ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Statistical Properties of Accountability Measures Based on ACT's Educational Planning and Assessment System. ACT Research Report Series, 2009-1
Author: Allen, Jeff
Date: 2009-08-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Academic Achievement,High School Students,Accountability,Statistical Analysis,School Effectiveness,Teacher Effectiveness,Educational Planning,Enrollment,Poverty,Grade 8,Grade 10,Grade 11,Grade 12,School Readiness,Student Evaluation,Test Reliability,Higher Education

Educational accountability has grown substantially over the last decade, due in large part to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Accordingly, educational researchers and policymakers are interested in the statistical properties of accountability models used for NCLB, such as status, improvement, and growth models; as well as others that are not currently used for NCLB, such as value-added models. This study examines the statistical properties of accountability measures that are based on ACT's Educational Planning and Assessment System (EPAS). Utilizing data on 1,019 high school cohorts and over 70,000 students with test scores from three time points (8th, 10th, and 11th/12th grades), different types of accountability measures are contrasted and key statistical properties are discussed--including reliability, associations with prior mean academic achievement and school contextual factors, and associations with college enrollment and retention rates. Our findings highlight how status, improvement, growth, and value-added models can lead to different conclusions about a school's effectiveness. Unlike status, improvement, and growth models, value-added models attempt to isolate and measure the school's effect on student's learning. Thus, value-added measures have smaller associations with prior mean academic achievement and, by extension, school contextual factors such as poverty level and proportion of racial/ethnic minority students. This study also highlights the need for reporting the statistical uncertainty about estimates of schools' effects so that results can be properly interpreted. Appended are: (1) States and Locales of High School Cohorts Studied; and (2) Projection Parameters from WSR Method for Projecting ACT Scores. (Contains 34 tables and 2 figures.)
An Investigation of the Performance of the Generalized S-X[superscript 2] Item-Fit Index for Polytomous IRT Models. ACT Research Report Series, 2007-1
Author: Kang, Taehoon
Date: 2007-06-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Item Response Theory,Models,Computer Software,Statistical Analysis,Goodness of Fit,Scores,Test Length,Sample Size,Educational Testing,Psychological Testing

Orlando and Thissen (2000, 2003) proposed an item-fit index, S-X[superscript 2], for dichotomous item response theory (IRT) models, which has performed better than traditional item-fit statistics such as Yen's (1981) Q[subscript 1] and McKinley and Mill's (1985) G[superscript 2]. This study extends the utility of S-X[superscript 2] to polytomous IRT models, including the generalized partial credit model (GPCM: Muraki, 1992), partial credit model (PCM: Masters, 1982), and rating scale model (RSM: Andrich, 1978). The performance of the generalized S-X[superscript 2] in assessing item-model fit was studied in terms of empirical Type I error rates and power as compared to results obtained for G[superscript 2] provided by the computer program PARSCALE (Muraki & Bock, 1997). The results show that the generalized S-X[superscript 2] is a promising item-fit index for polytomous items in educational and psychological testing programs. Examples of the PARSCALE Codes Used for GPCM, PCM and RSM Calibration are appended. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)
Linking Item Parameters to a Base Scale. ACT Research Report Series, 2009-2
Author: Kang, Taehoon
Date: 2009-08-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Standards,Testing Programs,Test Items,Statistical Distributions,Sample Size,Item Response Theory,Comparative Analysis,Models,Measures (Individuals)

This paper compares three methods of item calibration--concurrent calibration, separate calibration with linking, and fixed item parameter calibration--that are frequently used for linking item parameters to a base scale. Concurrent and separate calibrations were implemented using BILOG-MG. The Stocking and Lord (1983) characteristic curve method of parameter linking was used in conjunction with separate calibration. The fixed item parameter calibration (FIPC) method was implemented using both BILOG-MG and PARSCALE because the method is carried out differently by the two programs. Both programs use multiple EM cycles but BILOG-MG does not update the prior ability distribution during FIPC calibration whereas PARSCALE updates the prior ability distribution multiple times. The methods were compared using simulations based on actual testing program data and results were evaluated in terms of recovery of the underlying ability distributions, the item characteristic curves, and the test characteristic curves. Factors manipulated in the simulations were sample size, ability distributions, and numbers of common (or fixed) items. The results for concurrent calibration and separate calibration with linking were comparable and both methods showed good recovery results for all conditions. Between the two fixed item parameter calibration procedures, only the appropriate use of PARSCALE consistently provided item parameter linking results similar to those of the other two methods. An appendix is included. (Contains 2 tables and 6 figures.)
Low-Income Children, Their Families and the Great Recession: What Next in Policy?
Author: Aber, Lawrence
Date: 2010-04-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Human Capital,Economic Climate,Low Income Groups,Politics of Education,Children,Child Development,Socioeconomic Influences,Context Effect,Federal Aid

