ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Developing Academic Self-Efficacy: Strategies to Support Gifted Elementary School Students
Author: Merriman, Lauren
Date: 2012-04-00
Type: Dissertations/Theses - Masters Theses
Subjects: Elementary School Students,Academically Gifted,Self Efficacy,Failure,Elementary School Teachers,Fear,Academic Achievement,Student Attitudes,Self Concept,Student Motivation,Personality Traits,Underachievement,Best Practices,Interviews

Self-efficacy is the belief in one's capacity to perform and accomplish goals. Specifically,  academic self-efficacy refers to a student's perception of their ability to engage and  successfully complete academic tasks. Self-efficacy affects students' behavioral choices,  motivation, thought patterns and responses, perception of control, and academic  productivity. Success is the greatest factor affecting a student's self-efficacy and gifted  elementary school students are regularly successful academically in mainstream United  States classrooms. However, in the face of a true intellectual challenge, rather than be  inspired to learn and grow, the literature reports that gifted students' academic self-efficacy can falter because of perfectionism, a character trait common amongst this population. According to the literature, perfectionism can paralyze gifted students with fear of failure and reduce their academic self-efficacy, causing them to underachieve. The purpose of this research is to document the best practices for helping gifted elementary school students develop their self-efficacy. Interviews with educators of gifted students reveal strategies elementary school teachers can implement in their mainstream classrooms to help gifted students expand their learning and develop the self-efficacy necessary to become confident, inquisitive, life-long learners.
States Must Reject National Education Standards while There Is Still Time. Backgrounder, No. 2680
Author: Burke, Lindsey M.
Date: 2012-04-16
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Public Schools,State Standards,Federal Regulation,National Standards,Government Role,Politics of Education,Educational Change,Academic Achievement,Federal Legislation,Evaluation

For four and a half decades, the federal role in education has been growing. Costly in terms of taxpayer dollars spent and local control of education lost, this expanding federal control has failed to improve outcomes for America's children. National standards will further expand Washington's role--and will remove parents from decisions about the content taught in their children's schools. Yet the Obama Administration is intent on nationalizing the content taught in every public school across America. Without congressional approval, the Administration has used a combination of carrots and sticks to spur states to sign on to the Common Core State Standards Initiative. Common Core includes costly and questionable national standards for English and math, and federally funded national assessments have been crafted to align with the standards. State leaders who believe in limited government and liberty should resist the imposition of national standards and tests in their states. (Contains 29 footnotes.)
Obama's 2013 Education Budget and Blueprint: A Costly Expansion of Federal Control. Backgrounder, No. 2677
Author: Burke, Lindsey M.
Date: 2012-04-12
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Federal Regulation,Budgets,Federal Programs,Outcomes of Education,Educational Change,Presidents,Decision Making,Government Role,Public Agencies,Federal Government,Education,Federal Legislation,Higher Education,Elementary Secondary Education,School Districts

President Obama's FY 2013 budget request includes another major spending increase for the Department of Education--2.5 percent more than last year--to nearly $70 billion. American taxpayers are calling for spending restraint in Washington, yet President Obama's proposals would exacerbate the existing bureaucratic maze of federal programs and further remove educational decision-making authority from state and local policymakers. Decades of increased federal spending have done little to benefit American students. Continuing to pour more taxpayer dollars into failed programs is unlikely to improve educational outcomes. Rather, it will lead to more federal involvement in state and local education systems. Reforms that roll back spending and reduce the federal role will help restore educational authority to state and local leaders where it rightly belongs. (Contains 4 charts, 1 table and 30 footnotes.)
A Better Way to Pay: Five Rules for Reforming Teacher Compensation. Backgrounder. No, 2681
Author: Richwine, Jason
Date: 2012-04-23
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Teacher Salaries,Merit Pay,Teaching (Occupation),Teacher Effectiveness,Incentives,Retirement Benefits,Guides,Teacher Selection,Policy Formation,Tenure,Teacher Competencies

