ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Implementing RTI[superscript 2]: Reports from the Field. Policy Brief
Author: Dawkins, Shardae
Date: 2014-09-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Response to Intervention,Program Implementation,School Districts,Knowledge Level,Information Dissemination,Scheduling,Guidelines,Intervention,Regular and Special Education Relationship,Screening Tests,Progress Monitoring,Case Studies,Elementary Secondary Education

Starting in 2014-15, districts across the state of Tennessee must implement a Response to Instruction and Intervention (RTI[superscript 2]) plan. RTI[superscript 2] is an instructional framework which provides ongoing monitoring of student performance and progress through the use of universal student screeners and interventions targeted at students' identified problem areas. The framework is meant to identify and reduce student skill deficits and to provide a consistent method for diagnosing special education candidates. For some districts and schools, the RTI[superscript 2] framework is entirely new. Others have used some version of the program, often in select grades or subjects, for several years. The variation in RTI[superscript 2] preparedness across the state suggests the need for state personnel to provide a variety of different support strategies to insure strong implementation statewide. This report attempts to survey the spectrum of district and school readiness through a series of case studies in order to identify the kinds of targeted support that might prove most useful. To gain perspective on the implementation of RTI[superscript 2], district and school leaders from 14 schools in seven districts across the state were interviewed. Findings include: (1) Nearly all of the district and school administrators that we spoke with demonstrated a remarkably strong knowledge of the state's RTI[superscript 2] framework, suggesting that state communication and trainings have been quite successful in raising awareness of the new requirements; (2) Scheduling has proved to be a major difficulty for most schools, and administrators say they are unable to find enough time in the school day to adhere to state RTI[superscript 2] scheduling guidelines around uninterrupted core instruction and intervention time and still retain time for activities such as Art and Physical Education; (3) Nearly all administrators feel that RTI[superscript 2] has placed additional strain on already thin resources, and they identify challenges in financing the initial system, building the human capital to execute the program, and finding the physical space for the required small group interventions; (4) Many schools still are struggling to successfully blend the silos of general and special education in order to create the collaboration that feels necessary for strong RTI[superscript 2] implementation; and (5) Most districts are still focused on identifying screeners and progress monitors and few have reached the point where they are thinking deeply about the interventions that will take place once deficits have been identified. Appended are: (1) Case Study Selection Process; (2) Interview Questions; and (3) RTI[superscript 2] Readiness Rubric and Ratings.
Teacher Retention in Tennessee: Are We Keeping Our Best Teachers? Policy Brief
Author: Pratt, Tony
Date: 2014-05-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Teacher Persistence,Teacher Effectiveness,Public School Teachers,School Districts,Teaching Experience,Teacher Evaluation,Beginning Teachers,Minority Group Teachers,School District Size,Teaching Conditions,Labor Conditions,Elementary Secondary Education

While most teachers in Tennessee remain in their positions for many years, it is also the case that some of the most effective teachers depart each year, either to go teach in a different school, a different district, or sometimes to leave the profession entirely. Not all of these moves are avoidable, but finding ways to retain as many high quality teachers as possible represents a central challenge for all administrators. This brief adds to a substantial body of research on teacher retention by focusing on the relationship between retention rates and teacher effectiveness and the variation across schools and districts in the state of Tennessee. The report addresses the following questions: (1) What are the overall retention rates in Tennessee public schools? How does the likelihood that a teacher remains for another year differ by the teachers' years of teaching experience; (2) How do retention rates vary according to teachers' overall level of effectiveness derived from Tennessee's multiple measure teacher evaluation system (TEAM); (3) Are highly effective early career and minority teachers retained at similar rates to other highly effective teachers; (4) How do overall retention rates and the retention rates of highly effective teachers vary across districts; and Does district size help to explain any variation; and (5) What school-level factors seem to be driving retention, particularly of highly effective teachers? Possible strategies for improving work conditions with the goal of increasing school level retention of highly effective teachers are presented.
Talk at Mealtimes
Author: Clark, Christina
Date: 2013-07-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Family Environment,Interpersonal Communication,Communication Skills,Attitude Measures,Surveys,Children,Youth,Self Esteem,Listening Skills,Foreign Countries,Age Differences,Socioeconomic Influences,Racial Differences,Gender Differences,Classroom Communication,Elementary School Students,Literacy

