ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Essential Elements of High Performing, High Quality Part C Systems. NECTAC Notes No. 25
Author: Lucas, Anne
Date: 2010-07-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Early Intervention,Disabilities,Technical Assistance,Early Childhood Education,Program Evaluation,Program Effectiveness,Program Administration,Program Implementation,Educational Indicators,Federal Legislation,Federal Programs,State Programs,Interviews,Focus Groups,Data,Decision Making,Accountability,Personnel Needs

National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (NECTAC) was asked to identify essential elements for supporting high performance and provision of high quality early intervention Part C services as determined by the Annual Performance Review (APR) required under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). To respond, NECTAC interviewed one state and conducted a focus group with four other states that have consistently met requirements on the APR indicators and are maintaining effective, efficient practices. Additionally, the NECTAC review of states' APR early childhood indicators and technical assistance experience also helped inform the identification of commonalities across states that could be considered essential elements of a high performing Part C system. Four essential elements emerged from the discussion with the selected states: (1) Reliable and Current Data for Decision Making; (2) Monitoring and Accountability; (3) Adequate Numbers of Qualified Personnel; and (4) Strong Leadership, Administrative Support, and Partnerships between State and Local Levels. Each element is listed in this report and illustrated with specific activities and procedures noted by states. Quotes from participating states are included to provide examples of comments related to the various elements and to further describe how states are implementing these essential elements.
Class Management and Homogeneous Grouping in Kindergarten Literacy Instruction
Author: Hong, Guanglei
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Classroom Techniques,Homogeneous Grouping,Kindergarten,Literacy Education,Ability,Grouping (Instructional Purposes),Behavior Problems,Behavior Modification,Teaching Experience

The purpose of this study is two-fold. Firstly the authors examine, given the amount of time allocated to literacy instruction, whether homogeneous grouping helps improve class manageability over the kindergarten year and whether individual students' externalizing problem behaviors will decrease in tandem. Secondly, they investigate whether the joint effects of homogeneous grouping and instruction time on the literacy growth of students at different ability levels depend on class manageability at the beginning of the kindergarten year. The authors selected data for this study from the Early Childhood Longitudinal study, Kindergarten cohort (ECLS_K). The data were collected by the US National Center for Education Statistics in fall 1998 and spring 1999. According to the authors' preliminary results, classes that were hard to manage tended to have a relatively high proportion of disruptive children and tended to be taught by inexperienced teachers. When kindergarten classes spent more than one hour per day on literacy instruction, high-intensity grouping appeared to be more effective than no grouping in alleviating class misbehavior in the spring especially for classes that had been hard to manage in the fall. They did not detect any grouping effect on class manageability when literacy instruction time is no more than one hour per day. These results held regardless of the availability of teaching aide. Furthermore, there was evidence for a significant effect of high reading time in combination with high-intensity grouping in reducing kindergartners' externalizing problem behaviors. They are currently in the middle of conducting the second part of their analysis.
Quality Indicators of Inclusive Early Childhood Programs/Practices: A Compilation of Selected Resources
Author: Cate, Debbie
Date: 2010-09-00
Type: Guides - Non-Classroom
Subjects: Early Childhood Education,Observation,Disabilities,Educational Quality,Quality Control,Program Effectiveness,Rating Scales,Young Children,Cooperation,Inclusion,Mainstreaming,Educational Improvement,Classroom Environment,Child Care,Special Needs Students,Access to Education,School Readiness,Check Lists,Preschool Children,Kindergarten,Scoring,Questionnaires,Friendship,Play,Evaluation Methods

Available resources and indicators of high quality inclusive practices are presented in this compilation. Assembling many different resources in one place allows for easy comparison of potential indicators of quality. Excerpts and adaptations of the resources are intended to provide some familiarity with the content of each resource and encourage further examination via links to more complete information. National and state-developed resources contained within this document have been designed for a variety of audiences, and may be useful for: (1) families, practitioners and program administrators; (2) technical assistance (TA) systems personnel and pre-service instructors; (3) researchers; and (4) state administrators. There are five main sections within this compilation: (1) Quality Inclusion Practice Considerations; (2) Classroom Observation Rating Tools; (3) Individual Child Focused Considerations; (4) Collaborative Inclusion Practices; and (5) Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS).
Evaluation Highlights. Client Feedback from October 2006-September 2009, Compiled December 2009
Author: National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center
Date: 2009-12-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Technical Assistance,Feedback (Response),Early Childhood Education,Intervention,Administrators,Early Intervention,Evaluation

