ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Implementation and Impacts of Pay-for-Performance: The 2010 Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) Grantees after Three Years. NCEE Study Snapshot. NCEE 2016-2006
Author: Wellington, Alison
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Teacher Effectiveness,Academic Achievement,Teacher Influence,Merit Pay,Rewards,Grants,Teacher Salaries,School Districts,Program Implementation,Program Evaluation,Teacher Attitudes,Teacher Behavior,Program Effectiveness,Faculty Development,Principals,Evaluation Methods,Eligibility,Administrator Attitudes,Incentives,Achievement Gains,Student Characteristics,Teacher Characteristics,Surveys,Observation,Mathematics Tests,Reading Tests,Scores,Mathematics Achievement,Reading Achievement,Correlation,Elementary Schools,Middle Schools,Randomized Controlled Trials

The Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) provides grants to support performance-based compensation systems for teachers and principals in high-need schools. The goal of the grants is to increase the number of high-performing teachers in high-need schools by rewarding educators for improving students' achievement. The report on which this snapshot is based describes TIF implementation in all 2010 TIF districts and analyzes, in greater detail, the implementation and impacts of pay-for-performance in 10 evaluation districts that implemented the TIF program for three years. Using information from the first (2011-2012), second (2012-2013), and third (2013-2014) years of TIF implementation, the report addresses the following four questions: (1) What are the characteristics of all 2010 TIF districts and their performance-based compensation systems? What implementation experiences and challenges have TIF districts encountered?; (2) How do teachers and principals in schools that do and do not offer pay-for-performance bonuses compare on key dimensions, including their understanding of TIF program features, exposure to TIF activities, allocation of time, and attitudes toward teaching and the TIF program?; (3) How do pay-for-performance bonuses affect educator effectiveness and the retention and recruitment of high-performing educators?; (4) What is the impact of pay-for-performance bonuses on students' achievement on state assessments in math and reading? The study found that among all 2010 TIF districts: (1) Overall implementation of TIF requirements among all 2010 TIF districts was very similar in the third year of implementation as in previous years; (2) Pay-for-performance had small, positive impacts on students' math and reading achievement; (3) Few evaluation districts structured pay-for-performance bonuses to align well with TIF grant guidance; and (4) Many teachers still misunderstood whether they were eligible for performance bonuses or the amount they could earn. [For the full report, &quot;Evaluation of the Teacher Incentive Fund: Implementation and Impacts of Pay-for-Performance after Three Years. NCEE 2016-4004,&quot; see ED568150. For the Executive Summary, &quot;Evaluation of the Teacher Incentive Fund: Implementation and Impacts of Pay-for-Performance after Three Years. Executive Summary. NCEE 2016-4005,&quot; see ED568151.]
Work-Based Learning and Work-Integrated Learning: Fostering Engagement with Employers
Author: Atkinson, Georgina
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: School Business Relationship,Experiential Learning,Vocational Education,Higher Education,Workplace Learning,Apprenticeships,Student Research,Undergraduate Students,Employers,Participation,Internship Programs,Partnerships in Education,Foreign Countries

Work-based learning and the inclusion of the world of work into tertiary students' learning lie at the heart of the Australian vocational education and training (VET) system. Traditionally this has been through apprenticeships and traineeships, which have a strong focus on &quot;on-the-job&quot; training, but also through &quot;work-oriented&quot; institutional training. However, an increased emphasis on work-integrated learning in university education is emerging. Work-integrated learning, with its emphasis on intentionally integrating students' experiences in a work setting into their educational programs, has been evolving and growing in prominence. Despite the strong emphasis of work-based learning in post-secondary education, both VET providers and universities face challenges when it comes to engaging with industry and employers in these educational provisions. This paper summarises the key features of work-based learning and work-integrated learning and discusses how engagement with industry and employers can be fostered and what the two sectors can learn from each other. It draws on the vast literature on work-based learning and work-integrated learning and provides an extensive bibliography and resource list.
Firms' Motivation for Training Apprentices: An Australian-German Comparison. Occasional Paper
Author: Pfeifer, Harald
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Comparative Education,Employer Attitudes,Motivation,Apprenticeships,Training Objectives,Training Methods,Costs,Models,Cost Effectiveness,Building Trades,Incentives,Federal Aid,Retrenchment,Least Squares Statistics,Regression (Statistics)

