ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Leveraging Teacher Talent: Peer Observation in Educator Evaluation. Ask the Team
Author: Jacques, Catherine
Date: 2013-05-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Teacher Evaluation,Peer Evaluation,Evaluators,Training,Professional Training,Training Methods,Feedback (Response),Summative Evaluation,Beginning Teachers,Teacher Improvement,Mentors,Classroom Observation Techniques,Teacher Dismissal,Teacher Persistence,Program Implementation,Teacher Selection,Teacher Recruitment

Many teachers are already keen observers and skilled in supporting and collaborating with their colleagues. Leveraging this rich talent among staff can be an efficient way to address capacity challenges and enrich teachers' evaluations with more targeted feedback. Teachers, however, require training to become systematic, reliable observers who can provide growth-oriented, actionable feedback to their peers. In a scan of states and districts, the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders found two distinct models for peer observation as part of educator evaluation: (1) Peer observers contribute to the performance evaluation for all teachers. Peer observers are trained on the evaluation process, observation protocols, and how to provide feedback to colleagues. Evidence from peer observations is used as part of the summative performance evaluation for educators, but an administrator determines the final evaluation ratings; and (2) Consulting teachers are part of an aligned peer assistance and review (PAR) program for novice and/or struggling teachers. Peer observers are trained to serve as consulting or mentor teachers. After conducting classroom observations and mentoring the teacher, the consulting teacher presents midyear and end-of-year recommendations for dismissal, retention, or continuation in the PAR program for an additional year. In this edition of &quot;Ask the Team,&quot; author Catherine Jacques offers considerations and examples as a starting point for thinking about this important topic.
Overview: State Definitions of College and Career Readiness
Author: Mishkind, Anne
Date: 2014-09-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: College Readiness,Career Readiness,Definitions,State Standards,Postsecondary Education,Job Skills,Academic Achievement,Knowledge Level,Critical Thinking,Problem Solving,Socialization,Interpersonal Competence,Resilience (Psychology),Academic Persistence,Citizen Participation

The purpose of this overview is to highlight select common elements of state definitions of &quot;college and career readiness.&quot; Although preparing students for postgraduation opportunities has long been a priority for states, districts, and schools, a burgeoning global economy and ongoing labor market shifts call for renewed attention to the readiness requirements for student success in this changing postsecondary landscape. The current domestic workforce demands employees who can fill middle-and high-skills jobs that require a combination of technical and academic skills (Carnevale, Smith, &amp; Strohl, 2010). However, employers struggle to find such qualified workers (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2013). A definition of college and career readiness can help build an understanding of what these skills are, by highlighting the knowledge, skills, and dispositions of learners who are prepared for postsecondary success. In addition, these definitions can guide educators' efforts to identify which students are on track to succeed in the economy of the 21st century. Recent widespread adoption of the Common Core State Standards or other similar standards in English language arts and mathematics has furthered the conversation about what prepared students look like. The adoption of these standards and the Next Generation Science Standards are designed to set higher expectations for critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaborative skills across a range of academic subjects. As these standards create a set of academic expectations for college and career readiness, definitions of college and career readiness can reinforce these goals and set similar expectations in other areas of student performance. In addition, definitions can play an essential role in guiding states' efforts to achieve their visions for college and career readiness to ensure that students receive the multidimensional preparation necessary for success in the global economy. An appendix entitled, &quot;College and Career Readiness: Actionable State Definitions,&quot; is included.
Predictors of Postsecondary Success
Author: Hein, Vanessa
Date: 2013-11-00
Type: Information Analyses
Subjects: Predictor Variables,Postsecondary Education,Success,College Readiness,Prediction,Early Childhood Education,Elementary Education,Educational Research,Skill Development,Student Behavior,Student Characteristics,Employment Qualifications,Job Skills,Competence,Persistence,Emotional Development,Attention,Child Health,Well Being,Literacy,Interpersonal Competence,Correlation,Middle School Students,Elementary School Students,High School Students,Benchmarking,Cognitive Ability,Scores,Thinking Skills,Attendance Patterns,Grade Point Average,College Credits,Full Time Students,Remedial Programs,Literature Reviews

