ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
A Comparison of Growth Percentile and Value-Added Models of Teacher Performance. Working Paper #39
Author: Guarino, Cassandra M.
Date: 2014-09-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Teacher Influence,Teacher Competencies,Teacher Effectiveness,Achievement Gains,Simulation,Classification,Teacher Placement,Scores,Student Evaluation,Computation,Academic Achievement,Equations (Mathematics),Regression (Statistics),Elementary Schools,Grade 3,Student Placement,Correlation,Grade 5,Grade 6,Grouping (Instructional Purposes)

School districts and state departments of education frequently must choose between a variety of methods to estimating teacher quality. This paper examines under what circumstances the decision between estimators of teacher quality is important. We examine estimates derived from student growth percentile measures and estimates derived from commonly used value-added estimators. Using simulated data, we examine how well the estimators can rank teachers and avoid misclassification errors under a variety of assignment scenarios of teachers to students. We find that growth percentile measures perform worse than value-added measures that control for prior year student test scores and include teacher fixed effects when assignment of students to teachers is nonrandom. In addition, using actual data from a large diverse anonymous state, we find evidence that growth percentile measures are less correlated with value-added measures with teacher fixed effects when there is evidence of nonrandom grouping of students in schools. This evidence suggests that the choice between estimators is most consequential under nonrandom assignment of teachers to students, and that value-added measures controlling for teacher fixed effects may be better suited to estimating teacher quality in this case.
An Investigation of the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago&apos;s 2012-2013 Get Re-Energized Module. Working Paper #40
Author: Schmidt, William H.
Date: 2014-03-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Science Achievement,Museums,Urban Areas,Public Schools,School Community Programs,Partnerships in Education,Program Evaluation,Program Effectiveness,Faculty Development,Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Energy,Questionnaires,Control Groups,Experimental Groups,Comparative Analysis,Knowledge Level,Teacher Competencies,Elementary School Students,Middle School Students,Field Trips,Pretests Posttests,Statistical Analysis,Science Tests

Assessments of U.S. students typically reveal stronger performance in science than mathematics yet their science performance remains uninspiring at best. Whether the metric considered is an international benchmark from TIMSS or PISA or the nation's NAEP report card, the mediocre portrait of U.S. science achievement has remained virtually unchanged over the past 20 years. The Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago (MSI) is a readily accessible resource not only to the people of Chicago but also to a much larger multistate area. MSI has taken the initiative to establish an active and ongoing multifaceted working relationship with the Chicago Public Schools and other local schools, particularly those serving high-needs student populations. The issues of lackluster student achievement in science and science teachers' access to quality professional capacity-building experiences led MSI to form the Institute for Quality Science Teaching (IQST). This study's main focus was to evaluate the first of IQST's course goals, improving teachers' content knowledge, in one IQST course. The module selected for this evaluation project was the Get Re-Energized (GRE) module that focuses on energy topics, a part of the physical sciences and an area of particularly weak performance for U.S. students.
Policy Cues and Ideology in Attitudes toward Charter Schools. Working Paper #41
Author: Reckhow, Sarah
Date: 2014-04-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Charter Schools,Public Opinion,Political Influences,Political Issues,Political Power,Teachers,Private Sector,Business,Corporations,Ideology,Advocacy,Interviews,Surveys,Measures (Individuals),Regression (Statistics)

Charter schools have generated support from politicians in both major American political parties, while stimulating intense debate among interest groups. We investigate whether and how public attitudes come to mirror interest group polarization or politician consensus in order to understand what drives public attitudes as policy debates mature and citizens learn information that drives advocates to opposite sides. Using survey experiments, we assess how views change in response to policy cues. Mirroring debates among advocates, we assess whether the role of private companies and non-union teachers polarize opinion. We find that the public responds to cues linked to unions and polarizes based on liberal and conservative ideology as well as attitudes toward unions. This helps to explain how ideological polarization can grow even in the absence of strong partisan sorting among top political leaders. The report includes a bibliography.
How Do Teachers&apos; Unions Influence Education Policy? What We Know and What We Need to Learn. Working Paper #42
Author: Cowen, Joshua
Date: 2014-04-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Unions,Educational Policy,Correlation,Collective Bargaining,Political Influences,Decision Making,State Policy,Federal Legislation,Educational Legislation,Elementary Secondary Education,Outcomes of Education,Expenditures,School Districts,Administrators,Contracts,Elections,Educational Change

