ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
12 for 2012: Issues to Move Education Forward in 2012
Author: Zinth, Jennifer Dounay, Ed.
Date: 2012-01-00
Type: Collected Works - General
Subjects: Blended Learning,State Action,State Standards,Individualized Instruction,Credentials,Teacher Effectiveness,Elementary Secondary Education,Rural Areas,Remedial Instruction,Change Strategies,Educational Change,Educational Policy,Efficiency,Accountability,Educational Finance,Citizen Participation,Educational Quality,Instructional Effectiveness,Rural Education,Access to Information,Funding Formulas,Remedial Programs,Educational Development,Educational Planning

This publication is an ECS (Education Commission of the States) "read of the field," built on its scrutiny of new reports and research, and its analysis of emerging drivers of change. This publication is intended to stimulate thinking around how best to craft the "2.0" of powerful policy across the states. The 12 policy areas highlighted in this report share certain common themes: (1) P-20 in nature: Holding implications for the way individuals do business across the education spectrum, from the early years through postsecondary; (2) High-leverage; and (3) Related to one another: Success in addressing issues in one area (i.e., Common Core State Standards implementation) hold implications for success in other areas (i.e., teacher evaluation). For each of the 12 issues identified, four common threads are addressed: (1) Potential power: Are there wide-reaching implications for getting state-level results?; (2) Biggest challenges; (3) Positive signs; and (4) Further reading. Contents of this publication include: (1) Pre-K: Expanding the focus to P-3 (Karen Schimke and Jennifer Dounay Zinth);   (2) K-12 finance: Creating and maintaining efficiency and financial accountability without lowering expectations (Jennifer Dounay Zinth and Mike Griffith); (3) Blended learning: Getting moving. Getting it right. (Jennifer Dounay Zinth); (4) Common Core State Standards: From talking to doing (Jennifer Dounay Zinth); (5) Developing civic engagement in PK-12: State action in the absence of federal funding (Paul Baumann); (6) Teaching quality: Fasten your seatbelts! (Jennifer Dounay Zinth); (7) Rural: Enhancing the potential of education in rural America (Jennifer Dounay Zinth); (8) Data: Access to what teachers and leaders need to improve student outcomes (and the skills to use it) (Jennifer Dounay Zinth); (9) Individualized instruction: Faster. Cheaper. Smarter (Jennifer Dounay Zinth); (10) Performance funding: Building a model without a blueprint? (Matthew Smith); (11) Remedial education: We know more now than we ever have (Matthew Smith); and (12) Credentials of value: Some are better than others (Matthew Smith). Individual articles contain endnotes.
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education: Strategic Planning Needed to Better Manage Overlapping Programs across Multiple Agencies. Report to Congressional Requesters. GAO-12-108
Author: Scott, George A.
Date: 2012-01-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: STEM Education,Strategic Planning,Systems Approach,Science Education,Technology Education,Engineering Education,Mathematics Education,Educational Administration,Federal Programs,Public Agencies,Program Effectiveness,Federal Legislation,Federal Regulation

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education programs help to enhance the nation's global competitiveness. Many federal agencies have been involved in administering these programs. Concerns have been raised about the overall effectiveness and efficiency of STEM education programs. GAO examined (1) the number of federal agencies and programs that provided funding for STEM education programs in fiscal year 2010; (2) the extent to which STEM education programs have similar objectives, serve similar target groups, and provide similar types of services, and, if necessary, what opportunities exist to increase coordination; and (3) the extent to which STEM education programs measured effectiveness. To answer these questions, GAO reviewed relevant federal laws, regulations, and plans; surveyed federal STEM education programs; analyzed programs' STEM evaluations; and interviewed relevant federal officials. An electronic supplement--GAO-12-110SP--provides survey results. GAO recommends that as OSTP leads the government-wide STEM education strategic planning effort, it should work with agencies to better align their activities with a government-wide strategy, develop a plan for sustained coordination, identify programs for potential consolidation or elimination, and assist agencies in determining how to better evaluate their programs. OSTP provided technical comments that we incorporated as appropriate. OMB had no concerns with the report. Appended are: (1) Objectives, Scope, and Methodology; (2) List of STEM Education Programs with Fiscal Year 2010 Obligations; (3) Review of Evaluations; and (4) GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments. (Contains 5 tables, 8 figures and 44 footnotes.)
MSU-Test: A Tool for Measuring Students' Achievement
Author: Chansirisira, Pacharawit
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Secondary Education,High Schools,Academic Achievement,Grade 9,Grade 12,Testing

