ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Parent Perceptions of an Adapted Evidence-Based Practice for Toddlers with Autism in a Community Setting
Author: Stahmer, Aubyn C.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Parent Attitudes,Evidence Based Practice,Toddlers,Autism,Pervasive Developmental Disorders,Behavior Modification,Early Intervention,Parent Participation,Training,Feasibility Studies,Mixed Methods Research,Community Services,Pilot Projects,Parent Child Relationship,Parent Surveys,Multivariate Analysis,Semi Structured Interviews

Although data from parent-implemented Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions have shown positive effects on decreasing core symptoms of autism, there has been limited examination of the effectiveness of Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions in community settings. In addition, parent perspectives of their involvement in parent-implemented early intervention programs have not been well studied. Using both qualitative and quantitative data to examine parent perspectives and the perceived feasibility of parent training by community providers, 13 families were followed as they received training in the Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention, Project ImPACT. Data indicate that parent training by community providers is feasible and well received, and parents find value in participating in intervention and perceive benefit for their children. Recommendations for adaptation of program elements and future research are discussed. [At time of submission to ERIC this article was in press with &quot;Autism.&quot;]
Visual Routines for Extracting Magnitude Relations
Author: Michal, Audrey L.
Date: 2016-05-13
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Eye Movements,Graphs,College Students,Young Children,Relationship,Reaction Time,Age Differences,Incidence,Verbal Communication,Visual Aids,Comparative Analysis,Individual Differences,Accuracy,Correlation

Linking relations described in text with relations in visualizations is often difficult. We used eye tracking to measure the optimal way to extract such relations in graphs, college students, and young children (6- and 8-year-olds). Participants compared relational statements (&quot;Are there more blueberries than oranges?&quot;) with simple graphs, and two systematic patterns emerged: eye movements that followed the verbal order of the question (inspecting the &quot;blueberry&quot; value first) versus those that followed a left-first bias (regardless of the left value's identity). Question-order patterns led substantially to faster responses and increased in prevalence with age, whereas the left-first pattern led to far slower responses and was the dominant strategy for younger children. We argue that the optimal way to verify a verbally expressed relation's consistency with visualization is for the eyes to mimic the verbal ordering but that this strategy requires executive control and coordination with language. [At the time of submission to ERIC this article was in press with &quot;Psychonomic Bulletin &amp; Review.&quot;]
Curriculum and Testing Strategies to Maximize Special Education STAAR Achievement
Author: Johnson, William L.
Date: 2015-11-12
Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Subjects: Special Education,Achievement Tests,Science Achievement,Chemistry,Low Income Students,Limited English Speaking,High School Students,Special Needs Students,Educational Strategies,School Culture,Classroom Techniques,Testing,Scores

This document is from a presentation at the 2015 annual conference of the Science Teachers Association of Texas (STAT). The two sessions (each listed as feature sessions at the state conference) examined classroom strategies the presenter used in his chemistry classes to maximize Texas end-of-course chemistry test scores for his special population groups: inclusion special education (IN/SPED), economically disadvantaged (EDS), limited English proficiency (LEP), and 504 students. The overall passing rate on the multi-year TAKS end-of-course testing was in the 90% passing range. For the last and only year of STAAR end-of-course testing (because of changes in the state law of Texas), the presenter had more commended students on the chemistry STAAR test than any other chemistry teacher at the 6A Robert E. Lee High School in Tyler, Texas. This was in comparison to teachers with largely pre-AP, AP, and IB students. The results indicate the presenter's students made significant academic progress. The document will share specific strategies the presenter used to maximize special population student achievement and state end-of-course test scores.
Cumulative Risk, Teacher Well-Being and Instructional Quality: Evidence from the DRC and Ghana
Author: Wolf, Sharon
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Low Income,Well Being,Foreign Countries,Teacher Motivation,Labor Turnover,Teacher Attendance,Teacher Effectiveness,Risk,Teacher Burnout,Job Satisfaction,Educational Quality,Teaching Conditions,Teacher Education,Program Evaluation,Elementary School Teachers,Surveys,Hierarchical Linear Modeling