This short report explores how many young people sit down with their family at mealtimes, how often they talk with their family when they do and the relationship between mealtime talk and young people's confidence in and attitudes towards communication skills. Using data from the latest annual survey of 34,910 children and young people, it shows that that children and young people who sit down to eat dinner and talk with their family are more confident communicators than those who do not. There is a renewed focus on speaking and listening skills in primary schools from September 2014 as part of the Government's proposals for a revised National Curriculum. Data from this annual survey of 34,910 children and young people show that the majority of children and young people (87%) say that they sit down with their family at mealtimes; of those, 74.2% talk with their family daily when they do. However, 7.1% never or rarely talk with their family when having their meals. The findings in this short report show that families can play their part in giving their children a solid foundation in speaking and listening skills by taking simple steps like chatting together at mealtimes.
The Impact of eBooks on the Reading Motivation and Reading Skills of Children and Young People: A Rapid Literature Review
Author: Picton, Irene
Date: 2014-09-00
Type: Information Analyses
Subjects: Electronic Publishing,Reading Motivation,Reading Skills,Surveys,Technology Uses in Education,Handheld Devices,Telecommunications,Student Interests,Foreign Countries,Printed Materials,Fiction,Gender Differences,Age Differences,Racial Differences,Ethnic Groups,Adolescents,Children,Attitude Measures,Literature Reviews

While ebooks have been around for many years, recent rapid improvements in the versatility and affordability of e-readers and tablets, along with increased access to broadband internet, have lead to a dramatic rise in household ownership of these devices. Between 2012 and 2013, the proportion of children responding to the National Literacy Trust's annual literacy survey who owned an e-reader rose from 20% to 30%, while tablet ownership increased from 38% to 65% and smartphone ownership from 38% to 70%. A 2013 Ofcom survey found that tablet use at home by children aged 5 to 15 almost tripled between 2012 and 2013, rising from 14% to 42%,. Electronic publishing has also developed during this time, allowing readers access to an ever-growing range and quality of ebooks, whenever and wherever they happen to have their portable device to hand. Academic and media interest in the difference between reading in print and reading on screen has grown as devices and software facilitating reading on screen become a greater part of everyday life, leading to a growing field of observation exploring the relationship between children's reading on screen and their reading skills and behaviour. While, until recently, the quality and quantity of ebooks for children has not been sufficient to provide material for large-scale longitudinal studies, many aspects of reading on screen have been explored in a range of international and national research. This rapid review draws together findings from studies related to children's screen reading behaviour, enjoyment and skills, both from secondary sources and in (as yet unpublished) findings from the National Literacy Trust's annual literacy survey 2012, which included questions examining the interplay between children's use of technology and their reading habits. National Literacy Trust survey sample characteristics are appended.
Young People's Views on Literacy Skills and Employment
Author: Clark, Christina
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Literacy,Skill Development,Young Children,Student Attitudes,National Surveys,Employment Potential,Skill Analysis,Influence of Technology,Job Skills,Evidence,Employer Attitudes,Communication Skills,Technological Literacy,Daily Living Skills,English,Mathematics Skills,Secondary School Students

Using secondary sources as well as National Literacy Trust survey data, this short report outlines how important young people think literacy skills are to their employment prospects and what skills they believe are particularly important. It also briefly outlines the important role that technology plays in the lives of young people and the degree to which this is linked to wider employment skills. A complementary report presents evidence on employers' views on literacy and employability. [For the complementary report &quot;Employers' Views on Youth Literacy and Employability,&quot; see ED560637.]
Employers' Views on Youth Literacy and Employability
Author: Macey, Emma
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Employer Attitudes,Employers,Job Skills,Literacy,Reading Skills,Writing Skills,Functional Literacy,Employment Qualifications,Foreign Countries,Surveys,Apprenticeships,Careers,Vocational Education,Career Education,Satisfaction,Technological Literacy

This report looks at whether employers think schools are equipping young people with the literacy skills required for the workplace. It is primarily based on secondary literature sources and introductory conversations with a small sample of key employers and agencies. A complementary report presents evidence on young people's views on literacy and employability. A bibliography is included. [For the complimentary report &quot;Young People's Views on Literacy Skills and Employment&quot;, see ED560636.]
A Survey of Idaho's Private Schools
Author: Catt, Andrew D.
Date: 2014-10-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Private Schools,School Surveys,Elementary Secondary Education,Institutional Characteristics,Enrollment,Tax Credits,Scholarships,School Choice,Tuition,Tuition Grants,Elementary Schools,Middle Schools,High Schools,Standardized Tests,Geographic Location,School Districts,Counties,School Schedules,Class Size