The study aims to employ MSU-test as a tool to measure Mahasarakham student in secondary and high school levels to achieve their learning potential. The importance of this study will help university understanding school potential and provide information to increase students' score. Two thousand and seven hundred eight nine students participated in the study. The results of this study provide way to set and improve MSU-test in the future. (Contains 4 tables.)
Developing Number Sense in Kindergartners at Risk for Learning Difficulties in Mathematics
Author: Jordan, Nancy C.
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Kindergarten,Low Income,Disadvantaged,Numeracy,At Risk Students,Learning Problems,Mathematics Achievement,Intervention,Followup Studies

In the present study, the authors developed and tested a purposeful eight-week number sense intervention for kindergartners from low-income families. Participants were recruited from kindergarten classes in five schools. Building on other investigations (e.g., Baroody et al., 2009; Chard et al., 2008; Ramani & Siegler, 2008), the present randomized controlled study demonstrates that key areas of number sense can be boosted in kindergartners with established risk for mathematics difficulties or disabilities, many who come to school with far fewer learning experiences than their middle-income counterparts. These gains were successfully captured on a number sense assessment tool that is sensitive to short-term progress in kindergarten and there was some transfer to more conventional written calculation tasks. Although most children seemed to gain from their regular mathematics curriculum, the intervention provides them with added benefits in a relatively short time period. This type of number sense intervention, which can easily be implemented in kindergarten classrooms, holds promise for evidence based response-to-intervention (RTI) service delivery models in schools. The intervention could be used for time-limited prevention of mathematics difficulties, or it could be expanded beyond eight weeks for more intensive ongoing assistance, with the aim of preparing children for success in primary-school mathematics. A limitation of the study is the lack of a small group intervention comparison group, one that did not involve numbers. It is possible (although not likely) that the number sense gains seen in the intervention group were due to special treatment more generally, rather than to the specific number activities. The authors felt it important, however, to determine initially whether they could boost children's number sense performance relative to a business as usual control, and the finding that the intervention children changed most in the areas we emphasized (e.g., number recognition, number knowledge, calculation) argues against Hawthorne effects. In a follow-up study, they included a language intervention condition, carried out in small groups, for comparison to the number sense condition. Preliminary analyses suggest the number sense intervention beat out the language intervention on mathematics but not on language outcomes. (Contains 1 table.)
Testing the Efficacy of a Kindergarten Tier 2 Intervention Program
Author: Clarke, Ben
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Kindergarten,At Risk Students,Intervention,Core Curriculum,Validity,Control Groups,Scientific Methodology,Experimental Groups,Effect Size,Response to Intervention,Instructional Effectiveness,Mathematics Achievement

The purpose of this study, funded by the &quot;Institute for Education Sciences&quot; under the &quot;Mathematics and Science Education&quot; topic, was to test the efficacy of a Tier 2 intervention curriculum, &quot;ROOTS&quot;, when implemented under rigorous experimental conditions. In this study all classrooms implemented a validated Tier 1 core curriculum (Clarke et al., in press), and classrooms were randomly assigned to treatment and comparison conditions, blocking on school. Treatment classrooms implemented the validated Tier 1 core curriculum plus the ROOTS an intervention program for at-risk students. Comparison classrooms implemented the validated Tier 1 core curriculum plus standard district practice for intervening with at-risk students. The study sample included two participant groups: kindergarten instructional assistants and at-risk students in the participating kindergarten classrooms. The results of the analyses suggest that at-risk students may have performed better in classrooms that provided ROOTS than in classrooms that offered standard district practice. The authors found small to medium effect sizes for the TEMA (g = 0.32), CBM total (g = 0.31), and one individual CBM measure, Quantity Discrimination (g = 0.50). All effect sizes meet the WWC standards (What Works Clearinghouse, 2008) for showing a &quot;substantively important positive effect&quot;. Although the effect sizes were encouraging, the authors were unable to reject the null hypothesis for the TEMA (p = 0.066) or CBM total (p = 0.144). For Quantity Discrimination, however, the authors found a statistically significant result (p = 0.011). All tests used 27 degrees of freedom corresponding to the classroom level.
Using Propensity Score Methods to Approximate Factorial Experimental Designs
Author: Dong, Nianbo
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Research Design,Probability,Monte Carlo Methods,Simulation,Scores,Computation,Statistical Bias,Interaction,Research Methodology,Comparative Analysis

