ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
A Policymaker&apos;s Guide to Using New Student Debt Metrics to Strengthen Higher Education Accountability
Author: Schak, J. Oliver
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Student Financial Aid,Debt (Financial),Higher Education,Accountability,Loan Repayment,Loan Default,Guides,Salaries,Outcomes of Education,Measurement Techniques,Disadvantaged,Educational Attainment

A college degree or credential is a crucial stepping-stone to the middle class, and American colleges and universities play an essential role in building a more prosperous, equitable country. However, too many colleges routinely and disproportionately enroll students who end up struggling to repay or, worse, default on their student debt. &quot;A Policymaker's Guide to Using New Student Debt Metrics to Strengthen Higher Education Accountability,&quot; a new report from The Institute for College Access &amp; Success (TICAS), considers three promising debt metrics that could complement and strengthen existing accountability metrics and ultimately move the needle on borrower success: debt-to-discretionary earnings ratios, earnings net of expected debt payments thresholds, and repayment rates.
Relationship between State Annual School Monitoring Indicators and Outcomes in Massachusetts Lowest Performing Schools. REL 2021-085
Author: Pan, Jingtong
Date: 2021-05-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: School Turnaround,Educational Indicators,School Effectiveness,Leadership,Educational Practices,Educational Environment,Outcomes of Education,Educational Improvement,Intervention,Academic Achievement,Attendance,Mathematics Achievement,English,Language Arts,Elementary Secondary Education

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education supports low-performing schools through a process that draws on qualitative and quantitative data from monitoring visits. The data are used to produce ratings for 26 turnaround indicators in four turnaround practice areas relating to school leadership, instructional practices, student supports, and school climate. This study analyzed data on school indicator ratings collected during school years 2014/15-2018/19 from 91 low-performing schools, with a focus on the distribution of the ratings among schools during their first year in the monitoring system and on the relationship of ratings to school outcomes. During the first year in which ratings data were available for a school, a majority of schools were in the two highest rating levels for 21 of the 26 indicators. Schools generally had lower rating levels for indicators in the student supports practice area than in the other three practice areas. Ratings for half the indicators were statistically significantly related to better school-wide student outcomes and had a practically meaningful effect size of 0.25 or greater, and none was statistically significantly related to worse outcomes. Two indicators in the leadership practice area (school leaders' high expectations for students and staff and trusting relationships among staff) were related to lower chronic absenteeism rates. Ratings for five indicators in the instructional practices area were related to higher student academic growth in English language arts or math; two of these indicators (use of student assessment data to inform classroom instruction and school structures for instructional improvements) were related to higher growth in both English language arts and math. Ratings for four indicators in the student supports practice area (teacher training to identify student needs, research-based interventions for all students, interventions for English learner students, and interventions for students with disabilities) were related to higher student academic growth in English language arts or math. Two indicators in the school climate practice area (school-wide behavior plans and adult-student relationships) were related to higher student academic growth in English language arts or math or lower chronic absenteeism rate. Eight indicators were not statistically related to any of the outcomes of interest. [For the Study Brief, see ED612601. For the Study Snapshot, see ED612599. For the appendixes, see ED612602.]
Relationship between State Annual School Monitoring Indicators and Outcomes in Massachusetts Low-Performing Schools. Study Snapshot. REL 2021-085
Author: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (ED)
Date: 2021-05-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: School Turnaround,Educational Indicators,School Effectiveness,Leadership,Educational Practices,Educational Environment,Outcomes of Education,Educational Improvement,Intervention,Academic Achievement,Attendance,Mathematics Achievement,English,Language Arts,Elementary Secondary Education

