ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
WWC Review of the Report &quot;Are Tenure Track Professors Better Teachers?&quot; What Works Clearinghouse Single Study Review
Author: What Works Clearinghouse (ED)
Date: 2014-04-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: College Faculty,Higher Education,Introductory Courses,Economics Education,Enrollment Influences,Academic Achievement,College Freshmen,Tenure,Nontenured Faculty,Grades (Scholastic),Quasiexperimental Design,College Entrance Examinations,Intervention,Comparative Analysis,Standards,Outcome Measures

The study reviewed here examined whether taking a course with a tenure track professor versus a non-tenure track professor for first-term freshman-level courses (e.g., introductory economics) had an impact on students' future enrollment and performance in classes in the same subject. Data from 15,662 students who entered Northwestern University, Illinois, as freshmen between fall 2001 and fall 2008 were used. Findings showed that students who took a freshman-level class with a tenure track professor were statistically significantly less likely to take another class in the same subject (approximately 72% for students taking the introductory course with a tenure track professor, compared to 79% for students taking the course with a non-tenure track professor). Additionally, findings showed that among students who did take another class in the same subject, those whose introductory course was taken with a tenure track professor earned slightly (but statistically significantly) lower grades (about one-tenth of a grade point, e.g., 3.1 to 3.0 on a 0-4.0 scale). This study used a quasi-experimental design and established baseline equivalence between groups on student SAT scores. Although the study established baseline equivalence between groups on student SAT scores, students were not randomly assigned to the intervention and comparison conditions. Therefore, evidence in this study meets What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) standards with reservations. Three appendices provide: (1) Study details; (2) Outcome measures for each domain; and (3) Study findings for each domain. A glossary of terms is also included. [The following study is the focus of this review: Figlio, D. N., Schapiro, M. O., &amp; Soter, K. B. (2013). &quot;Are tenure track professors better teachers?&quot; (NBER Working Paper 19406). Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research (ED544502).]
Early Childhood Educator and Administrator Surveys on the Use of Assessments and Standards in Early Childhood Settings. REL 2014-019
Author: Irwin, Clare W.
Date: 2014-04-00
Type: Tests/Questionnaires
Subjects: Administrators,Surveys,Teacher Characteristics,Administrator Characteristics,Student Evaluation,Early Childhood Education,Preschool Teachers,Academic Standards,Educational Improvement,Educational Research,Research Utilization,Evaluation Methods,Student Characteristics,Teacher Certification,Policy Formation,Data Collection,Faculty Development,Sampling,Test Construction,Standardized Tests,Guidelines,Educational Resources,Coaching (Performance),Mentors,Barriers,Administrator Role,Educational Attainment,Administrator Qualifications,Institutional Characteristics,State Government,Educational Needs,Guidance

The Early Childhood Educator Survey and the Early Childhood Administrator Survey allow users to collect consistent data on the use of child assessments and learning standards in early childhood learning settings. Each survey includes modules on educator/administrator background information, assessment use, and learning standards implementation. The surveys and modules can be used either together or individually, and are part of a research agenda to improve early childhood programming and child outcomes through research- and evidence-based practices. Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast &amp; Islands developed these surveys in partnership with its Early Childhood Education Research Alliance.
WWC Review of the Report &quot;Staying on Track: Testing Higher Achievement&apos;s Long-Term Impact on Academic Outcomes and High School Choice.&quot; What Works Clearinghouse Single Study Review
Author: What Works Clearinghouse (ED)
Date: 2014-04-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Summer Programs,After School Programs,Program Effectiveness,Grade 5,Grade 6,Elementary School Students,Reading Achievement,Mathematics Achievement,School Choice,High Schools,Private Schools,Magnet Schools,Charter Schools,Neighborhood Schools,Standardized Tests,Intervention,Educational Research,Comparative Analysis