This study investigated how firms in Germany and Australia compare when dealing with the institutional arrangements for apprenticeship training in their countries, with particular attention given to factors which may impact on their training motivation. Apprenticeships are a well-established pathway to employment across many countries, with a particularly long and enduring history in Germany and Australia. Apprenticeships are characterised by a tripartite relationship between employer, apprentice, and training organisation. The available international literature suggests that the institutional framework for training in a country is an important determinant of a firm's motivation to provide training, and it influences their willingness to bear (at least part) of the training costs. Key messages from this study are: (1) Employers of trades' apprentices in both Germany and Australia appear to bear substantial costs for training their apprentices; (2) Institutional frameworks in Germany foster an investment model, a model which emphasises the benefits of employing apprentices after training, while in Australia some firms adopt more of a production (that is, substitution for &quot;regular&quot; workers) model of apprenticeship training, although there is a relatively strong investment motivation for trade firms in Australia; (3) For firms focused on the short-term costs and benefits of training, the withdrawal of some national government incentive payments in Australia has led to a weaker commitment to training, most evident in non-trade trainee places being offered; and (4) By contrast, firms training in trade occupations appear to be more investment-oriented and are more inclined to continue training, or employ an apprentice after training, even with the withdrawal of incentives. Tables and figures are appended.
How Colleges Use Integrated Planning and Advising for Student Success (iPASS) to Transform Student Support. CCRC Working Paper No. 89
Author: Karp, Melinda Mechur
Date: 2016-07-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Technology Uses in Education,Change Strategies,Educational Change,Academic Advising,Student Personnel Services,Pretests Posttests,College Students,Planning,Success,Delivery Systems,School Counseling,Technology Integration,Black Colleges,Focus Groups,Surveys,Questionnaires,Observation,Administrators,School Personnel,Students,Stakeholders,Semi Structured Interviews,Case Studies

This paper examines technology-mediated advising reform in order to contribute to the understanding of how colleges engage in transformative change to improve student outcomes. Conceptualizing such change as occurring along three interrelated dimensions of organizational functioning (structural, process, and attitudinal), we seek to understand the contexts that encourage or discourage transformation of advising and student support. We use in-depth pre/post data from six colleges deploying integrated planning and advising for student success (iPASS) to investigate the reform process. Three of the six colleges made steps toward transforming their student support delivery, shifting along all three dimensions. We identify four contextual features that appear to underpin colleges' likelihood of transformative reform. Technology and vendor relationships form an important foundation. Reform vision and rationale, leadership, and the college's orientation toward student success are important institutional influences. Our findings support the hypothesis put forth by Karp and Fletcher (2014) in their Readiness for Technology Adoption framework that technology is necessary but not sufficient for transformation, and that project-level and organizational factors are perhaps more important. Moreover, the findings demonstrate that technology can spur substantial institutional change, but only under certain circumstances.
National Institute for Technology in Liberal Education: An Assessment. White Paper
Author: Brodeur, Jason
Date: 2016-08-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: General Education,Liberal Arts,Consortia,Technology Integration,Organizational Objectives,Organizational Change,Interviews,Educational History,Needs Assessment,Individual Needs,Institutional Characteristics,Demography,Group Membership,Participant Characteristics,Participation,Preferences,National Surveys,Intercollegiate Cooperation,Partnerships in Education

In 2001, the National Institute for Technology in Liberal Education (NITLE) was created to &quot;stimulate collaboration between selected liberal arts colleges and to act as a catalyst for the effective integration of emerging and newer digital technologies into teaching, learning, scholarship, and information management.&quot; In July 2015, NITLE migrated its operations from Southwestern University to the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR). In conjunction with this migration, CLIR initiated a rigorous analysis of NITLE's current condition and the needs of its constituents. CLIR's assessment of NITLE comprises three interrelated activities: (1) composing a history of NITLE and setting it in the larger context of organizations devoted to technology in liberal education; (2) conducting interviews with key stakeholders in NITLE's past, present, and potential future; (3) and designing, administering, and analyzing a survey of current and former NITLE members and interested parties. These activities resulted in a rich, textured picture of the organization and the many ways in which it engaged with its members over the years. Based on the analysis performed for this report, the authors believe that a future organization seeking to serve constituents similar to those served by NITLE should: (1) Maintain a liberal arts college focus; (2) Perform market research to determine how a future organization should support members at the local and/or national level; (3) Clearly articulate the organization's mission, primary audience, and value proposition; (4) Ensure that membership fees are in line with members' perceived return on investment; (5) Develop a culture of ongoing assessment; (6) Regularly communicate with members; and (7) Distinguish the organization from others with similar audience or mission. The following are appended: (1) NITLE Competitors 1997-2015: Audiences, Value Propositions, and Business Models; (2) NITLE Assessment Project: Interview Protocol; (3) Survey Questions; and (4) Organizational Acronyms. (References and Selected Bibliography are included.)
Education Savings Accounts: Key Provisions and State Variations. Education Trends
Author: Railey, Hunter
Date: 2016-08-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Educational Finance,Money Management,Investment,Student Financial Aid,Educational Legislation,State Legislation,Educational Policy,State Policy,Elementary Secondary Education,Program Descriptions,Program Design,Eligibility,Special Needs Students,Disabilities,Audits (Verification),Standardized Tests,Educational Trends