The purpose of this brief is to provide information to state, district, and school personnel seeking support to determine whether their students are on a path to postsecondary success. The College and Career Readiness and Success Center (CCRS Center) has received technical assistance requests from a number of states regarding factors that predict postsecondary success, and this brief summarizes and expands on the information shared with these states. Specifically, we summarize early childhood through early postsecondary education research that identifies student skills, behaviors, and other characteristics that predict future academic and workplace success. We have attempted to focus on a variety of measures drawn from readily available data that schools, districts, and states are likely to have. Through this information, policymakers and practitioners can begin to inform the development and validation of factors to identify students who are not on a path to postsecondary success as early as prekindergarten and as late as their senior year of high school. These factors can inform practice and can be integrated into a longitudinal tracking mechanism to identify and monitor individual students who may need additional resources or supports at any point during their schooling. In addition, tracking and measuring factors of success across prekindergarten to early postsecondary education offer a prime opportunity to develop and evaluate systemwide improvement efforts. For example, these data may help identify particular grades, schools, or subgroups of students (e.g., English language learners) that need additional support, enabling both school and district personnel to develop and monitor the impact of policies, programs, or interventions designed to improve outcomes for targeted groups or for the system in general.
The College and Career Readiness and Success Organizer
Author: Balestreri, Kathryn
Date: 2014-05-00
Type: Guides - Non-Classroom
Subjects: College Readiness,Career Readiness,Success,Student Educational Objectives,Educational Strategies,State Standards,Outcomes of Education,Teacher Expectations of Students,Mastery Learning,Lifelong Learning,Academic Aspiration,Skill Development,Thinking Skills,Employment Potential,Capacity Building,Feedback (Response),Strategic Planning,Decision Making

The &quot;College and Career Readiness and Success Organizer&quot; is a graphic that displays a consolidated overview of the many elements that impact a learner's ability to succeed in college and careers at both the institutional and individual levels. The &quot;Organizer&quot; is intended to be a comprehensive and visual representation of the complexities of the college and career readiness and success universe and is a composite of essential considerations that are equal in importance and interconnected. Each of the four strands presents a distinctive topic area essential to college and career readiness and success and can be used to facilitate discussions and inform collaboration within and across various stakeholder communities. Additionally, it can contribute to strategic planning, conceptualization, and decision making as well as alignment of strategies and initiatives to ensure that all learners achieve college and career readiness and success. The College and Career Readiness and Success Center recommends using the &quot;Organizer&quot; in its entirety to frame conversations and develop college and career readiness and success priorities to ensure alignment and cohesion.
Understanding Accelerated Learning across Secondary and Postsecondary Education
Author: College & Career Readiness & Success Center at American Institutes for Research
Date: 2013-09-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Postsecondary Education,Secondary Education,Acceleration (Education),Definitions,Credits,Educational Practices,Advanced Placement Programs,Program Descriptions,Educational Strategies,Articulation (Education)

This brief aims to catalog accelerated learning options available within and across secondary and postsecondary education. As we strive to create an education system that is responsive to the needs of all, we must foster pathways that afford students the opportunity to move through secondary and postsecondary education at an individualized pace that meets their academic needs. Accelerated learning serves as a promising tool to provide such opportunities to students. This brief catalogs accelerated learning options that are currently being implemented in schools and highlights efforts made both within and across secondary and postsecondary education.
Tiered Licensure: Connecting Educator Effectiveness Policies. Ask the Team
Author: Paliokas, Kathleen
Date: 2013-12-00
Type: Guides - Non-Classroom
Subjects: Teacher Certification,Teacher Effectiveness,Educational Policy,Program Development,Program Implementation,State Standards,Faculty Mobility

Multitiered licensure structures can provide educators incentives to develop and improve their performance as they work toward advanced status. When working in tandem with compensation, career ladders, and ongoing professional learning policies, licensure can be a lever to promote educator development, advancement, and retention. Licensure requirements also provide districts with an accountability mechanism and help districts determine which teachers and principals should advance within the profession. Ensuring alignment across the multiple policy areas that connect with licensure policies is critical for developing a tiered licensure system that supports a coherent approach to promoting educator effectiveness. Several states are in the beginning stages of creating a tiered teacher-level licensing structure (e.g., standard, professional, master, or lead levels). This &quot;Ask the Team&quot; brief was developed to provide states and regional centers with a quick guide to the current development of tiered licensure across the United States.
21st Century Educators: Developing and Supporting Great Career and Technical Education Teachers. Special Issues Brief. Revised Edition
Author: Jacques, Catherine
Date: 2014-02-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Career Education,Technical Education,Capacity Building,Vocational Education Teachers,College Readiness,Career Readiness,Teacher Certification,Teacher Evaluation,Professional Development,Secondary School Teachers,Teacher Effectiveness,Feedback (Response),Alignment (Education),Educational Policy,Formative Evaluation,Summative Evaluation,Evaluation Methods,Vocational Education

