ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Tracking and Student Achievement: The Role of Instruction as a Mediator
Author: Schmidt, Rebecca Anne
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Academic Achievement,Accountability,Academic Standards,Mathematics,Mathematics Instruction,Mathematics Achievement,Middle Schools,Track System (Education),Scores,Video Technology

Most public schools and districts must face the problem of how to help low-achieving students and efficiently target resources, particularly in the face of accountability under No Child Left Behind. One policy that has been employed is grouping students into classrooms by their measured or perceived ability--a process known as tracking. Research has shown, however, that this practice disproportionately assigns minority and low-income students to low-track classes (e.g., Gamoran, 2009; Oakes, 2005) and may increase inequality between high and lowachieving students (e.g., Esposito, 1973; Gamoran, 1987; Oakes, 2005), without an average gain in student achievement in the school or district (e.g., Esposito, 1973; Gamoran, 2009; Kulik and Kulik, 1982; Slavin, 1990). This research focuses on the role of instructional quality in mathematics as a mediator between tracking and student achievement, and addresses the following research questions: (1) Are there measurable differences in instructional quality between teachers in tracked and untracked settings?; (2) Between high- and low-track classrooms?; and (3) Do these differences mediate the relationship between track level (high- versus low-track) and student achievement? This analysis uses data from the Middle school mathematics in the Institutional Setting of Teaching (MIST) project at Vanderbilt University. As a part of the MIST project, nearly 120 teachers in four districts have been videotaped during instruction for two consecutive days, and their students' achievement data has been collected. This data included the current year mathematics achievement test results as well as two prior years' scores, which were standardized to state distributions by grade and year. Demographic data were also collected, including grade level, gender, race, free/reduced-price lunch, English Language Learner and Special Education status. This analysis found only a small mediation effect of instructional quality on the relationship between track level and student achievement. This indicates that other variables are driving this relationship besides a difference in rigorous tasks and mathematical discussions. One table and one figure are appended.
Using Worked Examples Assignments in Classroom Instruction
Author: Paré-Blagoev, Juliana
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Assignments,Teaching Methods,Demonstrations (Educational),Classroom Techniques,Algebra,Middle School Students,Control Groups,Experimental Groups,Mathematics Activities,Problem Solving,Pretests Posttests,Class Activities,Knowledge Level,Achievement Gains

As highlighted by the National Math Panel Report (2008), consistent results from laboratory studies have demonstrated that interleaving worked examples with problems to solve improves learning for novices. The purpose of this work is to create materials and tests that can be used flexibly in classrooms and which employ worked examples interleaved with practice problems for students to solve. A total of 42 assignments addressing some pre-Algebra and 8 major Algebra topics have been developed through an iterative process. The effects of AlgebraByExample on learning has also been explored with particular attention to the role of individual differences. The eight participating districts are all members of the Minority Student Achievement Network (MSAN) which is a self-formed alliance dedicated to addressing the achievement gap: Ann Arbor (MI), Arlington (VA), Chapel Hill--Carrboro City (NC), Evanston Township (IL), Evanston/Skokie 65 (IL), Green Bay (WI), Shaker Heights (OH), and Madison Metropolitan School District (WI). Although this paper does not cover all of the individual studies, the body of work as a whole has been conducted in 300 classrooms with over 6000 7th-10th graders, with the majority of 8th or 9th graders enrolled in &quot;regular&quot; Algebra. Approximately half of the students in each participating class were randomly assigned to the example-based group, in which they received the example-based assignments designed for the study. The other half was randomly assigned to the control group, in which they received an alternate version of the assignments that contained the same types of problems, but no examples or self-explanation prompts. Results demonstrate that students in high-minority populations benefit more from example-based assignments than do those in lower-minority groups in terms of an increase in their procedural performance. Results also indicate that conceptual learning occurs more readily for students in low-minority classrooms -- students in higher-minority classrooms do not tend to learn as much. However, for students in high-minority classrooms, being in the example-based condition leads to greater learning than the control condition. One table and two figures are appended.
Using School Lotteries to Evaluate the Value-Added Model
Author: Deutsch, Jonah
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Value Added Models,Charter Schools,School Effectiveness,Statistical Bias,Usability,Statistical Significance,Test Validity,Test Reliability,Test Bias,Alternative Assessment

