ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Questions That Matter: Connecting Research, Policy, and Practice to Improve College Access and Success. Proceedings of the Pathways to College Network, Institute for Higher Education Policy, and Social Science Research Council Invitational Conference (Washington, DC, June 15, 2006)
Author: Education Resources Institute, Pathways to College Network
Date: 2006-06-15
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Higher Education,College Preparation,Paying for College,Conferences (Gatherings),Access to Education,Alignment (Education),Articulation (Education),Success,Educational Improvement,Improvement Programs,Educational Policy,Educational Practices,Educational Research,Research Needs,Agenda Setting,Focus Groups

On June 15, 2006, the Pathways to College Network, the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP), and the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) convened more than 135 education leaders, policymakers, policy-shapers, researchers, practitioners, and others from 27 states and the District of Columbia to discuss issues of critical importance to improving postsecondary access and success. The conference was organized around four issue areas identified in a recent report titled, &quot;Questions That Matter: Setting the Research Agenda on Access and Success in Postsecondary Education.&quot; Through plenary and concurrent sessions facilitated by leaders from research, policy, and practice, participants engaged in a series of discussions focused on identifying questions and priorities for future research related to these topics. Using the &quot;Questions That Matter&quot; report as a springboard, meeting planners structured the conference plenary and breakout sessions around the four key areas addressed in the report: college preparation, college access, paying for college, and college success. Although these issues were separated for the purpose of organizing discussion, their overlapping dynamics were continuously confirmed throughout the conference deliberations. The breakout sessions were each led by a facilitator and featured panelists representing the perspectives of research, policy, and practice. Session facilitators, assisted by expert recorders, were also charged to help incorporate breakout session discussions into this published report, which is being disseminated widely as an agenda for future research. Appended are: (1) Facilitators and Panelists; (2) Conference Planning Committee; and (3) Crucial Areas of Inquiry from &quot;Questions That Matter&quot; Report. (Contains 3 endnotes.)
Managing Contracts For Educational Equity: Emerging Trends and Issues
Author: Burch, Patricia
Date: 2010-06-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Equal Education,Access to Education,Privatization,Public Education,School Districts,Elementary Secondary Education,Private Sector,Public Policy,Federal Legislation,Educational Legislation,School Business Relationship,Role,Parents,Access to Information,Power Structure

The past decade has witnessed an unprecedented expansion of the influence of the private sector in all aspects of public education. Across the United States, test publishers, software companies, virtual charter school operators, and other industries are rapidly moving to take advantage of the significant revenues made available by public policies. As these companies garner billions of dollars in public revenues, they assume a central place in the day-to-day governance and administration of public schools; however, while drawing on public money and the authority of public policy, the work of the new privatization has been kept relatively hidden from view. Drawing on the research the author has conducted in school districts around the country that contract with private firms for functions typically performed by the district, this paper examines how developments in K-12 education contracting change the district's role in education. It pays particular attention to emerging policy issues and the policy tensions they raise. There are four central arguments presented in this paper. First, there have been important developments in school district contracting in the United States that deserve close attention from those district policymakers who work to expand educational access and participation in high poverty communities. Second, some of the Federal mandates driving the rise in contracting are designed to benefit the market rather than the interests of the public sector, and at the same time there are few safeguards to ensure equity. Third, private firms are taking on more roles within school districts, and large firms are a dominant force within this dynamic. Fourth, surveys show that power asymmetries exist between service recipients (parents) and providers because many parents have limited access to information regarding privatized services even though they are the intended beneficiaries. The author discusses these arguments in the second section on emerging policy issues. She concludes by identifying three action areas for districts interested in using contracting in order to expand access and participation in high quality programming. (Contains 3 endnotes and 1 footnote.)
Financial Aid--A Shared Agenda to Achieve Access and Success for Under-Served Students
Author: Education Resources Institute, Pathways to College Network
Date: 2003-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Student Financial Aid,Paying for College,Change Strategies,Educational Indicators,Administrative Principles,Federal Aid,Access to Education,Success,Information Sources,Grantsmanship,Disadvantaged