In this memo, we synthesize information collected recently in two private school surveys, one conducted by the U.S. Department of Education and another by the Friedman Foundation and the Idaho Federation of Independent Schools (IDFIS). After a brief description of the data sources, we present the key survey findings in two sections.
Delaware K-12 &amp; School Choice Survey: What Do Voters Say about K-12 Education? Polling Paper No. 21
Author: DiPerna, Paul
Date: 2014-10-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Elementary Secondary Education,School Choice,State Surveys,Telephone Surveys,Public Opinion,Educational Policy,Public Schools,School Effectiveness,Educational Finance,Private Schools,Charter Schools,Educational Vouchers,Scholarships,Tax Credits,Standardized Tests,Accountability

The &quot;Delaware K-12 &amp; School Choice Survey&quot; project, commissioned by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and conducted by Braun Research, Inc. (BRI), measures Delaware registered voters' familiarity and views on a range of K-12 education topics and school choice reforms. The author and his colleagues report response levels and differences of voter opinion, as well as the intensity of those responses. Where do Delawareans stand on important issues and policy proposals in K-12 education? A randomly selected and statistically representative sample of Delaware voters responded to more than 20 substantive questions and items, as well as six demographic questions. This project also included a couple of split-sample experiments. A split-sample design is a systematic way of comparing the effects of two or more alternative wordings for a given question. The purpose of the experiment was to see if providing a new piece of information about education can significantly influence opinion on salient issues in state politics and education policy discussions. This polling paper has four sections: (1) a summary of key findings; (2) &quot;Survey Snapshots,&quot; which offers charts highlighting the core findings of the project; (3) the survey's methodology, which summarizes response statistics, and presents additional technical information on call dispositions for landline and cell phone interviews; and (4) the survey questions and results (&quot;topline numbers&quot;), allowing the reader to follow the interview as it was conducted, with respect to question wording and ordering.
2015 Schooling in America Survey: Perspectives on School Choice, Common Core, and Standardized Testing. Polling Paper No. 24
Author: DiPerna, Paul
Date: 2015-06-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: School Choice,Common Core State Standards,Standardized Tests,Public Opinion,Elementary Secondary Education,Educational Finance,Public Support,Politics of Education,Accountability,Educational Policy,Federal Government,School Effectiveness,Public Schools,Private Schools,Charter Schools,Educational Vouchers,Scholarships,Tax Credits,Telephone Surveys,National Surveys

The purpose of this annual survey developed and reported by the Friedman Foundation and our partner, Braun Research, Inc., is to measure public opinion on, and in some cases awareness or knowledge of, a range of K-12 education topics and reforms. We report response levels, differences (&quot;margins&quot;), and intensities for the country and a range of demographic groups. We also track response changes over time when possible.
Exploring Ohio's Private Education Sector. School Survey Series
Author: Catt, Andrew D.
Date: 2014-12-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Private Education,Private Schools,State Surveys,School Choice,Educational Vouchers,Geographic Regions,Tuition,Student Financial Aid,School Size,Grouping (Instructional Purposes),Preschool Education,Elementary Secondary Education,Racial Composition,School Schedules,Class Size,Parochial Schools,Organizations (Groups),Institutional Characteristics

Exploring Ohio's Private Education Sector is the second entry in the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice's &quot;School Survey Series.&quot; This report synthesizes information on Ohio's private schools collected by the U.S. Department of Education and the Ohio Department of Education (ODE). Two appendices provide supplementary tables and figures.
2014 Schooling in America Survey: Perspectives on School Choice, Common Core, and Standardized Testing. Polling Paper No. 20
Author: DiPerna, Paul
Date: 2014-06-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: School Choice,Common Core State Standards,Standardized Tests,Public Opinion,Elementary Secondary Education,Educational Finance,Public Support,Politics of Education,Accountability,Educational Policy,Telephone Surveys,National Surveys,Federal Government,School Effectiveness,Public Schools,Private Schools,Charter Schools,Educational Vouchers,Scholarships,Tax Credits

