ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
The Effectiveness and Efficiency of Postsecondary Institutions in the United States: 2010-2012 Baseline Results. Research Brief
Author: Midwestern Higher Education Compact
Date: 2015-07-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Time to Degree,Graduation Rate,Socioeconomic Status,College Readiness,Costs,School Effectiveness,Two Year Colleges,Public Colleges,Academic Degrees

State policymakers are increasingly interested in identifying and rewarding postsecondary institutions that effectively and efficiently promote timely degree completion. Among the more commonly used performance indicators in this endeavor are graduation rates and degrees produced per expenditure or revenue. Graduation rates in particular have been widely adopted as indicators of institutional effectiveness in state and national accountability measures, accreditation regulations, and institutional performance reports. However, numerous factors that frequently lie beyond institutional control strongly influence degree completion, such as the socioeconomic status and academic preparedness of incoming students. Moreover, educational expenditures can vary tremendously according to the types of degrees produced (e.g., certificates, bachelor's degrees, doctoral degrees) and the disciplines represented. Raw graduation rates and expenditures per credential may thus better reflect differences in such factors as admissions selectivity or institutional mission than whether institutional practices and programs are in fact conducive to student success. This problem was recently addressed in two MHEC working papers that developed adjusted measures of effectiveness and efficiency in promoting timely degree completion (see Horn, 2015a, 2015b). The purpose of this research brief is to summarize the methodology and findings of the working papers. Highly effective colleges and universities are then identified within each state.
Missing School, Missing a Home: The Link between Chronic Absenteeism, Economic Instability and Homelessness in Michigan
Author: Erb-Downward, Jennifer
Date: 2018-11-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Poverty,Attendance,Homeless People,Academic Achievement,Student Characteristics,At Risk Students,Housing,Educational Policy,Elementary Secondary Education,Rural Areas,Urban Areas,Suburbs,Race,Disabilities,Correlation,Ethnicity,School Districts

Attendance is vital to academic success but many children in Michigan are not making it to school. Based on recent estimates, Michigan has the sixth highest statewide chronic absenteeism rate in the country. Efforts to reduce school absences can be strengthened by understanding the characteristics of students most at risk. Race, income and disability status are all associated with elevated rates of chronic absenteeism, but one group stands out in particular: homeless students. Data shows homelessness is a statewide issue affecting rural, suburban and urban communities alike, which indicates the need for a greater focus on the educational impact of housing instability in Michigan. This brief uses data from the Center for Educational Performance and Information (CEPI) to explore chronic absenteeism and makes policy recommendations to ensure all of the state's children make it to school.
A Snapshot of Homelessness and Housing Instability in Michigan Schools. Policy Brief
Author: Erb-Downward, Jennifer, Comp.
Date: 2018-02-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Homeless People,Housing,Academic Achievement,Student Needs,Attendance,Geographic Location,Educational Policy,Rural Areas,Urban Areas,Federal Legislation,Low Income,School Community Relationship,School Districts,Poverty,Data Use,Elementary Secondary Education

Recent research in the State of Michigan has shown homelessness among children to be a key factor predicting student achievement in both rural and urban areas, yet little attention has been given, thus far, to understanding where homeless students in Michigan attend school and how their needs might differ depending on their geographic location. This policy brief seeks to fill that gap so that policymakers and local stakeholders can begin to think about the impact of homelessness in their area and to identify resources to support some of the State's most vulnerable children. Data for this brief comes from school year 2015-16 administrative records collected by every school under the mandate of the Federal McKinney-Vento Act, a law which guarantees homeless students' right to an education.
Comparing Kansas 2017 Supplement
Author: Carter, Ted
Date: 2017-09-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Student Characteristics,Adults,Population Distribution,Institutional Characteristics,Teacher Student Ratio,Teacher Salaries,Educational Finance,Expenditure per Student,State Aid,Resource Allocation,Income,Poverty,Low Income Students,Students with Disabilities,English Language Learners,White Students,Educational Attainment,Urban Population,Graduation Rate,National Competency Tests,College Entrance Examinations,Elementary Secondary Education,Higher Education

This report provides comparisons between Kansas and relevant state groups on key demographic variables. It is a companion piece to the &quot;KASB Comparing Kansas 2017&quot; report that helps show how factors outside of school funding may have an impact on student outcomes for each state. In addition, the Appendix contains the detailed tables supporting the summary information on student outcomes and funding as included in the Comparing Kansas report. [For &quot;KASB Comparing Kansas, 2017,&quot; see ED590714.]
New Comparing Kansas Report Shows Kansas Lagging in Educational Improvement and Funding [Comparing Kansas 2017 Executive Summary]
Author: Kansas Association of School Boards (KASB)
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Outcomes of Education,Educational Indicators,School Statistics,National Competency Tests,Educational Attainment,Reading Achievement,Mathematics Achievement,Graduation Rate,Expenditure per Student,Educational Finance,State Norms