A key objective of the Pathways to College Network is to disseminate effective, research-based practices and policies that address access and managing college costs. As part of its effort to inform parents, families, students, and policymakers, it has compiled here a few of the key principles and strategies that underlay a well-focused financial aid approach. The chart in this paper reflects these principles and strategies along with indicators of federal, state, and institutional responsibility. Key findings include: (1) The fundamental purpose of student financial aid at all levels is to assist financially needy students and assure that they have access to and choice among higher education institutions without regard to ability to pay; (2) Financial aid is an integral component of an overall P-16 strategy to facilitate college access and success; (3) A well-grounded state financial assistance program is student-oriented, integrated with state tuition and financing policies as well as with federal and private aid programs, accountable and appropriate for the goals it serves, transparent and predictable, and reinforces students' readiness for college; (4) Federal, state, institutional, and private partners must invest more equitably and efficiently in college success skills for students from all backgrounds; (5) Expanding access to and opportunity for a successful postsecondary experience for all students who are prepared and desire to attend is essential to the nation's social progress and economic prosperity; and (6) Accountability for outcomes of investments in pre-college and college support programs, as well as financial aid, should focus on measuring the degree to which student access, persistence, and success are increased. (Contains 10 sources.)
Examination of Peer Review and Title I Monitoring Feedback Regarding the Inclusion and Accommodation of English Language Learners in State Content Assessments
Author: Willner, Lynn Shafer
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Testing Accommodations,Inclusion,English Language Learners,Peer Evaluation,Feedback (Response),State Departments of Education,State Standards,Educational Assessment

The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which English language learners (ELLs) are being offered meaningful opportunities to participate in state content assessments. Unfortunately the current collection and analysis of data about the inclusion of ELLs in accommodated and unaccommodated state assessments are, at best, variable and incomplete. As there is no requirement to do so, state education agencies (SEAs) do not usually track the extent to which ELLs are or are not assessed with accommodations. Two types of review, standards and assessment peer review and the Title I monitoring review, conducted by the Department of Education (ED), are intended to support SEAs in meeting the requirement to validly assess all students including ELLs and students with disabilities as required by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), the current reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965. The purpose of peer review is to provide individualized feedback to each SEA on the adequacy of its standards and assessment system in reading/language arts, mathematics, and science. In contrast, the function of the Title I monitoring review is to examine the adequacy of implementation of Title I requirements by an SEA. In the area of assessment, peer reviews focus primarily on assessment design and valid use, while Title I monitoring reviews include a component that centers on the implementation of assessments. Thus, the amount and types of feedback differ for the two data sources, reflecting the differing purposes of the two types of review. The study was conducted to examine the extent to which standards and assessment peer review decision letters and Title I monitoring reports provide feedback to SEAs about their policies and practices for including and accommodating ELLs in state assessments. (Contains 4 tables.)
State and Community-Based Promise Programs: Early Commitments of Financial Assistance for College
Author: Blanco, Cheryl D.
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Grade Point Average,Student Financial Aid,Paying for College,Low Income Groups,Incentive Grants,Performance Contracts,Developmental Studies Programs,Program Descriptions,Access to Education,State Programs,Scholarship,Educational Policy,Financial Policy,Finance Reform,Outreach Programs,Improvement Programs,Comparative Analysis,Correlation,Financial Support

It is a difficult time for policymakers, business leaders, and education leaders to think about ways to increase the numbers of students graduating from high school prepared for college and the work force when their focus is on reducing budgets. But now is the best time to plan for the future. Now is the time to explore programs that may bear fruit in five or six years and stem the flow of students out the side door of high school and into the welfare system and low-paying jobs. An earlier policy brief on individual development accounts (IDAs) (see "Individual Development Accounts for Higher Education") published by the Pathways to College Network addressed alternatives that may put more students, especially those from low-income and first-generation families, on the path to college, in part by providing them with assurance they will have funds to pay for college. This brief focuses on other approaches to giving students such assurances: special financial aid initiatives that are often referred to as early commitment of financial aid or promise programs. The term "early commitment of financial aid" is used here as an umbrella descriptor for a wide variety of programs that target low-income students while they are in middle or high school. In many instances, these initiatives make a promise of financial assistance for college in return for a commitment from the student and his/her family that the student will do certain things, such as maintain a minimum grade point average and be a good public citizen. This paper describes the different approaches to early commitment programs, provides examples of existing programs, and suggests questions or topics that policymakers and other leaders might find helpful in understanding whether such programs are the best options for their constituents. (Contains 11 endnotes.)
The Public School Enrollment and Segregation of the Mid-Atlantic States
Author: Frankenberg, Erica
Date: 2010-10-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Enrollment,Public Schools,School Districts,Racial Segregation,School Segregation,Racial Composition,Poverty,Minority Group Students,Change,School Statistics,Population Trends,Trend Analysis,Enrollment Trends

