ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Fundamental Attributes of Exemplary State Special Education Dispute Resolution Systems
Author: Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education (CADRE)
Date: 2013-04-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Special Education,Conflict Resolution,State Programs,Profiles,Grievance Procedures,Best Practices,State Policy,Guidelines

Between Fall 2008 and Summer 2010, the Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education (CADRE) analyzed state special education dispute resolution systems and their components, with the objective of identifying particularly effective systems and creating a resource that other states could draw on when considering improvement activities. Four states with exemplary systems and practices were identified (IA, OK, PA and WI), profiles were developed and a database of resources from these state systems was created. Analysis of common features across these systems identified a number of elements as being fundamental to their success, including the following, which are discussed in this brief report: (1) Oversight Guided by a Clear and Integrated Vision of the System; (2) A Continuum of Dispute Resolution Options and Practices; (3) Standards, Training and Technical Assistance; (4) Public Awareness, Outreach and Stakeholder Involvement; and (5) Collection, Analysis and Reporting of Evaluation Data for Continuous Quality Improvement.
Personal Competencies in Personalized Learning
Author: Redding, Sam
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Competence,Mastery Learning,Individualized Instruction,Learner Controlled Instruction,Student Needs,Pacing,Metacognition,Self Esteem,Blended Learning,Learning Strategies,Educational Games,Learning Motivation,Teacher Influence,Interpersonal Competence,Competency Based Education,Educational Objectives,Study Habits

Personal competencies--cognitive, metacognitive, motivational, and social/emotional--are applied by students in learning (mastery of knowledge and skills). These competencies are both acquired through learning and applied in the learning process. Personalized learning--a promising approach to education made practical by advances in technology--magnifies the importance of personal competencies. Underlying the optimism about personalized learning is the belief that a student's desire to learn and effectiveness in learning are enhanced when the learning is personalized, meaning that the student is given greater choice in selecting topics, greater control over the learning environment and learning strategies, greater access to learning resources, and frequent feedback about learning progress. Placing the student in a more prominent role in learning only magnifies the importance of personal competencies. This report examines ways that personal competencies can be strengthened through school community, school culture, and the classroom. Templates for enhancing personal competencies in the design of the school's contexts are included in this report.
Which Study Designs Are Capable of Producing Valid Evidence about a Program's Effectiveness? A Brief Overview
Author: Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy
Date: 2014-10-00
Type: Guides - Non-Classroom
Subjects: Program Effectiveness,Program Design,Evidence,Social Work,Program Evaluation,Guides,Guidelines,Educational Resources,Information Sources,Research Methodology,Replication (Evaluation),Quasiexperimental Design,Validity

This guide is addressed to policy officials, program providers, and researchers who are seeking to: (1) identify and implement social programs backed by valid evidence of effectiveness; or (2) sponsor or conduct an evaluation to determine whether a program is effective. The guide provides a brief overview of which studies can produce valid evidence about a program's effectiveness. The final section identifies resources for readers seeking more detailed information or assistance.
The Mentoring Effect: Young People's Perspectives on the Outcomes and Availability of Mentoring. A Report for Mentor: The National Mentoring Partnership
Author: Bruce, Mary
Date: 2014-01-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Mentors,Surveys,Student Attitudes,Academic Aspiration,Program Effectiveness,Educational Attainment,Expectation,Children,Youth,Young Adults,Interpersonal Relationship,Individual Development,At Risk Persons,Educational Policy,Federal Government,State Government,Local Government,Theory Practice Relationship,Innovation,Volunteers,Community Programs,Youth Programs,Value Judgment,Elementary Secondary Education,Quality Control

This report shares the findings from the first nationally representative survey of young people's perspectives on mentoring. While mentoring is needed and wanted by young people to help them stay on the path to high school graduation, college success, and productive adulthood, a significant mentoring gap exists in America, especially for at-risk youth. The survey revealed a difficult paradox that the more risk factors a young person has, the less likely he or she is to have a naturally-occurring mentor. However, there is also good news, while a significant mentoring gap exists for at-risk youth, the survey also found that the more risk factors a young person has, the more likely he or she is to have a structured mentor, indicating a positive trend toward closing the mentoring gap for those most in need. The survey also revealed key leverage points where mentoring can better support young people, including using structured mentoring as an intervention strategy to meet the needs of youth most at-risk. This report provides insights on young people's perspectives on mentoring in three areas: (1) Mentoring's Connection to Aspirations and Outcomes; (2) The Value of Mentors; and (3) The Availability of Mentors. Teh following are appended: (1) Survey Methodology; (2) Defining the Mentoring Gap; and (3) About MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership. A bibliography and endnotes are also included.
&quot;We Always Want to Get Better&quot;: Teachers' Voices on Professional Development
Author: Parise, Leigh M.
Date: 2015-06-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Faculty Development,Case Studies,Program Evaluation,Interviews,Teacher Attitudes,Instructional Improvement,Secondary School Teachers,Teacher Surveys,Needs

