ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Do's and Don'ts for Literacy Coaches: Advice from the Field
Author: Bean, Rita
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Instructional Development,Elementary Secondary Education,Literacy,Coaching (Performance),Performance Factors,Barriers,Program Effectiveness,Professional Development,Mentors,Best Practices

Literacy or instructional coaches are becoming increasingly important in schools at all grade levels (kindergarten through grade 12). Because this is a growing professional leadership role, there is a new excitement about possible improvements to literacy instruction and increases in student achievement that may result from having formalized, in-school leadership. According to the International Reading Association (IRA) and the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), literacy coaches are assuming a range of complex tasks within schools. They participate in instructional planning, assist in assessment of students, and spend a substantial amount of time coaching--observing, demonstration teaching, and talking to teachers about instruction (www.literacy coachingonline.org). Many coaches enjoy their new role and find that teachers are receptive and eager to benefit from the support they receive. At the same time, given the newness of this role, and the different ways that coaches are viewed--by teachers, administrators, and even school board members--coaches are eager to get as much information as they can about how to perform their role effectively. The intent of this brief is to provide ideas that have come from the field--from coaches themselves who have learned "on the job." Some of these coaches work in elementary schools, others in middle or high schools. The information was obtained from studies that the authors have done and from informal interviews that they conducted with coaches at various levels--primary, intermediate, middle, and high school. In this brief, the authors share with readers ideas that they hope will help all coaches, but especially the new coach, to work effectively in a school.
Effect Size Measure and Analysis of Single Subject Designs
Author: Swaminathan, Hariharan
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Evidence,Effect Size,Research Methodology,Intervention,Evaluation,Regression (Statistics),Statistical Analysis,Models,Comparative Analysis,Meta Analysis,Markov Processes,Intervals,Monte Carlo Methods,Hypothesis Testing

This study is aimed at addressing the criticisms that have been leveled at the currently available statistical procedures for analyzing single subject designs (SSD). One of the vexing problems in the analysis of SSD is in the assessment of the effect of intervention. Serial dependence notwithstanding, the linear model approach that has been advanced involves, in general, the fitting of regression lines (or curves) to the set of observations within each phase of the design and comparing the parameters of these lines (or curves). In the simplest case of an AB design, this involves fitting a regression line to the observations in phases A and B and comparing the slopes and intercepts. In the event the slope is zero in the two phases, the comparison reduces to the comparison of the means or levels. If there is a trend but the slope is the same in the two phases, then the adjusted means (levels) are compared. A problem arises if the levels and the trends in the two phases are different. In this case the intercepts and slopes are compared across the phases. While statistically such comparisons are not problematic, the interpretations of treatment effects that arise from these comparisons are not intuitive. A &quot;combination&quot; of the slope and intercept parameters that yields a single measure of treatment effect could be more meaningful. Such a measure of treatment effect yields, in turn, an effect size that can be readily computed and interpreted.
The Impact of High School Choice on Mediators of Student Success
Author: Corcoran, Sean P.
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: School Choice,Economically Disadvantaged,Success,Learner Engagement,Student Behavior,Attendance,Preferences,Student Interests,Achievement Gains,Academic Achievement,Predictor Variables,Institutional Characteristics,Student Characteristics,Student Records,Data Analysis,Statistical Data

This paper estimates the impact of attending a preferred high school on mediating factors of student success, including engagement, behavior, and attendance. For example, the authors ask whether students are more engaged with their school or have higher attendance when successfully matched to their first choice versus their second (or lower) choice. By focusing on the subset of incoming freshman who are assigned at random to their preferred school by the HSAPS mechanism (cases of oversubscription), they provide a plausibly causal estimate of the impact of attending a preferred school on these factors. In addition to estimating the average impact across all students, they explore heterogeneity in treatment effects across student populations of interest (e.g. economically disadvantaged, ELL, and low, middle, and high-achieving students). (Contains 2 tables.)
Impact and Implementation Analyses of the ELM Kindergarten Mathematics Intervention
Author: Doabler, Christian
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Intervention,Program Effectiveness,Kindergarten,Teacher Student Relationship,Mathematics Instruction,Control Groups,Experimental Groups,Educational Quality,Audits (Verification),Program Evaluation,Preschool Evaluation,Preschool Education,Classroom Observation Techniques,Interaction Process Analysis,Mathematics Achievement,Curriculum Implementation,Preschool Curriculum,Performance Factors,Instructional Effectiveness,Teacher Effectiveness,Demonstrations (Educational),Teaching Models