The National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (NECTAC) Evaluation Unit collects and analyzes data to describe the quantity and nature of the technical assistance services provided by NECTAC staff. The Unit determines the quality and relevance of NECTAC services and products and whether clients use NECTAC Technical Assistance (TA) to improve state and local systems and services. An external evaluation was conducted with all primary clients (Part C and Section 619 Coordinators from all states and jurisdictions) regardless of their level of participation in NECTAC TA. The highlights included in this report include data from October 1, 2006 to September 30, 2009.
Expanding Opportunities: An Interagency Inclusion Initiative
Author: National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center
Date: 2010-03-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Early Childhood Education,Agency Cooperation,Academic Accommodations (Disabilities),Inclusion,Educational Responsibility,School Support,Program Effectiveness,Educational Opportunities

Research has shown that both young children with disabilities and their peers benefit from participating together in quality programs and community activities. However, inclusive opportunities for young children with disabilities are often not systematic, comprehensive or necessarily of high quality. Cross-agency dialogue and commitment among multiple federal, state and local early childhood programs and services are necessary for identifying and implementing effective and efficient inclusion strategies. Four federal agency partners recognized the need to promote collaborative efforts in states that would result in high quality inclusive opportunities for all children and families. They created the Expanding Opportunities Initiative and supported it through the coordinated efforts of their technical assistance (TA) resources. The agencies and the primary TA providers are: (1) Child Care Bureau (National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center (NCCIC)); (2) Office of Head Start (Head Start Collaboration Projects); (3) Administration on Developmental Disabilities (University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research and Service (UCEDD)); and (4) Office of Special Education Programs (National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (NECTAC) and Regional Resource Center Program (RRCP)).
Part C Lead Agencies. NECTAC Notes No. 26
Author: Danaher, Joan, Comp.
Date: 2010-08-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Disabilities,Federal Legislation,Agency Cooperation,Early Childhood Education,Early Intervention

Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that the governor of each participating state/jurisdiction designate a Lead Agency for the purpose of carrying out: general administration and supervision; identification and coordination of all available resources; assignment of financial responsibility to the appropriate agencies; development of procedures to ensure that services are provided in a timely manner pending resolution of any disputes; resolution of intra- and interagency disputes; and, development of formal interagency agreements. Lead Agencies have varied across the states and, in 23 states/jurisdictions, have changed over time. A variety of sources were consulted to compile the list of Part C Lead Agencies over time. The level of detail, i.e., department to division to bureau, varied across the sources. This report notes only actual lead agency changes. Instances in which agency names changed or agency reorganization occurred that did not affect the agency designated as &quot;lead&quot; are not noted.
TA Collaborations
Author: Diefendorf, Martha
Date: 2010-05-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Technical Assistance,Disabilities,Educational Cooperation,Special Education,Special Needs Students,Consortia,Inclusion,Access to Education,Federal Programs,State Programs,Family Programs,Higher Education,Federal Legislation,Measurement,Program Evaluation,Program Descriptions,Professional Development,Early Childhood Education,Cooperative Planning,Agency Cooperation

This paper highlights several current collaborative activities of the National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (NECTAC). There are many specific examples of TA (Technical Assistance) collaborations that take place on a regular basis; the seven examples presented here were selected to represent different types of collaboration. The descriptions were developed for the OSEP/OESE (Office of Special Education Programs/Office of Elementary and Secondary Education) Leveraging Resources Meeting, Washington, DC, April 13-14, 2010 and were included in handouts at the &quot;Improving Early Learning&quot; Workgroup sessions at that meeting. These collaborative activities are: (1) Early Childhood Technical Assistance Consortium; (2) OSEP TA Priority Teams; (3) National Inclusion Institute: Planning &amp; Support; (4) Expanding Opportunities Initiative; (5) NECTAC-ECO Partnership; (6) NECTAC-NPDCI Partnership; and (7) NECTAC-RRC-DAC Planning Partnership.
The Statistical Power of the Cluster Randomized Block Design with Matched Pairs--A Simulation Study
Author: Dong, Nianbo
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Simulation,Statistical Analysis,Cluster Grouping,Mathematical Models,Intervention,Effect Size,Correlation,Mathematical Formulas,Monte Carlo Methods,Design,Paired Associate Learning