This study of 952 fifth and sixth graders in Washington, DC, and Alexandria, Virginia, found that students who were offered the &quot;Higher Achievement&quot; program had higher test scores in mathematical problem solving and were more likely to be admitted to and attend private competitive high schools. &quot;Higher Achievement&quot; is a multi-year afterschool and summer program aimed at middle school students from at-risk communities. The program's goal is to improve academic achievement and encourage matriculation into an academically competitive high school. This study is a well-executed randomized controlled trial that meets What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) evidence standards without reservations. The following are appended: (1) Study details; (2) Outcome measures for each domain; (3) Study findings for each domain; and (4) Supplemental findings by domain. A glossary of terms is also included. [The following study is the focus of this review: Herrera, C., Grossman, J. B., &amp; Linden, L. L. (2013). &quot;Staying on track: Testing Higher Achievement's long-term impact on academic outcomes and high school choice.&quot; New York: MDRC. Additional Source: Linden, L. L., Herrera, C., &amp; Grossman, J. B. (2013). &quot;Achieving academic success after school: A randomized evaluation of the Higher Achievement program (Working Paper). Retrieved from http://www.leighlinden.com.]
A Focused Look at Schools Receiving School Improvement Grants That Have Percentages of English Language Learner Students. NCEE Evaluation Brief. NCEE 2014-4014
Author: Golden, Laura
Date: 2014-04-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: School Turnaround,Educational Improvement,Federal Aid,Grants,English Language Learners,High Schools,Elementary Schools,Improvement Programs,Program Implementation,Student Needs,Instruction,Parent Participation,Community Characteristics,Context Effect,Faculty Development,Data,Decision Making,Organizational Objectives,Extended School Day,Institutional Characteristics,Educational Strategies,Change Strategies,Case Studies,Interviews,Focus Groups,Teacher Surveys,Mixed Methods Research

The Study of School Turnaround examines the improvement process in a purposive sample of 35 case study schools receiving federal funds through the School Improvement Grants (SIG) program over a three-year period (2010-11 to 2012-13 school years). This evaluation brief focuses on 11 of these SIG schools with high proportions of English Language Learner (ELL) students (a median of 45 percent ELLs). Three key findings that emerged from the ELL case study data collected in fall 2011 include: (1) Although all 11 schools reported providing specialized supports for ELL students, the schools' approaches to improvement during the initial phase of SIG appeared to include only moderate or limited attention to the unique needs of ELLs; (2) District and school administrators perceived challenges related to teachers' expertise and skills in meeting the unique needs of ELLs; however, teachers' perceptions of their own capacity were more mixed. The capacity of the schools' district offices to support ELLs appeared to vary as well, with two small districts reporting no district-level staff with ELL training or experience and seven larger districts reporting district-level English-as-a-second-language (ESL) departments with multiple trained staff members; and (3) Schools that appeared to provide stronger attention to the unique needs of ELLs in their improvement process were more likely to report having school staff dedicated to ELL needs, such as ELL coordinators, ELL coaches, and ESL/bilingual teachers and tutors. Such schools also were more likely to be located in districts that reportedly provided expertise and an explicit focus on ELLs within the context of SIG. Appended are: (1) Data Collection and Analytic Methods; and (2) Analytic Approach for Assessing ELL Attention.
Out-of-Pocket Net Price for College. Data Point. NCES 2014-902
Author: Horn, Laura
Date: 2014-04-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Paying for College,Parent Financial Contribution,Private Colleges,Public Colleges,Grants,Student Loan Programs,Work Study Programs,Two Year Colleges,Socioeconomic Status,Student Responsibility,Tuition,Fees,College Housing,Transportation,Family Income,College Students