There has been an active debate in the literature over the validity of value-added models. In this study, the author tests the central assumption of value-added models that school assignment is random relative to expected test scores conditional on prior test scores, demographic variables, and other controls. He uses a Chicago charter school's lottery to identify school effects, and then compares this &quot;experimental&quot; estimate to that of a school value-added model, which is estimated from all students in a large district. An innovative approach is used to generate a value-added-based estimator of the lottery effect that is unbiased under the null hypothesis that the value-added model is correctly specified. The results imply small but potentially important upward bias in the math, and very minimal bias in reading. Tables are appended.
Educational Research and Predatory Tabloid Journalism: Authors Beware
Author: Marchant, Gregory J.
Date: 2015-04-00
Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Subjects: Educational Research,Periodicals,Journalism,Credibility,Publish or Perish Issue,Open Source Technology,Fees,Incentives,Deception,Personal Narratives,Case Studies

This paper outlines the nature of predatory open-access journals. These are journals that do not exist as vehicles to promote research or the efforts of scholarly organizations, but exist simply as a means for profit. As with many efforts in education and the social sciences, when financial incentive is the main driving force, quality and professional practice suffer. A narrative case study is presented to exemplify the practices of one journal. The paper is situated within the context of tabloid journalism as a fitting metaphor for the lack of credibility of the publisher and the questionable practices used to &quot;sell&quot; their product to unsuspecting authors. Research authors face a new challenge in the &quot;publish or perish&quot; world of academia publication. The nature of a potential journal, even with an impressive established title or noted editorial board, may exist to attract fees rather than serve the research community.
Use of a C-SITS Approach to Estimating the Impact of the Receipt of a Teacher Recruitment Incentive Grant on an IHE's Production of Certified STEM Teachers--Problems and Solutions
Author: Bobronnikov, Ellen
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Teacher Recruitment,Incentive Grants,Program Evaluation,Certification,Quasiexperimental Design,STEM Education,Science Teachers,School Districts,Disadvantaged Schools

Improving the quality of teacher preparation is an important national issue, because the quality of teaching plays such a large role in students' learning. One key indicator of students' academic success is the competence and capability of their teachers. However, the availability of well-prepared and effective teachers varies widely across the country, even within schools (Clotfelder, Ladd &amp; Vigdor, 2007; Boyd, Grossman, Lankford &amp; Wyckoff, 2006; Rivkin, Hanushek &amp; Kain, 2005). Concerns about the highly variable quality of prospective teachers, coupled with teacher shortages, particularly in math and science-related fields, have generated both alternative pathways for entry into teaching and programs aimed at recruiting talented individuals to become teachers (e.g., Teach for America, Boston Teacher Residency, New York City Teaching Fellows, and the New Teacher Project). This presentation describes one component of a study that examined the impact of a program that awards grants to higher educational institutions to support talented individuals who commit to teaching mathematics or science in K-12 settings, particularly in high-need districts. The focus is on the design challenges and use of a comparative short interrupted time series (C-SITS) approach to conducting an assessment of program impact on teacher certification, and entry in high-need districts. The authors believe that the challenges faced in the current study are not unique to the current study and that their approaches to dealing with the challenges will be informative to other educational researchers as they seek design options for their evaluations. The impact analyses on teacher outcomes therefore attempted to address the following questions: (1) How does an IHE's receipt of a teacher recruitment incentive grant affect its production of certified or licensed STEM teachers? (2) How does an IHE's receipt of a teacher recruitment incentive grant affect its production of certified or licensed STEM teachers who take teaching jobs in high-need districts? The authors believe that the presentation will help evaluators identify appropriate strategies and models to address their problem. It will also help them to identify limitations and pitfalls to this or similar approaches.
With a Little Help from My Friends: Investigating the Impact of Summer Peer Mentoring on Timely Postsecondary Attainment among College-Intending High School Graduates
Author: Castleman, Benjamin L.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Low Income Groups,Summer Programs,Peer Teaching,Mentors,College Bound Students,High School Graduates,Time to Degree,Counseling,At Risk Students,Program Evaluation,Program Effectiveness,Randomized Controlled Trials,College Admission,Student Records,Diaries,Databases