In this paper we consider more than three decades of research on teachers' unions in the United States. Focusing on unions' role in shaping education policy, we argue that collective bargaining and political organizing comprise the two central but distinct forms of influence at the district, state and national levels of decision-making. We note recent changes in state policy directly and indirectly affecting unions and union priorities. We argue that these changes may result in a variety of different conditions under which unions operate, and suggest that this variation represents fertile ground for new empirical analyses of union influence. Such work may in turn require a reconsideration of the extent of, and limitations to union power in altered educational landscapes.
Indiana College Completion Report, 2014
Author: Indiana Commission for Higher Education
Date: 2014-02-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Educational Attainment,College Graduates,Higher Education,Graduation Rate,Public Colleges,Socioeconomic Status,Racial Differences,Ethnic Groups,Postsecondary Education,College Transfer Students,Majors (Students),Student Characteristics,Income,Costs,Time to Degree,Full Time Students,Part Time Students,Academic Degrees,Probability,Two Year Colleges,Colleges,Student Financial Aid

The Indiana Commission for Higher Education is committed to providing a clearer and more comprehensive picture of college completion in order to inform and advance Indiana's collective efforts to boost education attainment. In partnership with Indiana public colleges and the National Student Clearinghouse, the Commission has collected completion data for Hoosier students who graduate in this state and out-of-state. Each Indiana college profile shows the percentage of students who start and finish at their campus of origin as well as those who complete at another institution or with a different degree over three different time horizons. The second page of each college profile presents disaggregated completion rates to illuminate how completion patterns differ by student population based on income-level and race/ethnicity. The purpose of this report is to show a more complete picture of postsecondary success than traditional graduation rates, including students who earn a degree after transferring to another college and those who complete a different degree type than originally sought. This completion report also spotlights the deeper trends behind the summary numbers, including the disparities in college completion rates among different student populations.
Quick Facts for 2013-2014
Author: Alabama Department of Education
Date: 2014-01-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: School Statistics,State Surveys,Annual Reports,Public Schools,State Boards of Education,Financial Support,Graduation Requirements,Access to Education,Distance Education,Enrollment Rate,School Size,Graduation Rate,School Personnel,Transportation,Student Evaluation,Lunch Programs,English Language Learners,Statistical Data,Elementary Secondary Education

The Alabama Department of Education presents &quot;Quick Facts,&quot; an annual snapshot of general state statistics, facts about public schools, the State Board of Education, and general financial data. The data presented in this report covers the school year 2013-2014.
Schoolhouse Commercialism Leaves Policymakers Behind--The Sixteenth Annual Report on Schoolhouse Commercializing Trends: 2012-2013
Author: Molnar, Alex
Date: 2014-03-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Advertising,Marketing,Commercialization,Fund Raising,Incentives,Youth,Corporate Support,School Business Relationship,Contracts,State Legislation,Privacy,Federal Legislation,Stakeholders,Obesity,Food,STEM Education,Nutrition,Educational Legislation

There is a lot of money to be made from marketing to children. Children make spending decisions about their own cash, they influence their parents' spending decisions--and they have their whole purchasing lives ahead of them. For these reasons, marketers have, over the years, done everything they can to create a &quot;360-degree&quot; marketing environment that engages with young people over and over, wherever they are and whatever they are doing: browsing cyberspace, watching television, engaging in an offline activity, or going to school. Since 1998, these reports have examined trends in schoolhouse commercialism in the context of general marketing trends. The reports organize school commercialism into seven categories: (1) appropriation of space on school property; (2) exclusive agreements; (3) sponsored programs and activities; (4) digital marketing; (5) incentive programs; (6) sponsorship of supplementary educational materials; and (7) fundraising. While the primary interest was assessing the legislative landscape relative to school commercialism, the authors also consulted a number of non-legislative information sources. They sought information on innovations in marketing, on how school policymakers described school marketing arrangements, and on the positions of various education and non-education policy organizations toward school commercialism. Notwithstanding the positive development of the FTC's rule changes, marketers continue to target children via their computers and mobile devices. In the education world, in particular, this targeting was eclipsed in 2012-2013 by the privacy controversy generated by corporate access to student educational data. In the 2011-2012 report , it was recommended that policymakers prohibit advertising in schools unless an independent, disinterested entity can clearly demonstrate that a proposed commercializing activity will cause no harm to children or otherwise undermine the quality of their education. The authors stand by that recommendation. The following are appended: (1) Initial Search Terms: Legislative Databases; (2) Websites Associated with Relevant Topics; (3) Search Terms: Internet Searches; (4) Interview Documentation and Protocol; (5) State Laws and Regulations as of May 2004; and (6) Bills Addressing School Commercialism Introduced and Signed in 2012-2013. A list of notes and references is included. [For &quot;Promoting Consumption at School. Health Threats Associated with School House Commercialism--The Fifteenth Annual Report on Schoolhouse Commercializing Trends: 2011-2012,&quot; see ED544262.]
Virtual Schools in the U.S. 2014: Politics, Performance, Policy, and Research Evidence
Author: Huerta, Luis
Date: 2014-03-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Virtual Classrooms,Educational Policy,Politics of Education,Educational Finance,Governance,Educational Quality,Teacher Effectiveness,Educational Research,Enrollment,Student Characteristics,Teacher Student Ratio,Academic Achievement,Educational Indicators,Federal Programs,Graduation Rate,State Legislation,Educational Legislation,Elementary Secondary Education