Despite ongoing debates over the adequacy of teacher compensation, the design of merit pay systems, and the structure of pension benefits, there is broad agreement that teacher pay should be designed to recruit--and retain--the highest-quality teachers in a cost-effective manner. Policymakers should avoid across-the-board pay increases, and focus instead on performance pay by easing restrictions on entering the teaching profession and basing tenure decisions on performance in the classroom. Value-added models are helpful in identifying the best teachers, but they should be used cautiously in conjunction with other performance-based measures. Retirement benefits should take the form of 401(k)-style plans to avoid the cost overruns and irrational retirement incentives created by traditional pensions. Finally, policymakers should remember that teacher quality is just one of many factors affecting student achievement. (Contains 17 footnotes.)
Measuring School Climate for Gauging Principal Performance: A Review of the Validity and Reliability of Publicly Accessible Measures. A Quality School Leadership Issue Brief
Author: Clifford, Matthew
Date: 2012-04-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Administrator Evaluation,Principals,Measurement,Validity,Reliability,Evaluation Methods,Administrator Effectiveness,School Effectiveness,Surveys,Organizational Climate,Educational Environment,Outcome Measures,Educational Policy,Definitions,Evaluation Research,Psychometrics

This policy brief provides principal evaluation system designers information about the technical soundness and cost (i.e., time requirements) of publicly available school climate surveys. The authors focus on the technical soundness of school climate surveys because they believe that using validated and reliable surveys as an outcomes measure can contribute to an evaluation's fairness, accuracy, and utility for a state or a school district. However, none of the climate surveys that they reviewed were expressly validated for principal evaluation purposes. They advise states and school districts to carefully study principal evaluation systems that are performing well and then select climate surveys that are useful measures of performance. In addition, policymakers tell them that they need technical soundness and cost information to initially screen possible measures for inclusion in principal evaluation systems. Designers can use the information presented in this brief to identify technically sound school climate surveys and then critically review those surveys to determine how well they fit into principal evaluation system designs. This brief begins with an overview of school climate surveys and their potential uses for principal evaluation. Next it outlines the procedure for reviewing school climate surveys, which is followed by brief synopses of each survey that meets the minimum criteria for inclusion in the review. The brief ends with a discussion of the surveys reviewed. (Contains 1 table and 4 footnotes.)
A Parallel Mixed-Methods Exploration of Inclusion Strategies Being Used by Middle School Math and Science Teachers for Included Students with Autism
Author: Moores-Abdool, Whitney
Date: 2012-04-13
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Inclusion,Academic Accommodations (Disabilities),Middle School Teachers,Mathematics Teachers,Science Teachers,English Teachers,Middle School Students,Autism,Pervasive Developmental Disorders,Individualized Education Programs,Mixed Methods Research

General education teachers are seeing an increase of students with disabilities being included. A major contributing factor to this is that students with disabilities are required to be in least restrictive environments and given access to the general curriculum in the major subjects like math and science as mandated by federal legislation (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2004; No Child Left Behind, 2001). This parallel mixed methods design study (Newman, Newman, & Newman, 2011) investigated inclusion strategies with classroom observations, teacher interviews, and archival document reviews. The focus was on nine middle school teachers, six of whom were math and science teachers, in inclusive classrooms and the curriculum modifications/instructional accommodations they were using for their students with autism.
Impacts of Performance Pay under the Teacher Incentive Fund: Study Design Report
Author: Glazerman, Steven
Date: 2011-10-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Merit Pay,Teacher Motivation,Program Effectiveness,Grants,Teacher Salaries,Incentives,Program Evaluation,Data Collection,Evaluation Methods,Teacher Responsibility,Faculty Development,Teacher Recruitment,Teacher Persistence,Academic Achievement,Teacher Characteristics,Mathematics Instruction