This Special Issues Brief from the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders (GTL Center) offers insight into three human capital management policies that are critical for career and technical education (CTE) teachers: certification, performance evaluation, and professional development. CTE teachers are uniquely positioned to improve college and career readiness for all students, and yet major federal and state education reforms, such as the Common Core State Standards, teacher evaluation, and ESEA flexibility have paid insufficient attention to direct supports for CTE teachers. This brief is a first step in addressing these policy gaps by offering state education leaders an overview of the current policy landscape, its implications for CTE teacher effectiveness, and next steps for creating aligned and coherent human capital management policies. Specifically, this brief helps states do the following: (1) Develop an understanding of the national policy landscape on certification, evaluation, and professional development for teachers in CTE fields; (2) Review and assess current state policies for all teachers in addition to policies specific to CTE teachers so as to help (a) recruit and retain more CTE teachers, (b) improve CTE teacher effectiveness, and (c) properly support CTE teachers in implementing new standards such as the Common Core State Standards and the Common Career Technical Core; and (3) Recognize the importance of creating CTE human capital management policies that promote systems thinking rather than an &quot;initiatives&quot; approach. A systems mindset to improving educator effectiveness ensures greater coherence and comprehensiveness in addressing educators' needs, for both CTE teachers and educators overall. The brief is intended for regional centers, SEA policymakers and staff (including state educator effectiveness leads and state directors of CTE), CTE advocacy groups, CTE professional organizations, and educator quality organizations. These stakeholders can build awareness about the importance of CTE in realizing federal and state policy priorities and work together to ensure that human capital management policies promote CTE teacher effectiveness. A glossary of terms is included. A list of additional resources are appended.
Inclusive Design: Building Educator Evaluation Systems That Support Students with Disabilities. Special Issues Brief. Revised Edition
Author: Holdheide, Lynn
Date: 2013-11-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Disabilities,Teacher Evaluation,Special Education Teachers,Inclusion,Design,Design Requirements,Teacher Effectiveness,Measures (Individuals),Evaluation Methods,Integrated Curriculum,Academic Support Services,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Speech Language Pathology,Educational Assessment,Case Studies

This Special Issues Brief from the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders (GTL Center) offers recommendations for the design and implementation of educator evaluation systems that support the academic and social growth of students with disabilities. Teachers of students with disabilities work closely with specialized instructional support personnel to educate students with a range of needs across a wide variety of educational contexts. Because evaluative feedback on teacher performance is closely linked to student achievement, there is a critical need for states and districts to design evaluation models that can provide feedback specific to the diverse roles and responsibilities of personnel who work with students with disabilities. For states and districts grappling with the evaluation of personnel who support students with disabilities, this brief will help them do the following: (1) Contextualize the challenges of designing educator evaluation systems that recognize the unique roles, responsibilities, and instructional practices of personnel charged with supporting the academic and social growth of students with disabilities; (2) Implement eight key design considerations for educator evaluation systems that support teachers of students with disabilities through (a) measures of teaching practice and (b) measures of student growth. Each design consideration outlines potential action steps related to the state or district's implementation of the consideration; and (3) Connect theory to practice through seven case studies from states that are currently implementing featured design considerations. This brief is intended for district and state education agency policymakers and staff (including educator effectiveness leads), special education advocacy groups or professional organizations, and educator quality organizations. The considerations presented will be especially useful for stakeholder groups in the initial phases of designing an educator evaluation system or stakeholder groups in the process of revising or refining existing educator evaluation systems.
The District Role in Supporting College and Career Readiness for Students: Perspectives from Long Beach, Albuquerque, and Philadelphia
Author: Duffy, Helen
Date: 2013-03-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Career Readiness,College Readiness,School Districts,Urban Schools,Case Studies,Alignment (Education),Educational Practices

