ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
School Funding, At-Risk and All-Day Kindergarten and Performance. Special Report
Author: Kansas Association of School Boards (KASB)
Date: 2014-02-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Kindergarten,Early Childhood Education,State Aid,Funding Formulas,Resource Allocation,Extended School Day,School Schedules,Educational Finance,Finance Reform,Financial Policy,Eligibility,Lunch Programs,Low Income Groups,Benchmarking,Academic Achievement,College Preparation,Educational Assessment,Educational Indicators,Mathematics Achievement,Reading Achievement,Expenditure per Student,At Risk Students,College Entrance Examinations

Governor Sam Brownback has recommended the Kansas Legislature phase-in funding for full day kindergarten programs over the next five years. This proposal has also been adopted by the Kansas State Board of Education. Currently, all kindergarteners are counted as a half-time (0.5) student for funding purposes. About 87 percent of Kansas kindergarteners are already in all day programs. Local school boards and communities made the decision to fund them from state at-risk funding, reallocation of other resources within the district, and in some districts, parent fees. The Governor's proposal to phase-in funding for all-day kindergarten would allow expansion of all day programs. Districts already offering all day programs would receive additional funding to invest in educational programs or reduce cost of attendance to families. This report considers how effectively Kansas school districts have used at-risk and all other financial resources to achieve higher academic outcomes, particularly among &quot;at-risk&quot; students who are more likely to fall short of those outcomes. If the current system is delivering results, it is a strong indication that additional funding provided for all-day kindergarten will be used effectively.
Development of Malayalam Handwriting Scale for School Students in Kerala
Author: Gafoor, K. Abdul
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Formative Evaluation,Summative Evaluation,Handwriting,Performance Based Assessment,Elementary School Students,Middle School Students,Item Analysis,Test Reliability,Test Validity,Rating Scales,Relevance (Education),Writing Evaluation,Scoring Formulas,Scoring Rubrics,Test Construction,Foreign Countries

With a view to support instruction, formative and summative assessment and to provide model handwriting performance for students to compare their own performance, a Malayalam handwriting scale is developed. Data from 2640 school students belonging to Malappuram, Palakkad and Kozhikode districts, sampled by taking 240 students per each grade (grades 2 through 9) were used. The scale with 19 quality levels is formulated based on 10 point criteria viz., Shape of the letter, Size of the letter, Space between the letters, Space between the words, Space between the lines, Proportion, Margin, Slanting, Clarity and speed, and Straightness of lines. Reliability and validity of the scale were verified by ensuring the scaled handwritten scripts being identified by five experts as belonging to a particular scale value. grade norms in terms of cumulative percentage of students is provided. Students, teachers, school counsellors and parents will find the scale useful for improving Malayalam handwriting performance of learners at all grade levels in schools.
Validation of Scale of Commitment to Democratic Values among Secondary Students
Author: Gafoor, K. Abdul
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Secondary School Students,Student Attitudes,Democracy,Democratic Values,Measures (Individuals),Likert Scales,Reliability,Validity,Maximum Likelihood Statistics,Factor Analysis,Freedom,Nationalism,Sex Fairness,Social Justice,Social Attitudes,State Church Separation,Role of Religion

This study reports development of a reliable and valid instrument for assessing the commitment to democratic values among secondary school students in Kerala from 57 likert type statements originally developed in 2007 by Gafoor and Thushara to assess commitment to nine values avowed in the Indian Constitution. Nine separate maximum likelihood Factor Analyses with Varimax (orthogonal) rotation of items from subscales on Nationalism, Liberty, Equality, Gender equality, Secularism, Faith in democracy, Fraternity, Social justice, and Tolerance were conducted on data gathered from 1419 participants. The first order factors, 19 in number, are indicative of the basic democratic values to be considered in assessing the democratic values among secondary students. Secondary factor analysis of these factors produced three factors namely Commitment to ideological democracy, Commitment to critical participation in democracy and Commitment to nationalist values in democracy, with fairly high factorial validity and consistency.
Development of Academic Goal Orientation Inventory for Senior Secondary School Students of Kerala
Author: Gafoor, K. Abdul
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Secondary School Students,Academic Achievement,Student Motivation,Goal Orientation,Factor Analysis,Reliability,Validity,Measures (Individuals),Likert Scales,Scoring,Mastery Learning

