ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Apples to Apples: An Evaluation of Charter Schools Serving General Student Populations
Author: Greene, Jay P.
Date: 2006-04-04
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Charter Schools,Reading Tests,Mathematics Tests,Educational Change,Mathematics Achievement,Reading Achievement,Comparative Testing,Matched Groups,State Surveys,Program Effectiveness,Participant Characteristics,Program Evaluation

Charter schools--public schools that are exempt from many of the procedural regulations that apply to regular public schools--are a widespread but poorly-studied form of education reform. With nearly 2,700 charter schools now educating more than 684,000 children nationwide, policymakers and parents need to know how the education charter schools provide compares to that provided by regular public schools. Assessing the academic performance of charter schools is difficult, because many charter schools are targeted toward specific populations such as at-risk students, disabled students, and juvenile delinquents. This makes it very challenging for researchers to draw a fair comparison--comparing targeted charter schools to regular public schools is like comparing apples and zebras. As a result, there are very few reliable research findings on the academic quality of charter schools as compared to regular public schools. This is the first national empirical study of charter schools that compares apples to apples--that is, test scores at charter schools and regular public schools serving similar student populations. By comparing "untargeted" charter schools serving the general population to their closest neighboring regular public schools, we can draw a fair comparison and get an accurate picture of how well charter schools are performing. Measuring test score improvements in eleven states over a one-year period, this study finds that charter schools serving the general student population outperformed nearby regular public schools on math tests by 0.08 standard deviations, equivalent to a benefit of 3 percentile points for a student starting at the 50th percentile. These charter schools also outperformed nearby regular public schools on reading tests by 0.04 standard deviations, equal to a benefit of 2 percentile points for a student starting at the 50th percentile. The study's strongest results came in Florida and Texas. In Texas, charter schools achieved year-to-year math score improvements 0.18 standard deviations higher than those of comparable regular public schools, and reading score improvements 0.19 standard deviations higher. These benefits are equivalent to 7 and 8 percentile points, respectively, from the 50th percentile. Florida charter schools achieved year-to-year math and reading score improvements that were each 0.15 standard deviations greater than those of nearby regular public schools, equivalent to a gain of 6 percentile points for a student starting at the 50th percentile. (Contains 2 tables and 6 endnotes.)
The Alchemy of &quot;Costing Out&quot; an Adequate Education
Author: Hanushek, Eric A.
Date: 2006-09-14
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Educational Finance,Educational Administration,Computation,Expenditures,Educational Quality,School Law,Court Litigation,Resource Allocation,Needs Assessment,Causal Models,Expenditure per Student,Academic Achievement,Evidence,Consultants,Conflict of Interest,Research Methodology,Effective Schools Research,Academic Aspiration,School Districts

In response to the rapid rise in court cases related to the adequacy of school funding, a variety of alternative methods have been developed to provide an analytical base about the necessary expenditure on schools. These approaches have been titled to give an aura of a thoughtful and solid scientific basis: the professional judgment model, the state-of-the-art approach, the successful schools method, and the cost function approach. Unfortunately, none can provide a reliable and unbiased answer to the question &quot;how much do adequate schools cost?&quot; Each is highly manipulable, generally satisfying the interested party commissioning the work to be done but not meeting the fundamental tenets of scientific inquiry. This paper reviews and critiques the methodology as applied in a substantial number of states. (Contains 43 endnotes.)
You Can't Choose if You Don't Know: The Failure to Properly Inform Parents about NCLB School Choice
Author: Greene, Jay P.
Date: 2007-06-04
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: School Choice,Federal Legislation,Electronic Mail,Mail Surveys,Compliance (Legal),Access to Information,User Satisfaction (Information),Information Services,Parent School Relationship,Failure,Participation,Educational Administration

To measure the extent to which schools are properly informing parents about NCLB school choice we sent emails to choice-eligible schools requesting information. The emails were made ambiguous in their origin and purpose so that schools could believe that they came from parents. What we found was widespread lack of cooperation. The vast majority of schools failed to reply at all. Those that did reply were mostly concerned with who we were and why we were asking. Only a tiny minority of schools provided us with the information requested. It is clear that schools are failing to properly inform parents about NCLB school choice. It is also obvious that little is being done to monitor or enforce compliance with these provisions of NCLB. (Contains 2 tables and 24 endnotes.)
Massachusetts' &quot;Hancock&quot; Case and the Adequacy Doctrine
Author: Costrell, Robert
Date: 2006-08-15
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Educational Objectives,Courts,Educational Finance,Outcomes of Education,Court Litigation,Accountability,Intervention,Educational Change,Scores,Federal Legislation,Public Education