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has developed state systems of monitoring and support for low-performing schools that include measuring schools on a Turnaround Practices and Indicators (TP&amp;I) rubric focused on four turnaround practice areas. This Study Snapshot highlights key findings from a larger study that examined the relationship of ratings on a four-point scale for 26 indicators with two school outcomes--school-level mean student growth percentile (in English language arts and math) and school chronic absenteeism rate--while controlling for school demographic characteristics. The results of the study will inform DESE's continuous improvement efforts and improve its ability to focus on indicators with ratings that are strongly related to positive school outcomes. Key findings show that ratings for 13 of the 26 indicators within the TP&amp;I rubric had significant and strong relationships with higher student growth percentile scores and lower chronic absenteeism rate, after school demographic characteristics were controlled. [For the full report, see ED612598. For the Study Brief, see ED612601. For the appendixes, see ED612602.]
National and State Estimates of the Costs and Benefits of Single Mothers&apos; Educational Attainment to Individuals, Families, and Society: Methodological Appendix
Author: Milli, Jessica
Date: 2019-12-18
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: One Parent Family,Mothers,Associate Degrees,Bachelors Degrees,Economic Factors,Success,Access to Education,Undergraduate Students,Equal Education,Low Income Groups,Poverty,Educational Attainment,Marital Status,Minority Group Students,Cost Effectiveness,Income,Geographic Location,Outcomes of Education,Taxes,Welfare Services,Child Care,Student Financial Aid,College Role,Government Role,Age Differences,High School Graduates,Graduation Rate,Costs

This is the methodological appendix for &quot;Investing in Single Mothers' Higher Education: National and State Estimates of the Costs and Benefits of Single Mothers' Educational Attainment to Individuals, Families, and Society.&quot; The Institute for Women's Policy Research's (IWPR) briefing paper, features findings from a study to quantify the individual and societal costs and benefits of single mothers' attainment of college degrees (see Reichlin Cruse et al. 2019). This work builds off of previous IWPR research on investments in single mothers' education (see Gault, Milli, and Reichlin Cruse 2018), adapting it to an analysis at the state level. In addition to the state-level focus, IWPR's 2019 briefing paper improves upon the previous report in several key ways: it estimates the impact of college education on lifetime public assistance receipt among single mothers (the previous report estimated the effect over a four-year period); it includes a new analysis of the impact of some college credit on outcomes among single mothers, even though they did not obtain a degree; and with the addition of the some college analysis, we are now able to estimate the full return on investment in support services for single mother students. These improvements, along with the remainder of the analysis, are discussed in greater detail in this appendix. [For the briefing paper, see ED612588.]
Relationship between State Annual School Monitoring Indicators and Outcomes in Massachusetts Low-Performing Schools. Study Brief. REL 2021-085
Author: Pan, J.
Date: 2021-05-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: School Turnaround,Educational Indicators,School Effectiveness,Leadership,Educational Practices,Educational Environment,Outcomes of Education,Educational Improvement,Intervention,Academic Achievement,Attendance,Mathematics Achievement,English,Language Arts,Elementary Secondary Education

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education supports low-performing schools through a process that draws on qualitative and quantitative data from monitoring visits. The data are used to produce ratings for 26 turnaround indicators in four turnaround practice areas relating to school leadership, instructional practices, student supports, and school climate. This study analyzed data on school indicator ratings collected during school years 2014/15-2018/19 from 91 low-performing schools, with a focus on the distribution of the ratings among schools during their first year in the monitoring system and on the relationship of ratings to school outcomes. During the first year in which ratings data were available for a school, a majority of schools were in the two highest rating levels for 21 of the 26 indicators. Schools generally had lower rating levels for indicators in the student supports practice area than in the other three practice areas. Ratings for half the indicators were statistically significantly related to better school-wide student outcomes and had a practically meaningful effect size of 0.25 or greater, and none was statistically significantly related to worse outcomes. Two indicators in the leadership practice area (school leaders' high expectations for students and staff and trusting relationships among staff) were related to lower chronic absenteeism rates. Ratings for five indicators in the instructional practices area were related to higher student academic growth in English language arts or math; two of these indicators (use of student assessment data to inform classroom instruction and school structures for instructional improvements) were related to higher growth in both English language arts and math. Ratings for four indicators in the student supports practice area (teacher training to identify student needs, research-based interventions for all students, interventions for English learner students, and interventions for students with disabilities) were related to higher student academic growth in English language arts or math. Two indicators in the school climate practice area (school-wide behavior plans and adult-student relationships) were related to higher student academic growth in English language arts or math or lower chronic absenteeism rate. Eight indicators were not statistically related to any of the outcomes of interest. [For the full report, see ED612598. For the Study Snapshot, see ED612599. For the appendixes, see ED612602.]
Relationship between State Annual School Monitoring Indicators and Outcomes in Massachusetts Low-Performing Schools. Appendixes. REL 2021-085
Author: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (ED)
Date: 2021-05-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: School Turnaround,Educational Indicators,School Effectiveness,Leadership,Educational Practices,Educational Environment,Outcomes of Education,Educational Improvement,Intervention,Academic Achievement,Attendance,Mathematics Achievement,English,Language Arts,Elementary Secondary Education