In 2011, the Arizona State Legislature adopted a law creating the first education savings account (ESA) in the United States. Following Arizona's lead, several other states, including Florida Tennessee,Mississippi and Nevada, have implemented ESA policies. Typical eligibility requirements include conditions such as a pupil's diagnosed disability, attendance at one of the state's lowest-performing schools, or foster care status. Only parents or guardians who have previously enrolled their child in public K-12 schools may apply. Depending on state policy, parents or guardians can use funds from these accounts for supplemental services, recognized achievement tests, advanced placement exams, college entrance exams, textbooks required by the selected academic program, or access to a complete course of study in a non-public academic program. Some states, such as Arizona, set two levels of accounts--with a higher range of dollars available for students with disabilities who need significantly greater services. This Education Trends report provides an overview of ESAs, reviews the key components of several states' laws and highlights some potential policy considerations for ESA program design. Policymakers are encouraged to think about program design considerations in order to ensure students are protected, accounts are administered properly and standards are maintained. When designing ESA programs, policymakers may want to consider: (1) Specific provisions that accommodate the needs and protect the rights of disabled populations; (2) Funding (at least for the highest need pupils) at a level to cover private school tuition costs to ensure widespread program participation; (3) Regular account audits to protect taxpayers from fraud and abuse and to protect the integrity of the programs; and (4) Mandatory program evaluations tracking student performance, in addition to account use, to ensure academic standards are being met.
2015-16 High School Assessment Accommodations Policies: An Analysis of ACT, SAT, PARCC, and Smarter Balanced. NCEO Report 403
Author: Lazarus, Sheryl S.
Date: 2016-07-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: High School Students,Disabilities,Academic Accommodations (Disabilities),Testing Accommodations,Alignment (Education),College Readiness,Career Readiness,Student Evaluation,College Entrance Examinations,Aptitude Tests,Policy Analysis,Educational Legislation,Equal Education,Federal Legislation,Elementary Secondary Education,English Language Learners,Language Proficiency,Educational Policy,Documentation

During the 2015-16 school year, 25 states used assessments aligned to college- and career-ready standards developed by consortia of states (i.e., Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers--PARCC, Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium--Smarter Balanced) as their accountability assessments. The participation of students with disabilities in all state- and district-administered assessments is required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which also requires that they be provided accommodations as appropriate. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) confirms the participation requirements for students with disabilities and adds requirements for the participation of English learners (ELs) in state-administered assessments. With the reauthorization of ESEA in 2015, IDEA requirements for reporting on the number of students using accommodations was confirmed; the reauthorization added the requirement that accommodations be provided to ELs for both content and English Language Proficiency (ELP) assessments. This report provides a snapshot of how accommodations were included in policies across ACT, SAT, PARCC, and Smarter Balanced during the 2015-16 school year. Data for this analysis were obtained through the examination and analysis of publicly available information, including accommodations manuals and other policy documents. There was wide variation in the accessibility and accommodations policies of ACT, SAT, PARCC, and Smarter Balanced in 2015-16. The results of the analysis are organized as follows: (1) the accessibility and accommodations approach of each assessment; (2) a crosswalk of the approaches of the assessments; and (3) the specific accommodations that were allowed for each of the assessments. This analysis strongly indicates that there is a need for more research. The following are appended: (1) Documents Used in Analysis; (2) Documentation Requirements; and (3) Specific Accommodations.
Herding Cats: Managing Diverse Charter School Interests in Collaboration Efforts
Author: Gill, Sean
Date: 2016-08-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Charter Schools,School Districts,Public Schools,Urban Schools,Partnerships in Education,Institutional Characteristics,Methods

