that can effectively adapt to organizational and global change. The key research questions that were considered for this literature review evaluating 15 scholarly articles on mentoring pertain to its "best practices" in three areas: 1) The unique "traits and behaviors" that effective mentors demonstrate; 2) the most productive "relationship structures" that exist between mentors and proteges; and 3) the concrete developmental "outcomes" that mentoring produces for the protege, the mentor, and the sponsoring organization? This literature review, focused on the evolution of mentoring within the organizational context, spans the period from 1985 forward. It presents the theoretical frameworks that underpin the study of mentoring and analyzes the historical evolution of mentoring theory. Additionally, it demonstrates the structures, functions, and outcomes of mentoring relationships that benefit proteges, mentors, and organizations, and notes how mentoring tangibly contributes to the practice of leadership. Finally, it identifies the design limitations and theoretical shortcomings of the existing research, and makes recommendations for the future study of mentoring.
Do Low-Income Students Have Equal Access to the Highest-Performing Teachers? NCEE Evaluation Brief. NCEE 2011-4016
Author: Glazerman, Steven
Date: 2011-04-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Middle Schools,Poverty,Income,Teacher Effectiveness,Comparative Analysis,Access to Education,Low Income Groups,School Districts,Disproportionate Representation,Elementary Schools,Academic Achievement,Incidence,Elementary School Students,Middle School Students,Equal Education

This brief describes the prevalence of highest-performing teachers in ten purposely selected districts across seven states. The overall patterns indicate that low-income students have unequal access, on average, to the district's highest-performing teachers at the middle school level but not at the elementary level. However, there is evidence of variation in the distribution of highest-performing teachers within and among the ten districts studied. Some have an under-representation of the highest-performing teachers in high-poverty elementary and middle schools. Others have such under-representation only at the middle school level, and one district has a disproportionate share of the district's highest-performing teachers in its high-poverty elementary schools. (Contains 3 figures and 11 endnotes.) [For related report, &quot;Do Low-Income Students Have Equal Access to the Highest-Performing Teachers? Technical Appendix&quot;, see ED517967.]
Do Low-Income Students Have Equal Access to the Highest-Performing Teachers? Technical Appendix. NCEE 2011-4016
Author: Glazerman, Steven
Date: 2011-04-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Low Income Groups,Equal Education,Middle Schools,Poverty,Income,Teacher Effectiveness,Comparative Analysis,Access to Education,School Districts,Disproportionate Representation,Elementary Schools,Academic Achievement,Incidence,Elementary School Students,Middle School Students

This appendix describes the methods and provides further detail to support the evaluation brief, &quot;Do Low-Income Students Have Equal Access to the Highest-Performing Teachers?&quot; (Contains 8 figures, 6 tables and 5 footnotes.) [For the main report, &quot;Do Low-Income Students Have Equal Access to the Highest-Performing Teachers? NCEE Evaluation Brief. NCEE 2011-4016&quot;, see ED517966.]
Classroom Assessment for Student Learning: Impact on Elementary School Mathematics in the Central Region. Final Report. NCEE 2011-4005
Author: Randel, Bruce
Date: 2011-04-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Mathematics Achievement,Elementary School Mathematics,Grade 4,Grade 5,Elementary School Students,Elementary School Teachers,Faculty Development,Evidence,Experimental Groups,Student Evaluation,Formative Evaluation,Work Sample Tests,Achievement Tests,Program Effectiveness