Kansas ranks 10th in the nation on an average of 15 indicators of student success, but has been improving much slower than most states. Since 2008, total funding per pupil in Kansas has increased less than half as much as the U.S. average, and less than one-quarter as much as the top achieving states. &quot;There is growing evidence that as Kansas has fallen behind in educational funding, we are also falling behind in student success outcomes,&quot; said Mark Tallman, assistant executive director of the Kansas Association of School Boards. &quot;We are in danger of falling from a top achieving state to average or worse.&quot; The full 2017 Comparing Kansas report contains detailed information on 15 indicators of student educational success and how they align with the &quot;Rose Capacities&quot;; definitions and process for ranking states, selecting aspiration states and peer states; state funding and budget allocation; teacher salaries and pupil-teacher ratios; and &quot;close up&quot; examination of educational attainment by 18-24-year-olds; high school graduation rates; national reading and math tests; and ACT/SAT results for Kansas and comparison groups of states. It uses the most recent data for student achievement, generally from 2015 and 2016, and state funding information from 2015, as well as extensive state demographic and economic data from various national sources. This summary highlights key findings from the full report. The 2017 Comparing Kansas Supplement provides comparisons between Kansas and relevant state groups on key demographic variables. It is a companion piece to Comparing Kansas 2017 that helps show how factors outside of school funding may have an impact on student outcomes in each state. [For &quot;KASB Comparing Kansas, 2017,&quot; see ED590714. For &quot;Comparing Kansas 2017 Supplement,&quot; see ED594021.]
Accelerating Opportunity in Rural Regions: Designing Pathway Programs for Adults and Other Non-Traditional Learners
Author: Buckwalter, Veronica
Date: 2019-02-22
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Rural Schools,Community Colleges,Access to Education,Nontraditional Students,Adult Students,Barriers,Student Recruitment,School Holding Power,College Role,Economic Development,Marketing,Partnerships in Education,Labor Force Development,Student Needs

Community colleges and non-traditional student populations, such as adult learners, often experience a unique set of academic and non-academic challenges. This is particularly true for those in rural America, where resources and community supports are less abundant. This report describes how rural community colleges are overcoming these barriers to design systems and pathways that help adults and other non-traditional populations feel welcome, confident, and supported throughout their postsecondary journey. Early learning from Accelerating CTE prompted Jobs for the Future (JFF) researchers to explore the challenges that rural community colleges all across the country are facing when trying to recruit and retain adults and non-traditional students into education and training programs. Drawing from Trade Adjustment Assistance and Community College Career Training (TAACCCT) and the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Pathways Project, JFF engaged nine colleges from eight states in semi-structured phone interviews. Interviewees were asked to talk about the role their college plays in helping to support and grow the regional economy. In addition, the interviews focused on common academic and nonacademic barriers for adult learners, strategies for marketing programs to adults, promising partnership models, and what's next for the interviewees' colleges as they continue to implement and scale career pathways. It is hoped that the practical strategies presented in this brief will help rural community colleges design and implement career and guided pathway programs for adults that: (1) leverage the unique resources and opportunities that exist across rural regions; (2) acknowledge the very real challenges experienced by non-traditional learners; and (3) maximize partnership resources and networks to scale impact.
Developing Math Skills in Early Childhood. Issue Brief
Author: Harris, Barbara
Date: 2019-02-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Early Childhood Education,Mathematics Skills,Skill Development,Young Children,Kindergarten,Numeracy,Parent Child Relationship,Parents as Teachers,School Readiness,Reading Aloud to Others,Reading Programs,Emergent Literacy,Developmentally Appropriate Practices,Mathematics Instruction,Health Personnel

This brief presents a promising approach to supporting young children's early math skills development. The approach synthesizes the influence of parents, the home environment, and children's health care providers, and is being implemented by Reach Out and Read. Reach Out and Read is a program in which health care providers give young children new books and encourage parents to read with their children at home. When families participate in Reach Out and Read, parents read aloud more often and children improve their language and literacy skills. Because math and reading can be easily integrated through Reach Out and Read, parents can learn to simultaneously support the development of their children's early language, literacy, and math skills in an enjoyable and developmentally-appropriate way. Thus, the program has the potential to improve kindergarten readiness in math and literacy. Because children see their health care providers often during the first few years of life, Reach Out and Read's initiative could support a large percentage of children across the nation through the network of Reach Out and Read programs.
America&apos;s Untapped Workforce: The Talent We Need to Develop
Author: Jobs for the Future
Date: 2019-03-11
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Labor Force Development,Talent Development,Job Skills,Education Work Relationship,Career Development,Demand Occupations,Labor Needs,Underemployment,Postsecondary Education,Credentials,Income,Educational Attainment,Racial Differences