This Data Point uses data from four administrations of the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:2000, NPSAS:04, NPSAS:08, and NPSAS:12) to briefly present trends in out-of-pocket net price for college, the amount that students and their families must pay to attend college after subtracting grants, loans, work-study, and all other student aid from the total price of attendance. It also presents out-of-pocket net price by income levels for the most recent data available (2011-12). For comparability, findings are presented for undergraduates attending full time for a full year and also trends are presented separately for key institution types (public 2-year, public 4-year, private nonprofit 4-year, and for-profit institutions).
WWC Review of the Report &quot;Benefits of Practicing 4 = 2 + 2: Nontraditional Problem Formats Facilitate Children&apos;s Understanding of Mathematical Equivalence.&quot; What Works Clearinghouse Single Study Review
Author: What Works Clearinghouse (ED)
Date: 2014-04-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Mathematics Instruction,Elementary School Students,Addition,Teaching Methods,Equations (Mathematics),Problem Solving,Educational Research,Feedback (Response),Comparative Analysis,Control Groups,Computation,Intervention,Computer Assisted Testing,Mathematics Tests,Homework,Outcome Measures,Worksheets,Instructional Effectiveness,Standards,Educational Benefits

The 2011 study, &quot;Benefits of Practicing 4 = 2 + 2: Nontraditional Problem Formats Facilitate Children's Understanding of Mathematical Equivalence,&quot; examined the effects of addition practice using nontraditional problem formats on students' understanding of mathematical equivalence. In nontraditional problem formats, operations appear on the right side of the equal sign (e.g., __ = 4 + 3) rather than the traditional method of placing the operations on the left side of the equal sign (e.g. 4 + 3 = __). The study included 95 7- and 8-year-old students who were randomly assigned to one of three groups: nontraditional practice, traditional practice, and no extra practice. Researchers assessed participating students on four measures of mathematical equivalence understanding: equation solving, equation encoding, defining the equal sign, and a 2-week follow-up measure of equation solving with feedback. The findings indicate that using nontraditional addition problem formats had a statistically significant positive impact on three out of four measures of students' understanding of mathematical equivalence, relative to using traditional addition problem formats. Specifically, there were significant positive impacts shown for the measures of equation solving, defining the equal sign, and equation solving with feedback. The comparison of the nontraditional practice group to the traditional practice group is a well-executed randomized controlled trial with low levels of sample attrition that meets the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) group design standards without reservations. However, the comparison of the nontraditional practice group to the no-extra-practice group had high differential attrition and baseline equivalence was not established for the two groups. Therefore, this part of the analysis does not meet WWC group design standards. The following are appended: (1) Study details; (2) Outcome measures for each domain; (3) Study findings for the mathematics equivalence understanding domain; and (4) Supplemental findings by domain. A glossary of terms is included. [The following study is the focus of this review: McNeil, N. M., Fyfe, E. R., Petersen, L. A., Dunwiddie, A. E., &amp; Brletic-Shipley, H. (2011). &quot;Benefits of practicing 4 = 2 + 2: Nontraditional problem formats facilitate children's understanding of mathematical equivalence.&quot; &quot;Child Development,&quot; 82(5), 1620-1633 (EJ938672).]
WWC Review of the Report &quot;Looking beyond Enrollment: The Causal Effect of Need-Based Grants on College Access, Persistence, and Graduation.&quot; What Works Clearinghouse Single Study Review
Author: What Works Clearinghouse (ED)
Date: 2014-04-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Student Financial Aid,Tuition Grants,State Aid,Access to Education,Academic Persistence,Graduation,Enrollment,College Credits,Eligibility,High School Seniors,Associate Degrees,Bachelors Degrees,Educational Attainment,Program Effectiveness,Regression (Statistics),Educational Research