The Hancock school finance case put the adequacy doctrine to its strictest test yet, to see if even a national educational leader such as Massachusetts could be found in constitutional violation. The doctrine failed this test, as the court found in favor of the defendants due to the vigorous reform program since 1993. The court credited the state's steady educational progress, closing of funding gaps between rich and poor districts, and its strong program of accountability and standards. None of this is relevant under the adequacy doctrine, which posits a constitutional funding requirement tied to specified educational outcomes. The lessons of Hancock are that courts need not accept the adequacy doctrine as the constitutional standard, but the best strategy to head off judicial intervention is to adopt Massachusetts-type reforms. (Contains 10 figures and 66 footnotes.)
Single-Sex Classes in Two Arkansas Elementary Schools: 2008-2009
Author: Stotsky, Sandra
Date: 2010-01-15
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Public Schools,Test Results,Elementary Schools,Grade 6,Grade 5,Elementary School Students,Males,Reading Skills,Standardized Tests,Comparative Analysis,Mathematics Achievement,Gender Differences,Trend Analysis,Advanced Placement,Science Achievement,Writing Skills,Attendance Patterns,Discipline

Interest in single-sex classes continues to grow in the United States, but there has been little research at the elementary level in this country or elsewhere to help guide educators' decision-making about the overall value of single-sex classes in public schools and the specific value of single-sex classes in public schools for increasing boy's reading achievement. The major purpose of our study was to find out if single-sex classes in two public elementary schools in Arkansas, one in grade 5 and the other in grade 6, seemed to make a difference in boys' reading achievement in the 2008-2009 year, as judged by scores on annual state assessments. That is, did boys in an all-boys' class do better than, the same as, or worse than comparable boys in a mixed class? We were interested in whether boys' literacy scores significantly improved in a single-sex class because of the large and growing gap in reading (and writing) achievement between boys and girls by the high school years. The single-sex classes in the two elementary schools for which we had state assessment data showed differing results. In one school, boys in the boys' class gained significantly more in Literacy than boys in the mixed class. In the other school, boys in the boys' class did not gain significantly more or less than boys in the mixed class in Literacy, but they did gain significantly less than the boys in the mixed class on the Reading test from a nationally normed test that the school also gives. As we also found, girls did not gain significantly more in Mathematics in a girls' class than in a mixed class in either school, but they did not gain significantly less. However, the trends in gain scores for boys and girls in Literacy and in Mathematics tended to favor the single-sex classes. There does not seem to be an academic downside in experimenting with single-sex classes so far as is suggested by test results in these two elementary schools. Boys' and Girls' Scores in Mathematics are appended. (Contains 18 tables and 4 footnotes.)
Licensure Tests for Special Education Teachers: How Well They Assess Knowledge of Reading Instruction and Mathematics
Author: Stotsky, Sandra
Date: 2008-11-07
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Mathematics Education,Test Items,Educational Testing,Special Education Teachers,Educational Policy,Licensing Examinations (Professions),State Standards,Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Web Sites,Content Analysis,Item Analysis,Preservice Teacher Education,Reading Instruction,Mathematics Achievement,Reading Achievement

The 1998 reauthorization of the Higher Education Act requires all states to report annually to the U.S. Department of Education the number of prospective teachers at each teacher training institution who pass their own state tests for licensure. However, the law left decisions on what tests to require in each field, what to assess on them, and their passing scores up to each state. To determine the content knowledge in reading and mathematics that subject tests for prospective special education teachers assess, this study drew on information available on the Web sites for Educational Testing Service, the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence, and National Evaluation Systems. It examined the extent to which these tests address three research-based components of reading pedagogy (instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, and vocabulary knowledge), the weights attached to knowledge of these three components, and the quality of the sample questions provided for them. It estimated the percentage of test items addressing mathematics content and these three components on each test. It also analyzed the descriptions of ETS's tests of "principles of teaching and learning" to see whether these tests assess understanding and use of educational theories that underlie effective research-based practices. The findings of this study suggest that one solution for ensuring that prospective special education teachers begin their teaching careers with a substantial amount of research-based knowledge of reading instruction is to require them to take a dedicated test of research-based reading instructional knowledge, as do California, Massachusetts, and Virginia, in addition to any other tests required for their license. To ensure an adequate amount of relevant mathematical knowledge, states might consider replicating the 40-item test of mathematics content that Massachusetts will require of all aspiring elementary and special education teachers in 2009. States will also need to design their own tests of basic principles of teaching to ensure that they assess knowledge of educational theories that underlie effective research-based practices. Profiles of Thirteen Tests for Elementary and Sometimes Other Teachers are appended. (Contains 1 figure, 2 tables and 5 footnotes.)
Addressing Gaps in Research on First-Year Success: Gauging the Influence of High School Environment, Part-Time Instructors, and Diversity on Preparation and Persistence of First-Year University Students
Author: Herzog, Serge
Date: 2008-11-05
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: High Schools,Educational Environment,Academic Persistence,College Freshmen,Predictor Variables,College Preparation,Developmental Studies Programs,Cohort Analysis,Performance Factors,Success,Part Time Faculty,Ethnic Diversity,Regression (Statistics),Influences