Research interest in achievement motivation and its correlates has grown in recent years. Though there are thousands of studies on goal orientation, the number of instruments to identify goal orientation based on four-fold model viz., performance approach goal orientation (PAP), performance avoidance goal orientation (PAV), mastery approach goal orientation (MAP) and mastery avoidance goal orientation (MAV) are rare, especially in the non-western education contexts. This paper describes the development of academic goal orientation inventory for adolescent students. Data from 832 higher secondary school students of Kerala chosen through stratified random sampling were factor analyzed to confirm that the responses on the new inventory follows the 2x2 achievement goal-orientation framework proposed by Pintrich (2000) and Elliot and McGregor (2001). This 15 item inventory reliably and validly identifies four goal orientations.
Cooperate to Validate: OBSERVAL-NET Experts' Report on Validation of Non-Formal and Informal Learning (VNIL) 2013
Author: Weber Guisan, Saskia
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Tests/Questionnaires
Subjects: Informal Education,Foreign Countries,Prior Learning,Recognition (Achievement),Certification,Validity,Questionnaires,Case Studies,Data Analysis,International Cooperation,Competence,Profiles,Qualifications,Vocational Education Teachers,Labor Market,Outcomes of Education,Social Networks,Best Practices,Higher Education,Success

The present publication is one of the outcomes of the OBSERVAL-NET project (follow-up of the OBSERVAL project). The main aim of OBSERVAL-NET was to set up a stakeholder-centric network of organisations supporting the validation of non-formal and informal learning in Europe based on the formation of national working groups in the 8 participating countries of the project. Each national working group worked towards bringing together key stakeholders in VNIL and political decision-makers at national level in order to coordinate policy implementation in the field. These national networks were supplemented by a cross-national level of networking, which focused on the following three thematic areas outlined in this publication: The bottom-up process: completely fixed yet. This is even more noticeable in the field of recognition and validation of non-formal and informal learning. Over many years, different terms have been used such as &quot;Recognition of prior learning&quot; (RPL), &quot;Accreditation of prior learning&quot; (APL) and &quot;Validation of prior learning&quot; (VPL). Sometimes, one might also see &quot;Recognition of prior learning outcomes&quot; (RPLO). Recognition, Accreditation and Validation cover distinct stages in the field. For example, recognition does not mean certification, while validation usually does. &quot;Prior learning&quot; has now been replaced by &quot;Informal /non-formal learning&quot; and the term used within the OBSERVAL-NET project is &quot;Validation&quot;. Thus, the term used for this report is &quot;Validation of Non-formal and Informal Learning&quot;, hereafter VNIL. The following are appended: (1) Questionnaire used for the case studies analysed in Chapter 1; (2) List of case studies analysed in Chapter 1 and their authors; (3) OBSERVAL-Net Manifesto on wider access and cooperation for strengthening validation practices in Europe; (4) OBSERVAL-Net Advocacy Pack Validation of Non-formal and Informal Learning (VNIL); and (5) OBSERVAL-NET Partners.
Pre-Service Teachers' Comments toward Official Teacher Selection System (Civil Servant Selection Examination, KPSS) in Turkey: A Qualitative Analysis
Author: Ugulu, Ilker
Date: 2015-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Preservice Teachers,Student Attitudes,Teacher Selection,Qualitative Research,Semi Structured Interviews,Questionnaires,Elementary Education,Biology,Institutes (Training Programs),Turkish,Language of Instruction,Mathematics Instruction,Teacher Education,Occupational Tests,Teacher Competency Testing,Case Studies

