ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
The Development and Application of Fidelity Measures in a Preschool Curriculum Intervention
Author: Darrow, Catherine L.
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Preschool Curriculum,Curriculum Development,Intervention,Reliability,Control Groups,Psychometrics,Models,Economically Disadvantaged,Literacy Education,Language Skills,Skill Development,Story Reading,Classroom Observation Techniques,Class Activities,Scores

This paper presents the development of reliable measures of fidelity that represent critical elements of the curriculum and its use in assessing teachers' delivering of the treatment curriculum and identifying the existence of program differentiation between the treatment and control conditions. In order to address several issues that arise when assessing levels of implementation while confirming differentiation between treatment and control conditions through the use of well-developed measures, fidelity data collected from a preschool curriculum intervention have been analyzed to demonstrate an example of: (1) Creating psychometrically strong, comprehensive fidelity measures that represent the critical components of an intervention; and (2) Using those measures to view fidelity as something beyond a unitary construct by differentiating implementation of instructional constructs and activities across conditions. The analyses presented in this paper provide evidence that psychometrically valid set of measures may indeed be used to account for the multi-dimensional nature of implementation fidelity. Given the results of the internal consistency reliability testing, it is possible to conclude that the creation of accurate and valid models and associated fidelity indicators is complex and challenging. Although this model does represent key components of the curriculum, it has some limitations which will be discussed during the conference presentation. (Contains 1 figure and 1 table.)
The Implications of Teacher Selection and Teacher Effects in Individually Randomized Group Treatment Trials
Author: Weiss, Michael J.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Intervention,Teacher Effectiveness,Control Groups,Experimental Groups,Educational Research,Research Design,Community Colleges,Two Year College Students,College Faculty,Program Effectiveness

Randomized experiments have become an increasingly popular design to evaluate the   effectiveness of interventions in education (Spybrook, 2008). Many of the interventions   evaluated in education are delivered to groups of students, rather than to individuals.   Experiments designed to evaluate programs delivered at the group level often randomize intact groups, such as classes or schools, to treatment and control conditions in order to obtain unbiased estimates of intervention effects (H. S. Bloom, 2006; H. S. Bloom, et al., 2008). A growing body of research has discussed the analytics of such group-randomized trials (GRTs), or cluster-randomized trials, as well as the appropriate interpretation of impact estimates (H. S. Bloom, 2006; H. S. Bloom, Richburg-Hayes, &amp; Black, 2007; H. S. Bloom, et al., 2008; Hedges, 2007; Hedges &amp; Hedberg, 2007; Konstantopoulos, 2008a, 2008b; Spybrook, 2008). This work describes how, in studies of classroom-level interventions that do not randomize teachers to experimental conditions, it will be unclear whether measured differences between program and control group students are a result of the core components of the intervention or the teachers (i.e., teacher effects). This potential confounding is a major concern if teachers are sorted into experimental conditions in such a way that they differ on variable(s) that are related to their effectiveness. This work attempts to make clear the correct interpretation of typically calculated &quot;program impacts&quot; in this situation. In addition, using the magnitude of estimated teacher effects from prior research, this work demonstrates that if teachers are not randomly assigned to experimental conditions, then it is significantly more difficult to establish whether the intervention &quot;works&quot; or if the types of teachers selected to teach in intervention classrooms are simply more/less effective than their control group counterparts. The implications may be quite serious in terms of the usefulness of such studies' findings. (Contains 1 table, 2 figures and 9 footnotes.
Biases in Estimating Treatment Effects Due to Attrition in Randomized Controlled Trials and Cluster Randomized Controlled Trials: A Simulation Study
Author: Dong, Nianbo
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Attrition (Research Studies),Educational Research,Scientific Methodology,Research Design,Bias,Monte Carlo Methods,Outcomes of Treatment,Control Groups,Experimental Groups,Computation