The purpose of this 4-year efficacy trial, funded by IES under the Mathematics and  Science Education topic, is to study the efficacy of a (Tier 1) core kindergarten math curriculum, &quot;Early Learning in Mathematics&quot; (ELM), when implemented under rigorous experimental conditions. In the first year of this study (2008-09), kindergarten classrooms were randomly assigned, blocking on schools, to treatment and control conditions in two districts in Oregon. There are two primary purposes of this presentation. The first is to briefly present impact findings from the first year of the 4-year study. The second focus of the presentation will be to discuss procedural fidelity and variations in the quality of implementation of the intervention. The focus of the discussion will be on the nature of the association between classroom observation data targeting instructional interactions between teachers and students, and student mathematics outcomes.
Differences in Fidelity of Implementation Measures: What Videos and Surveys Reveal about Algebra Instruction
Author: Durkin, Kelley
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Video Technology,Teaching Methods,Surveys,Fidelity,Algebra,Mathematics,Comparative Analysis,Control Groups,Outcomes of Treatment,Data Collection,Teachers,Students,Intervention,Educational Practices

The current paper investigated the following research questions regarding measures of fidelity: (1) Is there a significant relationship between two different measures of fidelity of implementation: a survey of instructional practices and coded videos of classroom lessons? Does the strength of this relationship differ between treatment and control teachers?; and (2) Do these measures of fidelity of implementation differ in their predictive value regarding student outcomes? Data were collected from teachers and students in 57 public schools across the state of Massachusetts during the 2010-2011 school year. Suburban, urban, and rural schools were represented. Teachers in the treatment condition were asked to implement the intervention materials in their classrooms once or twice a week. Teachers in the control condition followed business-as-usual practices in their classrooms. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)
Weighting Methods for Assessing Policy Effects Mediated by Peer Change
Author: Hong, Guanglei
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Mathematics Achievement,Outcomes of Education,Probability,Hypothesis Testing,Mathematics Instruction,Mathematics Education,Mathematics Curriculum,Mathematics,Weighted Scores

This study introduces a new set of weighting procedures for revealing the mediation mechanism in multi-level settings. These methods are illustrated through an investigation of whether the impact of a system-wide policy change on student outcomes is mediated by policy-induced peer composition change. When the policy changed not only lower-achieving students' course-taking but also the ability composition of math classes among other concurrent changes, unpacking the overall policy impact on math achievement is challenging. To illustrate, the causal questions focus on decomposing the total policy effect into the indirect effect mediated by peer composition change and the direct effect of the policy for the subpopulation of lower achieving students. Specifically, the authors ask: (1) Did the increase in peer ability mediate the policy effect on these students' math achievement? (2) Would the policy have a direct effect on these students' math achievement if their peer composition had remained unchanged by the policy? (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)
Principal Stratification as a Framework for Investigating Mediational Processes in Experimental Settings
Author: Page, Lindsay
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Intervention,Methods,Models,Labor Market,Evaluation,Outcomes of Treatment,Experiments

Often, in the case of experimental evaluations of multifaceted interventions, researchers and policymakers alike are interested in asking not only whether a given intervention had an effect but also why. They seek answers to questions such as: What features of the intervention led to the impacts that we have observed, or what was the causal mechanism or pathway through which random assignment to the intervention resulted in an improved outcome or set of outcomes? A variable on a causal pathway between an initial condition (such as treatment assignment) and an ultimate outcome is referred to typically as a "mediator." Conceptually, one regards the action of the initial treatment on the ultimate outcome as acting through the hypothesized mediator. Analytic strategies for assessing the extent to which the impact of an initial condition acts on the outcome in this way can be classified, broadly speaking, as approaches to mediation analysis. Quantitative methods for modeling mediational processes are an active area of exploration in the recent methodological literature. This paper contributes to the literature by illustrating an approach that capitalizes on the framework of principal stratification to address mediational questions in the context of an experiment. This use of principal stratification was proposed first by Rubin (2004) and has been applied and discussed recently by Gallop and colleagues (2009).
A D-Estimator for Single-Case Designs
Author: Shadish, William
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Effect Size,Experiments,Sample Size,Comparative Analysis,Research,Statistics