These are the appendixes for the report, &quot;Relationship between State Annual School Monitoring Indicators and Outcomes in Massachusetts Lowest Performing Schools.&quot; The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has developed state systems of monitoring and support for low-performing schools that include measuring schools on a Turnaround Practices and Indicators (TP&amp;I) rubric focused on four turnaround practice areas. The study examined the relationship of ratings on a four-point scale for 26 indicators with two school outcomes--school-level mean student growth percentile (in English language arts and math) and school chronic absenteeism rate--while controlling for school demographic characteristics. The appendixes to the study include: (1) Timeline of low-performing school identification, monitoring, and exit decisions by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education; (2) Indicators and ratings continuum for turnaround practice area implementation; (3) The hierarchical linear models and detailed regression results; and (4) Sensitivity analyses. [For the full report, see ED612598. For the Study Snapshot, see ED612599. For the Study Brief, see ED612601.]
COVID-19 and Students with Disabilities: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). 3rd Edition
Author: Marks, Linda Sweet
Date: 2020-12-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: COVID-19,Pandemics,Students with Disabilities,Public Schools,Student Rights,Individualized Education Programs,Distance Education,School Closing,Special Education,Individualized Transition Plans

The closure of school buildings due to the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a particular hardship for many students with disabilities and their families. School buildings were closed effective March 18, 2020 through the end of the 2019-20 school year, and only some schools started the 2020-21 school year with traditional in-person classroom instruction, while others have been using alternatives, such as remote or hybrid learning. Nonetheless, public schools (including all New Jersey school districts, charter schools, renaissance schools, and approved private schools for students with disabilities) are still required to provide educational services. This report contains answers to questions regarding a child with a disability's educational rights during this time. [For the 2nd edition, see ED608991.]
Direct Assessments of Adult Skills and Competencies. UIL Policy Brief 12
Author: UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) (Germany)
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Adult Literacy,Numeracy,Lifelong Learning,Competence,Performance Based Assessment,Skill Development,International Assessment,Adults,Foreign Countries,Developing Nations

Adult numeracy and literacy skills are key to transforming lives, promoting social inclusion and contributing to sustainable societies. Achieving an optimal return on investment with regard to the development of adult skills and competencies requires the collation of comprehensive data to assess what people know, what they do with what they know, and the extent to which they are equipped to sustain themselves in the twenty-first century. To help policy-makers generate these data, the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) has published a new policy brief focusing on direct assessments of adult skills and competencies. While collective efforts have led to continuous progress with respect to increasing literacy rates, global data on literacy, based on conventional proxy indicators, remains insufficient to offer a comprehensive picture of the literacy challenge. Currently, only 13 per cent of the world's countries have data on literacy and numeracy skills based on direct measurements (Subosa and West, 2018).
Community-Based Learning for Sustainable Development. UIL Policy Brief 8
Author: UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) (Germany)
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Sustainable Development,Lifelong Learning,Holistic Approach,Language Planning,Social Change,Capacity Building,Educational Policy,Partnerships in Education,Community Education