Through the Innovative Professional Development (iPD) Challenge, the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation has invested in helping school districts and networks redesign their professional development systems to serve educators better and improve student performance. MDRC's evaluation of the iPD Challenge involves case studies and multiple rounds of surveys, document collection, and interviewing during the first three years of the initiative. This brief--the first in a series--introduces the case study component of the evaluation and presents some early findings from interviews with teachers regarding their beliefs about instructional improvement and useful learning opportunities.
Government-Funded Students and Courses: January to March 2015. Australian Vocational Education and Training Statistics
Author: National Centre for Vocational Education Research
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Vocational Education,School Statistics,Community Education,Delivery Systems,Government Role,Federal Aid,Educational Finance,Statistical Data,Funding Formulas,Enrollment Rate,Student Characteristics,Geographic Distribution,Intellectual Disciplines,Institutional Characteristics,Profiles,Educational Practices,Courses

This publication provides a summary of data relating to students, programs, training providers, and funding in Australia's government-funded vocational education and training (VET) system (broadly defined as all activity delivered by government providers and government-funded activity delivered by community education and other registered providers). The data in this publication cover the period 1 January 2015 to 31 March 2015. The Australian VET system provides training across a wide range of subject areas and is delivered through a variety of training institutions and enterprises (including to apprentices and trainees). This publication is the inaugural quarterly report of government-funded training activity and does not provide comparisons with previously published annually collected data. As this is the first time that government-funded VET data have been collected and reported on a quarterly basis, caution must be used in the interpretation of these data in the initial data collections.
The Missing Piece: A National Teacher Survey on How Social and Emotional Learning Can Empower Children and Transform Schools. A Report for CASEL
Author: Bridgeland, John
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Teacher Surveys,National Surveys,Social Development,Emotional Development,Competence,Self Concept,Self Control,Self Management,Interpersonal Relationship,Decision Making,Skill Development,Preschool Education,Elementary Secondary Education,Teacher Attitudes,Beliefs,Academic Achievement,Teaching Methods,Case Studies,Student Attitudes,Strategic Planning,Student Behavior,Behavior Modification,School Safety,Alignment (Education),State Standards,Student Interests,Bullying,Educational Environment,Family Involvement,Faculty Development,Agency Cooperation,Sustainability

The central message of this report is that teachers across America understand that social and emotional learning (SEL) is critical to student success in school, work, and life. Social and emotional learning involves the processes of developing competencies, including self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Educators know these skills are teachable; want schools to give far more priority to integrating such development into the curriculum, instruction, and school culture; and believe state student learning standards should reflect this priority. Teachers also want such development to be available for all students. These and other findings are the result of a nationally representative survey of prekindergarten through twelfth grade teachers to assess the role and value of social and emotional learning in America's schools. The voices of teachers on SEL are more important than ever, when expectations for classroom effectiveness are higher, the U.S. educational advantage worldwide is slipping, and a skills gap is threatening American economic growth. The survey's findings have three major themes: (1) Teachers understand, value, and endorse social and emotional learning for all students; (2) Teachers believe social and emotional learning helps students achieve in school and life; and (3) Teachers identify key accelerators for social and emotional learning. These findings are also supported by discussions with students, case studies of successful schools, and conversations with thought leaders. Recommendations on how to advance the strategic and systemic use of SEL in schools to promote student success as learners, workers, and citizens is provided. The following are appended: (1) Methodology, (2) Additional Information on CASEL and Resources on SEL Implementation. Endnotes and a Bibliography are also included. [See the Executive Summary at ED558069.]
The Missing Piece: A National Teacher Survey on How Social and Emotional Learning Can Empower Children and Transform Schools. A Report for CASEL. Executive Summary
Author: Bridgeland, John
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Teacher Surveys,National Surveys,Social Development,Emotional Development,Competence,Self Concept,Self Control,Self Management,Interpersonal Relationship,Decision Making,Skill Development,Preschool Education,Elementary Secondary Education,Teacher Attitudes,Beliefs,Academic Achievement,Teaching Methods,Case Studies,Student Attitudes,Strategic Planning,Student Behavior,Behavior Modification,School Safety,Alignment (Education),State Standards,Student Interests,Bullying,Educational Environment,Family Involvement,Faculty Development,Agency Cooperation,Sustainability