Attrition occurs when study participants who were assigned to the treatment and control conditions do not provide outcome data and thus do not contribute to the estimation of the treatment effects. It is very common in experimental studies in education as illustrated, for instance, in a meta-analysis studying "the effects of attrition on baseline comparability in randomized experiments in education" (Valentine & McHugh, 2007) that found that 119 of 367 randomized education experiments reported student-level attrition. Shadish et al (1998) called attrition the Achilles' heel of randomized experiments. Attrition reduces statistical power by decreasing sample size. It compromises external validity when those who do not contribute data are unrepresentative of the original sample and thus degrade the representativeness of those who remain in the sample (Orr, 1999). The main purpose of this study is to elaborate a model of the relationships between attrition and effect estimates and to use that model to guide Monte Carlo simulations that examine the sources and magnitude of attrition bias under various assumptions for randomized experiments and cluster randomized experiments. This study modeled the sources of attrition bias under various assumptions for completely randomized controlled trials (RCT) and (to be provided by the time of the SREE meeting) cluster randomized controlled trials (CRT). The overall bias is associated with both the overall attrition rate and the differential attrition rate, and both the overall and differential correlations between y and z for the treatment and control groups. In addition, these results show that bias can be reduced by including baseline covariates in the impact estimate model if those covariates are correlated with both the latent propensity to respond and the outcome variable. (Contains 3 tables.)
Devising and Investigating Benefits of Interconnected Interventions to Promote Education Majors' Culturally Responsive Teaching
Author: Richards, Janet C.
Date: 2011-04-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Education Majors,Graduate Study,Teacher Educators,Ethnic Diversity,Summer Programs,Literacy,Culturally Relevant Education,Intervention,Instructional Improvement,Teacher Education Programs,Reading Instruction,Elementary School Students,Urban Areas,Reading Difficulties,Tutoring,Practicums

For five years I have supervised a summer literacy camp that connects graduate education majors with students from diverse ethnicities. Each summer I noted I inadequately challenged the education majors to extend their knowledge, examine their attitudes, and expand their abilities to offer culturally responsive literacy instruction to students in the camp. Therefore, I employed a formative-experimental framework to explore the benefits of adding two interventions to our curriculum to stimulate the education majors' culturally responsive dispositions. My discoveries indicate teacher educators can help education majors develop culturally responsive understandings, and pedagogical repertoires that meet the needs of students from nonmainstream families.
The Patterns and Practices of Rural Middle School Students in a Voluntary Online Summer Reading Course
Author: Wilson, Robert John
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Subjects: Middle School Students,Rural Schools,Electronic Learning,Online Courses,Reading Instruction,Summer Programs,Communities of Practice,Interpersonal Relationship,Instructional Effectiveness,Web Based Instruction,Student Characteristics,Summer Schools,Action Research,Instructional Design,Discourse Analysis,Synchronous Communication,Asynchronous Communication,Computer Mediated Communication,Student Surveys

This study explored rural middle-school students' participation in an online summer reading course. The research question explored the patterns and practices of the student's participation in an online reading course and the instructional moves made by the teacher. Data were gathered from a small group (n = 4) of rural middle school students living in northern Appalachia who volunteered to participate in the online summer reading course. Data indicated that the course as it was originally planned was, in many ways, failing. Fewer children enrolled than was anticipated and participation was extremely limited. However, participation increased as the course was restructured from a traditional classroom structure into the theoretical framework of a CoP [Community of Practice]. With greater emphasis on defining of the domain, supportive techniques to instill the development of strong, trusting relationships within the community, and the encouragement of students to become practitioners within the domain of the community, a more functional CoP began to emerge. These findings indicate that attending to major CoP principles, such as clarifying aspects of the domain, creating an inviting space with greater opportunities for participation and the evolution of the community, and focusing on the value of being practitioners in the activities of the community, can be the difference between a successful or unsuccessful online, voluntary learning community. (Contains 5 tables and 7 figures.)
Hurdle towards Education Decentralization: An Ontological Paradigm of Community Participation in India and Nepal
Author: Rajbhandari, Mani Man Singh
Date: 2011-02-10
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Developing Nations,Rural Areas,Educational Development,Program Implementation,Access to Education,Equal Education,Community Involvement,School Administration,Educational Change,School Buildings,Barriers,Politics of Education,Administrative Organization,Educational Equipment