Over the last 10 years, numerous authors have proposed effect size estimators for single-case designs. None, however, has been shown to be equivalent to the usual between-groups standardized mean difference statistic, sometimes called d. The present paper remedies that omission. Most effect size estimators for single-case designs use the within-person variance as the standardization factor for the effect size. But in the usual between-groups study, like a randomized experiment, the between-person variance is the standardization factor. Taking advantage of the fact that most studies that use single-case design methodology report results from more than one case, the authors show how a d-statistic can be developed that is equivalent to the between-groups estimator. The new d-estimator is complex, requiring knowledge of the autocorrelation, the within-person variability, and the between-person variability.
Multilevel Synthesis of Single-Case Experimental Data: An Empirical Validation
Author: Van den Noortgate, Wim
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Computation,Inferences,Research Design,Outcomes of Education,Intervention,Effect Size,Case Studies,Meta Analysis,Equations (Mathematics)

The purpose of the study is to investigate empirically the multilevel approach for combining single-case or single-subject experimental designs (SSED) data. More specifically, the authors aim at assessing the value of the approach for numbers of observations, cases and studies that are common in SSED research, by looking at the bias and precision of the parameter estimates, and the validity of statistical inferences. Special attention is given to the problem of standardization: if data are not measured on the same scale in each of the studies, they should be standardized before being combined. An option to make linearly equitable scales with a meaningful zero value comparable, is to divide the scores for each case by (an estimate of) the within phase standard deviation. The value of this approach has to be investigated yet. With the obtained study results, they want to inform applied researchers about possibilities and limitations of the use of the basic multilevel model for combining SSED data. At the same time, the results will give indications about conditions for which the model or the estimation procedures should be further developed (e.g., by using bootstrap procedures instead of maximum likelihood procedures). (Contains 2 tables.)
A Simple Effect Size Estimator for Single Case Designs Using WinBUGS
Author: Rindskopf, David
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Intervention,Effect Size,Bayesian Statistics,Research Design,Quasiexperimental Design,Models,Markov Processes,Monte Carlo Methods,Meta Analysis,Research

Data from single case designs (SCDs) have traditionally been analyzed by visual inspection rather than statistical models. As a consequence, effect sizes have been of little interest. Lately, some effect-size estimators have been proposed, but most are either (i) nonparametric, and/or (ii) based on an analogy incompatible with effect sizes from group-based studies. As part of a research program conducted by Shadish, Hedges, and Rindskopf, this paper reports a beginning step to fill the gap between effect sizes in SCDs and in group-based designs. When, as is typically the case, an SCD involves multiple participants, it is possible to use variation among participants as a denominator in an effect size measure, as is done in between-group research. A simple estimator of this type can easily be implemented using WinBUGS, a Bayesian program that has extreme flexibility.
AECAP Guide for State Leaders: State and Local Coordination and Planning to Strengthen Adult Basic Education Services
Author: Alamprese, Judith A.
Date: 2010-05-00
Type: Guides - Non-Classroom
Subjects: Adult Basic Education,Partnerships in Education,Adult Education,Labor Force Development,Coordination,Educational Cooperation,Agency Cooperation,Educational Planning,Federal Legislation,Pilot Projects

The Adult Education Coordination and Planning (AECAP) guide is designed to assist state adult education staff in forming partnerships at the state level and facilitating coordination at the local level as a lever for expanding and improving the quality of adult basic education (ABE) and workforce development services. Coordination plays a critical role in the operation of the adult basic education system at the state and local levels. The processes discussed in this guide are intended to assist state adult education staff in establishing new or expanding existing state partnerships to address issues of common concern, particularly those related to the coordination of services supported under WIA Title I and Title II. Planning is a critical step in developing coordinated adult education services. The first section of the guide presents the steps in the AIDDE[C] planning process, which can be used by ABE state staff in working with state partners to address a common need or issue, such as increasing client outcomes. This section also highlights key strategies for partners to use in strengthening and sustaining their relationships. Worksheets are provided in Appendix A for state partners to use in planning their activities. Implementing a state initiative is one strategy that state adult education staff may consider to focus attention on a critical issue in a state and to test the development of new services to address this issue. The next section of the guide describes the key steps that state adult education staff can use alone or with state partners to implement a state initiative. The final section of the guide provides steps for planning coordinated local services as part of a state initiative or pilot test. The AIDDE[C] process can be used by ABE state and local staff working together to identify and plan the activities that local staff will carry out as part of the pilot test. A worksheet is provided in Appendix B for use in this process. Also discussed are examples of the coordinated services that were developed by the AECAP pilot sites. These examples are illustrative of the types of services that ABE state and local program staff may consider to address goals such as increasing the number of ABE clients who transition to postsecondary education, training, and work and promoting the delivery of quality ABE services. (Contains 2 exhibits and 5 footnotes.) [This guide was prepared for the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Vocational and Adult Education.]
Is It Just a Bad Class? Assessing the Long-Term Stability of Estimated Teacher Performance. Working Paper 73
Author: Goldhaber, Dan
Date: 2012-03-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Teacher Effectiveness,Time Perspective,Job Performance,Teacher Characteristics,Teacher Competencies,Reliability,Teaching Conditions,Measures (Individuals),Models,Bias,Grade 5