The 2013 study, &quot;Looking Beyond Enrollment: The Causal Effect of Need-Based Grants on College Access, Persistence, and Graduation,&quot; examined whether eligibility for the Florida Student Access Grant (FSAG), a need-based grant for low-income students in Florida, affects college enrollment, credit accumulation, persistence over time in college, and, eventually, graduation from public 2-year or 4-year institutions or private colleges in the state of Florida. The study included over 45,000 seniors in Florida public high schools. To measure grant eligibility impacts, researchers analyzed data from the Florida Department of Education K-20 Data Warehouse and the Florida Resident Assistance Grant database. According to study findings, grant eligibility had no significant effect on postsecondary enrollment up to 7 years after high school graduation. However, grant-eligible students did accumulate more college-level credits 4 years after high school than students who were not eligible. Grant eligibility did not increase the probability that students earned an associate degree within 5 years, but did have a positive impact on earning a bachelor's degree within 7 years after high school. This study employed a well-executed regression discontinuity design and meets What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) pilot regression discontinuity standards without reservations. Appended are: (1) Study details; (2) Outcome measures for each domain; (3) Study findings for each domain; and (4) Supplemental findings by domain. A glossary of terms is included. [The following study is the focus of this review: Castleman, B. L., &amp; Long, B. T. (2013). &quot;Looking Beyond Enrollment: The Causal Effect of Need-Based Grants on College Access, Persistence, and Graduation&quot; (NBER Working Paper 19306). Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research. Retrieved from http://www.nber.org (ED544793).]
State Requirements for Teacher Evaluation Policies Promoted by Race to the Top. NCEE Evaluation Brief. NCEE 2014-4016
Author: Hallgren, Kristin
Date: 2014-04-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Teacher Evaluation,Program Implementation,Educational Policy,Interviews,Alignment (Education),Compensation (Remuneration),Teacher Effectiveness,Federal Legislation,Educational Legislation,Academic Achievement,Measures (Individuals),Observation,Educational Assessment

This brief describes the extent to which states required teacher evaluation policies aligned with the Race to the Top (RTT) initiative as of spring 2012. Although teacher evaluation policies appear to be rapidly evolving, documenting policy requirements in the early years of RTT implementation can help inform policymakers about the pace of policy innovation nationally. This brief examines the presence of state-level requirements for certain practices but not the actual district- or school-level implementation of such practices. Key findings, based on interviews with administrators from 49 states and the District of Columbia (12 Round 1 and 2 RTT states, 7 Round 3 RTT states, and 31 non-RTT states), include the following: (1) States, on average, reported requiring less than half of eight teacher evaluation policies aligned with RTT priorities, although the number of policies required by RTT states was higher than non-RTT states (3.7 policies for Round 1 and 2 RTT states, 3.6 for Round 3 RTT states, and 2.2 for non-RTT states); (2) States' reported teacher evaluation policies were most aligned with RTT priorities focused on using multiple measures to evaluate teacher performance (30 states); using multiple rating categories to classify teacher performance (31 states); and conducting annual evaluations (25 states); and (3) States' reported teacher evaluation policies were least aligned with RTT priorities focused on using evaluation results to inform decisions regarding career advancement (1 state) and compensation (6 states for annual salary increases, and 5 states for performance-based compensation).
WWC Review of the Report &quot;The Effects of Cognitive Strategy Instruction on Math Problem Solving of Middle School Students of Varying Ability.&quot; What Works Clearinghouse Single Study Review
Author: What Works Clearinghouse (ED)
Date: 2014-04-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Problem Solving,Middle School Students,Mathematics Instruction,Mathematics Achievement,Control Groups,Experimental Groups,Word Problems (Mathematics),Cognitive Processes,Student Attrition,Program Effectiveness,Outcome Measures,Reading Achievement

A recent study, &quot;The Effects of Cognitive Strategy Instruction on Math Problem Solving of Middle School Students of Varying Ability,&quot; examined the effectiveness of &quot;Solve It!,&quot; a program intended to improve the problem-solving skills of seventh-grade math students. During the program, students are taught cognitive strategies of varying complexity to solve math word problems. The ultimate goal is for students to internalize the strategies and use them automatically during problem solving. For this study, researchers analyzed the math and reading scores of 1,059 students in Miami-Dade County Public Schools to measure the impact of &quot;Solve It!&quot; The study found that the program had no impact on the students' math and reading achievement. The study had high levels of student attrition; however, the samples of students were demonstrated to be equivalent at baseline on Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) math and reading scores. Therefore, the research meets What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) group design standards with reservations. The following are appended: (1) Study details; (2) Outcome measures for each domain; and (3) Study findings for each domain. A glossary of terms is included. [The following study is the focus of this &quot;Single Study Review&quot;: Montague, M., Krawec, J., Enders, C., &amp; Dietz, S. (in press). The effects of cognitive strategy instruction on math problem solving of middle school students of varying ability. &quot;Journal of Educational Psychology.&quot;]
Alternative Student Growth Measures for Teacher Evaluation: Profiles of Early-Adopting Districts. Summary. REL 2014-016
Author: Gill, Brian
Date: 2014-04-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Teacher Evaluation,Academic Achievement,Achievement Gains,Alternative Assessment,Behavioral Objectives,School Districts,Teacher Effectiveness,Models,Profiles,Selection,Program Implementation,Program Design,Feedback (Response)

