ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Supply and Demand in the Higher Education Market: College Admission and College Choice. Research Brief
Author: Hurwitz, Michael
Date: 2015-02-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Higher Education,Educational Demand,Educational Supply,College Admission,College Choice,Selective Admission,Trend Analysis,High School Graduates,Graduation Rate,College Applicants,Enrollment,Tuition,Statistical Analysis,Statistical Distributions

The nation's most selective colleges are often the centerpiece of the discussion surrounding college choice, and trends in college selectivity are relayed through stories of plunging admission rates at a few high-profile postsecondary institutions and anecdotes of model high school students unable to secure seats at these colleges. Such stories make for ideal attention-grabbing headlines and probably generate more panic than they should for students, parents, and others actively engaged in helping prospective college-goers to seek out and attend appropriately matched colleges. The information provided through these newspaper and magazine articles, books, and blogs fall short in that they present to consumers only pieces of the story, not a holistic national perspective of how the student demand for college has changed along with postsecondary responses to these changes. Experiences of individual students or institutions may or may not be representative of national trends. In this brief and the companion brief, the authors depart from the traditional manner of relaying trends in college applications, admission, and enrollment by taking a step back and considering patterns over time for the universe of U.S. 4-year postsecondary institutions with competitive admission processes, rather than small and possibly unrepresentative subsets of them. This wide-lens approach is possible through the aggregation and analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Education's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), as well as the College Board's own data. This brief begins by documenting trends in application volume, admission, and enrollment across all of the nation's selective 4-year postsecondary institutions. These trends are disaggregated by level of selectivity to call attention to the occasionally contrasting patterns that occur across selectivity categories. The authors offer corroboration that college admission rates are indeed declining and that the decline has continued in recent years even after the annual count of new U.S. high school graduates has peaked. Colleges have responded to the heightened demand by growing their first-year cohorts, although the rate of enrollment expansion has not kept pace with the sharper increases in application volume. A bibliography is included. [For the companion brief &quot;Supply and Demand in the Higher Education Market: College Enrollment,&quot; see ED562848.]
What Is the Minimum Information Needed to Estimate Average Treatment Effects in Education RCTs?
Author: Schochet, Peter Z.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Randomized Controlled Trials,Outcomes of Treatment,Intervention,Program Effectiveness,Longitudinal Studies,Data,Access to Information,Error of Measurement,Control Groups,Experimental Groups,Academic Achievement,Scores,Statistical Analysis

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are considered the &quot;gold standard&quot; for evaluating an intervention's effectiveness. Recently, the federal government has placed increased emphasis on the use of opportunistic experiments. A key criterion for conducting opportunistic experiments, however, is that there is relatively easy access to data about key outcomes. This paper will address the following research question: What is the &quot;minimum&quot; amount of information that researchers can request from state longitudinal data systems (SLDS) staff to obtain unbiased estimates of average treatment effects (ATEs) and their standard errors for the full population and key population subgroups? The paper will consider non-clustered designs where (1) students are randomized to a treatment and control group, (2) clustered designs where units (such as schools or classrooms) are randomized, and (3) both stratified designs where random assignment is conducted within blocks (such as school districts or schools) and non-stratified designs. The paper will focus on the estimation of ATEs on a continuous student achievement test score that is available in the SLDS data. Also, the author will consider impact estimation models that adjust for baseline covariates and those that do not. The study results report that RCTs will be feasible only if administrative records data are readily available to conduct such analyses. Yet, obtaining these data can be difficult and time-consuming due to data access issues and staff availability.
What Is the Optimal Length of an ELL Program?
Author: Hong, Guanglei
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Program Length,English Language Learners,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Mathematics Tests,Bilingual Education Programs,Spanish Speaking,Mathematics Achievement,Academic Support Services,Teaching Methods,Language Proficiency,Scores,Elementary School Students,Mathematics Instruction,Resource Allocation,Longitudinal Studies,Mathematical Models,Surveys,Children

This study focuses on assessing the contribution of ELL services to Spanish-speaking students' mathematics learning in elementary schools. ELL students tend to have lower average math achievement at school entry and throughout elementary school. The term &quot;ELL services&quot; encompasses English-as-a-second-language (ESL) programs, bilingual education programs, and other types of specialized programs for ELL students. Such students are entitled to support in the classroom until they achieve the level of English proficiency needed for full participation. Data were collected using outcome measures from math direct assessment scores. The assessment was administered in English if a student was proficient in English and was administered in Spanish if the student was proficient in Spanish but not in English. Study results indicate four or more years of ELL services on average are necessary to enable Spanish-speaking elementary students to become proficient in academic English essential for math learning. Yet a one-size-for-all recipe is practically naïve and often wasteful. Identifying the optimal length of ELL services for subpopulations of students therefore has immediate implications for ELL resource allocation. Tables and figures are appended.
The Effects of Structured Transfer Programs in Community Colleges
Author: Baker, Rachel
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Community Colleges,College Transfer Students,State Policy,Articulation (Education),Educational Policy,Educational Change,Outcomes of Education,Course Selection (Students),Associate Degrees,Student Behavior,Student Records,Control Groups,Trend Analysis,Academic Degrees,Educational Trends,Correlation,Tables (Data),Statistical Analysis,Evidence

