ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Linking School Libraries and Literacy: Young People's Reading Habits and Attitudes to Their School Library, and an Exploration of the Relationship between School Library Use and School Attainment
Author: Clark, Christina
Date: 2010-09-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Student Surveys,Focus Groups,Reading Habits,School Libraries,Literature Appreciation,Reading Ability,Academic Achievement,Educational Attainment,Student Attitudes,Student Behavior,Elementary School Students,Secondary School Students,Student Characteristics,Predictor Variables,Racial Differences,Age Differences,Gender Differences,Correlation,Reading Attitudes,Reading Interests,Recreational Reading,Reading Motivation

This paper presents additional information from the authors' 2009 survey of young people's reading and writing--for more information see their forthcoming report Clark and Douglas (2010) &quot;Young People's Reading and Writing: An in-depth study focusing on enjoyment, behaviour, attitudes and attainment.&quot; To support the School Library Commission's evidence base, this paper explores what young people think about school libraries--do they use them? If yes, why? If not, why not? It also outlines how school library usage differs according to background demographics and reading attainment, and how it relates to wider enjoyment of reading, attitudes towards reading and reading frequency. This report has shown that most young people use the school library. They use it because it gives them easy access to books, because it is a friendly space and because they believe that the school library, and by default reading, will help them do better at school. The authors have also shown that their school library use is related to their ethnic background, age and gender. It also shows a link between school library use and increased reading enjoyment, higher self-assessments of reading ability as well as more positive attitudes towards reading. Most interestingly, there is a clear link between attainment and school library usage. Young people with a reading age above the expected level for their age are twice as likely to be school library users as their peers with a reading level below that expected for their age. The link is not necessarily causal, but it suggests that school libraries have a vital role to play in the reading patterns of those pupils who have higher literacy levels. (Contains 8 tables and 14 endnotes.)
Highlights from a Literature Review Prepared for the Face to Face Research Project
Author: National Literacy Trust (England)
Date: 2010-10-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Literacy,Language Acquisition,Research Projects,Child Rearing,Family Environment,Literature Reviews,Synthesis,Evidence,Barriers,Communication Strategies,Communication Research,Speech Communication,Interpersonal Communication,Caregiver Child Relationship,Child Caregivers,Child Development,Parent Child Relationship,Child Language,Young Children,Nonverbal Communication,Parent Influence,Brain

Between March 2009 and March 2011, Talk To Your Baby has been engaged in a research project, under the title of Face to Face, to identify key messages for parents and carers in relation to communicating with babies and young children, and has examined the most effective ways to promote these messages to parents and carers. The Face to Face project commissioned the University of Dundee to produce: (1) a synthesis of the evidence for why communicating with babies matters, in order to produce a definitive profile of the main issues from all relevant disciplines; and (2) a knowledge review to identify the challenges and barriers for parents and caregivers in communicating with babies in order to elicit the most effective ways of encouraging parents and carers to communicate with babies. These have brought together a significant evidence base from a wide range of disciplines and perspectives including linguistics, psychology, education, social science, medicine and parenting. There is general agreement that infants are predisposed to communicate, reciprocate and connect with other people. Three key areas were identified in relation to the aspects of parenting that matter in relation to communicating with babies: (i) Contingency, i.e. babies and carers being "tuned in" to reciprocal communication; (ii) The nature and types of parent-infant interaction; and (iii) The importance of the home literacy environment. [Funding for this paper was provided by the Department for Education's Children, Young People and Families Grant Programme.]
What's Hot, What's Not 2009: What Experts Say about Literacy Issues
Author: National Literacy Trust (England)
Date: 2009-01-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Surveys,Computer Mediated Communication,Literacy,Educational Trends,Phonics,Reading Tests,Recreational Reading,Emergent Literacy,Parent Participation