The purpose of this study is through Monte Carlo simulation to compare several propensity score methods in approximating factorial experimental design and identify best approaches in reducing bias and mean square error of parameter estimates of the main and interaction effects of two factors. Previous studies focused more on unbiased estimates of the effects of one factor, or the effects of one factor by the subgroups of another factor. The approaches for the unbiased estimates of the main and interaction effects of two factors in studies without full randomization were less examined. This study identifies appropriate propensity score methods to analyze multiple factors, in particular, the interaction effects. In sum, the simulation results from semi-experiment and non-experiment scenarios suggest three good propensity score applications in reducing bias and MSE of parameter estimates in analyzing two factors: (1) inverse of propensity score weighting based on one multinomial propensity score model, (2) subclassification and (3) factorial matching based on two binary propensity score models. Also note that the common support sample and covariate adjustment are preferred. (Contains 8 tables, 4 figures and 3 footnotes.)
Using Quasi-Experimental Methods to Select Comparisons Schools for an Evaluation of the Northeast Tennessee College and Career Ready Consortium
Author: Mokher, Christine
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Quasiexperimental Design,Probability,Grants,Intervention,Program Evaluation,High Schools,Identification,Selection,Comparative Analysis,Evaluation Criteria,Scores,Academic Achievement,Consortia

This presentation focuses on the quasi-experimental methods used to select comparison schools for an evaluation of a federal investing in innovation (i3) validation grant. The Northeast Tennessee College and Career Ready Consortium (NETCO) consists of 29 high schools participating in a five-year program to expand students' access to rigorous courses. The research question for this presentation is: How can propensity score matching be used to identify comparison schools for the evaluation of the NETCO intervention? This report describes the propensity score model used to select comparison schools, the techniques used to refine the model, and the recruitment of the comparison schools. Twenty-nine high schools in fifteen school districts from Northeast Tennessee were selected to participate in the intervention prior to the award of the grant. Overall, the preliminary propensity score analysis for the NETCO evaluation is able to substantially reduce differences in observable characteristics between the i3 schools and non-i3 schools in the state. There are no statistically significant differences in t-tests of the covariates between the treatment group and the matched comparison group, and the absolute standardized bias is less than 0.5 for all covariates. (Contains 1 table, 3 figures and 2 footnotes.)
Idaho K-12 &amp; School Choice Survey: What Do Voters Say about K-12 Education. Polling Paper No. 5
Author: DiPerna, Paul
Date: 2012-01-05
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Elementary Secondary Education,Opinions,School Choice,Familiarity,Charts,Sampling,Surveys,Attitude Measures,Educational Change,Public Policy,Educational Policy,Interviews,Public Opinion,Questionnaires,Public Schools,Private Schools,Charter Schools,School Districts,Distance Education,Low Income Groups,Disabilities,Individualized Education Programs,English (Second Language),At Risk Students,Expenditure per Student,Income

The &quot;Idaho K-12 &amp; School Choice Survey&quot; project, commissioned by The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and conducted by Braun Research Incorporated (BRI), measures Idaho registered voters' familiarity and views on a range of K-12 education issues and school choice reforms. We report response &quot;levels&quot; and &quot;differences&quot; (we use the term &quot;net score&quot; or &quot;net&quot;) of voter opinion, and the &quot;intensity&quot; of responses. Where do the voters stand on important issues and policy proposals in K-12 education? We attempt to provide some observations and insights in the following pages of this paper. A randomly selected and statistically representative sample of Idaho voters recently responded to 17 substantive questions and 11 demographic questions (see pages 47-77). The next section summarizes our key findings. A total of 2,097 telephone interviews were conducted in English from October 22 to November 6, 2011, by means of both landline and cell phone. The statewide sample included 1,202 interviews, and regional oversamples included at least 500 interviews. Statistical results were weighted to correct known demographic discrepancies. The margin of sampling error for the statewide sample is plus or minus 2.8 percentage points. Margin of error for each regional sample (Boise-Nampa, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Falls) is plus or minus 4.4 percentage points. In this project we included two split-sample experiments. A split sample design is a systematic way of comparing the effects of two or more alternative wordings for a given question. The purpose is to see if particular wording, or providing a new piece of information, can significantly influence opinion on a given topic. Our polling paper has four sections. The first section summarizes key findings. We call the second section &quot;Survey Snapshots,&quot; which offers charts illustrating the core findings of the survey. The third section describes the survey's methodology, summarizes response statistics, and presents additional technical information on call dispositions for landline and cell phone interviews. The fourth section presents our questionnaire and results (&quot;topline numbers&quot;), essentially allowing the reader to follow the actual interview as it was conducted, with respect to question wording and ordering. We have set out to give a straight-forward analysis, going light on editorial commentary, and letting the numbers and charts communicate the major findings. (Contains 8 notes and 1 footnote.)
Annual Proceedings of Selected Research and Development Papers Presented at the Annual Convention of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology - Volume 1 and Selected Papers on the Practice of Educational Communications and Technology - Volume 2 (34th, Jacksonville, Florida, 2011)
Author: Simonson, Michael, Ed.
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Collected Works - Proceedings
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Research and Development,Educational Technology,Conference Papers,Electronic Learning,Technology Integration,Synchronous Communication,Handheld Devices,Instructional Design,Electronic Publishing,Asynchronous Communication,Multimedia Instruction,Web 2.0 Technologies,Computer Mediated Communication,Web Based Instruction,Laptop Computers,Computer Simulation,Distance Education,Programming,Computer Software,Computer System Design,Computer Science Education,Teleconferencing,Social Networks,Blended Learning,Thinking Skills,Engineering Education,Discussion (Teaching Technique),School Libraries,Professional Development,Learner Engagement,Comparative Analysis,Case Studies,Mixed Methods Research,Surveys,Questionnaires,Network Analysis,Content Analysis,Replication (Evaluation),High School Students,Teacher Attitudes,Student Attitudes,Statistics,Writing Skills,Debate,Elementary School Teachers,Student Behavior,Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Teacher Education,Workplace Learning,Employee Attitudes,Training Methods,College Faculty,Best Practices,Usability,Librarians,Sustainability,Program Evaluation,Asians,Misconceptions,Student Projects,Active Learning,College Students,Vocational Education,Concept Mapping,Veterinary Medicine