There is growing concern that teachers in low-income countries are increasingly demotivated, which may partially explain deteriorating teaching performance and student learning outcomes, high rates of turnover and absenteeism, and misconduct. At the same time, remarkably little systematic research has examined the living and working conditions for teachers in sub-Saharan Africa and how such conditions predict teacher well-being and performance. Teachers in low-income countries (LICs) are often ill equipped for the challenges of teaching and face many hardships in their work and personal lives that threaten their well-being and effectiveness in the classroom. The present study uses a cumulative risk framework to examine the multiple challenges teachers experience and selected indices of their well-being and teaching quality. The study uses two samples to answer these questions. The first is a representative sample of primary school teachers from the southeastern province of Katanga in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and the second is a representative sample of Kindergarten teachers from the Greater Accra Region in Ghana. Analyses examine the various risks teachers face in their lives in and out of work, as well as how these risks accumulate and predict professional well-being and teaching quality. Specifically, this study addresses the following research questions: (1) Is cumulative risk associated with lower teacher motivation and higher burnout and job dissatisfaction in a representative sample of primary school teachers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Ghana?; (2) Is cumulative risk associated with lower teaching quality in Ghana?; and (3) Are particular domains of cumulative risk more or less predictive of teachers' motivation, burnout, job dissatisfaction, and teaching quality? Are work-related risks more predictive than risks in the domains of teachers' personal lives? The results indicate that the cumulative hardships teachers face in their work and personal lives contribute to the poor motivation and burnout found in other studies. It is critical that conditions for teachers, both professionally and personally, are targeted for improvement in order to enhance teachers' capabilities and effectiveness in the classroom. Two tables are appended.
Geographic Variation of District-Level Gender Achievement Gaps within the United States
Author: Reardon, Sean
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Academic Achievement,Gender Differences,Achievement Gap,Standardized Tests,School Districts,Socioeconomic Influences,Sex Stereotypes,Public Schools,Statistical Analysis

Gender achievement gaps on national and state assessments have been a popular research topic over the last few decades. Many prior studies examine these gaps in different subjects (e.g., mathematics, reading, and science) and grades (typically kindergarten through eighth grade) for students living in various regions (typically states or countries) using a variety of measures. Despite drawing different conclusions about the exact magnitude of the gaps, the general findings about the existence of gender achievement gaps from prior research are consistent. In mathematics, the majority of studies do not find a significant achievement gap when children enter kindergarten, but show the existence of an average male-favoring gap in mathematics by the end of kindergarten lasting through fifth grade. In this paper, the authors seek to better understand the variation of gender achievement gaps within the United States by focusing at a higher geographic resolution than prior studies. They analyze gender achievement gaps within school districts across the nation. Given the evidence of the state-level variation and the support for suspecting that gender achievement gaps vary amongst districts within a state, the authors investigate how local social and economic factors, local demographics, and school district characteristics may relate to the magnitude and direction of gender achievement gaps, with a specific focus on the extent to which the gaps appear in a &quot;stereotypical&quot; or &quot;gender-favoring&quot; pattern. The data used in this study comes from the EdFacts state accountability tracking system, which was provided via restricted license by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The population of study is U.S. school districts serving third through eighth grade students. The EdFacts database includes data for all (approximately 13,700) public school districts in the US, and contains math and English Language Arts (ELA) test score data in grades 3-8 from 2009-2012. Among the roughly 9,400 districts in the sample, the average gender achievement gap in mathematics is near 0, although there is considerable variation across districts. In contrast, the average gap in ELA is roughly 0.25 Standard Deviations (SDs), in favor of girls. Again there is significant variation in the district-level gaps; however, they nearly always favor females. Plotting these gaps, it was found that there is considerable variation among districts along both the gender-favoring and stereotype dimensions. Figures and tables are appended.
A Meta-Analysis of the Literature on the Effect of Charter Schools on Student Achievement
Author: Betts, Julian R.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Information Analyses
Subjects: Charter Schools,Educational Methods,Meta Analysis,Value Added Models,Traditional Schools,Mathematics Achievement,Reading Achievement,Language Arts,Geographic Location,Middle Schools,Elementary Schools