In December 2008, 35 professionals from research, policy, practice and the media participated in an online survey about a range of key literacy issues. This is the second time that this annual survey has been carried out in the in UK. Participants were asked to indicate whether a certain topic was &quot;hot&quot; (i.e. currently a topic of debate and research) or &quot;not hot&quot; (i.e. not currently receiving a lot of attention). In addition, they were asked to indicate whether these topics should or should not be a focus of research and debate in 2009. A similar survey has been conducted in the U.S. since 1996. While there was no &quot;extremely hot topic&quot; this year, phonics and assessment continue to occupy the literacy landscape in the UK by being voted the hottest topics in 2008. Seven topics were &quot;hot&quot; this year: reading difficulties, reading interventions, writing, speaking and listening, personalised learning, early literacy intervention and literacy in the early years. Writing, speaking and listening and reading difficulties were topics that moved into the &quot;hot&quot; topics this year, with all three having been &quot;very cold&quot; or &quot;cold&quot; topics last year. The coldest topics this year are reading motivation, adolescent literacy, popular culture and literacy, literacy to support health and well-being, and literacy to support participation in society. Two of these topics are remarkably colder than they were last year. Adolescent literacy and popular culture and literacy changed from a &quot;hot&quot; topic last year to a &quot;very cold&quot; this year. Reading motivation also cooled compared to last year when it was seen only as a &quot;cold&quot; topic. The respondents believed that all five topics should be hot in 2009. (Contains 1 table.)
A Review of the Research Evidence Underpinning Partners in Literacy
Author: Mottram, Emily
Date: 2010-06-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Models,Intervention,Family Characteristics,Parent Participation,Academic Achievement,Parent School Relationship,Literature Reviews,Evidence,Research Reports,Family Environment,Predictor Variables,Correlation,Definitions,Classification,Partnerships in Education,Literacy,Family Programs,Young Children,Family Role,Parent Role,Family Influence,Parent Influence,Early Experience,Incidental Learning

In the last three decades, several strands of research have produced compelling evidence justifying a focus on the family with a particular emphasis on early years in order to raise literacy standards. Partners in Literacy is an evidence-based model which is built on these key research findings, these are: (1) Families and parents are critical to children's attainment. Parental involvement in their child's literacy practices positively affects children's academic performance and is a more powerful force for academic success than other family background variables, such as social class, family size and level of parental education; (2) The home is crucial. Parents have the greatest influence on the achievement of young people through supporting their learning in the home rather than supporting activities in school; and (3) Early intervention is vital. The earlier parents become involved in their children's literacy practices, the more profound the results and the longer-lasting the effects. Children learn long before they enter formal education. This paper looks in detail at the range of research underpinning the Partners in Literacy (PiL) model. (Contains 4 figures and 9 footnotes.) [This document was originally written by Angelica Bonci in 2008.]
Exploring the Digital Nation: Home Broadband Internet Adoption in the United States
Author: National Telecommunications and Information Administration
Date: 2010-11-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Internet,Telecommunications,Computer Attitudes,Influence of Technology,Technological Advancement,Adoption (Ideas),Social Environment,Economic Climate,Role,Economic Status,Educational Attainment,Predictor Variables,Computer Use,Family (Sociological Unit),Geographic Location,Disabilities

The Internet has revolutionized the social and economic environment in which people live by providing an alternative or supplemental channel for communication, gathering and disseminating information, entertainment, commerce, and education. Household use of high-speed, or broadband, Internet services has risen dramatically during this decade which demonstrates the key role the Internet plays in the everyday lives of many individuals. Nonetheless, not everyone either uses the Internet or has access to it. This report, prepared jointly by the Commerce Department's Economics and Statistics Administration (ESA) &quot;and&quot; National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), seeks to explain differences in broadband Internet use among households. This report builds on the findings of the NTIA report published earlier in 2010 in order to more fully explore the differences in broadband Internet use among households with different characteristics. In addition, this report analyzes the main reasons provided by households for non-adoption, characteristics associated with a lag in technology adoption, and long-term growth in home broadband Internet use across population subgroups and geographic locations. The next section describes the data and methodology employed in this study. Section 3 looks at the pattern of household Internet use in 2007 and 2009. Section 4 shows how demographic characteristics and geographic location of households are associated with home broadband Internet adoption. Section 5 analyzes the main reasons provided by households for non-adoption. Section 6 analyzes who lags in technology adoption by comparing users of dial-up Internet services with users of broadband Internet services. Section 7 looks at broadband Internet adoption by people with disabilities. Finally, Section 8 studies long-term changes in home broadband and Internet use by comparing the most recent data from 2009 with that from 2001, and Section 9 provides some concluding marks. An appendix is included. (Contains 37 tables, 12 footnotes, and 9 figures.) [This paper was prepared by the Commerce Department's Economics and Statistics Administration.]
The Silent Epidemic: Perspectives of High School Dropouts
Author: Bridgeland, John M.
Date: 2006-03-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: High Schools,School Attendance Legislation,Dropouts,Attendance,Young Adults,Dropout Rate,Dropout Prevention,Best Practices,Surveys,Academic Achievement,Attitudes,Teachers,Public Officials,Compulsory Education,State Legislation,Graduation Rate,Federal Legislation,Educational Legislation,Prediction,Predictor Variables