For the thirty-fourth year, the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) is sponsoring the publication of these Proceedings. Papers published in this volume were presented at the annual AECT Convention in Jacksonville, FL. A limited quantity of these Proceedings were printed and sold in both hardcopy and electronic versions. The Proceedings of AECT's Convention are published in two volumes. Volume #1 contains papers dealing primarily with research and development topics. Papers dealing with the practice of instructional technology including instruction and training issues are contained in Volume #2. This year, both volumes are included in one document. (Individual papers contain references, tables, and figures.) [For Volumes 1 and 2 of the 2010 proceedings, see ED514646 and ED514647.]
Civic Engagement through Digital Citizenship: Engaging Youth in Active, Participatory Citizenship through Digital Media. The Progress of Education Reform. Volume 13, Number 1
Author: Baumann, Paul
Date: 2012-02-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Citizenship Education,Educational Change,Social Networks,Internet,Citizen Participation,Telecommunications,Handheld Devices,Familiarity,Technology Uses in Education

Participatory digital media--broadly defined as media such as the Internet, social network sites and cell phones that allow users to interact--are ubiquitous among today's youth. Among teens ages 12-17, 95% have access to the Internet; 70% go online daily; 80% use social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter; and 77% have cell phones. Many schools, however, have been reluctant to allow students to use digital participatory media for learning during the school day. Because digital media are so pervasive among youth and offer new avenues for civic participation, schools must rethink how they prepare students for active, participatory citizenship. In short, the civic mission of schools has broadened to include the mission of preparing "digital citizens"--those who use digital media to fulfill their civic duty. This issue of "The Progress of Education Reform" includes a closer look at the characteristics of digital natives and provides a summary of research about digital natives' civic engagement habits and the implications of this research for education policy aimed at promoting digital citizenship for today's youth. (Contains 2 tables and 3 endnotes.)
Mixed-Sector Tertiary Education. Research Overview
Author: Moodie, Gavin
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Higher Education,Vocational Education,College Programs,Interviews,Institutional Characteristics,Institutional Research,Postsecondary Education,Academic Education,Educational Policy,Educational Development,Educational Practices

This research overview provides the key messages arising from two related projects investigating tertiary education institutions that have recently begun to offer tertiary programs outside the sector of their initial establishment and the sector of the majority of their enrolments. These are TAFE institutes offering higher education programs, universities offering vocational education programs, and private providers offering both. Both projects sought to understand the nature and focus of mixed-sector provision: why institutions want to offer both vocational and higher education programs; how this provision is perceived by participants, particularly students and teachers; the kinds of pathways to work and further study that are possible; the benefits of this provision as well as problems with its delivery; and how quality may be ensured. The projects involved 159 interviews in 15 institutions in six states or territories. The following are overview messages from the two projects: (1) One tertiary education sector is emerging, but it is hierarchical and stratified; (2) While as yet there is still no coherent national policy on tertiary education, elements have been established recently which may in time develop into a coherent group of national institutions of tertiary education; (3) Knowledge of tertiary education and evaluation of its performance are limited by inconsistent, incomplete and, in some areas, missing data; (4) Higher education scholarship requirements are vaguely expressed, poorly understood and inconsistently implemented; (5) Individual institutions are not well resourced to support their minority sector alone--sector-wide support is needed; and (6) As the sectors become increasingly blurred, a more sophisticated understanding of vocational education will be needed. (Contains 3 footnotes.) [For related report, "Shaken Not Stirred? The Development of One Tertiary Education Sector in Australia. NCVER Monograph Series 08/2012," see ED528867.]