The purpose of this research is to investigate the opinions of the pre-service teachers toward teacher selection system and civil servant selection exam (KPSS). In this study, qualitative re-search methods and semi-structured interviews were used and researcher-made questionnaires containing open-ended questions were administered. The study group consists of 100 pre-service teachers from four departments (elementary education, biology education, Turkish education, and mathematics education) in Balikesir University (in western Turkey). Pre-service teachers reported that KPSS was not an appropriate examination to select a qualified teacher. Pre-service teachers suggest that both an oral and written examination process should be applied instead of KPSS.
The Acceptability and Efficacy of an Intelligent Social Tutoring System
Author: Sanchez, Rebecca Polley
Date: 2014-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Intelligent Tutoring Systems,Program Effectiveness,Interpersonal Competence,Intervention,Educational Games,Elementary School Students,Intermediate Grades,Computer Software,Usability,User Satisfaction (Information),Stress Variables,Pretests Posttests,Pilot Projects,Outcomes of Education,Small Group Instruction,Program Descriptions,Questionnaires,Rating Scales,Statistical Analysis

This study tested the acceptability and efficacy of an innovative intelligent tutoring system (ITS), &quot;Adventures Aboard the S.S. GRIN,&quot; that translates the evidence-based in-person Social Skills Group Intervention (SSGRIN), into an interactive game-based social tutorial. This randomized controlled pilot trial tested the first half of the social tutorial software for children with social skills challenges. Participating children in grades 3-5 were randomly assigned to immediate treatment (n = 19) or wait-list control (n = 17). User ratings indicated the software was easy to use and well-liked for this audience. The program was also associated with observable changes in social skills and behavior; children who interacted with &quot;Adventures Aboard the S.S. GRIN&quot; exhibited lower psychosocial distress and higher behavioral and emotional strength at post-test compared to children who did not. This pilot study offers important insights about the feasibility and potential effectiveness of online social skills training and lays the groundwork for future full-scale effectiveness testing. The advantages of using this state-of-the-art approach and its implications for improving social, emotional, and academic outcomes are discussed.
Reinventing School: Becoming a District of Choices. Michigan's Schools of Innovation // Berrien Springs Public Schools
Author: Van Beek, Michael
Date: 2013-08-02
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Educational Innovation,Public Schools,School Districts,Student Diversity,Enrollment Trends,Electronic Learning,Program Effectiveness,African American Students,Residential Patterns,Demography,Remedial Programs,Educational Technology,Virtual Classrooms,Home Schooling,Nontraditional Education,Barriers,Partnerships in Education

In this latest installment of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy's new &quot;Schools of Innovation&quot; series, we discuss how Berrien Springs school district is reinventing public school. This study examines how the district has become more racially diverse, enrollment is growing rapidly, and they are using that growth to inject some much needed balance to the school funds. All this has been due to the district's expansion of digital learning options, becoming a &quot;district of choices.&quot; The effectiveness of virtual learning and the resulting increase in district enrollment have fueled the expansion of other school programs--a marked contrast to the many Michigan school districts that have struggled to maintain their offerings during the state's economic slump.
Protecting Colleges and Students: Community College Strategies to Prevent Default
Author: McKibben, Bryce
Date: 2014-07-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Loan Default,Loan Repayment,Two Year College Students,Community Colleges,Predictor Variables,Graduation Rate,Student Characteristics,Grants,Remedial Instruction,Public Policy,Prevention,Federal Programs,Student Loan Programs,Federal Aid,Educational Finance,Institutional Characteristics,Barriers,Intervention,Counseling