The central message of this report is that while some students drop out because of significant academic challenges, most dropouts are students who could have, and believe they could have, succeeded in school. This survey of young people who left high school without graduating suggests that, despite career aspirations that require education beyond high school and a majority having grades of a C or better, circumstances in students' lives and an inadequate response to those circumstances from the schools led to dropping out. While reasons vary, the general categories remain the same, whether in inner city Los Angeles or suburban Nebraska. Educators, policymakers and leaders from various sectors should make addressing the high school dropout epidemic a top national priority. All avenues to invest leaders in a better understanding of the problem and common solutions should be undertaken--including congressional hearings, White House conferences, summits of state and local officials, and public forums in schools and communities. In all cases, the voices of young people who dropped out of high school should be heard. Appendices include: (1) Poll Methodology; and (2) Compulsory School Attendance Laws by State. A bibliography is included. (Contains 63 notes.) [This report was produced for the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation.]
Long-Term Impacts of the Chicago School Readiness Project on Children's Behavior in Kindergarten: The Moderating Role of Child Baseline Characteristics and Kindergarten School Quality
Author: Jones, Stephanie M.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Control Groups,Behavior Problems,School Readiness,Intervention,Poverty,Ethnic Groups,Disadvantaged Youth,Preschool Children,Kindergarten,Child Behavior,Preschool Education,Emotional Problems,Federal Programs,Early Childhood Education,Low Income

This paper investigates the long-term impact of participation in the Chicago School Readiness Project (CSRP) during the Head Start year on children's behavioral outcomes at the end of their Kindergarten year. The primary questions addressed in the paper are: (1) What is the experimental impact of CSRP on two-year change (from Fall Head Start to the end of Kindergarten) in children's externalizing and internalizing outcomes, controlling for key baseline child, classroom and teacher covariates? (2) Building on recent findings from intervention studies that demonstrate significantly stronger impacts for families facing a greater versus smaller number of poverty-related risks, is the two-year impact of CSRP moderated by child-level baseline demographic covariates (including child gender, race/ethnic background, family socioeconomic risk, and community risk) and baseline levels of behavioral risk? (3) Addressing school factors that may account for enhanced for reduced intervention effects due to the transition to Kindergarten, is the two-year impact of CSRP moderated by school characteristics in Kindergarten? Overall 602 children and 94 teachers participated in the CSRP. Results after the Head Start year indicate significant treatment effects for teacher-reported and independent observations of children's internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, with effect sizes ranging from d = 0.53  to d = 0.89 (Raver et al., 2009). Moreover, there was some evidence for the moderating role of child gender, race/ethnic group membership, and exposure to poverty-related risk, with stronger effects of intervention for some groups of children than for others.
Prospects for Prosperity: Rwanda and the Entrepreneurial Society
Author: Streeter, Ryan
Date: 2008-00-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Business,Investment,Economic Opportunities,History,Death,Crime,Ethnic Groups,Poverty,Energy Conservation,Developing Nations,Sustainable Development,Futures (of Society),Entrepreneurship,Models

Upon first examination, Rwanda does not seem an ideal place for business investment and development. It is a landlocked country, often described as the &quot;land of a thousand hills,&quot; surrounded by neighbors at varying stages of socioeconomic progress and stagnation. Because of the underdeveloped transportation infrastructure and a lack of access to ports, doing business in Rwanda carries a remarkable cost. However, Rwanda has experienced 6.4 percent average growth in GDP between 1996 and 2006. It has seen an increase in foreign direct investment in the past several years, with $467 million in registered, planned investment across several sectors of the society in 2005, up from $232 million in 2004. Furthermore, in each of the interviews conducted for this report and according to accounts by additional thoughtful observers, Rwanda is heralded as a country where anti-corruption efforts, security and accountability are consistently at the forefront of the government's attention. Why, given the barriers to investing or conducting business in Rwanda, is the country showing such clear signs of progress? What does that progress mean for its prospects of attracting business investment from the United States? In an effort to answer that question, the authors conducted interviews with individuals both in Rwanda and the United States in both the private and public sectors, and they researched available literature and data related to the subject. The authors found that the reasons why many people are calling Rwanda a model are fairly straightforward: (1) The Kagame administration has a demonstrated commitment to cleaning up corruption and removing the usual barriers to private business investment in post-conflict and developing nations; (2) The country is intentionally promoting itself as an investment destination as a way to defy the typical donor-recipient relationship. Rwanda is clear that their own sustainable development depends not on foreign aid but on the private investment of companies in developed economies; and (3) The foregoing two factors are generating an enthusiasm among investors and businesses in developed countries that has sustained itself just long enough to signal that, if other developing nations behave similarly, investment is likely to follow. Appendices include: (1) Human Development Index; (2) Economic Indicators and Data; (3) Energy Consumption; and (4) Rwanda Interview Schedule. (Contains 24 footnotes.)
Building a Grad Nation: Progress and Challenge in Ending the High School Dropout Epidemic
Author: Balfanz, Robert
Date: 2010-11-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: High Schools,Graduation Rate,Dropouts,School Districts,Educational Change,Public Schools,Curriculum Design,Difficulty Level,Educational Policy,Educational Practices,Academic Achievement,Educational Objectives,Goal Orientation,Dropout Rate,Dropout Prevention,Accountability,Academic Standards