Children and youth vary in their developmental health due to differences in family economic security and exposure to toxic stress. The economic downturn has increased the challenges facing low-income children. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) and the President's first budget made significant down-payments on investments in protecting and promoting the well-being of these children. Some of those investments are temporary and must be built into baselines going forward. Many other promising avenues for policy change could be implemented through reauthorization of Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) and Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Further, a new era of experimentation in innovative program and policies is recommended for when the economy recovers. (Contains 1 table and 7 notes.)
Postsecondary Education and Training As We Know It Is Not Enough: Why We Need to Leaven Postsecondary Strategy with More Attention to Employment Policy, Social Policy, and Career and Technical Education in High School
Author: Carnevale, Anthony P.
Date: 2010-04-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Postsecondary Education,Human Capital,Role of Education,Educational Change,Community Colleges,Associate Degrees,Employment,Public Policy,Secondary Education,Vocational Education

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the American Graduation Initiative emphasize Pell grant funding and focusing on community colleges and sub-baccalaureate degrees. As a result, the administration's postsecondary strategy shifts postsecondary resources to the least advantaged students and the two-year and less selective four-year institutions. This shift is part of a longer-term policy trend toward a reliance on postsecondary education as the primary element in domestic employment and social policy. As we proceed beyond the stimulus, the postsecondary emphasis needs to be leavened with more attention to employment policy and social policy goals, both for adults and working students. (Contains 3 figures and 8 notes.)
On the Lifetime Prevalence of Running Away from Home
Author: Pergamit, Michael R.
Date: 2010-04-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Runaways,Adolescents,At Risk Persons,Incidence,African American Children,Females,Social Problems,Repetition,Measures (Individuals),Computation

Nearly one in five U.S. youths will run away from home before age 18. Almost 30 percent of these youth will do so three or more times, greatly increasing their risk of violence, crime, drugs, prostitution, STDs, and many other problems. Employing new methodology to yield estimates not available elsewhere, this paper follows a nationally representative sample of 12-year olds through their 18th birthday to discover how many youth run away from home, the number of times they ran away, and the age they first run away. Female and black youth are found to run away the most often. Specifically, this paper exploits a useful data set, the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1997 cohort (NLSY97), to develop three measures not generally found in the literature. First, it estimates the percentage of youth who run away from home before the age of 18, that is, &quot;lifetime&quot; prevalence. Second, it estimates the distribution of the number of times youth run away before age 18, and finally, it estimates the age at which these youth first run away. In then reviews the various estimates of runaway incidence. After describing the NLSY97 data set, it presents estimates of the percentage of youth who have ever run away, the number of times they've run away, and the age at which they first ran away. Finally it then concludes with a discussion of how these estimates help inform about runaway behavior. (Contains 3 tables and 4 footnotes.)
Low-Skill Workers' Access to Quality Green Jobs. Perspectives on Low-Income Working Families. Brief 13
Author: Martinson, Karin
Date: 2010-05-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Semiskilled Workers,Employment Opportunities,Sustainable Development,Conservation (Environment),Ecology,Quality of Life,Social Mobility,Education Work Relationship,Economic Climate

This brief discusses strategies for improving access to green jobs among those with low skill levels, particularly jobs that can help improve workers' economic standing and better support their families. In order to understand where green jobs for low-skill individuals can be found, the first section provides an overview of green industries and occupations and what they pay. The second section focuses on identifying "good" green jobs that provide the potential for individuals to support themselves and their families. Other sections discuss how training for green jobs can equip low-skill workers with needed skills, provide recommendations for improving these training efforts, and detail examples of innovative programs. (Contains 1 box, 1 figure and 9 notes.)
EPAS: A System that Works
Author: ACT, Inc.
Date: 2006-00-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: High Schools,Career Planning,Transitional Programs,Developmental Studies Programs,Academic Achievement,College Preparation,School Readiness,Educational Counseling,Minority Groups,Enrollment Management,Academic Persistence,Educational Assessment,Educational Planning