Student loan default, defined as federal loan borrowers' failure to make any payments for at least 270 days, is an issue of increasing importance to community colleges and their students. This report takes a unique look at student loan default at nine community colleges across the nation, and how those colleges are working to help students avoid default. The 9 community colleges are: (1) Edmonds Community College; (2) Grossmont College; (3) Guilford Technical Community College; (4) Iowa Western Community College; (5) Lane Community College; (6) Minneapolis Community and Technical College; (7) Moraine Park Technical College; (8) St. Philip's College; and (9) Valencia College. The following are appended: (1) Methodology; and (2) FY 2010 Cohort Default Rate Data for Sample Colleges. A glossary is also included.
Changing Community Colleges: Early Lessons from Completion by Design
Author: Grossman, Jean Baldwin
Date: 2015-09-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Community Colleges,Two Year College Students,Access to Education,Change Strategies,Academic Persistence,Educational Change,Systems Approach,Educational Attainment,Case Studies,Observation,Institutional Characteristics,Student Characteristics,Teacher Attitudes,Student Attitudes,College Faculty,Surveys,Leadership,Participative Decision Making

Community colleges enroll almost half of the undergraduates in the United States and provide students the option to earn a degree at a lower cost and offer more flexible class schedules than four-year colleges. However, among first-time, full-time degree-seeking students entering public two-year schools, only about 20 percent graduate with a degree within three years. In this context, community colleges are under pressure: (1) To significantly increase the number of students who attain their educational goals (obtain a degree or certificate or complete a program of study); (2) To ensure that the college &quot;works&quot; for a diverse group of students (all ages; ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds; and college-readiness levels); and (3) To do so in a cost-efficient manner. (Competition for public funds is fierce and the state funding formulas used to provide most of a community college's income are changing.) This brief aims to provide college and higher education system leaders, as well as concerned funders and policymakers, with a framework for thinking about systemic change. It also provides insights from the Completion by Design (CBD) experience that can help others considering similar initiatives to develop implementation plans that are sufficiently broad and appropriately staffed, structured, and resourced. CBD is a five-year initiative that works with nine community colleges in three states. The goal of CBD is to substantially increase completion rates for these students, while holding down costs and maintaining access and quality. The brief first explains how systemic change is different from other, more incremental changes that colleges often implement and why systemic change is difficult but necessary. It then draws lessons from the experiences of five CBD case study colleges during the first two years of implementation.
The Michigan Context and Performance Report Card: Public Elementary &amp; Middle Schools, 2013
Author: Spalding, Audrey
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Academic Achievement,Regression (Statistics),Achievement Rating,Comparative Analysis,Comparative Testing,Educational Assessment,Evaluation Methods,Elementary Schools,Middle Schools,Income,Lunch Programs,Measurement Objectives,Measurement Techniques,Performance Based Assessment,Predictor Variables,School Statistics,Socioeconomic Status,Standardized Tests

The Michigan Context and Performance Report Card measures school performance by adjusting standardized test scores to account for student background. Comparing schools using unadjusted test scores ignores the significant relationship between academic performance and student socioeconomic background--a dynamic outside a school's control. The carefully adjusted &quot;CAP Scores&quot; in this report card allow parents, educators and the general public to better compare performance among schools serving the various student populations in, say, Saginaw, Ann Arbor and Escanaba. CAP Scores do not penalize schools in lower-income areas. This report card ranks 2,362 Michigan elementary and middle schools and relies on methodology developed by researchers at the University of Arkansas. CAP Scores are developed through a statistical regression of the schools' average scores on the tests produced by the Michigan Educational Assessment Program and the percentage of the schools' students at the grade level tested who were eligible for free lunch under the federal government's National School Lunch Program. Eligibility for a federally subsidized free lunch is frequently used by education researchers to measure a student's family income. This report card incorporated MEAP subject tests administered in years 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 to students in grades three through eight. Schools that serve primarily students with special needs were excluded from this analysis. The Overall CAP Scores were used to generate letter grades for each school using a standard bell curve. Ten percent of schools received an A; 20 percent received a B; 40 percent, a C; 20 percent, a D; and 10 percent, an F. This report card also sorts schools by their &quot;locale,&quot; using categories established by the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. Schools were categorized as city, suburban, town or rural schools. Elementary and middle schools located in towns had the highest average Overall CAP Score (100.10), followed by suburban schools (100.09), city schools (99.90) and rural schools (99.86). The following are appended: (1) Data Acquisition and Organization; (2) Accounting for Student Background; (3) Regression Analysis; and (4) Locale Codes.
The 2014 Michigan Public High School Context and Performance Report Card
Author: Spalding, Audrey
Date: 2014-11-20
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Academic Achievement,Achievement Rating,Comparative Analysis,Comparative Testing,Educational Assessment,Educational Indicators,High Schools,Income,Lunch Programs,Measurement Objectives,Performance Based Assessment,Predictor Variables,School Statistics,Social Indicators,Social Influences,Socioeconomic Status,Standardized Tests,Test Interpretation,Test Norms,Regression (Statistics),Charter Schools,School Districts,Scores