The body of research on the design, implementation, and effects of performance-based compensation systems has influenced the design and evaluation of the 2010 Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) grants. In the sections presented here, the authors describe the key components of 2010 TIF grants and the conceptual framework for the evaluation. The remainder of this report describes the plans for the study design in greater detail. In Chapter II, the authors provide context for the 2010 TIF grants and describe the treatment and counterfactual conditions--that is, the conditions that would exist in the absence of the performance pay systems. In Chapter III, they discuss data collection, the sample for the evaluation, and how they will conduct random assignment. Finally, they explain the analysis plans in Chapter IV. (Contains 12 tables, 1 figure and 15 footnotes.) [This report was submitted to the Institute of Education Sciences.]
Using the Freshman On-Track Indicator to Predict Graduation in Two Urban Districts in the Midwest Region. Summary. Issues &amp; Answers. REL 2012-No. 134
Author: Norbury, Heather
Date: 2012-04-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: High School Freshmen,Grade 9,Graduation Rate,Prediction,At Risk Students,Urban Schools,Educational Indicators,Cohort Analysis

Recent estimates suggest that of U.S. public high school freshmen in the fall of 2005 24.5 percent did not graduate on time in 2008/09 (Stillwell, Sable, and Plotts 2011). As states and school districts attempt to boost graduation rates, they face the challenge of identifying which students are at risk of not graduating on time. Early warning indicators based on measurable student outcomes and behaviors could help identify students at risk while there is still time to redirect their trajectory away from dropping out or falling behind. The current study focuses on the freshman on-track indicator developed by the Consortium on Chicago School Research (CCSR). The current study examined three research questions for two urban districts in the Midwest Region: (1) What were the freshman on-track and offtrack rates for recent cohorts, overall and by student background subgroup?; (2) How did four-year in-district graduation rates compare for on-track and off-track freshmen in recent cohorts, overall and by student background subgroup?; and (3) To what extent does the on-track indicator predict four-year graduation rates for recent cohorts in each district, after accounting for baseline student background characteristics? The main results of the study are the following: (1) For both districts, students who were on track at the end of grade 9 graduated on time at a higher rate than did students who were off track. This was the case both overall and for every student background subgroup examined in each district; (2) For both districts, the on-track indicator was a significant predictor of on-time high school graduation, even after controlling for student background characteristics and for student assessment test scores in grade 8. The odds of on-time graduation for students who were on track at the end of their freshman year was estimated to be 6.6 times that of students who had similar characteristics but were off track at the end of their freshman year for District A and 5.5 times for District B; and (3) For both districts, the effect size of being on track compared with being off track (as measured by increases in the odds of graduating) was larger than the effect size for every student background characteristic and for grade 8 assessment test scores. The pattern of results in this study is similar to that of prior studies (Allensworth and Easton 2005; Hartman et al. 2011), with some differences in overall on-track rates, on-track rates for particular student subgroups, and the degree to which the on-track indicator differentiates between graduates and nongraduates. (Contains 3 notes.) [For the full report, &quot;Using the Freshman On-Track Indicator to Predict Graduation in Two Urban Districts in the Midwest Region. Issues &amp; Answers. REL 2012-No. 134,&quot; see ED531421.]
Replicating Experimental Impact Estimates Using a Regression Discontinuity Approach. NCEE 2012-4025
Author: Gleason, Philip M.
Date: 2012-04-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Regression (Statistics),Research Design,Comparative Analysis,Intervention,Computation,Data Analysis,Educational Research,Replication (Evaluation)