Current federal policy and the broader national agenda focus on education as an integral element of a strong and competitive United States economy, and a well-educated workforce is essential to economic growth. To help build this workforce, state education agencies, local education agencies, and schools need to develop comprehensive approaches to implementing college- and career-ready expectations, rigorous instruction, transition plans, and high-quality assessments. This brief focuses on three large, urban districts that have initiated district-wide systemic approaches to prepare students for postsecondary success. Applying this district-wide perspective to college- and career-ready (CCR) initiatives forms a foundation for a more coherent and systematic approach to implementation. The snapshots of these districts provide concrete examples of ways that districts can scale up and broaden the practices recommended in the 2009 IES Practice Guide, &quot;Helping Students Navigate the Path to College&quot; (ED506465)--a guide that describes evidence-based practices that improve postsecondary access for high school students. The IES Practice Guide focuses explicitly on school-level practices to ensure that students graduate ready for college. This brief, however, expands upon those recommendations by examining district-level practices that are designed to prepare students for both college and careers. The three snapshots included here are of district practices during the 2011-12 school year.
Considerations for Collaborations to Support College and Career Readiness: A Facilitator's Guide
Author: Sambolt, Megan
Date: 2013-12-00
Type: Guides - Non-Classroom
Subjects: College Preparation,College Readiness,Transitional Programs,Cooperative Planning,Career Development,Alignment (Education),Goal Orientation,Cooperation,Stakeholders,Leadership,Teamwork,Program Implementation,Program Development,Program Evaluation,Measurement Techniques,Accountability,Educational Resources,High School Students,College Bound Students,Higher Education

Preparing students to succeed in college and careers requires aligned systems that allow for smooth transitions between institutions as well as integrated supports to enable learners to progress toward careers. Student transitions from secondary to postsecondary education and/or careers have long been stumbling blocks because preschool through Grade 12 (P-12) systems of education, institutions of higher education, and workforce stakeholders generally lack alignment in their expectations and supports for the learners with whom they interact. One of the most effective levers for facilitating transitions across institutions is aligning systems through collaboration. It is therefore essential that before embarking on collaborative efforts to address college and career readiness issues, states take time to carefully consider the collaborative purpose, the participating stakeholders, and the practical considerations for implementation and accountability that have the greatest potential to ultimately foster collaborative success. The guiding questions in this guide are designed to help states explore the complex challenges inherent in facilitating cross-systems alignment through ongoing collaboration. Each question borrows from the systems research base derived from within and outside the field of education. The key considerations that accompany each question are designed to help users frame their own efforts within the conditions that the research base links to collaborative success. Appendix A provides a deeper exploration of the research base and highlights state examples of how the key considerations can lead to successful collaborative work. Although collaboration across systems can be challenging, the questions and key considerations provided can help states foster meaningful relationships and connections with the ultimate goal of ensuring that all students are prepared for postsecondary success.
Credit Quandaries: How Career and Technical Education Teachers Can Teach Courses That Include Academic Credit. Ask the Team
Author: Jacques, Catherine
Date: 2014-07-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Vocational Education Teachers,Vocational Education,Teacher Qualifications,Academic Education,Credits,State Standards,Barriers,Team Teaching,Course Descriptions,Course Content,Teacher Competencies,Teacher Collaboration

Many career and technical education (CTE) courses not only provide students with vocational and technical skills and knowledge, but engage them in academic content as well. Designed thoughtfully, these courses can address rigorous academic content standards and be as intellectually demanding as traditional academic courses (Southern Regional Education Board, 2012). Unfortunately, students cannot get credit for their academic accomplishments in their CTE courses if their CTE teachers do not meet the federal highly-qualified teacher (HQT) requirements (U.S. Department of Education, 2004). Because of the unique qualifications, expertise, and career trajectories of CTE teachers, many do not hold the required subject-matter credentials for HQT status, such as a major or minor in the subject area (Jacques &amp; Potemski, 2014). This brief focuses on CTE teachers who do not meet highly qualified requirements. Throughout the brief, this category of teachers is referred to as &quot;CTE teachers.&quot; To meet HQT requirements, teachers of core academic classes must have a bachelor's degree, hold full state certification or licensure, and demonstrate subject-matter competency (U.S. Department of Education, 2004). CTE teachers often hold full state certification or licensure but may lack the required bachelor's degree or proof of academic subject-matter competency because state certification and licensure requirements do not require them. A CTE teacher who meets the HQT requirements is often the best choice for a CTE course that includes academic credit, but other approaches states have taken include: (1) Recoding course assignments; and (2) Coteaching or coplanning, where highly qualified academic teachers and CTE teachers serve as dual teachers of record for the course. These approaches do not necessarily involve ensuring that CTE teachers meet the definition of HQT; rather, they allow students to gain academic credit for CTE courses regardless of the CTE teacher's HQT status. When considering these approaches, states and districts must ensure that the teachers of these courses can provide all students with rigorous, high-quality instruction. Additional Resources are provided.