Many community college students begin with the intention of transferring to a four-year school but relatively few actually do. One hypothesis for the low rates of successful two-to-four year transfers is that academic program choices in community colleges are too numerous and too complex. In this paper, the author will address a longer term outcome of a state articulation policy in California (number of associates degrees granted) as well as the more proximate outcome (changes in course taking patterns) implicit in these more distal goals. She will also examine whether the reform is having heterogeneous effects on different demographic groups and different degree programs. Using data from California Community Colleges, the author will answer the following research questions: (1) Do structured academic transfer programs for community college students affect student outcomes and course-taking behavior?; and (2) Does a more structured transfer program affect the demographics (race, age, SES, prior education) of degree programs in community colleges and does it have larger effects on particular groups of students? The author worked closely with a community college district in Northern California. She used exclusively administrative data for this project. This study provides preliminary evidence that the introduction of Associates degrees for transfer had an effect on the behavior of students. Tables are appended.
Students with Discrepant High School GPA and SAT® Scores. Research Summary RS-01
Author: Ramist, Leonard
Date: 1997-10-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: High School Students,Grade Point Average,Scores,College Entrance Examinations,Predictive Validity,Comparative Analysis

SAT I: Reasoning Test scores, combined with high school grades, result in more accurate predictions of college success than either measure alone or any other combination of two measures. Overall, there is a strong positive relationship between high school grades and SAT. In 1990, ETS conducted a study of the characteristics of different students with discrepant high school GPA and SAT scores. Students at three colleges were classified into three groups depending on the relationship between their SAT scores and high school GPA. Approximately two-thirds of all students have nondiscrepant scores, meaning that their predicted freshman GPA will be similar whether SAT scores or high school GPA are used, and one-third of students had discrepant scores. Characteristics of the students in both groups are discussed.
Setting Local Cut Scores on the Sat Reasoning Test™ Writing Section: For Use in College Placement and Admissions Decisions
Author: Morgan, Deanna L.
Date: 2006-03-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: College Entrance Examinations,Logical Thinking,Thinking Skills,Placement,Student Placement,College Admission,Standard Setting,Writing (Composition),Cutting Scores,Essays,Multiple Choice Tests,Guides

The introduction of the SAT Reasoning Test™ with a writing section in March 2005 and the concomitant elimination of the SAT® Subject Test in Writing after January 2005 have led many colleges and institutions to ask for guidance in using the new SAT Reasoning Test writing section scores for college placement and admissions. Standard-setting methodologies provide one possible set of processes that can be used to identify point(s) on a score scale to divide a group of examinees into categories. Many standard-setting methods have been developed, but only one, the Angoff Method (1971) with Mean Estimation for Essays (Loomis and Bourque 2001), is presented in this document. This document presents many of the decisions needed to conduct a standard-setting session and then provides step-by-step directions to enable colleges or institutions to conduct their own local Angoff-based standard setting for the SAT writing section. Many examples of the data collection documents and supplementary preparation and training materials useful during the standard-setting process, including test items for the March 2005 SAT writing section, are provided. Colleges and institutions are strongly encouraged to use the free Admitted Class Evaluation Service™ (ACES™) offered by the College Board for users of College Board tests to collect information regarding the validity of using specific cut scores on the SAT Reasoning Test writing section for placement or admissions for their institutions' applicants and students. The following are appended: (1) Information on the SAT Reasoning Test™ Writing Section; (2) A Sample Schedule for a Standard Setting Using Angoff with Mean Estimation to Set One Cut Score; (3) A Sample Schedule for a Standard Setting Using Angoff with Mean Estimation to Set Two Cut Scores; (4) SAT Essay Prompt and Multiple-Choice Items for Writing--March 2005; (5) Scoring Guide for the SAT® Essay; (6) Answer Key for the SAT Reasoning Test Writing Section; (7) Training Essay Prompt and Multiple-Choice Items for Writing Section; (8) Angoff with Mean Estimation of Essay Ratings Training Record; (9) Training Evaluation Form; (10) Angoff with Mean Estimation of Essay Ratings Record; (11) SAT Writing Composite Score Conversion Table; (12) Final Evaluation Form for the SAT Reasoning Test Writing Section; and (13) Dictionary of Terms.
Selection through Individualized Review: A Report on Phase IV of the Admissions Models Project
Author: Rigol, Gretchen W.
Date: 2004-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Individualized Programs,College Admission,Models,Program Descriptions,Admission Criteria,College Applicants,Guidelines,Persistence,Participant Characteristics,Conference Papers,Cost Effectiveness,Definitions,Standardized Tests,Staff Development,Selective Admission,Selection Criteria,Change Strategies,Grade Point Average