A growing number of employers identify difficulty hiring highly qualified workers as their top competitive challenge. Roughly 75 million of Americans could meet these employer needs but currently lack the skills or supports to do so. This is America's untapped workforce--the many people who do not have the work or wages they need to get by, but who can become the talent the country needs? The nation needs aligned education and workforce systems that provide clear career pathways that are accessible and accountable. These systems must meet the needs of untapped workers and employers in high-demand industries. State and federal policies can build systems that harness the potential of the untapped workforce by focusing on equitable completion of quality credentials, ensuring affordability, and creating flexible pathways that make success attainable for all.
Falling through the Cracks: Graduation and Dropout Rates among Michigan&apos;s Homeless High School Students. Analysis
Author: Erb-Downward, Jennifer, Comp.
Date: 2018-04-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Dropout Rate,Attendance,Homeless People,Educational Policy,Low Income,High School Students,Outcomes of Education,Educational Legislation,Elementary Secondary Education,Federal Legislation,Graduation Rate

In compliance with new regulations under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the State of Michigan recently released graduation, dropout and attendance rate data for homeless students for school years 2012-13 through 2016-17. This policy brief examines the state's newly available public education graduation and dropout data and finds dramatic disparities between homeless students and their low-income and non-low income peers. Across every available comparison group homeless high school students had worse educational outcomes. Given recent data that has shown student homelessness to be a statewide issue affecting rural, suburban and urban communities alike, this finding highlights the need for greater focus on a previously invisible but highly vulnerable group of students. Data for this brief are for public school students, including charters, and come from the Michigan Department of Education and the Center for Educational Performance and Information.
Alleviating Poverty for Opportunity Youth
Author: Jobs for the Future
Date: 2018-12-20
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Poverty,Disadvantaged Youth,Young Adults,Job Skills,Job Training,Poverty Programs,Federal Programs,Youth Opportunities,Employment Opportunities,Low Income Groups,Youth Programs,Family Programs,Welfare Services,Federal Aid,Grants,Labor Market

In the nation today, 4.6 million young adults ages 16 to 24 are out of school and unemployed. More than one-third live in poverty. For these young people, commonly referred to as opportunity youth, building skills and gaining work experience are key to upward mobility. However, they face significant barriers to entering the labor market. Meanwhile, federal programs designed to serve opportunity youth in poverty are limited and funding is inadequate. In preparation for a new Congress and updates to federal poverty alleviation initiatives, Jobs for the Future (JFF) developed this brief highlighting how policymakers must ensure that young people as well as adults are accessing appropriate skill development opportunities and support services that lead to family-supporting careers.
Investments in Opportunity Youth Fuel Prosperity
Author: Jobs for the Future
Date: 2018-12-04
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Investment,Outcomes of Education,Youth Opportunities,Barriers,Young Adults,Out of School Youth,Disadvantaged Youth,Youth Employment,Federal Programs,Federal Aid,Labor Force Development,Federal Legislation,Education Work Relationship,Program Effectiveness,Economic Impact

In the nation today, 4.6 million young adults ages 16 to 24 are out of school and unemployed. At the same time, there are roughly 7 million job openings, and employers are clamoring for skilled workers. What's wrong with this picture? These young people, commonly referred to as &quot;opportunity youth,&quot; must overcome significant barriers to enter the labor market. But with the right kind of assistance, they can access the high-quality education and skills training that lead to good jobs. In today's rapidly changing economy, the costs of ignoring opportunity youth are too high. By 2020, 65 percent of jobs will require some form of postsecondary education and training. Today's opportunity youth can be the highly qualified workers of the future. In preparation for a new Congress and development of the FY2020 federal budget, Jobs for the Future (JFF) developed this brief to highlight how investments in opportunity youth yield critical economic gains and the impact of trends in federal funding over the past four decades.
Academic Vocabulary Learning in First through Third Grade in Low-Income Schools: Effects of Automated Supplemental Instruction
Author: Goldstein, Howard
Date: 2017-11-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Language Acquisition,Children,Low Income Groups,Comparative Analysis,Randomized Controlled Trials,Prior Learning,Vocabulary,Special Education,Grade 1,Grade 2,Grade 3,Elementary School Students,Word Recognition,Receptive Language,Expressive Language,Hierarchical Linear Modeling,Longitudinal Studies,Verbal Ability,Intelligence Tests