This report is the second of a series of annual reports by the National Education Policy Center (NEPC) on virtual education in the U.S. The NEPC reports contribute to the existing evidence and discourse on virtual education by providing an objective analysis of the evolution and performance of full-time, publicly funded K-12 virtual schools. This report is organized in three major sections. Section I examines the policy and political landscape associated with virtual schooling and describes the current state of affairs related to finance and governance, instructional program quality, and teacher quality. The authors analyze to what extent, if any, policy in the past year has moved toward or away from the 2013 recommendations. Section II reviews the research relevant to virtual schools. It finds that despite considerable enthusiasm for virtual education in some quarters, there is little credible research to support virtual schools' practices or to justify ongoing calls for ever-greater expansion. Section III provides a descriptive overview of full-time virtual schools and their expansion based on data gathered from state, corporate, and organizational sources. Details on enrollment include the student characteristics of race/ethnicity, sex, free and reduced-price lunch eligibility, special education designation, ELL status, and grade level. Other information includes student-teacher ratios. In addition, details on student achievement include Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) ratings, state ratings, and graduation rates. The following appendices are available for download: (1) Summaries of Legislation Pertaining to Virtual Schools, 2012 and 2013; (2) Numbers of Full-time Virtual Schools and the Students They Serve by State; and (3) Measures of School Performance: State Performance Ratings, Adequate Yearly Progress Status, and Graduation Rates. http://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/virtual-schools-annual-2014 (Each section contains a list of notes and references.) [For the 2013 report, &quot;Virtual Schools in the U.S. 2013: Politics, Performance, Policy, and Research Evidence,&quot; see ED558723.]
National College Progression Rates: For High Schools Participating in the National Student Clearinghouse StudentTracker Service [2014]. High School Benchmarks
Author: National Student Clearinghouse
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: High School Graduates,Public Schools,Charter Schools,Private Schools,High Schools,Urban Schools,Rural Schools,Suburban Schools,Low Income Groups,Minority Groups,Outcomes of Education,Enrollment,Academic Persistence,Two Year Colleges,Colleges

This second annual report provides high school-to-college transition rates for graduates of public non-charter, public charter, and private high schools. For students of public non-charter high schools the rates are reported in 12 categories based on the school-level demographic and geographic characteristics. This timely and comprehensive data is important for educators and policymakers interested in outcomes of secondary education and access to postsecondary education, particularly for students from low income and minority populations traditionally not well served by higher education. This report presents postsecondary outcomes for high school graduating classes from 2010 through 2013. The following are appended: (1) Methodological Notes; (2) Postsecondary Coverage Tables; and (3) Tables for Section 1: National Results. [For the 2013 report, see ED596832.]
TIMSS Advanced 2015 Assessment Frameworks
Author: Mullis, Ina V. S., Ed.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: International Programs,Testing Programs,Mathematics Tests,Science Tests,Mathematics Achievement,Science Achievement,Physics,Test Construction,Questionnaires,Educational Environment,Classroom Environment,Student Characteristics,Student Attitudes,Secondary School Students,Scoring

The &quot;TIMSS Advanced 2015 Assessment Frameworks&quot; provides the foundation for the two international assessments to take place as part of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement's TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) Advanced 2015--Advanced Mathematics and Physics. Chapter 1 (Liv Sissel Grønmo, Mary Lindquist, Alka Arora) and Chapter 2 (Lee R. Jones, Gerald Wheeler, Victoria A. S. Centurino) present the TIMSS Advanced 2015 Mathematics Framework and the TIMSS Advanced 2015 Physics Framework, respectively, describing in some detail the major content and cognitive domains in advanced mathematics and physics to be tested at the final year of secondary school. The content domains (algebra, calculus, and geometry in mathematics; and mechanics and thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, and wave phenomena and atomic/nuclear physics in physics) and the topic areas within the domains are presented, with further elaboration on specific objectives of each topic area. The cognitive domains describing the thinking students should be doing within the advanced mathematics and physics content domains are the same for both subjects, albeit with different levels of emphasis. Chapter 3 (Martin Hooper, Ina V. S. Mullis, Michael O. Martin) contains the TIMSS Advanced 2015 Context Questionnaire Framework, describing the types of schooling situations and factors associated with students' learning in advanced mathematics and physics that will be investigated via the questionnaires completed by students, their teachers, and their school principals as well as via the &quot;TIMSS 2015 Encyclopedia&quot;. Finally, Chapter 4 (Michael O. Martin, Ina. V. S. Mullis, Pierre Foy) provides an overview of the TIMSS Advanced 2015 test booklet design, and includes general parameters for item development. The following are appended: (1) Acknowledgements; (2) Example Mathematics Items; and (3) Example Physics Items.
Handbook of Procedures for the Graduation Program: 2014\2015
Author: Ministry of Education (British Columbia)
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Guides - Non-Classroom
Subjects: Student Records,Access to Information,Disclosure,Information Dissemination,Guidelines,Guides,Graduation Requirements,State Programs,Scheduling,Emergency Programs,Testing Programs,Eligibility,School Registration,School Location,Computer Assisted Testing,School Security,Cheating,Grading,Program Administration,State Policy,Credits,Equated Scores,Advanced Placement Programs,Credentials,Adult Basic Education,Courses,Student Certification,Awards,Scholarships,Educational Vouchers,Teacher Education Programs,Information Policy,Information Management,Testing Accommodations,Grievance Procedures,Educational Practices,Educational Policy,Foreign Countries

