ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Comparing a Program Implemented under the Constraints of an RCT and in the Wild
Author: Newman, Denis
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Program Implementation,Comparative Analysis,Randomized Controlled Trials,Institutional Characteristics,Teacher Characteristics,Achievement Gains,Literacy,High Schools,Intervention,School Effectiveness,School Statistics,Experimental Groups,Control Groups,Program Effectiveness

This paper examines the &quot;ecological validity&quot; of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted in 42 high schools to measure the impact of a content literacy program. This study of comparable schools implementing the same program in different contexts highlights characteristics that are often not attended to in rigorous effectiveness research but are pertinent to understanding the effectiveness and scalability of the program. In the current study, a direct comparison of school achievement was not possible since the outcome measure used in the RCT was researcher-administered. However, the authors are able to look at teacher characteristics associated with higher student achievement in the RCT and they can look at teacher (and principal) characteristics associated with school-level gains in program participation in Scale-up. The authors found that RCT schools had lower levels of program-related characteristics associated with scale-up. Scale-up schools had similar levels of program-related teacher characteristics associated with greater achievement. Schools that were successful in growing participating internally were not more likely to have the characteristics associated with achievement gains. This suggests that program effectiveness in a controlled study may not be indicative of the program's prospects of wider adoption and, in fact, such studies may not create the best conditions for future program sustainability. Tables and figures are appended. [SREE documents are structured abstracts of SREE conference symposium, panel, and paper or poster submissions.]
Getting Teachers Excited about Student Feedback: It's All in the Ask
Author: Robinson, Carly
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Feedback (Response),Student Attitudes,Teacher Attitudes,Psychological Patterns,Attitude Change,Student Evaluation of Teacher Performance,Teacher Evaluation,Elementary Secondary Education,Teacher Surveys,Intervention,Randomized Controlled Trials,Hypothesis Testing,Student Surveys

Until recently, asking K-12 students--who spend hundreds of hours with their teachers annually--to weigh in on their teachers' performance was considered taboo. Many have questioned students' capacities to provide reliable, fair feedback on teaching quality. Media outlets report that teacher unions staunchly oppose integrating student feedback in teacher evaluations (Cromidas, 2012; Decker, 2012). If teachers consider student perception surveys to be unfair, not useful, and biased, they are unlikely to incorporate the feedback into their practice. However, if they can be nudged towards keeping an open-mind to student input, this type of feedback holds great promise given that it can be collected cheaply, quickly, and regularly. One way to shift teachers' beliefs about student feedback is to invoke cognitive dissonance about the topic. Cognitive dissonance theory states that people strive for internal consistency and feel discomfort when holding contradictory, or dissonant, beliefs at the same time. Thus, in an effort to reduce or eliminate the dissonance, an individual may change one or more of the beliefs involved in the dissonance (Festinger, 1962). Moreover, research has shown that the motivating influence of cognitive dissonance can promote changes in attitude and behavior (Dickerson, Thibodeau, Aronson, &amp; Miller, 2003). If inducing cognitive dissonance can bolster the extent to which teachers' remain open to student perception surveys, major implications follow for how schools introduce and contextualize the practice of using student feedback for teacher evaluations. Through a modest intervention that leverages the power of cognitive dissonance, the authors found that teachers' attitudes towards student perception surveys are malleable. Specifically, how one asks teachers about this issue may nudge their opinions in a positive direction. Thus, it appears that the context for approaching evaluation matters. If everyone in a school is receiving feedback from one another, evaluation may become a cultural norm and teachers are likely to be more open to student perception surveys. This has big implications for how principals and districts may want to introduce the practice of student perception surveys. Tables and figures are appended. [SREE documents are structured abstracts of SREE conference symposium, panel, and paper or poster submissions.]
Graphical Models for Quasi-Experimental Designs
Author: Kim, Yongnam
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Graphs,Quasiexperimental Design,Randomized Controlled Trials,Regression (Statistics),Probability,Cutting Scores,Causal Models