This study was conducted by the Central Region Educational Laboratory (REL Central) administered by Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning to provide educators and policymakers with rigorous evidence about the potential of Classroom Assessment for Student Learning (CASL) to improve student achievement. CASL is a widely used professional development program in classroom and formative assessment published by the Assessment Training Institute of Pearson Education. Schools were recruited from across Colorado to participate in the study. Colorado was chosen as the target state primarily because it has one of the largest populations in the Central Region from which to recruit schools and because its statewide achievement test is vertically scaled. This cluster randomized trial of the CASL professional development program had sufficient statistical power to detect an impact of at least 0.25 standard deviation on student achievement. An intent-to-treat analysis was conducted to estimate the impact of CASL on student achievement; all schools were included in the analysis and were analyzed as randomized regardless of the level of implementation fidelity. Analysis did not reveal a statistically significant impact of CASL on the school-level average mathematics achievement of grade 4 and grade 5 students. Results from sensitivity analyses revealed that the impact estimates on student achievement were robust to decisions regarding the inclusion of covariates, estimation method, and the treatment of missing data. In other words, design and analysis decisions made by the research team did not change whether the impact results would have been statistically significant. Appendices include: (1) Power analysis; (2) Response rates by data collection wave, instrument, and experimental group; (3) Data collection instruments; (4) Development, reliability, and validity of teacher outcomes; (5) Teacher Assessment Work Sample; (6) Impact analysis models; (7) Calculation of effect sizes; (8) Treatment of missing data; (9) Variance components estimates and intraclass correlations; (10) Raw means and standard deviations; and (11) Complete mixed model results. (Contains 1 box, 4 figures and 56 tables.
Supportive Discourse Moves in Persian Requests
Author: Nodoushan, Mohammad Ali Salmani
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Indo European Languages,Interpersonal Communication,Phonetic Transcription,Content Analysis,Speech Acts,Social Behavior

This paper reports the findings of a study designed to investigate the types of supportive discourse moves employed by Persian speakers in their Requestive Speech Acts. 372 respondents took a Discourse Completion Test (DCT) with six scenarios ranging from formal to informal degrees of Perceived Situational Seriousness, and returned 2232 Requestive Speech Acts (RSAs). The acts were then analyzed according to models proposed by Faerch and Kasper's (1989), Blum-Kulka, et al. (1989), and Scollon and Scollon (2001). Results, after analysis of the data, indicated that Persian speakers use external and internal discourse moves to negotiate face in RSAs. It was concluded that Perceived Situational Seriousness was the determining factor in the choice of the type and number of discourse moves in a given RSA. Three appendixes are included: (1) DCT for Data Collection; (2) Guide to Phonetic Symbols Used for Reporting Persian Examples; and (3) Participant Profile. (Contains 3 figures and 4 tables.)
Adult Learning Assumptions
Author: Baskas, Richard S.
Date: 2011-03-27
Type: Information Analyses
Subjects: Andragogy,Adult Learning,Adult Students,Learning Theories,Nontraditional Students,Learning Motivation,Informal Education,Experience,Traditional Schools

The purpose of this study is to examine Knowles' theory of andragogy and his six assumptions of how adults learn while providing evidence to support two of his assumptions based on the theory of andragogy. As no single theory explains how adults learn, it can best be assumed that adults learn through the accumulation of formal and informal education, and lifelong experiences. Research was conducted through the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) system, and seven peer-reviewed articles were located for this purpose. A literature review of these articles was conducted to determine their relevance in the study. Results revealed strong connections between Knowles' six assumptions and learning methods of adult learners.
Which Search Engine Is the Most Used One among University Students?
Author: Cavus, Nadire
Date: 2010-10-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Expertise,Search Engines,Engines,Computer Science,Foreign Countries,Internet,Teachers,College Students

The importance of information is increasing in the information age that we are living in with internet becoming the major information resource for people with rapidly increasing number of documents. This situation makes finding information on the internet without web search engines impossible. The aim of the study is revealing most widely used search engine among university students in Near East University. The investigation described in the study was carried out with 300 random voluntary students. The results obtained were analyzed using descriptive methods and constructed. The results indicated that Google is the most widely used search engine by students. To enlarge the scope of the research, number of universities and students might increase. The results of this study add empirical data to the relevant field and are expected to help computer science students, experts, instructors, and everyone else who wants to reach information via the internet. (Contains 2 figures and 2 tables.)
Roadmap for Growth
Author: Business Roundtable
Date: 2010-12-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Economic Progress,Business,Government Role,Strategic Planning,Economic Development,Change Strategies,Economic Change,Public Policy,Employment Opportunities,Structural Unemployment,Tax Rates,Expenditures,Debt (Financial),Finance Reform,Financial Policy,Education Work Relationship,Federal Regulation,Health Services,Energy Education,Environmental Education