This handbook outlines procedures for sharing student data between schools and the Ministry of Education, and answers questions pertaining to provincial examinations. It supports the work of both educators and the Ministry, which works with schools to produce transcripts and administer provincial exams. The following are appended: (1) Forms; and (2) Procedures for Conducting Graduation Program Examinations.
Primed for Reform: A District&apos;s Use of Existing Assets to Drive Improvement
Author: Region IX Equity Assistance Center (EAC) at WestEd
Date: 2014-06-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Educational Improvement,School Districts,School Turnaround,Effective Schools Research,Community Involvement,School Community Relationship,Low Achievement,Partnerships in Education,Accountability,Strategic Planning,Educational Change,Educational Practices,Change Strategies,Funding Formulas,Alignment (Education),Academic Achievement,Elementary Secondary Education

This brief reports on the early stages and initial successes of turnaround efforts in a California school district. With administrators and educators in the midst of implementing a robust reform agenda, there are clear signs that the district is on the rise. The reform initiatives have stopped a downward slide in student attendance, behavior, and performance. With more students attending school and graduating, and with fewer students receiving referrals, suspensions, and expulsions, the community's perception of the district has improved markedly. To begin the turnaround, district leaders engaged the community for help focusing the district's change efforts. Now, many community stakeholders are actively involved in shaping the delivery of needed services for students. Administrators have created clear accountability structures to ensure each staff member does his or her part to enact change, and teams are working collaboratively to carry out key activities. The district's reform agenda promotes multiple initiatives that work in tandem and are based on identified student needs.
Texas Public School Attrition Study, 2013-14. IDRA Report
Author: Johnson, Roy L.
Date: 2014-10-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Academic Persistence,Public Schools,Secondary School Students,Dropouts,Dropout Rate,School Holding Power,Racial Differences,Ethnic Groups,Trend Analysis,Graduation Rate,High School Freshmen,Time to Degree,White Students,African American Students,Hispanic American Students,Asian American Students,American Indian Students,Pacific Islanders,Multiracial Persons,Enrollment Trends,Grade 9,Grade 10,Grade 11,Grade 12,Gender Differences,Counties,Intervention,State Departments of Education,Middle School Students,High School Students,Student Mobility

Since 1986, Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA) has conducted an annual attrition study to track the number and percent of students in Texas who are lost from public secondary school enrollment prior to graduation. The study builds on the series of studies that began when IDRA conducted the first comprehensive study of school dropouts in Texas with the release of the initial study in October 1986. That study was the state's first major effort to assess the school holding power of Texas public schools and resulted in state-level policy reforms for the state education agency to count and report dropout data. IDRA is the only organization that has examined Texas attrition rates consistently, with the same methodology, since 1986. The annual attrition studies released by IDRA include county-level data by race and ethnicity. Trend graphs of high school attrition in each Texas county are available online. The study includes detailed findings, a supplemental analysis for reaching a rate of zero, and graphics showing different types of dropout data. IDRA's study also looks at the latest dropout study released by the Texas Education Agency and the National Center for Education Statistics. This report presents results of long-term trend assessments of attrition data in Texas public high schools. The following assessments and features are included in this report: (1) Texas Attrition Rate Dips One Percentage Point (Roy L. Johnson); (2) Types of Dropout Data Defined; (3) Texas Schools Projected to Lose 2.4 Million More Students before Attrition is Tamed (Felix Montes); (4) A Model for Success; (5) Taking Action to Hold on to Students; (6) 2012-13 Texas Education Agency Texas School Completion and Dropout Report (Roy L. Johnson); (7) Averaged Freshman Graduation Rate--Texas Tied for 22nd in On-Time Graduation in 2011-12 (Roy L. Johnson); and (8) Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate Completion and Dropout Report (Roy L. Johnson). [Individual reports contain statistics, charts, and resources. For the 2011-12 report, see ED544323.]