This study uses simulation techniques to examine the statistical power of the group-  randomized design and the matched-pair (MP) randomized block design under various parameter combinations. Both nearest neighbor matching and random matching are used for the MP design. The power of each design for any parameter combination was calculated from 1,000 simulated datasets. The random pair effect HLM model "with" and "without" covariance adjustment, and the fixed pair effect HLM model "with" and "without" covariance adjustment were used to analyze the data from the matched-pair design, and the HLM with covariance adjustment was used to analyze the data from the completely randomized cluster design. Models Used to Generate Data at Stage 1 is appended. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)
Addressing the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Practice in Observational Studies: Using Interviews to Understand the Assignment Mechanism
Author: Rickles, Jordan H.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Middle Schools,Grade 8,Interviews,Algebra,Data Collection,School Districts,Statistical Inference,Influences,Research Design,Data Analysis,Regression (Statistics),Models,Decision Making

This paper illustrates how information collected through interviews can develop a richer understanding of the assignment mechanism, which can result in more plausible causal effect estimates from observational studies and provides a roadmap for sensitivity analysis. Focusing on the issue of assignment to algebra in 8th grade, the author shows how a preliminary data collection effort aimed at understanding the assignment mechanism is particularly beneficial in multisite observational studies in education. The data were collected in middle schools within a California school district spanning urban and suburban communities. (Contains 1 figure.)
College Readiness of Urban High School Students in the United States: The Role of Technology in Preparing All Students for College
Author: O'Kane, Eileen Vollert
Date: 2010-12-00
Type: Dissertations/Theses - Masters Theses
Subjects: Urban Youth,Technology Education,Readiness,College Preparation,Single Sex Schools,Student Surveys,Familiarity,Self Esteem,High School Students,Access to Computers,Technology Uses in Education,Likert Scales,Student Attitudes,Student Journals,Females,Influence of Technology

As we enter deeper into the 21st Century, there is a more urgent need to transform our educational system in the United States to better prepare our youth for the careers and technology of the future. This study examines how improving technology education at the high school level can improve the learning and college readiness of urban youth. It explores various reasons why it is imperative for our educational system to transform to fit the needs of a changing world and workforce, how denying technology education to some youth can diminish their opportunities and options for higher education and careers, and how small changes in one urban high school classroom impacted the learning of the students. The subjects of the study were students in a private, all girls' urban high school in the San Francisco Bay Area. These students participated the initial project during spring of their sophomore year. Additional data was gathered in fall of their junior year. A total of 28 completed the survey. Many of the students had very little experience with current technological tools. By the end of the project, the majority of students responded that they feel familiar and confident with new technology. This new awareness may help these students have further confidence to try something new.
Looking from the Outside In: A Spatial Analysis of Students' Neighborhood Characteristics and School Performance in Philadelphia
Author: Edmunds, Kimberly A.
Date: 2009-08-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Educational Opportunities,Educational Quality,Neighborhoods,Census Figures,Data Analysis,Grade 5,Grade 8,Grade 11,Multiple Regression Analysis,Geographic Information Systems,Community Characteristics,Relationship,Academic Achievement,Institutional Characteristics,Cartography

Access to a quality education is unevenly mapped by the demographic context of the communities in which public school students live. A growing body of research suggests that this geographic effect deeply challenges the goal of equalizing educational opportunities. This paper explores the relationship between students' neighborhood characteristics and school performance in Philadelphia's public schools using spatial analysis methods. Data include student and school locations as well as block-level census information and Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) scores for grades 5, 8, and 11 during 2005-2008. Multiple regression and K-function analyses in conjunction with geographic information systems (GIS) were employed to test hypotheses linking students' community attributes to their schools' academic performance. Characteristics of students' neighborhoods, such as the percentage of the population holding a 4-year college degree and the proportion of families with a female head of household, were found to be strong predictors of school performance. Across all nine datasets, the geographic diversity of the student population was positively associated with school performance. In most cases, significant clustering was detected among schools reporting scores at or below the first quartile, and the locations of the lowest- and highest-performing schools were discovered to be spatially dependent. A range of policy implications is offered. Presented at the 2010 ESRI Education User Conference in San Diego, California, July 11, 2010. The following are appended: (1) Description of the Geography and Variables; (2) Statistical Results--All Datasets; and (3) Additional Maps and Figures. (Contains 7 footnotes, 9 tables, and 31 figures.)
Entrepreneurial Education in Nigeria Tertiary Institutions and Sustainable Development
Author: Agboola, B. M.
Date: 2010-11-15
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Economic Progress,Global Approach,Foreign Countries,Sustainable Development,Entrepreneurship,Labor Force Development,Human Capital,Employment Potential,Employment Statistics,Education Work Relationship,Educational Attainment,Postsecondary Education,Change Strategies,Barriers