Research has shown that low-income students especially struggle with evaluating financial aid offers and completing all necessary requirements to enroll after paying a deposit to a particular college in the spring (Authors, 2009). Motivated by these empirical results, the authors conducted three studies that showed students who were explicitly offered summer assistance from their high school counselors increased the probability of fall college enrollment, suggesting that summer support may be a cost-effective intervention for promoting college enrollment among low-income students. However, several questions remain regarding how summer outreach and counseling could be conducted most efficiently and effectively. The focus of this paper is on investigating the impact of summer support provided by college-aged peer mentors on timely college matriculation among recent high school graduates with articulated college plans. Outreach from peer mentors is a more cost-effective strategy than outreach from professional counselors, and the authors hypothesize that students may be particularly likely to respond to college peers to whom they may feel they can better relate. Through this intervention, peer mentors provided outreach and support to students in four distinct locations: the public school districts in Boston, Lawrence and Springfield (Massachusetts) and a network of charter schools in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Across the sites, 20 peer mentors provided proactive outreach and the offer of support to 907 students randomly selected from a totally sample of 2,209 students. Peer mentors were each allocated caseloads of students identified as college-intending, based on high school exit surveys and other information-gathering tools utilized by the partnering organizations. The summer counseling interventions to date have provided evidence that outreach and the offer of support in the months after high school graduation positively impact timely college going among college-intending high school graduates. A fuller description of conclusions and recommendations associated with peer mentors as an outreach model relies on postsecondary enrollment data which the authors anticipate receiving by December.
Predicting Observer Training Satisfaction and Certification
Author: Bell, Courtney A.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Observation,Teacher Evaluation,Researchers,Evaluation Methods,Scoring,Training,Urban Schools,Standardized Tests,Administrator Characteristics,Administrator Attitudes,Beliefs,Expectation,Satisfaction,Performance,Statistical Analysis,Attitude Measures,Educational Quality,Educational Improvement,Measurement Techniques,Surveys,Models

The last decade produced numerous studies that show that students learn more from high-quality teachers than they do from lower quality teachers. If instruction is to improve through the use of more rigorous teacher evaluation systems, the implementation of these systems must provide consistent and interpretable information about which aspects of teaching practice need improvement and how those improvements can be accomplished. A primary concern for using observation systems in teacher evaluation is the challenge of training observers to score in valid and reliable ways. In this report the authors will present first-year findings from the &quot;Understanding Consequential Assessment Systems for Teachers&quot; (UCAST) study, which investigates how administrators in a large urban school district learn to use a standardized observation protocol. The relevant research questions are as follows: (1) To what extent do administrator characteristics, beliefs, and expectations predict training satisfaction?; (2) To what extent do administrator characteristics, beliefs, and expectations predict certification success?; and (3) What components of the observation protocol are most challenging for observers to certify, and what accounts for these challenges? This project takes place in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). This study is designed to investigate observer thinking and performance as it occurs in practice, and our current analyses draw on quantitative performance and perception data that comes from more than 700 administrators trained by the district during year 1 of the study. To improve the quality of instruction in schools, districts across the country are investing great hopes and resources in the implementation of teacher evaluation systems. Because observation offers a direct measure of instruction and it can point to areas for teacher improvement, additional research on how to implement observation protocols at scale is imperative and will be highly useful to school districts and other education stakeholders. Tables are appended.
Tracking Growth: Studying First-Year Teacher Development under a High-Stakes Evaluation System
Author: Maier, Adam
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: High Stakes Tests,Beginning Teachers,Teacher Effectiveness,Professional Development,Faculty Development,Academic Achievement,Educational Improvement,Intervention,Educational Practices,Alternative Teacher Certification