Charter schools represent an increasingly important form of school choice in the United States. Charter schools are public schools, with a difference. Compared to traditional public schools, they are exempted from some of the state laws and regulations that govern traditional public schools. In this way, parents come to have a greater number of choices among schools, and, due to deregulation, it is expected that the charter schools are distinct from traditional public schools. The intent is that charter schools can provide students with alternative curricula, teaching methods, and teachers who may differ in educational background and training from teachers in traditional public schools. This study, after reviewing research from across the United States, asks whether charter schools are producing higher achievement for students compared to traditional public schools. A meta-analysis was performed of the literature on charter schools and achievement, with a focus on lottery-based studies and rigorous value-added studies. Overall, for the limited set of charter schools, locations, and years that have been studied to date, charter schools are producing higher achievement gains in math relative to traditional public schools in most grade groupings. No significant differences emerged for reading achievement. However, for both math and reading the bulk of estimates are positive. Estimated charter school effects are highly variable, which likely reflects variations in the quality of education provided both at charter schools and at comparison schools, namely, local traditional public schools. Two figures and a table are appended.
Learning in Linguistically Diverse Middle School Classrooms: The Role of the Classroom Peer Network
Author: Elreda, Lauren Molloy
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Middle School Students,Standardized Tests,Scores,English Language Learners,Social Networks,Network Analysis,Mixed Methods Research,Achievement Gains,Social Integration,Outcomes of Education,Teacher Characteristics,Classroom Environment,Role,Language Arts,Longitudinal Studies,Grade 7,Grade 8,Second Language Learning,Grade 6

The literature suggests there is much to be gained from exploring the role of the peer network in linguistically diverse &quot;mainstream&quot; middle school classrooms (i.e., classrooms that include English language learners alongside fluent English-speakers). The present study uses social network analysis to examine whether between-classroom and between-student variation in cross-language-status integration in the classroom peer network may contribute to between-classroom and between-student differences in learning. Data from a larger mixed-methods study at a linguistically diverse middle school in the southeastern United States are analyzed to test two hypotheses: (1) Classrooms with more linguistically integrated peer networks (i.e., those in which the network of friendships in the classroom is less segregated by ELL status) will show greater growth in classroom mean standardized test scores across the school year; and (2) ELL students that are better integrated in the classroom network (i.e., having a larger proportion of friendships with non-ELL classmates) will show greater growth in standardized test scores across the school year. Longitudinal data were collected from 24 &quot;mainstream&quot; middle school classrooms (fourteen 6th grade, five 7th grade classrooms, and five 8th grade classrooms) across two middle schools in the southeastern United States. Data were collected from two cohorts of students at the beginning and end of the school year, during the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 academic years. Data were collected from 304 students (50% female), of which 82 were classified by their school district as &quot;English language learners&quot;. Online demographic and social network surveys were administered to two cohorts of 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students during their Math or English Language Arts class in the Fall (October) of the academic year. In addition, participating students' standardized test scores from the current and previous year were collected from the school district at the end of the school year. Preliminary analyses of the data support the authors' hypotheses about the importance of considering peer network integration in relation to academic outcomes within linguistically diverse classrooms. Additional analyses to be completed in Fall 2015 will explore additional control variables, such as classroom features (e.g., class size) and teacher characteristics (e.g., years of teaching experience). Tables and figures are appended.
What Do College Students Really Want When It Comes to Their Instructors' Use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Their Teaching?
Author: Fichten, Catherine S.
Date: 2015-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Student Surveys,Community Colleges,Two Year College Students,Student Attitudes,Student Experience,Technology Uses in Education,Educational Technology,Computer Mediated Communication,Web Based Instruction,Conventional Instruction,Teaching Methods,Gender Differences

In fall 2014 we surveyed 311 students who had been enrolled at least one semester in two Canadian junior/community colleges. We inquired about their views, experiences, and recommendations about ICTs used in their college by their instructors in face-to-face classes in various programs of study. Results show that students consistently preferred that their instructors use ICTs in their teaching, including lectures as well as individual and group work in class. Students in all programs liked most forms of commonly used ICTs used by faculty in their teaching (e.g., PowerPoint, videos, CMS features). However, they disliked digital textbooks, online courses, collaborative work online, discussion forums, blogs, chat rooms, instant messaging, and all forms of communication using social networking when used by faculty (e.g., Facebook). Students' views about what ICT-related experiences worked especially well and poorly for them are presented, along with their recommendations about what colleges and instructors need to change.
Theory of Planned Behavior: Sensitivity and Specificity in Predicting Graduation and Drop-Out among College and University Students?
Author: Fichten, Catherine S.
Date: 2016-06-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Prediction,Graduation,Dropouts,Behavior Theories,Longitudinal Studies,College Students,Disabilities,Two Year College Students,Questionnaires,Correlation,Multiple Regression Analysis,Foreign Countries