Local communities have an indispensable role to play in supporting people's learning and development and in creating societies that are engaged, inclusive and sustainable. Community-based learning strengthens bonds across generations, promotes agency and self-reliance, and fosters social cohesion, thus encouraging active citizenship and a sense of ownership of a community's future. Moreover, it enables the exchange of information and the development of skills necessary in tackling the challenges of today's rapidly changing world, ultimately contributing in a very significant way to sustainable development at local level. To stress to policymakers and other stakeholders the wide and far-reaching benefits of community-based learning, particularly in the light of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) has published a new policy brief, &quot;Community-based learning for sustainable development.&quot; This policy brief, co-published with the Global Action Programme on Education for Sustainable Development, advances six principles of action to develop the role of community learning centres (CLCs) as the main delivery mechanism for community-based learning: responding, engaging, enabling, embedding, sustaining and transforming. Furthermore, to allow CLCs to put these principles into practice in a holistic and integrated manner, the paper proposes four policy recommendations for local and national governments to: (1) provide dedicated resources for community-based learning; (2) create mechanisms for partnerships and networking opportunities; (3) organize ongoing capacity-building to ensure well-qualified and trained staff and volunteers; and (4) support learning content development. These action principles and policy recommendations draw on UIL's 2015 publication, &quot;Communities in Action: Lifelong Learning for Sustainable Development&quot; (ED564004), as well as the outcomes of 2014 Kominkan-CLC International Conference on Education for Sustainable Development. This policy brief offers a short, practical guide, aimed at policy makers and other stakeholders, to realizing the potential of community-based learning in order to achieve education for sustainable development for all.
Staffing EFL Programs in Saudi Arabia: Issues and Challenges
Author: Al-Jarf, Reima
Date: 2004-05-20
Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Subjects: Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,English (Second Language),Language Teachers,Native Speakers,Teacher Shortage,Language Enrollment,Experienced Teachers,College Second Language Programs,College Faculty,Gender Differences,Department Heads,Teacher Selection,College Admission,Decision Making,Organizational Communication,Universities,Job Applicants,Teacher Recruitment,Cooperation,Educational Planning,Foreign Countries

Year after year, English-as-a-foreign-language (ESL) programs at Saudi universities are experiencing significant increases in student enrollment. The current staffing conditions do not accommodate the enrollment demands. ESL programs are having difficulties in retaining experienced native-speaking teachers and in hiring qualified substitute instructors. This study explores the current staffing status and language and translation departments at 7 Saudi universities, describes the staffing status in men and women's departments in terms of faculty numbers, faculty qualifications, faculty nationality, faculty teaching load, male and female student enrollments, total number of hours offered, numbers of sections offered, and section size; cause of faculty shortage; and how the faculty shortage is covered. Demographic data about faculty, courses offered, and student enrollment were collected. In addition, department heads and ESL coordinators were interviewed concerning the staffing needs, causes of faculty shortage, how the shortage is covered and hiring practices. It was found that women's departments are more under-staffed than men's departments. Understaffing is caused by the Ministry of Higher Education's open admission policy, lack of communication and coordination between department heads and decision makers, and insufficient communication channels between English departments and job applicants. Technology is not used by most universities in the job advertising and hiring processes. Job vacancies are not advertised on the internet, information about vacancies is not available online, e-mail is not used in correspondence, and no online interviews (teleconferencing) are conducted. Other factors include insufficient funding, university and government employment policies and regulations, inefficient manpower planning, lack of prediction studies, high competition in neighboring countries, limited sources, and others. The study recommends that the King Fahad University staffing model is followed by other universities, in addition to an outline of a recruitment plan to meet faculty supply needs for ESL programs and to increase the collaboration between departments and decision makers will be provided.
NCTQ Databurst: State Oversight of Alternate Routes into Teaching
Author: National Council on Teacher Quality
Date: 2020-12-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Alternative Teacher Certification,State Standards,Admission Criteria,Teacher Competency Testing,Knowledge Base for Teaching,Teacher Education,Required Courses,Prior Learning,Licensing Examinations (Professions),State Policy,Student Teaching,Beginning Teacher Induction,Elementary School Teachers,Reading Instruction,Middle School Teachers,High School Teachers

All but four states in the nation now permit teachers to come into the profession through an &quot;alternate route,&quot; compared to only a few 30 years ago. Alternate routes into the classroom have grown so acceptable that about one in five teachers now enters the profession through one of these programs, which offer some real benefits to the profession. Nearly double the percentage of teacher candidates in alternate route programs identify as Black and more than double identify as Latino as compared to traditional teacher preparation programs (15% vs. 8%, and 13% vs. 5%, respectively). Additionally, alternate route candidates often fill jobs in hard-to-staff subjects and schools. When it comes to requirements for alternate routes, states must balance between upholding standards for educators regardless of how they come into the profession with providing flexibility by differentiating the requirements they place on these programs from traditional pathways. Since alternate route candidates typically become a teacher of record immediately or shortly after they enter into a program, establishing strong entrance requirements and specifying essential supports are important levers states should exercise. This brief explores how states fare in the balancing act between appropriate oversight and flexibility.