The 2014 Michigan Public High School Context and Performance Report Card is the Mackinac Center's second effort to measure high school performance. The first high school assessment was published in 2012, followed by the Center's 2013 elementary and middle school report card, which used a similar methodology to evaluate school performance. The Center plans to publish the high school report card and the elementary and middle school report card in alternating years moving forward. Though several school report cards and rankings are produced each year to evaluate schools in Michigan, most of these assessment do not take into account student socioeconomic background, which research has shown has a large impact on student achievement. School rankings and report cards that mainly rely on absolute student achievement run the risk of measuring schools based on student poverty, rather than school quality. By taking into account student socioeconomic background, this report card provides a better &quot;apples-to-apples&quot; comparison of school quality. Further, this report card averages school-level outcomes across four years, providing a more stable assessment of school quality over time. When measuring the performance of high schools, this is particularly important, because only one class of students (high school juniors) takes state assessment tests. Using a four-year average of scores provides a more complete profile of a school's performance. The resulting Context and Performance rankings provide an indication of whether a school, given its students' socioeconomic background, has posted academic outcomes that are better or worse than expected. Schools with test scores that exceed expectations receive higher rankings, while schools with test scores that fall below expectations receive lower rankings. Appended are: (1) Calculating CAP Scores and Letter Grades; (2) Regression Results; and (3) Locale Codes.
Weighing the Options for Improving the National Postsecondary Data Infrastructure
Author: Rorison, Jamey
Date: 2015-09-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Postsecondary Education,Data,Database Management Systems,Information Management,Student Records,Federal Programs,Information Networks,Systems Development,School Statistics,Labor Force,Longitudinal Studies,Clearinghouses,Information Needs,Strategic Planning,Change Strategies,Recordkeeping,Progress Monitoring,Information Systems,Computer System Design,Information Sources

Students, policymakers and institutions all need to have high quality data about how today's students access and pay for higher education--and what contributes to their success. But the data that are available now are woefully inadequate. We need to improve the national postsecondary data infrastructure The report thoroughly explores seven options for a national data solution: (1) Creating a Federal Student Unit Record Data System (SURDS); (2) Expanding, Leveraging, or Linking Government Data Systems; (3) Improving the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS); (4) Linking to Workforce Data Systems; (5) Linking State Longitudinal Data Systems; (6) Expanding the National Center for Education Statistics' (NCES') Sample Studies; and (7) Leveraging National Student Clearinghouse Data. Based on feedback from the field, the report also comes to important conclusions, namely that a student-level data system would be the most nimble and comprehensive way to meet various stakeholders' data needs, but the ban on the creation of a federal SURDS provides a current political obstacle. Also, while many identified a unit record solution as the best solution, we must explore alternative solutions that could be executed in its absence--and any viable solution to improving the national postsecondary data infrastructure must carefully address issues of data privacy and security.