We examined sensitivity and specificity when using the three theory of planned behavior (TPB) scales (Perceived Behavioral Control, Subjective Norms, Attitude) to predict graduation and drop-out in a longitudinal study of 252 college and university students with disabilities and in a separate cross-sectional study of a random sample of 1380 junior/community college students. The results (a) show the utility of the TPB in predicting graduation, (b) underscore that when predicting outcome, graduation and drop-out are not polar opposites, and (c) highlight the need to consider sensitivity and specificity separately. We discuss the implications of using different scale cutoffs depending on the goal of testing as well as uses of the TPB scales in research and practice.
Do Schools Respond to Pressure? Evidence from NCLB Implementation Details
Author: Wong, Vivian C.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Educational Legislation,Federal Legislation,Accountability,Educational Policy,High Stakes Tests,Evaluation Methods,Statistical Analysis,State Standards,State Policy,Influences,Academic Achievement,Responses,Geographic Location,Federal Aid,Federal Programs,Educational Indicators

Over the last decade, accountability reform has been at the forefront of the domestic policy agenda. Although the Obama Administration was critical of some elements of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), its policies endorsed high-stakes testing and expanded the scope of the stakes. With the Race to the Top and an NCLB waiver process, the administration doubled down on using student test results for high stakes purposes, making not only schools but also teachers and principals accountable for student achievement growth. This study addresses methodological challenges for evaluating NCLB by introducing a new quantitative measure for describing states' accountability systems. To create the implementation measure of states' accountability policies from 2003 to 2011, the authors combine a dataset they created of states' accountability policies with information from several federal data sources, including the NAEP and the Common Core of Data (CCD). Their implementation measure is unique in that it depends only on state policies, but not on population characteristics of schools and students within states. The measure allows them to describe quantitatively states' implementation of accountability policies during the NCLB pre-waiver period, to assess how these policies changed over time, and to examine how schools responded to state accountability pressures. The study employs a research design called simulated instrumental variables, which has not been used to study educational reforms but is well suited to uncover links between policy implementation and outcomes. In the preliminary analyses, they used the population of Pennsylvania schools in 2007-2008 to serve as the fixed sample that was &quot;fed&quot; through the AYP calculator. They authors chose Pennsylvania schools because the state department of education provided them with sufficient input information needed for their calculator and included schools with enough variation that reflect changes in state policies across time. Overall it was found that a 1% increase in stringency of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) policy led to a 0.07% increase in schools' failure rates. Tables and figures are appended.
Effects of an Intensive Data-Based Decision Making Intervention on Teacher Efficacy
Author: van der Scheer, Emmelien A.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Data,Decision Making,Intervention,Teacher Effectiveness,Longitudinal Studies,Elementary School Teachers,Grade 4,Questionnaires,Multivariate Analysis,Foreign Countries,Likert Scales

Despite the emphasis on data-based decision making (DBDM) in educational policy in several countries, evidence regarding the intended effect of improved student achievement is still scarce. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of a DBDM intervention on teacher efficacy. This study incorporates an experimental longitudinal research design, as teacher efficacy was measured at three stages: prior to the intervention, immediately after it, and a school year later. The main question answered in this study is: &quot;What is the effect of an intensive DBDM intervention on teachers' efficacy?&quot; This study was conducted with grade 4 teachers from regular primary schools in the Netherlands. Teachers were exposed to a DBDM intervention, which included seven meetings (a total of 36 hours of contact time), and four coaching sessions during which they were coached in the classroom on how to implement DBDM. Teachers completed an online questionnaire prior to (T1), after the first intervention year (T2), and after the second intervention year (T3). This questionnaire included, among others, questions on teacher background characteristics, and a Dutch translation of the long form of the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES). A mean score per teacher, per scale, per measurement moment, was calculated to determine a teacher's efficacy on each of the scales. This study, based on a strong research design, shows that a teacher's sense of efficacy regarding instructional strategies and student engagement can be improved significantly by means of an intensive intervention, and that this effect persists at least a year after the intervention was concluded. Tables and figures are appended.