In this paper we report on work estimating the stability of value-added estimates of teacher effects, an important area of investigation given public interest in workforce policies that implicitly assume effectiveness is a stable attribute within teachers. The results strongly reject the hypothesis that teacher performance is completely stable within teachers over long periods of time, but estimates suggest that a component of performance appears to persist within teachers, even over a ten-year panel. We also find that little of the changes in teacher effectiveness estimates within teachers can be explained by observable characteristics. The Influence of Bias is appended. (Contains 6 tables, 4 figures and 41 footnotes.)
Effects of College Access Programs on College Readiness and Enrollment: A Meta-Analysis
Author: Harvill, Eleanor L.
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Quasiexperimental Design,Evaluation,College Preparation,Graduation,Program Effectiveness,Guidance,Enrollment,Academic Achievement,College Readiness,Higher Education,Meta Analysis,Intervention,Educational Change,Graduation Rate,Outcomes of Treatment,Control Groups,Access to Education,Effect Size

For decades, college access programs have aimed to improve college readiness and enrollment rates, particularly for underrepresented populations. Though several published reports have produced comprehensive inventories of college access programs (Gandara, 2001; Perna, 2002; Tierney, Bailey, Constantine, Finkelstein, & Hurd, 2009), no systematic review and meta-analysis of the evidence regarding their effectiveness exists. This paper fills that knowledge gap by systematically gathering, reviewing, and synthesizing the findings on the effectiveness of programs designed to improve college readiness and enrollment for disadvantaged populations. In so doing, it is intended to provide guidance for policymakers and practitioners implementing college access programs, and to identify important gaps in the scientific evidence base that warrant further research. The authors address the following questions: (1) What evidence is available to judge the effectiveness of programs aimed at increasing college readiness and enrollment? (2) What does that evidence base tell individuals about the effectiveness of these programs? More specifically, what are the estimated average impacts of programs on college readiness outcomes within the following four domains: math achievement, language arts achievement, completed coursework, and high school graduation? What is the estimated impact of programs on college enrollment? The review only includes studies of interventions that target students between grades six and 12, or students of comparable ages who have not yet graduated from high school or earned a General Education Development certificate. The review excludes studies in which less than 75 percent of the sample falls within the target population for this review. Given that the authors' results are still very preliminary, they are hesitant to draw strong conclusions at this time. However, two aspects of their preliminary analysis are striking enough to comment on. Measures of completed coursework are the best pre-college predictors of college graduation (Adelman, 2006; Rose & Betts, 2001). They encourage evaluators to consider including these outcome measures in their evaluations of college access programs. The sharp differences in the size of estimated impacts between QEDs (quasi-experimental designs) and RCTs (randomized controlled trials) raise questions about the extent to which QEDs are identifying causal impacts. They must proceed carefully when interpreting the results of the QEDs. (Contains 9 tables and 5 footnotes.)
Does Detracking Work? Evidence from a Mathematics Curricular Reform
Author: Domina, Thurston
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Middle Schools,Mathematics Curriculum,Algebra,Geometry,Curriculum Development,Track System (Education),Grade 8,Mathematics Achievement,School Segregation,Enrollment,Middle School Students

In this paper, the authors investigate the consequences of curricular intensification by examining changes in the social organization of schooling and student achievement in one California school district. The authors' analyses consider the following three research questions: (1) What effect did 8th grade curricular intensification have on mathematics course-taking patterns in Towering Pines Unified schools?; (2) What effect did 8th grade curricular intensification have on classroom-level ethnic, language-based, and skills-based segregation in the district?; and (3) What long-term effects did 8th grade curricular intensification have on students' mathematics course taking and mathematics achievement? Their analyses focus on 8th grade student data collected from a large, ethnically-diverse Southern California school district during a four year period in which state policy provided strong incentives for schools to enroll a greater proportion of 8th graders in Algebra I courses. In sum, their findings suggest that enrolling students in more rigorous courses is not, in itself, enough to raise student achievement. Rather, their analyses suggest that successful curricular reforms must prepare students across the skill distribution and carefully attend to classroom peer dynamics. (Contains 5 tables and 1 footnote.)