Since the first charter school law was passed in 1991, the relationship between charter schools and districts has been rife with conflict. To no one's surprise, districts have fiercely resisted competition from public schools of choice, especially when that competition grows beyond just a small number of schools and poses a real threat to the district's financial stability. For their part, charter schools have fought just as fiercely against any attempt to impose on their autonomy. As the charter school movement has matured and expanded over time, a growing number of district and charter leaders have slowly and quietly been forging agreements to work together. In many cases, mayors, superintendents, civic leaders, and others reach out to charter leaders to work across traditional charter-district divides. Collaboration touches one or more of these common themes: shared resources, shared responsibility, shared effort to build trust and collegiality, and shared work to ensure equal access to high-quality schools for all students in the city. More than 23 cities have signed District-Charter Collaboration Compacts--formal agreements between school districts and charter schools that aim to share resources and responsibility and build trust and collegiality to ensure equal access to high-quality schools for all students. Within the charter sector itself however, there are highly varied perspectives on and motivations for collaboration. Based on dozens of interviews and observations over four years, the authors look at why many cities have missed opportunities to create more lasting relationships between their district and charter sectors, and offer suggestions for fostering stronger partnerships that could help improve outcomes for all of the students in their cities. Key findings include the following: (1) Many well-intentioned partnership efforts fall short of their full potential because districts see and treat the charter sector as a monolith, rather than a group of distinct, independent actors with diverse motivations, interests, and perspectives; (2) Creating a unified coalition of charter schools led by independent-minded individuals is difficult but not impossible; and (3) Moving forward requires more nuanced strategies tailored to the needs of the players on the ground. For that reason, collaboration agreements and approaches will necessarily vary from city to city. Suggestions for mayors, district leaders, and charter association heads to create more sophisticated collaboration strategies include: (1) Looking for unifying citywide &quot;bread and butter&quot; issues such as funding or enrollment caps that can involve all charter schools; (2) Creating school or network collaborations when a citywide approach is not possible; (3) Creating opt-in opportunities for highly contentious issues; and (4) Cultivating effective leadership to build coalitions.
Early Labor Market and Debt Outcomes for Bachelor's Degree Recipients: Heterogeneity by Institution Type and Major, and Trends over Time. A CAPSEE Working Paper
Author: Scott-Clayton, Judith
Date: 2016-07-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: College Graduates,Bachelors Degrees,Income,Debt (Financial),Majors (Students),Student Loan Programs,Public Colleges,Private Colleges,Two Year Colleges,Selective Admission,Proprietary Schools,Employment,Enrollment,Trend Analysis,Longitudinal Studies,Gender Differences,Racial Differences,Parent Background,Educational Attainment,Regression (Statistics),Labor Market

While research has consistently found strong positive earnings returns to the bachelor's degree, recent evidence also highlights heterogeneity in post-college outcomes. Combined with increases in the proportions of students borrowing to enroll, heterogeneity in college outcomes introduces the risk that some students with college degrees may experience financial hardship after graduation. Using nationally representative data on baccalaureate recipients in 1993 and 2008, this paper jointly examines labor market and debt outcomes four years after students graduate, with a focus on exploring heterogeneity by institution type and major field of study, as well as trends over time. Results confirm that the typical graduate fares well after college, both in terms of earnings and debt management. Borrowing rates and debt loads have increased substantially over time, but these substantially higher levels of debt are nonetheless manageable for the vast majority of graduates. Within this context of positive outcomes, stratification by institution type, for both earnings and debt outcomes, appears to be increasing. Similarly, while the top-earning majors have remained quite stable over time, the magnitude of the advantage of engineering, math/computer science, and business graduates has grown notably. Examining debt alongside earnings only reinforces the patterns by major: higher earning fields also have lower debt-to-earnings ratios. Overall, these patterns offer reassurance regarding the typical returns to bachelors' degrees, even for those graduating into the Great Recession, and even in light of growing debt loads. But the results also provide evidence that students' choices about where to attend and what to study have only become more consequential over time. The following tables are appended: (1) Employment, Enrollment, and Debt Outcomes by Gender; (2) Employment, Enrollment, and Debt Outcomes by Self-Reported Race/Ethnicity; and (3) Employment, Enrollment, and Debt Outcomes by Highest Parental Education.