This is the fourth monograph in the admissions models series. Based on discussions at a June 2004 conference and conversations with numerous admissions experts, this publication describes different approaches to individualized review and covers topics such as standardizing elements of the application, reader training and guidelines, consistency and reliability, and the economics of individualized review. The following are appended: (1) Roster of Participants in the June 8-9, 2004, Conference; and (2) Consistency and Reliability Background Paper.
Score Change When Retaking the SAT® I: Reasoning Test. Research Notes RN-05
Author: Nathan, Julie S.
Date: 1998-09-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: College Entrance Examinations,High School Students,College Bound Students,Scores,Testing,Standardized Tests,Student Characteristics,Gender Differences,Age Differences,High School Seniors,Grade 11,Grade 12,Thinking Skills,Mathematics Skills,Verbal Ability

Each year over one million high school students complete the SAT[superscript R] I. Information on repeat testing and the probability that a student's SAT I score will change may help students and educators make better-informed decisions about retesting. This information would also be useful for high school counselors who advise students regarding testing, and for college admission officers and faculty who use SAT I scores for admission and placement decisions. The first part of this report concerns only score changes between consecutive testings of the SAT I. In the second half, average scores between PSAT/NMSQT and SAT I will be described.
Using Anchoring Vignettes to Calibrate Teachers' Self-Assessment of Teaching
Author: Yuan, Kun
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Self Evaluation (Individuals),Mathematics Teachers,Vignettes,Online Surveys,Teacher Surveys,Validity,Mathematics Instruction,Correlation,Comparative Analysis,Teacher Evaluation,Value Added Models,Student Surveys,Observation,Elementary School Teachers,Middle School Teachers,Secondary School Teachers,Grade 4,Grade 5,Grade 6,Grade 7,Grade 8,Grade 9,Statistical Analysis

High-quality measures of instructional practice are essential for research and evaluation of innovative instructional policies and programs, as well as for providing feedback to teachers and administrators. In this study, the authors examined whether using anchoring vignettes in web-based surveys improved the validity of teachers' self-assessments of their mathematics instruction. To investigate validity, they compared correlations between teachers' self-ratings and other measures of teaching including teachers' value-added scores, student surveys, and observation ratings of instruction before and after calibration to examine whether calibration improves the correlation between teachers' self-ratings and other teaching measures. Data came from 61 mathematics teachers in grades 4-9 participating in the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation's Measures of Effective Teaching Extension project. The sample was roughly evenly distributed between elementary (grades 4-5) and middle school (grades 6-8) teachers, with only three percent teaching 9th grade. The authors used both non-parametric and parametric methods to calibrate teachers' self-ratings. Preliminary findings suggest that anchoring vignettes represent a promising innovation for measuring teachers' instruction through survey self-reports. Specifically, the authors found: (1) Teachers' survey responses that are calibrated through the use of anchoring vignettes have increased variation compared to teachers' raw survey responses, particularly for the cognitive challenge dimension; (2) Teachers' calibrated survey responses regarding mathematical vocabulary and cognitively challenging tasks are more strongly correlated with the composite measure of teacher performance compared to raw survey responses; and (3) If teachers gave their self-rating after rating the vignettes, rather than before, the entire collection of calibrated self-ratings are significantly correlated with the composite performance measure (p&lt;0.05).
PSAT/NMSQT® Indicators of College Readiness. Research Report No. 2010-4
Author: Proctor, Thomas P.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: High School Students,College Entrance Examinations,College Readiness,Scores,Benchmarking,Grade 10,Grade 11,Methods

This report presents a methodology for the creation of a PSAT/NMSQT test score benchmark to identify students who are on track toward college readiness when completing high school. The proposed benchmark could create useful early indicators of whether students in grades 10 and 11 are on track to be college ready upon high school graduation. Two tables are appended.
Predicting Grades in Different Types of College Courses. Research Report No. 2008-1. ETS RR-08-06
Author: Bridgeman, Brent
Date: 2008-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: College Entrance Examinations,Standardized Tests,Grade Point Average,High School Students,Predictor Variables,College Students,Grades (Scholastic),Racial Differences,Ethnic Groups,Gender Differences,Courses,College Freshmen,Prediction,Correlation,English Instruction,Science Instruction,Social Sciences,Education Courses,Statistical Analysis