ACT's Educational Planning and Assessment System (EPAS[R]) is designed to guide and support schools, districts, and states in their efforts to improve students' readiness for life after high school. EPAS provides a longitudinal approach to educational and career planning, assessment, instructional support, and evaluation. EPAS components are coordinated in a unified, comprehensive system for measuring and monitoring student achievement over time. EPAS results, which are reported on a single score scale, are designed to inform students, parents, teachers, counselors, administrators, and policymakers about students' strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, this information is provided prior to and during students' high school experience, while there is still time to address these strengths and weaknesses. EPAS consists of EXPLORE[R] (for eighth and ninth graders), PLAN[R] (for tenth and eleventh graders), and the ACT[R] (for eleventh and twelfth graders). Each is designed to help students plan for further education and explore career options based on their own skills, interests, and aspirations. EPAS gives high schools and districts a way to get students engaged in planning their own futures. When students know what colleges expect, in terms they can understand, students can use their own information to help make a smooth transition to postsecondary education or training. (Also includes References/Data Sources.)
Incorporating ACT Scores into Your Statewide Assessment. Issues in College Readiness
Author: ACT, Inc.
Date: 2005-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Academic Achievement,Raw Scores,Achievement Rating,School Readiness,Comparative Analysis,Comparative Testing,State Standards,Equated Scores,Rating Scales

One of the most challenging issues a state must resolve in designing a statewide standards and college readiness assessment is that of how student scores should be reported. The ACT is an effective and reliable measure of student readiness for college and work, but in some cases states may wish to augment the ACT with tests of their own design. In these cases where multiple tests from different sources are included in the student assessment, how does an individual create a common score scale that combines information about student achievement across tests? This question is frequently asked of ACT by states that use, or are considering using, the ACT as part of their state assessment. ACT's simple, straightforward approach is based on the use of "scale" scores, in which raw scores from different forms of an assessment are converted to a common scale for reporting, and scale scores from assessments with differing requirements or differing numbers of items are combined onto a single, common scale. This method ensures both that equivalent scores on the different forms of the assessments will refer to an equivalent level of achievement and that equivalent aggregate scores made up of the individual scale scores from each assessment will refer to an equivalent level of achievement.
Do Current State Standards and Assessments Reflect College Readiness?: A Case Study. Issues in College Readiness
Author: ACT, Inc.
Date: 2005-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: High Schools,Educational Planning,State Standards,Academic Achievement,Program Effectiveness,Educational Assessment,Case Studies,School Readiness,Comparative Analysis,Comparative Education,Benchmarking,Educational Indicators

Do state standards and assessments provide accurate, meaningful information about the college readiness levels of the state's high school students? To suggest an answer to this question, this study examined data from one state in which students in grades 8 and 10 take both a statewide assessment and the corresponding component of ACT's Educational Planning and Assessment System (EPAS)[TM]. EPAS consists of three programs: (1) EXPLORE[R], for students in grades 8 and 9, which provides baseline information on the academic preparation of students that can be used to plan high school coursework; (2) PLAN, for students in grade 10, which provides a midpoint review of students' progress toward their education and career goals while there is still time to make necessary interventions; and (3) The ACT Assessment[R] (or &quot;ACT&quot;), for students in grades 11 and 12, which measures students' academic readiness to make successful transitions to college and work after high school. The results of this study show that in at least one case there is evidence that state standards and state assessments alone do not accurately reflect the college readiness levels of the students in the state. This study demonstrates that using EXPLORE/PLAN in conjunction with a state assessment increases the likelihood that the state's students will be ready for college and work by the time they finish high school. (Contains 1 table, 4 figures and 2 footnotes.)
Are High School Grades Inflated? Issues in College Readiness
Author: ACT, Inc.
Date: 2005-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Grade Point Average,Grade Inflation,Economic Climate,High Schools,Grade 11,Grade 12,Public Schools,Academic Achievement,English,Mathematics Instruction,Science Instruction,Social Studies

To find out whether high school grade inflation exists, data drawn from students who took the ACT in the eleventh or twelfth grades and graduated from public high schools were examined. Because grade inflation is by definition a factor that develops over time, data from a relatively long period, 1991 to 2003, or 13 years were used. The number of students in each year's sample varied from about 600,000 to about 800,000. The students' GPA was calculated based on their self-reported grades in 23 courses in English, mathematics, science, and social studies. Students report this information when registering to take the ACT. The results of the study show that students with the same ACT Composite score value have the same level of academic achievement from year to year. Hence, any increase in grade point average from year to year represents grade inflation.
Assessing the College Readiness in Reading of Eighth- and Ninth-Grade Students Using ACT's EXPLORE[R]
Author: ACT, Inc.
Date: 2006-00-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Reading Skills,High School Students,Reading Instruction,Grade 8,Grade 9,Student Evaluation,Identification,College Preparation,Academic Achievement,Data Analysis,Reading Comprehension,Learning Activities,Literacy