The higher education in Nigeria has witnessed a tremendous growth in the last 50 years in terms of producing manpower that could bring about development. However, the problem of Nigeria today is not about human and natural resources, but how to translate the human potentials to meet the realization of its all round development and sustain economic growth. It is a paradox that the nation remains undeveloped. Furthermore, the educational system has failed to serve its purpose of producing manpower with relevant skills and the nation's development is hampered by poverty, dilapidated infrastructure; economic recession, militancy and unemployment. Therefore, the paper examines the role of tertiary education and training for entrepreneurship on manpower development and sustainable development in Nigeria. Data on enrolment in tertiary institutions, employment and unemployment trend were obtained from relevant authorities. It was found that the level of entrepreneurial education in the tertiary institutions was low, graduates produced by the system lack employable skills, thus the prevalence unemployment. The paper therefore concludes by suggesting that in this era of globalization and dynamic technology, affirmative policy and actions to revolutionalise the science and technology infrastructure and massively invest in entrepreneurial skills through education and training is the key to sustainable development. (Contains 3 figures and 3 tables.)
A Critical Look at the Discourse of Popular Television: The Case of "Friends"
Author: Mora, Raul A.
Date: 2006-04-08
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Popular Culture,Discourse Analysis,Media Literacy,Television,Critical Viewing,Literary Criticism,Didacticism,Language Role,Story Grammar,Vocabulary,Morphology (Languages),Case Studies

The following study explored the structures and themes found in a few episodes of a popular TV sitcom ("Friends"). Drawing on James Gee's ideas about critical discourse analysis as the main analytical lens for this study, this study discussed the language found in a sitcom and analyzed the complexity of structures and vocabulary in the conversational turns in the episodes, while presenting implications of TV show selection for classroom purposes and the potential of this kind of discourse analysis. Findings indicated that most of the conversation ranged between simple present and past tenses. Many of the sentences analyzed are really short, preventing students from seeing how real-life discourse actually operates. Regarding the themes of "Friends," there were two salient elements: (a) the lack of references to popular culture and the lack of information to create a situated identity as far as where the characters are in time and space and (b) the lack of congruence between the social situations presented in the show and the actual language people would use in said situations. In terms of proficiency level, "Friends" is a show that would lend itself suitable to students with an intermediate level. More advanced students might benefit from a kind of media that portrays more elaborate discourse and a more varied use of tenses. Nonetheless, using a more critical lens, such as Media Literacy, teachers might be able to utilize some of the themes in "Friends" to elicit rich cultural discussions stemming from the issues laid out here. (Contains 1 footnote.)
The Long Agony of English as a World Language
Author: D'Acierno, Maria Rosaria
Date: 2008-02-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English,Official Languages,Language Role,Language Attitudes,Standard Spoken Usage,Global Approach,Publicity,Phonology,Semantics

This paper wants to examine the present communicative situation in our global world, and consequently the position occupied by the English language as the main means of interaction. I do not intend to make any realistic prediction, but my purpose is only to evaluate the spread of this language and the emergence of other languages according to both the people's attitude towards foreign languages in general and their reaction to the market inputs. At the moment, it seems to me that a favourable tendency towards the spread of English as well as many other languages is enhanced not only by globalization, but above all by the huge migratory flow, viewed as the main process affecting this century. People move from one country to another for many different reasons, but, while moving, they want to keep as many realities belonging to their country as possible. Among these realities their mother tongue certainly occupies the central theme. Strictly attached to it, is the notion of &quot;culture&quot; and that of &quot;identity.&quot; Following these two issues, linguists and scholars in general try to solve the central dilemma involving the link between language, culture and identity. In this essay, in order to explain the reasons that contribute to accept the active use of varieties derived from Standard English, without offending one's own linguistic and cultural roots, I embrace Stuart Hall's vision of &quot;culture.&quot; In other words &quot;culture&quot; acquires a certain flexibility; it is no longer a strict and reductive notion, since it is influenced by the contacts and the relations established among peoples. English will certainly dominate the linguistic sphere of the next years, but it will change its grammatical and semantic structure as well as its phonetic and phonological system, turning into several varieties each time suggested by the environment in which it is used. Furthermore, English will be sustained for socio-political and economic reasons (Chinese, Hindi, Arabic, Russian) or by the people's attitude towards their roots. Publicity, may be, can help us to find an answer, since the language of advertisements seems to sense in advance the changing habits of people influenced by both global market and global behaviour. (Contains 3 footnotes.)