Education is socially and economically beneficial for the country to grow large in future. Many researchers claims expenditure in education generates more productivity than expenditure in infrastructural development of the country. This instigated for move towards educational progression, especially in developing countries where majority of children are left behind educational facilities. For the same reason, educational reform in developing countries is instigating the changes and development of school for the children. This further initiated school administration to maintain quality enhancement of educational infrastructure and to retain students and bringing in the unreached children in the school. In educational reform, community participation has become one of the major challenges in school management and administration. In India, Universal education program (SSA) was launched to penetrate education into the rural villages and mobilizing the participation of community in the school development process with the joint collaboration from the formation of School education management Committee (SEMCs) in school. With an aim to educational progress in school, initiative for revitalizing educational process was launched with a formation of Shiksha Karmi Program in rural and remote parts of Rajasthan. In Nepal, formation of School Management Committee (SMC) with the participation of local community administered the school. Nevertheless, in both the countries, community participation has reflected to being weak in contributing schools progressive development. (Contains 7 boxes and 2 tables.)
Title III Accountability Policies and Outcomes for K-12: Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives for English Language Learner Students in Southeast Region States. Summary. Issues &amp; Answers. REL 2011-No. 105
Author: Anderson, Kimberly S.
Date: 2011-03-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Elementary Secondary Education,Federal Legislation,Definitions,Educational Improvement,Federal Programs,Educational Indicators,Accountability,Grants,English (Second Language),Language Proficiency,Scores,Language Tests,Academic Achievement,Outcomes of Education,Educational Policy

This report details Title III accountability policies and outcomes for K-12 English language learner (ELL) students for school year 2007/08 in the six Southeast Region states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina) under the Title III annual measurable achievement objectives (AMAO) provision of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001. The AMAO provision of Title III is an accountability mechanism designed specifically for ELL students. It applies to states and their subgrantees (educational entities, usually districts that serve ELL students) that receive federal Title III funds to improve programs and education outcomes for ELL students. Title III formula grants are disbursed to all U.S. states and territories. Key findings include: (1) All six states had district subgrantees; (2) The six states used five different English language proficiency assessments; (3) All six states' AMAO 1 definitions entailed measuring the annual change in English language proficiency assessment scores (comparing 2007/08 with 2006/07); (4) All six states' AMAO 2 definitions involved comparing 2007/08 assessment scores with those required to meet the state's definition of proficiency; and (5) All six states' AMAO 3 definitions were based on the state's definition of adequate yearly progress as established for Title I. Given these variations in the numbers and types of subgrantees across states, the English language proficiency assessments they used, how AMAOs were defined, and the targets they set, the 2007/08 AMAO 1, 2, and 3 determinations reported different indicators across states. Common interpretations of the results, and thus comparisons among states, are not possible. [For the main report, see ED518024.]
Title III Accountability Policies and Outcomes for K-12: Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives for English Language Learner Students in Southeast Region States. Issues &amp; Answers. REL 2011-No. 105
Author: Anderson, Kimberly S.
Date: 2011-03-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Elementary Secondary Education,Federal Legislation,Definitions,Educational Improvement,Federal Programs,Educational Indicators,Accountability,Profiles,Grants,English (Second Language),Language Proficiency,Scores,Language Tests,Academic Achievement,Outcomes of Education,Educational Policy,State Boards of Education

This report details Title III accountability policies and outcomes for K-12 English language learner (ELL) students for school year 2007/08 in the six Southeast Region states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina) under the Title III annual measurable achievement objectives (AMAO) provision of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001. The AMAO provision of Title III is an accountability mechanism designed specifically for ELL students. It applies to states and their subgrantees (educational entities, usually districts that serve ELL students) that receive federal Title III funds to improve programs and education outcomes for ELL students. Title III formula grants are disbursed to all U.S. states and territories. Key findings include: (1) All six states had district subgrantees; (2) The six states used five different English language proficiency assessments; (3) All six states' AMAO 1 definitions entailed measuring the annual change in English language proficiency assessment scores (comparing 2007/08 with 2006/07); (4) All six states' AMAO 2 definitions involved comparing 2007/08 assessment scores with those required to meet the state's definition of proficiency; and (5) All six states' AMAO 3 definitions were based on the state's definition of adequate yearly progress as established for Title I. Given these variations in the numbers and types of subgrantees across states, the English language proficiency assessments they used, how AMAOs were defined, and the targets they set, the 2007/08 AMAO 1, 2, and 3 determinations reported different indicators across states. Common interpretations of the results, and thus comparisons among states, are not possible. Appendices include: (1) Data sources and methodology; (2) Data organization protocol; (3) U.S. Department of Education 2008 revised interpretations of Title III of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001; (4) Enrollment of English language learner students and first language; (5) State profiles; and (6) Features of instruction models, 2007/08. (Contains 83 tables, 4 boxes and 12 notes.) [For the summary report, see ED518023.]
Corporate Investments in College Readiness and Access
Author: Erisman, Wendy
Date: 2008-06-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Higher Education,Global Approach,Corporations,College Preparation,Access to Education,Private Financial Support,Educational Research,Competition,Business,Case Studies,Race,Ethnicity,Educational Attainment