Experimental and quasi-experimental designs play a central role in estimating cause-effect relationships in education, psychology, and many other fields of the social and behavioral sciences. This paper presents and discusses the causal graphs of experimental and quasi-experimental designs. For quasi-experimental designs the authors demonstrate that a causal treatment effect can be identified if they can isolate a subpopulation whose graph resembles the graph of an randomized controlled trial (RCT). For regression discontinuity (RD) designs, the corresponding subpopulation is given by the population in the very close neighborhood around the cutoff score; for the instrumental variable (IV) design, it is the subpopulation of compliers; for matching designs, it is the matched population and for propensity stratification (PS); for weighting designs it is the stratified or weighted population. The causal graphs also show that the identification of causal effects rests on stronger assumptions as the researchers' control over the study diminishes. More control usually implies the simpler data-generating mechanism and, thus, relative ease of identification. Figures are provided in the appendix. [SREE documents are structured abstracts of SREE conference symposium, panel, and paper or poster submissions.]
Are Early Childhood Disparities Narrowing? The Changing Nature of Early Childhood and Its Link to Narrowing School-Entry Achievement Gaps
Author: Bassok, Daphna
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Early Childhood Education,Kindergarten,Socioeconomic Status,Achievement Gap,Preschool Children,Early Experience,Parent Participation,Parent Child Relationship,Family Environment,Access to Computers,Parenting Styles,Literacy,Mathematics,Learning Experience,School Readiness,Children,Longitudinal Studies,Surveys,Regression (Statistics)

To date, no studies have documented how much early childhood experiences have changed over time. In the current study, researchers use two large, nationally representative datasets of kindergarten entrants to document the following: (1) How have children's early childhood experiences changed between 1998 and 2010?; (2) To what extent have socioeconomic &quot;gaps&quot; in children's early experiences changed over time?; and (3) Did differential changes in early childhood experiences across sub-groups lead to a narrowing of achievement gaps? This study investigates changes along a diverse set of measures to try to capture wide-ranging measures of early life experiences. These include exposure to preschool, active parental engagement (e.g. joint child-parent activities and outings), home resources (e.g. books in the home, access to a computer), and parenting approaches (e.g. use of disciplinary practices) among others. After carefully documenting the trends over time, the authors explore the extent to which these changes are associated with narrowing achievement gaps in literacy and math. Tables are appended. [SREE documents are structured abstracts of SREE conference symposium, panel, and paper or poster submissions.]
Teacher Evaluation in Practice: Exploring Relationships between School Characteristics &amp; Evaluation Scores
Author: Sporte, Susan E.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Institutional Characteristics,Teacher Evaluation,Teacher Effectiveness,Academic Achievement,Educational Legislation,Federal Legislation,Federal Aid,Federal Programs,Public Schools,Scores,Hierarchical Linear Modeling,Teaching Methods

Decades of research evidence have consistently suggested teachers are the most important in-school factor related to student learning and achievement. Being taught by an effective teacher has important consequences for students' academic outcomes as well as longer-term impacts on postsecondary success and lifetime earnings. Yet how to measure effective teaching, how to develop effective teachers, and how to ensure that all students have access to highly effective teaching continue to be some of the most persistent challenges facing local, state, and federal education policymakers. New teacher evaluation systems are providing a proliferation of new data on teachers that is intended to be used for both accountability and to support teachers in adjusting and improving their instructional practice. In Chicago, over the course of only a few years, district leaders and teachers have moved from an annual checklist conveying essentially no data on teacher performance to multiple classroom observations and measures of student growth that generate detailed reports with multiple pages of ratings. This paper shares findings from the following research questions about Chicago's new teacher evaluation system: (1) What is the distribution of observation and value-added ratings across schools?; (2) To what extent are evaluation scores related to school characteristics such as school poverty level, racial composition, measures of culture, and climate? Are these relationships different for value-added and observation scores?; and (3) Are evaluation scores related to teacher characteristics such as experience or certification? In addition to these questions, the authors share insights into their research-practice partnerships with both the district and the Chicago Teachers Union. Tables and figures are appended. [SREE documents are structured abstracts of SREE conference symposium, panel, and paper or poster submissions.]
Trends in Income-Related Gaps in Enrollment in Early Childhood Education: 1968 to 2013
Author: Magnuson, Katherine
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Achievement Gap,Socioeconomic Influences,Family Income,Early Childhood Education,School Readiness,Academic Achievement,Program Effectiveness,Correlation,Trend Analysis,Enrollment Trends,Preschool Education,National Surveys,Statistical Analysis