Purpose: This study investigated cumulative effects of language learning, specifically whether prior vocabulary knowledge or special education status moderated the effects of academic vocabulary instruction in high-poverty schools. Method: Effects of a supplemental intervention targeting academic vocabulary in first through third grades were evaluated with 241 students (6-9 years old) from low-income families, 48% of whom were retained for the 3-year study duration. Students were randomly assigned to vocabulary instruction or comparison groups. Results: Curriculum-based measures of word recognition, receptive identification, expressive labeling, and decontextualized definitions showed large effects for multiple levels of word learning. Hierarchical linear modeling revealed that students with higher initial Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Fourth Edition scores (Dunn &amp; Dunn, 2007) demonstrated greater word learning, whereas students with special needs demonstrated less growth in vocabulary. Conclusion: This model of vocabulary instruction can be applied efficiently in high-poverty schools through an automated, easily implemented adjunct to reading instruction in the early grades and holds promise for reducing gaps in vocabulary development. [This article was published in the &quot;Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research&quot; (EJ1162299).]
How School Funding Works in Michigan
Author: DeGrow, Ben
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Educational Finance,Taxes,Grants,School Districts,Special Education,Educational Facilities,Federal Aid,State Aid

Discussions about school funding can create more confusion than clarity. Each state has its own intricacies and peculiarities. Michigan is no exception. Funding flows down from different sources, often based on different formulas and intended for different purposes. There's no one unified system that controls school funding -- rather, schools rely on a number of systems layered on top of each to supply them with resources. This publication presents a brief overview of some of the key components of Michigan's school funding system, if it can be called that. The goal is to provide a general understanding of how tax dollars reach schools and what they are intended for. Each chapter focuses on a different funding component, including the foundation allowance, state funding through categorical grants, the financing and role of intermediate school districts, special education funding, revenue for building construction and maintenance, and, finally, how federal funds work.
Leveraging Perkins V to Support College and Career Pathways
Author: Jobs for the Future
Date: 2018-11-28
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Federal Legislation,Educational Legislation,Career Readiness,Vocational Education,State Programs,Alignment (Education),Statewide Planning,Progress Monitoring,Graduation Rate,Academic Achievement,Student Placement,Postsecondary Education,Employment Level,Measurement,Performance,Financial Support,State Aid,Resource Allocation,Experiential Learning,Dual Enrollment

On July 31, 2018, President Trump signed into law a bipartisan bill that supports the work of states to prepare students of all ages for career success through career and technical education (CTE) programs. The new law, known as the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, is the long-awaited update of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act. The law goes into effect on July 1, 2019, and boosts the nation's commitment to CTE programs. The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) offers states and local education agencies increased opportunities to create strong systems of college and career pathways for their students. In this brief, Jobs for the Future (JFF) offers practical recommendations to help state policymakers leverage the new law to better prepare all students for future success. [This brief was published as part of Pathways to Prosperity, a joint initiative of JFF and the Harvard Graduate School of Education.]
What It Takes to Increase Student Success through Systems Change: Lessons from the Linked Learning Regional Hubs of Excellence
Author: Alvarado, Marty
Date: 2019-02-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Success,Regional Cooperation,Partnerships in Education,Community Organizations,School Districts,Employers,Coaching (Performance),Systems Development,Perspective Taking,Elementary Secondary Education,Leadership Effectiveness,Change Strategies,Communication Skills,Capacity Building,Networks,Education Work Relationship,Cooperative Planning,Postsecondary Education,Disadvantaged Youth,Educational Attainment

How can we dramatically increase the number of low income young people who graduate high school and earn a postsecondary credential by age 25? One strategy that reaches beyond traditional education boundaries is gaining traction: broad regional partnerships that bring together K-12 school districts and higher education with workforce development, business, and community-based organizations. Jobs for the Future (JFF) and the James Irvine Foundation were among those investing in cross-sector partnerships through creation of the Linked Learning Regional Hubs of Excellence in 2015. The goal, over three years, was to significantly increase the number of California graduates from innovative Linked Learning pathways that blend high school, college, and career. This brief describes the evolution of the Linked Learning Regional Hubs of Excellence and the points of momentum they achieved in transforming an array of individual programs into productive regional systems. It is a summary of multiple years of learning and culminating reflections from the JFF team that supported the Hubs. This is one of two briefs summarizing lessons learned in the Linked Learning Regional Hubs of Excellence about improving student success in high school, college, and careers through systems change in California. The other brief, &quot;How to Lead Systems Change for Student Success: Developing 6 Qualities of Effective Cross-Sector Leadership,&quot; examines how to cultivate the leadership qualities that are key to creating high-performing regional systems. [For &quot;How to Lead Systems Change for Student Success: Developing 6 Qualities of Effective Cross-Sector Leadership,&quot; see ED593999.]