The nation and its public school enrollment are in the midst of dramatic racial change (Frey, 2001; Orfield, 2009). Soon, the nation's public schools will enroll a majority of non-White students, a demographic reality that has already occurred in the two largest regions of the country, the South and the West. As the nation's enrollment grows more diverse and complex--Latino students, for example, outnumber Black students nationally--segregation is also on the rise. Nearly 40% of the nation's Black and Latino students are in racially isolated schools, where there are few White students (Orfield, 2009). For Black students in particular, this level of segregation is higher than it has been in four decades, prior to the implementation of more wide-ranging desegregation efforts. Given these demographic trends, and the implications of them for students and society, this paper explores the composition and segregation of schools in the mid-Atlantic region. The data analyzed in this paper is from an annual dataset collected by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics. In particular, data for the District of Columbia and the five states in the mid-Atlantic region are drawn from the 1990-91, 2000-01, and 2007-08 Common Core of Data, Public School Universe. These data provide student enrollment counts for each school, as well as counts by race-ethnicity and eligibility for free or reduced price lunch (FRL). By merging data for each school, we are able to analyze enrollment and segregation changes from 1990 to 2007. In the body of the paper, school-level data is aggregated to the state level to describe enrollment, enrollment change, and segregation. In six appendices (one per state, Appendices B-G), these same measures are reported for each district/local education agency (LEA) within each state. The paper first describes the racial and economic characteristics of students in schools and districts in the mid-Atlantic region. It also examines racial and enrollment change in the region over time. It next analyzes the extent of student segregation using several common segregation measures, first examining racial segregation and then economic segregation. The overlap of racial and economic segregation is also explored. Appended are: (1) Supplemental tables; (2) Delaware; (3) District of Columbia; (4) Maryland; (5) Pennsylvania; (6) Virginia; and (7) West Virginia. (Contains 16 figures, 106 tables, and 10 footnotes.)
Early Commitment Financial Aid Programs: Promises, Practices, and Policies
Author: Blanco, Cheryl D.
Date: 2005-08-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Postsecondary Education,College Preparation,Student Financial Aid,Federal Programs,Guidelines,Program Design,Outreach Programs,Educational Practices,Educational Policy,Policy Analysis,Best Practices,Access to Education,Student Loan Programs,Economically Disadvantaged,Low Income Groups,Incentive Grants,Program Evaluation,Audits (Verification),Finance Reform,Program Descriptions,Design Requirements,Developmental Studies Programs,Profiles,Paying for College

Student financial assistance has long been a means to promote access to postsecondary education and attainment of college degrees. Numerous types of financial aid programs have proliferated over the years, including a relatively new concept that specifically targets high-risk, low-income students, focusing not just on getting them to go to college but also increasing the chance of their earning a degree. "Early commitment" financial aid programs are designed to provide economically disadvantaged students in middle school and early high school with a guarantee of financial aid for postsecondary education if they meet certain requirements, including successful completion of a rigorous college-prep curriculum. Since affordability and academic preparation are considered the greatest barriers to higher education for low-income students, early commitment initiatives seek to provide a solution to both problems. This paper looks at different types of early commitment programs, summarizes relevant research, and suggests guidelines for future programs. Finally, this paper suggests a few guidelines for state leaders considering new early commitment programs, based on existing models and available research: (1) "Be clear about program goals and expectations" to ensure the program design clearly reflects the three core criteria suggested earlier; (2) "Consider linking early notification and qualification" for other federal programs, such as Medicaid or free and reduced-fee school lunch programs, to establish reliable eligibility; (3) "Provide for fiscal sustainability" by forecasting future demand and persistence; (4) "Require periodic assessment" to increase understanding of a program's impact; (5) "Invest in support and outreach programs," including academic and general college preparation, marketing, parent participation, and other support services; and (6) "Explore public-private partnerships" as a means of co-sponsorship of initiatives by government, business, foundations, and communities. Appended are: (1) Program Pledges or Requirements; (2) Selected Program Profiles from the Pathways to College Network. (Contains 54 endnotes.)
The Role of Student Learning Outcomes for Institutional Accountability and Transparency. Pathways to College Network Brief
Author: Education Resources Institute, Pathways to College Network
Date: 2012-07-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Higher Education,Accountability,Stakeholders,Educational Quality,Education Work Relationship,Graduation,Outcomes of Education,Disclosure,Educational Assessment