Students who have more effective teachers are more likely to attend college, earn a higher salary, and live in higher socioeconomic neighborhoods (Chetty, Friedman, &amp; Rockoff, 2012). As such, teacher effectiveness is critically important, and identifying teachers who demonstrate high potential for growth in their first year of teaching could be a real asset to the districts in which they teach. The purpose of this project is to determine which teachers seem to measurably improve their instructional practice over the course of their first-year, measured via a series of observations conducted by normed observers using a common rubric. Data came from 965 first-year teachers recruited and trained by alternative certification programs in 15 geographic regions: Delaware; Baltimore; Washington, DC; Chicago; Charlotte; Nashville; Memphis; Texas (Fort Worth, Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio); south Louisiana; and Georgia (Augusta, Savannah, and Southwestern districts). Teachers taught in all grades from kindergarten-grade 12, and taught in a variety of content areas including math, English/language arts, physical sciences, special education, and foreign languages. All teachers included in this study were participating in a one-year evaluation of classroom performance ultimately leading to a decision regarding whether or not to recommend the teacher for state certification. Study findings showed that teachers vary meaningfully in their classroom performance in their first year of teaching. Early proficiency was the best predictor of overall performance, suggesting that interventions could be targeted early in the year to support teachers who are struggling from the beginning of assuming responsibility for their own classroom. Teachers who seemed adept at facilitating student centered-lessons appeared able to achieve more growth in performance than their peers who struggled at this competency. Further, math teachers seemed to perform less well than teachers in other subjects, suggesting that either (1) the rubric (or observers) is not well equipped to assess math performance; or (2) math teachers recruited and trained by these certification programs are not receiving the necessary supports to perform well in the classroom. A sample observation report and a table are appended.
Propensity Score Matching within Prognostic Strata
Author: Kelcey, Ben
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Probability,Scores,Statistical Bias,Prediction,Monte Carlo Methods

A central issue in nonexperimental studies is identifying comparable individuals to remove selection bias. One common way to address this selection bias is through propensity score (PS) matching. PS methods use a model of the treatment assignment to reduce the dimensionality of the covariate space and identify comparable individuals. parallel to the PS, recent literature has developed the prognosis score (PG) to construct models of the potential outcomes (Hansen, 2008). Whereas PSs summarize covariates' association with the treatment groups, PGs summarize covariates' associations with the potential outcomes. In observational studies where the treatment selection mechanism is not completely known, PGs can be seen as an alternative or, more likely, a complement to PSs (Hansen, 2008). In this study, the author explored the utility of combining adjustment on PGs and PSs by successively matching on these scores to examine the extent to which full matching on PSs within strata defined by PGs outperforms alternative PS and PS &amp; PG matching schemes. To reduce bias and secondarily to reduce variance while maintaining both propensity and prognostic balance, he proposes stratification on PGs followed by within stratum matching on PSs. This approach trades coarser matching on PGs for finer matching on PSs. As a preliminary examination of the utility of this approach, the author performed multiple Monte Carlo simulations and highlights one herein for brevity. The results suggested that adjustment using both PSs and PGs provides two avenues by which to block bias and reduce variance. The gains demonstrated in this very limited simulation suggest that strategies which reduce estimator variation while maintaining bias reduction may improve treatment effect estimates in ways parallel to choices in experimental design. One table is appended.
Teacher Layoffs, Teacher Quality and Student Achievement: The Implementation and Consequences of a Discretionary Reduction-in-Force Policy
Author: Kraft, Matthew A.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Teacher Effectiveness,Job Layoff,Academic Achievement,Comparative Analysis,Job Performance,Status,Tenure,Teacher Certification,Personnel Policy,Employer Employee Relationship,Employment Practices,Collective Bargaining

Research has shown that &quot;last hired, first fired&quot; policies maximize the number of teachers subject to reductions in force by eliminating those teachers that are lowest on the pay scale first. Until now, advocates of effectiveness-based reduction-in-force (RIF) policies could only point to simulated policy exercises as evidence of the potential benefits of a discretionary reduction-in-force policy. This study suggests that, while reductions in force negatively affect student achievement, districts have the potential to reduce these negative effects by concentrating layoffs among the lowest-performing teachers. The analyses of this study focuses on three main objectives: (1) comparing the relative weight that North Carolina's Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools' (CMS) administrators and principals placed on a variety of RIF criteria when implementing layoffs; (2) estimating the causal effect of discretionary layoffs in CMS on student achievement in the following academic year; and (3) documenting how these negative effects are exacerbated when highly effective teachers are laid-off teachers. Results from descriptive regression analyses suggest that CMS used multiple RIF criteria when selecting teachers for layoffs including tenure status, licensure status and type, and job performance. Although replacing seniority with performance measures can minimize effects on student achievement, exchanging one inflexible criterion for another will not provide districts with any discretion in navigating a complex process aimed at preventing a variety of negative consequences. Tables are appended.