Effects of the high school environment, part-time university instructors, and classroom ethnic/racial diversity on first-year student preparation and enrollment persistence are estimated via hierarchical linear and logistic regression. After controlling for student socio-demographic characteristics and motivation to enter college, high school attributes bear little relevance to level of academic preparation at the start of the first year of study. In contrast, academic performance of low-income students at the end of the first year is negatively associated with several features of the high school environment. There is little evidence that student persistence is negatively affected by exposure to part-time instructors during the first year in college. Ethnic/racial diversity in the classroom appears to slightly enhance persistence of non-Asian minority students, but shows no positive relationship with cognitive growth. Unmet financial need marginally increases the dropout risk of students taking greater course loads net of socio-demographic background, academic preparation, first-year grades, on-campus residency, and type of aid received. Results are based on institutional matriculation records of 2,800 first-year students at a moderately selective public university and official high school accountability reports collected by the state's department of education. (Contains 8 tables and 6 footnotes.)
Using School Scholarships to Estimate the Effect of Private Education on the Academic Achievement of Low Income Students in Chile
Author: Anand, Priyanka
Date: 2008-05-30
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Private Education,Public Schools,Standardized Tests,Academic Achievement,Foreign Countries,Scores,Scholarships,Educational Vouchers,Low Income Groups,At Risk Students,Comparative Analysis,Politics of Education,Educational History,Interviews,School Choice

This paper estimates the impact of private education on the academic achievement of low-income students in Chile. To deal with selection bias, we use propensity score matching to compare the test scores of reduced-fee paying, low-income students in private voucher schools to those of similar students in public schools and free private voucher schools. Our results reveal that students in fee-charging private voucher schools score slightly higher than students in public schools. The difference in standardized test scores is approximately 10 points, a test score gain of 0.2 standard deviations. We find no difference in the academic achievement of students in the private voucher-fee charging treatment group relative to their counterparts in free private voucher schools. Variables used in the analysis are appended. (Contains 13 tables and 31 footnotes.) [Funding for this research was provided by Fondecyt, the Fulbright Commission, and PBCT-CONICYT Project CIE-05.]
A Phenomenological Study of School Consolidation
Author: Nitta, Keith
Date: 2008-04-07
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Consolidated Schools,School Culture,School Size,Phenomenology,Educational Policy,Policy Analysis,School Organization,School District Reorganization,School Choice,Educational Environment,Interviews,Cost Effectiveness,Administrator Attitudes,Student Attitudes,Teacher Attitudes,Individual Differences

This phenomenological study of school consolidation is an investigation of how education policy that dictates the reorganization of schools and districts impacts educational choices, learning environments, and school culture. Although quality studies of optimal school size for promoting student achievement and cutting costs have emerged in the consolidation literature, few rigorous studies exist that investigate the affective costs and benefits of school consolidation policies. We present the findings from twenty-five interviews in four Arkansas school districts with students, teachers, and administrators who moved as a result of district consolidation, as well as those who were already in receiving schools. In addition to evidence verifying and throwing into doubt arguments in the existing literature both supporting and opposing consolidation, we report evidence of three new themes: 1) those moving schools and in receiving schools have different experiences, with those moving much more affected; 2) adults and children are affected differently, with children much more adaptable; and 3) some promising consolidation strategies to mitigate the problems of consolidation have begun to emerge. (Contains 2 tables.)
Why Teacher Leaders Don't Want to Be Principals: Evidence from Arkansas
Author: Hewitt, Paul M.
Date: 2009-03-11
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: School Administration,Administration,Teacher Leadership,Principals,Occupational Aspiration,Vocational Interests,Etiology,Attribution Theory,Teacher Surveys,Motivation,Teacher Attitudes,Performance Factors,Predictor Variables,Negative Attitudes,Evidence