The &quot;Schooling in America Survey&quot; is an annual project, commissioned by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and conducted by Braun Research, Inc. (BRI). The purpose of the project is to measure public opinion--and in some cases awareness or knowledge--on a range of K-12 education topics and reforms. The author and his colleagues report response levels, differences, and intensities for the country, four major regions, and demographic groups. These annual snapshots consider the perceived direction of American K-12 education; the federal government's performance in K-12 education; education spending; grades and preferences for different types of schools; and school choice topics addressing charter schools, vouchers, education savings accounts, and tax-credit scholarships. This report contains responses to two sets of questions with a special focus on standardized testing and the Common Core State Standards, and compares split-sample responses on questions exploring public spending on education; perceptions of political party support for school choice policies; test-based accountability; and the development and implementation of academic standards. All are salient issues in state politics and reflect undercurrents in education policy discussions. This polling paper has four sections: (1) a summary of findings; (2) &quot;Survey Snapshots,&quot; which offers charts highlighting the core findings of the project; (3) the survey's methodology, which summarizes response statistics, and presents additional technical information on call dispositions for landline and cell phone interviews; and (4) the survey questions and results (&quot;topline numbers&quot;), allowing the reader to follow the interview as it was conducted, with respect to question wording and ordering.
Baselining Young People's Literacy in Middlesbrough in 2012
Author: Clark, Christina
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Children,Youth,Reading Attitudes,Writing (Composition),Attitude Measures,Reading Materials,Comparative Analysis,Surveys,National Surveys,Gender Differences,Socioeconomic Influences,Communication Skills,Racial Differences,Ethnic Groups,Reading Material Selection,Elementary Secondary Education

This report presents baseline information about the degree to which children and young people in Middlesbrough enjoy reading and writing, how often then engage in reading and writing, what types of materials they read and write and how they feel about reading and writing. It also outlines baseline information about their confidence in their own communication skills and how they feel about communication skills generally. To contextualise the information about children's and young people's literacy in Middlesbrough, their responses are compared with a sample taken from our wider national survey that has been matched to Middlesbrough's general profile in terms of gender and free school meal uptake. Overall, 3,427 children and young people from 25 schools within the Middlesbrough local authority participated in the National Literacy Trust's annual literacy survey in November/December 2012. As many boys as girls took part (boys: 49.7%; girls: 50.3%). Reflecting the socioeconomic reality within the local authority, the sample contains more children and young people who say that they receive free school meals (25.8% compared to 16.7% nationally). Findings are presented in this report. An introduction to the annual literacy survey is appended.
Children's and Young People's Writing in 2012: Findings from the National Literacy Trust's Annual Literacy Survey
Author: Clark, Christina
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Foreign Countries,National Surveys,Writing (Composition),Writing Ability,Incidence,Writing Attitudes,Gender Differences,Socioeconomic Background,Racial Differences,Writing Achievement,Comparative Analysis,Tables (Data),Children,Adolescents,Elementary Secondary Education

This report outlines findings that relate to writing, taken from the third annual literacy survey, which was conducted in November/December 2012. 34,910 young people aged 8 to 16 participated. Key findings include: (1) 44.1% of children and young people enjoy writing either &quot;very much&quot; or &quot;quite a lot&quot;; 14.8% of children and young people do not enjoy writing at all (see Table 6, p. 19); (2) 86.7% of children and young people rate themselves as either average (58.2%) or very good writers (28.5%) (see Table 7, p. 20); (3) 26.7% of children and young people write outside of class every day, with another 28.9% writing something a few times a week. However, 25.7% of children and young people say that they rarely or never write outside of class (see Table 8, p. 21); (4) Technology-based formats, such as text messages (72.4%) and messages on social networking sites (52.3%) are most commonly written outside of class by a large margin, followed by emails (46.5%) and instant messages (45.2%). Notes (33.2%) and lyrics (26.9%) are the most frequently written non-technology formats (see Table 9, p. 22); and (5) Most children and young people thought positively about writing (see Tables 10.1 to 10.11, pp. 25-37). 77.8% agree that &quot;the more I write, the better my writing gets&quot;; 75.7% agree that &quot;writing is more fun when you can choose the topic&quot;; 60.3% agree that &quot;a pupil who writes well gets better marks&quot;; 55.8% agree that &quot;if I am good at writing, I'll get a better job&quot;. 31.0% of children and young people also agree that &quot;writing is cool&quot;. However, 53.7% agree that &quot;it is easier to read than it is to write&quot; and 48.2% agree that &quot;I have trouble deciding what to write&quot;. A quarter of children and young people (26.2%) agree that &quot;if you can use a spellchecker there is no point in learning spelling and grammar. Gender stereotypes are also relatively prevalent when it comes to writing, with 28.6% agreeing that &quot;girls tend to enjoy writing more than boys&quot;. 16.1% of children and young people agree that &quot;I would be embarrassed if friends saw me write&quot;. The following are appended: (1) An introduction to the annual literacy survey; (2) Methodology; and (3) Sample characteristics .