The central message of this report is that teachers across America understand that social and emotional learning (SEL) is critical to student success in school, work, and life. Social and emotional learning involves the processes of developing competencies, including self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Educators know these skills are teachable; want schools to give far more priority to integrating such development into the curriculum, instruction, and school culture; and believe state student learning standards should reflect this priority. Teachers also want such development to be available for &quot;all&quot; students. These and other findings are the result of a nationally representative survey of prekindergarten through twelfth grade teachers to assess the role and value of social and emotional learning in America's schools. The voices of teachers on SEL are more important than ever, when expectations for classroom effectiveness are higher, the U.S. educational advantage worldwide is slipping, and a skills gap is threatening American economic growth. The survey's findings have three major themes: (1) Teachers understand, value, and endorse social and emotional learning for all students; (2) Teachers believe social and emotional learning helps students achieve in school and life; and (3) Teachers identify key accelerators for social and emotional learning. These findings are also supported by discussions with students, case studies of successful schools, and conversations with thought leaders. Recommendations on how to advance the strategic and systemic use of SEL in schools to promote student success as learners, workers, and citizens is provided. [See full report at ED558068.]
Personal Competency: A Framework for Building Students' Capacity to Learn
Author: Redding, Sam
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Competence,Capacity Building,Mastery Learning,Prior Learning,Metacognition,Learner Engagement,Academic Persistence,Self Esteem,Interpersonal Competence,Emotional Development,Self Management,Goal Orientation,Student Motivation,Social Development,Study Habits,Memory,Retention (Psychology),Educational Attitudes

A chief purpose of schooling is for students to master the knowledge and skills contained in the curriculum. Schools, however, can also intentionally build personal competencies that are necessary for students' success in school, the purposeful navigation of life's challenges, and the pursuit of personal interests and ambitions. A personal competency is an ever-evolving accumulation of related capabilities that facilitate learning and other forms of goal attainment. Four personal competencies are particularly salient: cognitive competency, metacognitive competency, motivational competency, and social/emotional competency. These personal competencies can be enhanced through instruction and by example, as part of the academic curriculum, in extracurricular programs, and through engagement of families. They include their own specific clusters of knowledge and skills as well as values, attitudes, and learning habits (patterns of behavior). An expanded goal for education includes intentional enhancement of personal competencies as well as mastery of the curriculum's specific knowledge and skills. In asserting a higher profile for personal competencies in goals for education, a personal competency framework is in order. This document defines key components of a personal competency framework, then goes on to propose and detail six elements of a Personal Competency framework. They are: (1) Personal Competencies (Cognitive, Metacognitive, Motivational, Social/Emotional); (2) Learning Habits; (3) Mastery; (4) Competency Enhancement; (5) Competency Reinforcement; and (6) Contexts. Learning in school is a matter of goal attainment-the pursuit of myriad learning tasks in order to achieve mastery of the curriculum's knowledge and skills. As with other forms of goal attainment, school learning requires the integrated exercise of four personal competencies: cognitive, metacognitive, motivational, and social/emotional. As the personal competencies are routinely engaged in learning, they form patterns of behavior that students set in motion with each new learning challenge. The personal competencies are malleable, and they are enhanced most effectively when given focus in the curriculum, school culture, and instructional practices. A glossary is included.
State Homeschool Policies: A Patchwork of Provisions. 50-State Reviews
Author: Wixom, Micah Ann
Date: 2015-07-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Home Schooling,Educational Policy,State Policy,Teacher Qualifications,Student Evaluation,Online Courses,Electronic Learning,Geographic Location,Virtual Classrooms,Charter Schools,Attendance