The national focus on college completion has prompted a number of ambitious education goals, numerous research- and practice-based initiatives, and a spotlight on the need to continually improve higher education access and success. This national dialogue has raised not only public and political will for postsecondary completion, but also a number of cautionary tales by higher education stakeholders. Chief among them is a concern that postsecondary institutions will dilute educational quality in attempts to increase degree completions. To meet quality and workforce alignment goals, education leaders, practitioners, policymakers, and policy influencers turn to the measurement of student learning to provide accountability and transparency. To this end, the Pathways to College Network, with the support of Lumina Foundation, hosted a series of meetings on student learning outcomes. These meetings led to ongoing discussions of what is most important in ensuring quality and the graduation of an increasingly diverse student body. This brief is a product of these discussions and provides Pathways to College Network partners and their constituents with guideposts for the complex topic of student learning outcomes. Such knowledge is useful as postsecondary stakeholders ensure that institutional accountability and transparency are part of the larger effort to graduate students who are prepared for work and life. A list of resources is included. (Contains 1 footnote.)
The Facts: Postsecondary Access and Success
Author: Education Resources Institute, Pathways to College Network
Date: 2006-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Student Financial Aid,Minority Groups,Family Income,Postsecondary Education,Access to Education,Success,Equal Education,Low Income Groups,Disproportionate Representation,High School Graduates,At Risk Students,College Preparation,Correlation,Racial Differences,Paying for College

This paper presents facts about postsecondary access and success. They include: (1) Ensuring that more students succeed in postsecondary education is vital to the nation's economic health; (2) Too few students from low-income backgrounds and from underrepresented minority groups graduate from high school prepared for college; (3) Enrolling in college is strongly correlated with family income and race/ethnicity; (4) College has become increasingly expensive and financial aid hasn't kept up; and (5) Getting students into college is not enough. Low-income and underrepresented minority college students earn degrees at significantly lower rates than their peers.
Equitable Access for Underrepresented Students in Gifted Education
Author: Payne, Alexander
Date: 2011-11-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Academically Gifted,Talent Development,Intellectual Development,Disproportionate Representation,Talent,Access to Education,Equal Education,Racial Composition,Etiology,Performance Factors,Barriers,Change Strategies,Educational Change,Educational Strategies,Best Practices,Program Effectiveness,Program Descriptions,Student Diversity,Population Trends,Low Income Groups

Racial and ethnic disproportionality in gifted education is a persistent and perennial inequity in many school districts. This report describes the root causes of this disproportionality and discusses ways in which this issue can be addressed. Whereas most of the attention has been paid to assessment, specifically the use of nonverbal tests to identify gifted students, this report argues that implementing talent development measures is key to increasing the numbers of racially and/or linguistically diverse students in gifted education. Because socioeconomic status has a substantial effect on a child's linguistic and intellectual development, talent development strategies that shore up academic deficiencies from a young age hold promise over strategies that merely aim to provide a nonbiased assessment of ability. To give the reader a purview of the different talent development measures, several successful programs are described. The report concludes with a list of recommendations for district leadership. U-STARS-PLUS is appended. (Contains 1 figure and 4 footnotes.)
Engaging in Dramatic Activities in English as a Foreign Language Classes at the University Level
Author: Algarra Carrasco, Victoria
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Dramatics,English Instruction,Fiction,Creative Activities,Learning Activities,Learner Engagement,Aptitude Treatment Interaction,Remedial Instruction,Remedial Programs,Communication Skills,Communication Strategies,Foreign Countries

In this article, we discuss how, through dramatic activities, fiction and reality can work together to help the English as a Foreign language learner communicate in a more personal and meaningful way. The kind of activities proposed are designed to help engender a space where students can personally engage with each other in an atmosphere that is conducive to creative and spontaneous interaction. Two examples of dramatic activities, designed for university students, are given.