This report examines major corporations' philanthropic support for "college readiness and access initiatives," defined as efforts to increase the likelihood that students will graduate from high school fully prepared to enroll and succeed in college. The report supplements substantial research that highlights the importance of higher education to ensuring a U.S. workforce prepared to compete in a global economy. (Contains 4 figures and 2 footnotes.) [This paper was prepared for the Business-Higher Education Forum with support from USA Funds.]
WWC Quick Review of the Report &quot;Teacher Pay for Performance: Experimental Evidence from the Project on Incentives in Teaching&quot;
Author: What Works Clearinghouse (ED)
Date: 2011-04-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Evidence,Incentives,Program Effectiveness,Mathematics Teachers,Merit Pay,Teacher Salaries,Academic Achievement,Elementary School Teachers,Middle School Teachers,Elementary School Students,Middle School Students,Achievement Gains,Comparative Analysis,Mathematics Achievement,Standards,Teacher Effectiveness,Intervention

The study examined whether offering financial incentives to teachers of fifth- through eighth-grade math students improved their students' achievement on the math section of the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program. The study took place in the Metropolitan Nashville Public School District during the 2006-07 through 2008-09 school years. It analyzed data on about 24,000 students of 300 teachers who volunteered to participate in the study and received a stipend for doing so. Overall, the study found that students with math teachers who were offered the financial incentives exhibited math achievement growth that was no better or worse than students with teachers who were not offered the financial incentives. The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) does not consider these results to be conclusive because the groups of students compared may have differed before the intervention. The research described in this report does not meet WWC evidence standards. (Contains 2 footnotes.) [The following study is the focus of this &quot;Quick Review&quot;: Springer, M. G., Ballou, D., Hamilton, L., Le, V., Lockwood, J. R., McCaffrey, D., Pepper, M., &amp; Stecher, B. (2010). &quot;Teacher pay for performance: Experimental evidence from the Project on Incentives in Teaching.&quot; Nashville, TN: National Center on Performance Incentives at Vanderbilt University (ED513347).]
Enhancing the Effects of Teacher Attunement to Student Peer Group Affiliations on the School Social-Affective Context: Promotive Effects of the SEALS Intervention
Author: Hamm, Jill V.
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Rural Schools,Intervention,Bullying,Student Adjustment,Peer Groups,Teaching Methods,Student Experience,Group Membership,Interpersonal Relationship,Early Adolescents,Learner Engagement,Academic Achievement,Student Participation,Educational Environment,Grade 6,Teacher Student Relationship

The purpose of this study was to examine teachers' attunement to student peer group affiliations as a factor in students' experiences of the school social-affect context. First, the author and her colleagues hypothesize that teacher attunement will be greater in intervention versus control schools following initial SEALS training. Second, they predict that experiencing the SEALS program will enhance the effects of teacher attunement to peer group affiliations. That is, they predict that there will be a moderating effect of teacher attunement on an intervention effect. Multiple indicators of students' experiences of the social-affective context are tested in relation to the interactive effects of intervention and teacher attunement: sense of belonging, valuing of school, perceived norms for effort and achievement, perceived emotional risk of participation, and perceptions of the school bullying context. The findings from this study help to clarify a condition under which the SEALS intervention has particularly promotive benefits: when teachers start with an understanding of student peer group affiliations. With this greater understanding, teachers are better able to provide a safe and supportive learning environment for students. It was unexpected that teacher attunement did not differ by intervention condition, but it may be the case that in these rural schools, many of which are small and in small communities, teachers naturally possess greater attunement. However, the findings suggest that participation in the SEALS program enhances the benefits of teacher attunement, possibly because teachers learn strategies for how to act on that understanding. Explanations for this relationship, and its implications both for student adjustment and teacher preparation will be discussed in the presentation. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)