The academic achievement gap between children from the lowest- and highest-income families appears to have risen in recent decades in the United States. Such income-related disparities in academic skills are already present when children enter elementary school, suggesting that the explanation for changing gaps can be traced to changing experiences in children's earliest years. In this paper, the authors explore to what extent changes in enrollment in center-based early childhood education have contributed to this trend. Motivating the analysis are two stylized facts: (1) early childhood education, particularly when it is high-quality, is associated with higher levels of school readiness and subsequent achievement; and (2) historically, children from low-income families have been less likely to be enrolled in such programs than their more affluent peers. Using data on family income and school enrollment from the annual October Current Population Survey (CPS), the authors document the trends in enrollment in center-based early childhood education, which are referred to as preschool, for 3- and 4-year-old children from 1968 to the present, to examine to what extent gaps in enrollment between low-, middle-, and high-income children have widened, narrowed, or remained the same. The paper also reviews published data to examine the extent to which enrollment in early childhood education has become more or less consequential for later school achievement over this time period. Figures are appended. [SREE documents are structured abstracts of SREE conference symposium, panel, and paper or poster submissions.]
Making Social Sector Apprenticeships Part of the College Experience
Author: Bridgespan Group
Date: 2015-08-25
Type: Opinion Papers
Subjects: Apprenticeships,Educational Experience,Social Services,Extended School Day,Institutional Mission,College Students,Partnerships in Education,School Business Relationship,Low Income Students,Middle School Students

Eric Schwarz cofounded Citizen Schools in 1995 to offer Boston students living in low-income communities the opportunity to participate in apprenticeships in a variety of careers. Twenty years later, Citizen Schools has served more than 50,000 mostly middle-school students in seven states coast-to-coast, engaging some 40,000 volunteer &quot;Citizen Teachers&quot; in the process. Schwarz, who retired recently as CEO of Citizen Schools, sat down with Bridgespan Partner Katie Smith Milway to reflect on his Citizen Schools experience and talk about his new venture, College for Social Innovation, which he describes as &quot;something kind of like Citizen Schools but at the college level.&quot; This brief report presents highlights from their conversation.
Building the Missing Link between the Common Core and Improved Learning
Author: Rodde, Amy Coe
Date: 2013-09-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Common Core State Standards,Alignment (Education),Educational Improvement,Case Studies,Educational Change,Educational Practices,Instructional Improvement,Technical Assistance,Program Implementation,Change Strategies,Partnerships in Education,Elementary Secondary Education

The Common Core State Standards, adopted by 45 states and the District of Columbia, raise the bar for what students need to learn at each stage of their K-12 education. The goal is to better prepare students for college and careers. The most important thing that education leaders can do to help the Common Core succeed is to support teachers in improving their practice. While not all field leaders are grasping the opportunity presented by the Common Core to transform teaching and learning, three exemplars--Kentucky, Hillsborough County Public Schools in Florida, and Center for Inspired Teaching--are using the new standards to change the daily work of teachers and students. The type of systems change the Common Core requires is no easy task, but it is a critical one. The three case studies shared in this paper illustrate how leaders within the system can take steps to empower their best resource--teachers--to seize the opportunity of the Common Core to greatly improve teaching and learning nationwide.
Rethinking High School Turnarounds
Author: Doyle, Betsy
Date: 2013-01-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: School Turnaround,High Schools,Educational Change,Educational Practices,College Preparation,Electronic Publishing,Career Readiness,Low Achievement,Educational Legislation,Elementary Schools,Charter Schools,Low Income,Disadvantaged Schools,Teacher Effectiveness,Teacher Persistence,Program Descriptions

In June 2012, Green Dot Public Schools and The Bridgespan Group convened a small group of education leaders focused on high school turnaround and transformation. This report explores some of what was learned about problems of practice and potential solutions--all toward the ultimate goal of college and career readiness for every student. The content of this article previously appeared as a series of blog entries on Mass Insight Education's blog, &quot;In the Zone.&quot; The promising practices presented in this report suggest that delivering a brighter future for students at chronically low-performing high schools is possible. But it means rethinking the approach to high school turnaround in several ways.
Local Philanthropists Work Together to Transform Public Education
Author: Belton, Andrew
Date: 2014-09-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Private Financial Support,Philanthropic Foundations,Partnerships in Education,Educational Change,Public Education,Charter Schools,Outcomes of Education,Educational Innovation,Educational Improvement,High School Graduates,College Readiness,Career Readiness,Educational Strategies,Educational Objectives,School Community Relationship,School Districts