ACT data suggest that the readiness of the nation's high school students for college-level reading is far too low. But ACT data also show that, while it is important for students to be able to comprehend both explicit and implicit material in texts, as well as to understand how various textual elements (such as main ideas, relationships, or generalizations) function in a text, the clearest differentiator in reading between students who are ready for college and students who are not is the ability to comprehend &quot;complex&quot; texts. Only 43 percent of 2006 EXPLORE-tested eighth- and ninth-graders are on target to be ready for college-level reading. If a greater number of these students can be identified and helped before they reach high school, they will be more likely to have developed the necessary foundational reading skills upon which college-ready skills can be based. This report concludes with recommended action steps that policymakers and educators can take to help all students read at the level of proficiency necessary to ensure that they are ready to succeed in college without remediation. The Appendix lists some of the College Readiness Standards that eighth-and ninth-grade students need to be on target for college readiness in reading, as well as some suggested activities that can help students attain those standards.
Gender Fairness Using the ACT
Author: ACT, Inc.
Date: 2005-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Females,Standardized Tests,Gender Differences,Males,College Bound Students,Student Evaluation,High School Students,Scores

A criticism made against standardized tests is that they may be biased against females because males typically outscore females. On the ACT, males perform only slightly better than females. The population of students who take the ACT is self-selected--that is, the ACT has traditionally been taken primarily by those planning to attend college. For the past decade, 56 percent of ACT test takers have been female, a figure identical to the percentage of females attending college during the same period. One theory is that if all students, not just the college bound, were to take the ACT, there would be no score difference between males and females. To test this theory, eight years' worth of data from the states of Colorado and Illinois, both of which recently moved from traditional self-selected administrations of the ACT to a system in which all students take the test, were studied. There is clear evidence that gender differences on the ACT are a function of self-selection and that these differences disappear (or reverse slightly in favor of females) when all students are tested. One can conclude, therefore, that the differences seen between males and females on the ACT are a function of self-selection--that is, who decides to take the test--rather than inherent bias in what the test is measuring. (Contains 4 figures and 2 tables.)
Benefits of a High School Core Curriculum
Author: ACT, Inc.
Date: 2006-00-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: High Schools,Core Curriculum,Academic Achievement,Mathematics,College Bound Students,High School Graduates,High School Seniors,College Preparation,School Readiness,Higher Education,Secondary Education,English Instruction,Mathematics Instruction,Biology,Chemistry,Physics,Science Instruction,Secondary School Science,Social Sciences,Secondary School Curriculum,Job Training,Education Work Relationship,Achievement Tests,College Entrance Examinations

Since the publication of "A Nation at Risk", ACT has recommended that students take a core curriculum in high school in order to be prepared for college-level work. ACT's recommended core curriculum consists of four years of English and three years each of mathematics, science, and social studies. The benefits to students of taking the right number of core preparatory courses in high school have been well documented by ACT research. More recently, ACT research has also shown that taking certain specific courses in high school, such as Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and mathematics courses including Algebra II and beyond, substantially increases students' readiness for college-level work as well as their readiness for workforce training programs. The purpose of this brief is to summarize ACT's research on the core curriculum. It describes the relative benefits of taking the ACT-recommended core curriculum, and of taking specific high school courses. The brief is divided into two parts: benefits for academic achievement and college and workforce training readiness, and benefits for college success. Unless otherwise specified, the results reported here are based on the 2005 ACT-tested high school graduating class, totaling about 1.2 million students. Of these students, 56 percent took the core curriculum and 34 percent took less than the core curriculum. (Contains 14 notes.)
Impact of Cognitive, Psychosocial, and Career Factors on Educational and Workplace Success. Issues in College Success
Author: ACT, Inc.
Date: 2007-00-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Outcomes of Education,Academic Achievement,Cognitive Development,Career Development,Readiness,Motivation,Self Management,Individual Development,Success,Academic Persistence,Educational Attainment,Labor Force Development,Vocational Maturity,Employment Potential,Job Skills,Job Performance,Job Training,Psychological Characteristics,Benchmarking,Testing,Predictor Variables,Middle School Students,High School Students,Correlation

Postsecondary and work success is central to the economic and social wellbeing of a country. Fundamentally, college success is measured by persistence to degree attainment. Analogously, work success refers to effective performance of a job's required tasks. To succeed in college, one must be ready for college. A student who is ready for college is prepared to enter a credit-bearing college course with a high likelihood of obtaining a grade of C or better in the course. Similarly, a student who is ready for workforce training is prepared to learn from training program materials and complete training and/or certification requirements. This paper discusses the key factors of college and work readiness. These are: (1) &quot;cognitive development&quot;, as measured by academic learning and achievement; (2) &quot;psychosocial development&quot;, as measured by motivation, and self-regulatory and social engagement constructs; and (3) &quot;career development&quot;, as reflected in an ability to engage in exploration and crystallization and make effective choices. (Contains 5 figures and 8 tables.)