The United States is at a critical juncture. The deep recession and weak economic recovery have left one in 10 American workers without a job, and the federal budget is driving the country's debt to unprecedented levels. Business Roundtable believes that the nation's business community, the White House and Congress must work together to encourage the investment and innovation necessary to restore the nation's economic growth. This Roadmap for Growth details the organization's recommended action plan. (Contains 13 endnotes.)
Technology's Impact on Fraction Learning: An Experimental Comparison of Virtual and Physical Manipulatives
Author: Mendiburo, Maria
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Mathematical Concepts,Mathematics,Elementary School Mathematics,Mathematics Teachers,Elementary School Students,Teaching Methods,Manipulative Materials,Technology Uses in Education,Educational Technology,Virtual Classrooms,Computer Assisted Instruction,Electronic Learning,Instructional Effectiveness,Intervention,Program Effectiveness,Data Analysis

Fractions are among the most difficult mathematical concepts for elementary school students to master (Behr, Harel, Post, &amp; Lesh, 1992; Bezuk &amp; Cramer, 1989; Moss &amp; Case, 1999). Research indicates that manipulatives (e.g. fractions circles, fractions strips) positively impact students' conceptual and procedural understanding of fractions without impeding their ability to complete algorithmic procedures involving fractions (Cramer &amp; Henry, 2002). Unfortunately, a variety of practical and pedagogical challenges associated with using manipulatives during instruction make it difficult for teachers to implement them effectively in classrooms. As a result, students receive far less exposure to manipulatives than the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) recommends for students in grades K-8 (Char, 1991; Hatfield, 1994; Hodge &amp; Brumbaugh, 2003; National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2000). This study examines the following research questions: (1) Are there differences in students' knowledge of fraction magnitude when they are taught basic fraction concepts using virtual manipulatives compared to when they are taught basic fraction concepts using physical manipulatives?; and (2) Are students able to complete more practice exercises and/or more games using virtual manipulatives than physical manipulatives? The results of the post-assessment data collected in this study support Clements' (1999, 1996) hypothesis that computers can provide students with virtual representations of mathematical concepts that are just as meaningful as physical manipulatives. The results of the analyses of the data collected in the practice logs overall (i.e. across both weeks of the intervention) and during the second week of the intervention provide quantitative evidence that virtual manipulatives are more time-efficient than physical manipulatives. It appears that gender is not a strong predictor of the outcomes associated with manipulative-based instruction. (Contains 1 table.)
An Integrated Interdisciplinary Model for Accelerating Student Achievement in Science and Reading Comprehension across Grades 3-8: Implications for Research and Practice
Author: Romance, Nancy R.
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Science Achievement,Reading Achievement,Reading Comprehension,Interdisciplinary Approach,Case Studies,Science Instruction,Time Factors (Learning),Urban Schools,Content Area Writing,Instructional Effectiveness,Elementary School Students,Middle School Students

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the effects of a multi-year implementation of the Science IDEAS model on (a) the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) achievement growth in Reading Comprehension and Science of grade 3-5 students receiving the model, and (b) the transfer effects of the model as measured by ITBS Reading Comprehension and Science to grades 6-8. In doing so, a major objective of the study was to demonstrate the implications for school reform of increasing the instructional time for in-depth science instruction as a means for accelerating student achievement in both reading and science. The study was conducted in a large (185,000 students), diverse (African American: 29%, Hispanic: 19%, Other: 5%, Free Lunch: 40%) urban school system in southeastern Florida. The findings of this multi-year, cross-sectional study substantially extend previously reported research demonstrating the effectiveness of content-area learning in science as a means for improving student reading comprehension. In doing so, this study is suggestive of reversing current curricular policy that emphasizes the major allocation of student instructional time to non-content-oriented basal reading programs in place of meaningful content-area instruction. Implications of the present study are that a curricular approach integrating literacy within in-depth science instruction potentially has the dual benefit of directly and, on a transfer basis, increasing student academic achievement in these two critical areas. (Contains 2 tables and 2 figures.)