This study investigates why teachers, identified by their school principal as being leaders or having leadership potential, chose not to become school principals. At a time in which the literature is reporting a shortage of qualified applicants for school administrative positions the identified reasons most cited by teacher leaders include testing/accountability pressures too great, job generally too stressful, too much time required, and societal problems make it difficult to focus on instruction. The key factors for teacher leaders choosing not to pursue a career in school administration are categorized as stress and time demands are too great. (Contains 5 tables.)
The Fiscal Impact of the MPCP in Milwaukee and Wisconsin: 1993-2008
Author: Costrell, Robert M.
Date: 2008-04-07
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Funding Formulas,Audits (Verification),Educational Vouchers,School Choice,Educational Finance,Educational Equity (Finance),Tax Effort,Economic Impact,Program Evaluation,Expenditures,Enrollment Trends,Equalization Aid,Fiscal Capacity,Financial Policy,Policy Analysis,Longitudinal Studies,Case Studies,Cost Effectiveness

Throughout the history of publicly-funded voucher programs--enacted and proposed--the impact on taxpayers has been a recurring issue. As the nation's longest-running program, the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP) provides an important case study. The fiscal impact of Milwaukee's program has evolved in very significant ways over its 18-year history, both in size (as the program grew) and in its allocation among different groups of taxpayers--Milwaukee property taxpayers, non-Milwaukee property taxpayers, and Wisconsin state taxpayers. This report closely examines the features of the MPCP funding formula, and its interaction with the state's regular district funding formula over the program's history to better understand the impact on taxpayers. Appendices include: (1) Review of selected previous literature; (2) Further Details in Funding Formulas; and (3) Equations Underlying Tables and Figures. (Contains 66 footnotes, 8 tables, and 9 figures.)
The Impact of School Finance Litigation on Resource Distribution: A Comparison of Court-Mandated Equity and Adequacy Reforms
Author: Springer, Matthew G.
Date: 2008-04-07
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Educational Needs,Educational Finance,Court Litigation,Educational Equity (Finance),Resource Allocation,Financial Policy,Compliance (Legal),Equalization Aid,Educational Resources,Economic Impact,Program Effectiveness,Comparative Analysis,Finance Reform,Social Justice,Policy Analysis,Politics of Education

While there is a wealth of research on school finance equity and adequacy, and school finance theory clearly documents differences between the two concepts, no study has examined whether the reforms engendered by each approach actually differ in terms of resource distribution. This study examines the issues using district level data on expenditure by function from two, large national datasets: U.S Census of Governments School System Finance File (F-33, 1972-2002) and the National Center for Education Statistics' Longitudinal School District Fiscal-Nonfiscal File (FNF, 1990-2000). A difference-in-differences estimator with state and year fixed effects indicates that both court-mandated equity and adequacy reforms decrease resource inequities. However, estimates based on data from the F-33 file show negligible differences between equity and adequacy reforms, while estimates based on data from the FNF file indicate adequacy reform does not decrease horizontal inequities as much as court-mandated equity reform. To examine these contradictory findings, we implement a two-stage regression approach to examine if court-mandated adequacy reform is associated with a state funding mechanism accounting for certain educational needs of students. Court-mandated adequacy reform does not result in the allocation of additional resources to low income districts when compared to states under court-mandated equity reform. We conclude that, contrary to school finance theory, resource distribution patterns following court-mandated equity and adequacy reforms are not statistically different. (Contains 14 footnotes and 7 tables.)
Estimating the Influence of Financial Aid on Student Retention: A Discrete-Choice Propensity Score-Matching Model
Author: Herzog, Serge
Date: 2008-01-17
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Income,Student Financial Aid,School Holding Power,Paying for College,College Freshmen,Correlation,Academic Persistence,Models,Multiple Regression Analysis,Predictor Variables,Socioeconomic Influences,Academic Achievement

The greatest limitation in establishing causality in observational studies on the effect of   financial aid is the presence of endogeneity or selection bias associated with aid status. To control for this statistical confoundedness that besets the research corpus to date, this study estimates the effect of financial aid on freshmen retention at a moderately selective, public university using propensity score-matching in multi-stage regression analyses. The correlational pattern that emerged from twenty-four logit models suggests higher-income students accrue a retention benefit from financial aid, unlike low-income students, net of first-year academic experience and type and amount of aid received. Conversely, retention of low-income freshmen is more likely due to academic performance compared to those from high-income background. Findings on the effect of aid are consistent with the economics of moral hazard and unobservable behavior. (Contains 6 footnotes, 8 tables, and 2 figures.)