This NCEE Technical Methods Paper compares the estimated impacts of an educational intervention using experimental and regression discontinuity (RD) study designs. The analysis used data from two large-scale randomized controlled trials--the Education Technology Evaluation and the Teach for America Study--to provide evidence on the performance of RD estimators in two specific contexts. More generally, the report presents and implements a method for examining the performance of RD estimators that could be used in other contexts. The study found that the RD and experimental designs produced impact estimates that were meaningful in size, though not significantly different from one another. The study also found that manipulation of the assignment variable in RD designs can substantially influence RD impact estimates, particularly if manipulation is related to the outcome and occurs close to the assignment variable's cutoff value. Appended are: (1) RD Low Estimation of the Impact of Ed Tech and TFA; (2) Exploring Heterogeneity in Experimental Impact Estimates; (3) Manipulation of the Assignment Variable; and (4) Simulating Data for the RD Replication Exercise. (Contains 46 tables, 54 figures and 63 footnotes.)
A Descriptive Analysis of Enrollment and Achievement among Limited English Proficient   Students in New Jersey. Summary. Issues &amp; Answers. REL 2012-No. 108
Author: O'Conner, Rosemarie
Date: 2012-04-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Achievement Gap,Public Schools,General Education,Language Arts,Grade 8,Grade 3,Enrollment Trends,Enrollment,Academic Achievement,Mathematics Achievement,Limited English Speaking,Grade 4,Grade 11,Educational Trends,Trend Analysis,Literacy,Comparative Analysis,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Language Proficiency

This study describes enrollment and achievement trends of limited English proficient (LEP) students in New Jersey public schools between 2002/03 and 2008/09. It documents achievement gaps between LEP and general education students in language arts literacy and math. The study's main findings include: (1) From 2002/03 to 2008/09, LEP student enrollment in New Jersey public schools increased 6.6 percent, whereas total student enrollment increased less than 1 percent. During that period, LEP student enrollment increased from 4.5 percent of total student enrollment in 2002/03 to 4.7 percent in 2008/09; (2) LEP students in New Jersey spoke 187 languages in 2008/09, up from 151 in 2002/03. In 2008/09, Spanish (spoken by 66.8 percent of LEP students in the state) had the most speakers, followed by Arabic (2.6 percent), Korean (2.5 percent), and Portuguese (2.0 percent); (3) From 2002/03 to 2008/09, LEP students' performance in language arts literacy increased in all grades studied (grades 3, 4, 8, and 11). The increase was higher for grades 3 (10.9 percentage points) and 4 (21.1 percentage points) than for grades 8 (4.4 percentage points) and 11 (6.2 percentage points); (4) From 2002/03 to 2008/09, LEP students' performance in math increased in all grades studied (grades 3, 4, 8, and 11). The increase was higher for grades 3 (10.5 percentage points) and 4 (22.7 percentage points) than for grades 8 (6.9 percentage points) and 11 (3.9 percentage points); (5) General education students' performance in both language arts literacy and math was higher than LEP students' performance every year from 2002/03 to 2008/09; (6) From 2002/03 to 2008/09, the achievement gap between LEP students and general education students in grades 3 and 4 narrowed in both language arts literacy and math. The achievement gap in grades 8 and 11 narrowed in language arts literacy but widened in math; and (7) In all grades and years studied, FLEP students' performance in language arts literacy and math was higher than that of LEP students but lower than that of general education students. (Contains 2 notes.) [For the full report, &quot;A Descriptive Analysis of Enrollment and Achievement among English Language Learner Students in New Jersey. Issues &amp; Answers. REL 2012-No. 108,&quot; see ED531432.]
Examining the Technical Adequacy of Reading Comprehension Measures in a Progress Monitoring Assessment System. Technical Report # 41
Author: Alonzo, Julie
Date: 2007-00-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Reading Comprehension,Emergent Literacy,Test Construction,Literacy Education,Elementary School Students,Guidelines,Test Items,Reading Tests,Test Validity,Reading Skills,Psychometrics,Difficulty Level,Goodness of Fit,Error of Measurement,Phonemes,Multiple Choice Tests