The central message of this report is that some states and school districts are raising their high school graduation rates with scalable solutions in the public schools, showing the nation they can end the high school dropout crisis. America made progress not only in suburbs and towns, but also in urban districts and in states across the South. Progress in states and school districts has often been the result of rising to a standard of excellence--with clear goals and expectations from the state to the classroom, by challenging all students with a more rigorous curriculum to obtain a meaningful diploma that prepares them for college and work, and through a targeted approach sustained over time that provides extra supports to the school leaders, teachers and students who need them the most. Progress was not the result of a magic bullet, but a weave of multiple reform efforts, sustained, integrated, and improved over time. Important progress is being made on a range of reforms, policies, and practices at all levels that will help ensure more students graduate from high school, ready for college and productive work. Although this is producing real results, including an increase in the national graduation rate, the pace is too slow to meet the national goal of a 90 percent high school graduation rate by 2020. States and school districts must calibrate their educational system to the greater demands of the 21st century through a Civic Marshall Plan to make more accelerated progress in boosting student achievement, high school graduation rates, and college- and career-readiness for the nation to meet national goals and fulfill the promise of the next generation. Appendices include: (1) Change in Number of Dropout Factory High Schools; (2) Pearson Foundation Roundtable Participants; and (3) State Graduation Rate Goals. A bibliography is included. (Contains 104 footnotes.)
Academic Outcomes of the Chicago School Readiness Project in First Grade: Do Children's Approaches to Learning Mediate Treatment Effects on Academic Skills?
Author: Li-Grining, Christine
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Control Groups,School Readiness,Intervention,Structural Equation Models,Kindergarten,Mathematics Skills,Followup Studies,Grade 1,Early Childhood Education,Preschool Children,Preschool Education,Mental Health,Medical Services,Teacher Behavior,Federal Programs,Disadvantaged Youth,Low Income

The Chicago School Readiness Project (CSRP), a randomized, classroom-based mental health intervention, aimed to improve teachers' behavior management of preschoolers' dysregulated behavior. The current follow-up study examines potential impacts on academic skills of first graders by enhancing their ATL. This investigation seeks to answer three research questions: (1) Did children in the CSRP control group have lower academic ratings in first grade, when compared to the children who were randomly assigned to receive the CSRP intervention? (2) Were potential treatment impacts on first graders' academic skills dampened when children's ATL were added as a covariate? (3) Was there a direct impact on first graders' ATL? The authors estimate hierarchical linear models (HLM) to take into account the nested design of CSRP, as well as structural equation modeling (SEM) to test for mediation. In sum, preliminary evidence of CSRP impact on children's language, literacy, and math skills in kindergarten so far does not hold in more conservative models. Moreover, there was no preliminary evidence of CSRP impact on children's approaches to learning in kindergarten. Interestingly, preliminary evidence of child, family, and classroom characteristics in preschool as predictive of kindergarten outcomes.
The Quiet Crisis: The Impact of the Economic Downturn on the Nonprofit Sector
Author: Bridgeland, John M.
Date: 2009-03-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Economic Climate,Context Effect,Nonprofit Organizations,National Programs,Community Services,Volunteers,Economic Impact,Federal Aid,Financial Support,Donors

This report was written to shine a spotlight on the under-reported plight of America's nonprofit organizations and to make recommendations for how the nation can respond. In the wake of the economic downturn, hospitals, nursing homes, nursery schools, senior centers, soup kitchens, and other nonprofit organizations have been hit by a triple whammy. The evaporation of wealth has decimated charitable donations; the state and local budget crunch is costing nonprofits their foremost paying clients; and the human need for nonprofit help is skyrocketing as nonprofit resources shrink. Reversing the nonprofit plunge is a matter of jobs, not just charity. With 9.4 million employees and 4.7 million full-time volunteers nationwide, nonprofits constitute 11 percent of the American workforce--greater than the auto and financial industries combined. In this report, the authors have compiled stories and statistics from across the nonprofit sector that illustrate the dire straits facing many crucial institutions. (Contains 61 endnotes.)