States and districts are beginning to use student achievement growth--as measured by state assessments (often using statistical techniques known as value-added models or student growth models)--as part of their teacher evaluation systems. But this approach has limited application in most states, because their assessments are typically administered only in grades 3-8 and only in math and reading. In response, some districts have turned to alternative measures of student growth. These alternative measures include alternative assessment-based value-added models (VAMs) that use the results of end-of-course assessments or commercially available tests in statistical models, and student learning objectives (SLOs), which are determined by individual teachers, approved by principals, and used in evaluations that do not involve sophisticated statistical modeling. For this report, administrators in eight districts that were early adopters of alternative measures of student growth were interviewed about how they used these measures to evaluate teacher performance. Key findings from the study are: (1) Districts using SLOs chose them as a teacher-guided method of assessing student growth, while those using alternative assessment-based VAMs chose to take advantage of existing assessments; (2) SLOs can be used for teacher evaluation in any grade or subject, but require substantial effort by teachers and principals, and ensuring consistency is challenging; (3) In the four SLO districts, SLOs are required of all teachers across grades K-12, regardless of whether the teachers serve grades or subjects that include district-wide standardized tests; and (4) Alternative student assessments used by VAM districts differ by developer, alignment with specific courses, and coverage of grades and subjects. VAMs applied to end-of-course and commercial assessments create consistent district-wide measures but generally require technical support from an outside provider. [For the full report, see ED544797.]
Alternative Student Growth Measures for Teacher Evaluation: Profiles of Early-Adopting Districts. REL 2014-016
Author: Gill, Brian
Date: 2014-04-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Teacher Evaluation,Academic Achievement,Achievement Gains,Alternative Assessment,Behavioral Objectives,School Districts,Teacher Effectiveness,Models,Profiles,Selection,Program Implementation,Program Design,Feedback (Response)

States and districts are beginning to use student achievement growth--as measured by state assessments (often using statistical techniques known as value-added models or student growth models)--as part of their teacher evaluation systems. But this approach has limited application in most states, because their assessments are typically administered only in grades 3-8 and only in math and reading. In response, some districts have turned to alternative measures of student growth. These alternative measures include alternative assessment-based value-added models (VAMs) that use the results of end-of-course assessments or commercially available tests in statistical models, and student learning objectives (SLOs), which are determined by individual teachers, approved by principals, and used in evaluations that do not involve sophisticated statistical modeling. For this report, administrators in eight districts that were early adopters of alternative measures of student growth were interviewed about how they used these measures to evaluate teacher performance. Key findings from the study are: (1) Districts using SLOs chose them as a teacher-guided method of assessing student growth, while those using alternative assessment-based VAMs chose to take advantage of existing assessments; (2) SLOs can be used for teacher evaluation in any grade or subject, but require substantial effort by teachers and principals, and ensuring consistency is challenging; (3) In the four SLO districts, SLOs are required of all teachers across grades K-12, regardless of whether the teachers serve grades or subjects that include district-wide standardized tests; and (4) Alternative student assessments used by VAM districts differ by developer, alignment with specific courses, and coverage of grades and subjects. VAMs applied to end-of-course and commercial assessments create consistent district-wide measures but generally require technical support from an outside provider. The district administrator interview protocol is appended. [For the summary of this report, see ED544796.]