In this technical report, the authors describe the development and piloting of reading comprehension measures as part of a comprehensive progress monitoring literacy assessment system developed in 2006 for use with students in Kindergarten through fifth grade. They begin with a brief overview of the two conceptual frameworks underlying the assessment system: progress monitoring and developmental theories of reading. They then provide context for how the comprehension measures fit into the full assessment system. Additional technical reports provide similar information about measures of early literacy and fluency. Appended are: (1) Item Specifications for MC Comprehension; (2) Suggested Guidelines for ordering items for test pull and test form development; (3) Item Ordering Tables for Third Grade Passage 1 and 2; (4) Item Ordering Tables for Third Grade Passage 1 and 2; (5) Teacher Directions for Administering the MC Comprehension Measures; and (6) Example of a Formatted Third-Grade Comprehension Test. (Contains 83 tables.)
Effect of Focused Vocabulary Instruction on 7th Graders' Reading Comprehension
Author: Horn, Mary
Date: 2012-04-25
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Experimental Groups,Reading Comprehension,Middle School Students,Pretests Posttests,Instructional Effectiveness,Large Group Instruction,Reading Instruction,Grade 7,Vocabulary Development,Teaching Methods,Direct Instruction

This study reports an investigation on the effects of directed vocabulary and whole class instruction on improving students' vocabulary acquisition and reading comprehension. Fifty-eight seventh grade students participated in the study, and a pre-test/post-test experimental design was employed. The results did not indicate any statistically significant differences between the control and experimental group in reading comprehension or vocabulary acquisition. However, considerable differences were found in favor of the experimental group in reading comprehension. (Contains 4 tables.)
Humanistic Pedagogies and EFL Experiments
Author: Lin, Grace Hui Chin
Date: 2012-04-25
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Humanism,Ethics,Experiments,Educational Research,Statistical Analysis,Qualitative Research,Comparative Analysis,Grade 11,Grade 8,Foreign Countries

This paper argues that all research should be based on humanistic pedagogies with educational functions. While conducting research associated with issues of teaching English as a foreign language (EFL), researchers should pay attention to whether the samples have also been well educated. This study emphasizes that when focusing on significances of doing research and collecting data, educators and researchers in an experiment project should not ignore the study's functions of real education and language learning. Based on ethic and humanistic views, teachers or researchers of a research project should maintain their educational responsibilities, instead of just collecting data for journal publishing. Researchers should focus on helping students learn appropriately in a realistic environment, not merely on  reporting the experiment results. This study has compared 2 EFL experiments conducted in France's and Israel's language learning programs. The Israeli study, with both functions of doing research and educating students, has been described to be a more humanistic study. The student samples of the study learned something and the method of data collection was  appropriate. In contrast, the study conducted in France showed a possible bias model of EFL experimentation, disregarding significant functions of education. This study argues that while conducting research plans, researchers should ask themselves a critical question: Have we educated our children, or, have we just paid attention to doing research, collecting data and publishing papers? (Contains 1 table.)
District Reading Assessments, Spring 2004 Administration. Technical Report # 30
Author: Alonzo, Julie
Date: 2004-00-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Reading Tests,Educational Assessment,School Districts,Item Response Theory,Statistical Analysis,Elementary Secondary Education,Naming,Alphabets,Phonetics,Phonemes,Reading Skills,Oral Reading,Reading Comprehension,Vocabulary,Listening Comprehension,Kindergarten,Grade 1,Grade 2,Grade 3,Grade 4,Grade 5,Grade 6,Grade 7,Grade 8,Grade 9

This technical report presents an overview of a reading assessment used by a large school district in the Pacific Northwest. It provides sufficient background information to enable those unfamiliar with the assessment to understand the various subtests that comprise it as well as its development and application in the district for making screening, grouping, and evaluation decisions. Compiled performance data from the spring 2004 assessment cycle is presented for all students in the school district in kindergarten through eighth grade for all subtests and for the sample of ninth grade students who were involved in the piloting of the grade nine measures. The technical adequacy of the assessment is explored using both descriptive statistics and item response theory. Suggestions for improvements to the various subtests are discussed. (Contains 45 tables and 1 figure.)