In the absence of federal homeschooling guidelines, states regulate homeschooling through a patchwork of provisions. Homeschooling policies vary widely from one state to the next and families' homeschooling experiences will likely be very different depending on where they live. For example, some states have little or no homeschooling regulation--like Alaska, Idaho and Michigan--while others have more robust oversight policies--Washington, New York and Pennsylvania, for example. Although homeschooling occurs largely outside of the public education system, as states provide more online education options and allow homeschooled students to participate, the lines between public education and homeschooling are blurring. Key Takeaways from this report are: (1) Just 13 states plus the District of Columbia require homeschool instructors to have qualifications, usually requiring a high school diploma; (2) Fewer than half of states require homeschooled students to be assessed; and (3) An increasing number of homeschooled students are participating in online education through state online schools, virtual charter schools, or other distance education programs.
GED, HiSET and TASC: A Comparison of High School Equivalency Assessments. ECS Education Trends
Author: Zinth, Jennifer
Date: 2015-07-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: High School Equivalency Programs,Educational Trends,Comparative Analysis,Decision Making,State Legislation,Educational Legislation

Until January 2014, the General Educational Development (GED) was the only option for youth and adults lacking a high school diploma, but needing a high school credential to pursue employment opportunities or postsecondary education. However, in January 2014, some states began administering one or both alternatives to the GED--the Educational Testing Service (ETS) HiSET and the CTB/McGraw Hill Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC). This Education Commission of the States trends report provides a comparison of these three assessments' features, aspects of testing programs states have weighed when deciding which high school equivalency exam to offer and the decision-making process states have used to select one or more alternatives to the GED. Key Takeaways from this brief are: (1) Seventeen states are offering the HiSET and/or TASC in addition to or in lieu of the GED; (2) The GED, HiSET and TASC vary in length, item type, formats available and cost; and (3) States have generally been using a request for proposal or related selection and procurement process to select vendors for high school equivalency exams.
Universal Preschool in Iowa: Steps Needed to Ensure Equity and Access
Author: Bruner, Charles
Date: 2013-12-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Preschool Education,Competency Based Education,Access to Education,Public Schools,Developmental Disabilities,Low Income Groups,Federal Legislation,Educational Legislation,Elementary Secondary Education,Eligibility,Federal Programs,Statistical Data,Educational Finance,Financial Support,Enrollment,Kindergarten,Achievement Gap,Reading Achievement,Family Income

Iowa established the Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program (SVPP) in 2007. It has grown to be the largest--although not the only--public preschool program in the state. It is available without regard to family income. Iowa also supports preschool for low-income children through its Shared Visions program and Early Childhood Iowa, the early-childhood system-building initiative. In addition, the federal government funds Head Start for low-income children and, along with the state, special education preschool for children with developmental disabilities. Some local school districts offer additional preschool slots on a fee basis or using federal Title I or local funds. Sometimes these programs &quot;wrap-around&quot; one another to provide longer preschool experiences. For instance, children participating in Head Start also may participate in SVPP in the same classroom, thereby extending the preschool experience to a full day. In addition to publicly-financed programs, Iowa parents send their children to an array of private preschools. Developing a composite picture of which children are served by which--or any--public preschool program is important in order to understand the degree to which Iowa's current array of preschool programs is available to all children and to identify gaps in usage. Child &amp; Family Policy Center (CFPC) secured currently available information from the Iowa Department of Education's statewide longitudinal database to begin assessing how well SVPP and other public preschool programs reach Iowa children. Although fragmented, there is already sufficient data to show differences in preschool participation rates by income, race/ethnicity, English language learner status, and geography. Policy recommendations include: (1) Additional outreach efforts and focus on enrolling into preschool underserved populations (low-income children and English language learners, in particular; (2) Additional options, incentives or requirements that expand preschool opportunities in underserved parts of the state; and (3) A more robust statewide data system that can comprehensively track and analyze all forms of preschool participation entered into a student record. A detailed summary of available data is provided.
The &quot;Something Other&quot;: Personal Competencies for Learning and Life
Author: Redding, Sam
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Competence,Skill Development,Mastery Learning,Metacognition,Student Motivation,Interpersonal Competence,Social Development,Emotional Development,Learning Processes,Student Development,Vignettes,Study Habits,Prior Learning,Reinforcement,Behavior Modification,Extracurricular Activities

Parents seek for their children &quot;something other&quot; than what they usually expect them to acquire through the regular school program, and they turn to extracurricular activities and out-of-school experiences to find it. Teachers know that each student brings to a learning task a &quot;something other&quot;--certain attributes that affect how the student responds to the challenge. In this paper, the &quot;something other&quot; is the constellation of four personal competencies--cognitive, metacognitive, motivational, and social/emotional--and the learning habits that flow from them. Jeffrey's story, which depicts a week in the life of one student, in one class, with one teacher, expresses the four personal competencies. The reader might imagine how Jeffrey's life as a learner would be changed if the school culture, all the teachers in all his classes, and his parents were attuned to the importance of personal competencies.