Philanthropists across the country have long supported local schools and even funded new ones--primarily charters. These investments make a difference, sometimes a big one. At best, however, these are small-scale successes compared to the challenge of improving educational outcomes and life prospects for students across a whole district. The authors believe that local philanthropic dollars could do much more to meet this challenge. Although the investment may be relatively small as a percentage of the total district budget, local philanthropic dollars stand apart because they can catalyze real change, providing funds for innovation and improvement. In addition, local funders often bring with them an understanding of the local context and a willingness to stay the course rather than move on to the next big thing. However, to realize this potential, funders need to approach their giving in new ways. In major transformation efforts under way in Charlotte, Jacksonville, and Memphis--all of which Bridgespan teams have worked with--local donors are: (1) working hand-in-hand with the school district to develop and pursue bold strategies to ensure that every student graduates ready for college and career; (2) investing together over multiple years in these shared strategies; (3) and engaging the community to shape and sustain the work. While none of these three cities is close to its ultimate goal, each is on the path. These transformation efforts are briefly described in this report. In the face of one of America's most daunting challenges--making sure public school students, whatever their income level and background, are ready for college and career--the structure, scale, and energy of these donor partnerships demonstrate what it takes to transform local school systems.
Achieving Kindergarten Readiness for All Our Children: A Funder's Guide to Early Childhood Development from Birth to Five
Author: Pritzker, J. B.
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Kindergarten,School Readiness,Early Childhood Education,Child Development,Early Intervention,Evidence Based Practice,Educational Finance,Private Financial Support,Philanthropic Foundations,Best Practices,Children,Longitudinal Studies,Surveys,Classification

When every child has the opportunity to meet his or her full potential, families, communities, and the nation's economic future strengthens. Remarkably, one in four American children come from low-income families and enter kindergarten not ready to learn and, as a result, fall behind from the very start. The nation pays a heavy price through larger taxpayer burdens in remedial and special education, more costly health interventions, and increased criminal justice expenditures. Research shows that for a fraction of those costs, preventive investments in high-quality early childhood programs can avoid the high price of remediation and bring enormous benefits to the economy. Further, early intervention strengthens families and accelerates a child's ability to learn, thus increasing the effectiveness of K-12 education. America vastly underinvests in early childhood programs that work, especially in the critical period from pregnancy to age three. This guide offers numerous specific, evidence-based public investment opportunities private donors and government can pursue immediately to make an impact. Philanthropy, business, and government must work together to expand early childhood opportunities so that all children arrive at school ready to learn and with an equal chance to achieve success throughout their lives. The following are appended: (1) List of Interviewees; (2) Sources; and (3) ECLS-B Technical Appendix.
Updated Design Standards and Guidance from the What Works Clearinghouse: Regression Discontinuity Designs and Cluster Designs
Author: Cole, Russell
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Educational Research,Research Design,Regression (Statistics),Multivariate Analysis,Scores,Research Methodology,Standards,Randomized Controlled Trials,Statistical Analysis,Measurement,Guidelines

The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) maintains design standards to identify rigorous, internally valid education research. As education researchers advance new methodologies, the WWC must revise its standards to include an assessment of the new designs. Recently, the WWC has revised standards for two emerging study designs: regression discontinuity designs (RDDs), and cluster designs where the clusters (e.g. schools) are of assignment, and data are collected from lower-level unites (e.g. students). Regression discontinuity designs (RDDs) are considered to be one of the strongest nonexperimental designs available (Shadish, Cook, &amp; Campbell, 2002) for the purpose of identifying the effects of an intervention. These designs are applicable when a continuous &quot;scoring&quot; rule is used to assign the intervention to study units (for example, school districts, schools, or students). Units with scores below a pre-set cutoff value are assigned to the treatment group and units with scores above the cutoff value are assigned to the comparison group, or vice versa. In cluster designs, researchers may be interested in two different types of impacts: An intent-to-treat (ITT) effect and a place-based (PB) effect (Schochet 2013; Vuchinich et al. 2012). The ITT parameter pertains to students in the study clusters at the time the clusters were randomly assigned to research conditions. This population includes &quot;stayers&quot; who remained in the study clusters during the follow-up period and &quot;leavers&quot; who did not remain in the study clusters. The ITT parameter is the average difference in outcomes between stayers and leavers across research conditions. The WWC is revisiting the current guidance in the version 3.0 design standards for the review of cluster designs to address a number of limitations. In particular the revisions are intended to improve the review of cluster RCTs, which have been perceived as being too strict. The revised RDD standards expand and refine the pilot standards for RDD studies (June, 2010). The standards have been expanded to cover &quot;fuzzy&quot; RDDs (studies in which some treatment group members do not receive intervention services or some comparison group members receive services) and to cover RDDs that combine (through aggregation or pooling) multiple impacts (for example, from multiple sites or multiple assignment variables). The RDD standards have also been refined to reflect the evolution of the methodological literature (for example, the standards now favor studies that estimate impacts within a justified bandwidth around the cutoff value on the assignment variable). [SREE documents are structured abstracts of SREE conference symposium, panel, and paper or poster submissions.]