The ability of high school grades (grade point average) and SAT® scores to predict cumulative grades in different types of college courses was evaluated in a sample of 26 colleges. Appended are: (1) Sample Sizes, Means, and Standard Deviations for Subgroups Defined by Gender, Race/Ethnicity, and Course Type; and (2) Prediction of Cumulative GPA by Course Type, College-Selectivity Level, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity; Corrected for Range Restriction.
Socioeconomic Status and the Relationship between the SAT® and Freshman GPA: An Analysis of Data from 41 Colleges and Universities. Research Report No. 2009-1
Author: Sackett, Paul R.
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Socioeconomic Status,Grade Point Average,College Entrance Examinations,Scores,Correlation,College Freshmen,High School Students

Critics of educational admissions tests assert that tests measure nothing other than socioeconomic status (SES), and that their apparent validity in predicting academic performance is an artifact of SES. We examine relationships among SAT, SES, and freshman grades in 41 colleges and universities and show that (a) SES is related to SAT scores (r = 0.42 among the population of SAT takers), (b) SAT scores are predictive of freshman grades (r = 0.47 corrected for school-specific range restriction), and (c) statistically controlling for SES reduces the estimated SAT-grade correlation from r = 0.47 to r = 0.44. Thus, the vast majority of the SAT-grade relationship is independent of SES: The SAT-grade relationship is not an artifact of common influences of SES on both test scores and grades. Correlations and Partial Correlations Among SAT, College GPA, HSGPA, and SES by School is appended.
The Role of Classroom Quality in Explaining Head Start Impacts
Author: Connors, Maia C.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Preschool Children,Rating Scales,Child Care,Federal Programs,Early Childhood Education,Disadvantaged Youth,Educational Quality,Control Groups,Experimental Groups,Comparative Analysis,Quasiexperimental Design,Thinking Skills,Receptive Language,Mathematics Skills,Emergent Literacy,Early Reading,Randomized Controlled Trials,Models,Verbal Ability,Intelligence Tests,Vocabulary,Teacher Student Relationship

This study seeks to answer the following question: Are impacts on Head Start classroom quality associated with impacts of Head Start on children's learning and development? This study employs a variety of descriptive and quasi-experimental methods to explore the role of classroom quality as a mediator or mechanism of Head Start impacts. This research uses data from the Head Start Impact Study (HSIS) and includes 4,440 3- and 4-year-old children who were randomly assigned off a waitlist to either receive an invitation to participate in Head Start services or to the control group. Children initially applied to 351 Head Start programs across 81 Head Start grantees. A total of 2,644 children were randomized to receive Head Start services and 1,796 were randomized to the control group. Following randomization, children enrolled in a total of 1,632 classrooms across 930 Head Start and non-Head Start centers. Measures of children's cognitive skills include early receptive language, math skills, and early literacy. Classroom quality was assessed using three tools: The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS-R), The Family Day Care Rating Scale (FDCRS), and the Arnett Caregiver Interaction Scale (CIS). Results of the multinomial logit models indicate that random assignment to Head Start is indeed associated with increases in all three classroom quality factors. Future analyses will address critical questions about the extent to which these impacts on quality are associated with impacts on child outcomes, using a variety of analytic approaches. Tables and figures are appended.
Variation in Mean Academic Gains across Classrooms in the Tennessee Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten Program
Author: Hofer, Kerry G.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Preschool Education,Preschool Children,Achievement Gains,Randomized Controlled Trials,Data Analysis,School Districts,Achievement Tests,Correlation,Program Evaluation,Statistical Analysis,Vocabulary

This paper presents evidence on the amount of classroom variation in gains across various domains of achievement within the Tennessee Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (TN-VPK) program; the data are taken from the randomized control trial (RCT) design of the TN-VPK evaluation. This study explores areas where those differences are largest, and offers speculations about possible causes of these differences. The full randomized sample included children from 111 randomized school applicant lists in 28 districts across Tennessee. The consented subsample of that group came from 76 applicant lists in 58 schools from 21 districts. Ten of those 58 schools were in the West region of the state, 24 were in the Central West region, 12 were in the Central East region, and 12 were in the East. Children were individually assessed using the set of Woodcock Johnson III achievement tests (Letter-Word Identification, Spelling, Understanding Directions, Applied Problems, Quantitative Concepts, Passage Comprehension, and Oral Comprehension). Data presented were analyzed through first calculating each individual child's gain by differencing the beginning and end of pre-k scores on each subscale, and those differences were aggregated to the classroom level for the children who attended VPK. The focus of this paper is not just on mean gain, but on standard deviations and ranges of gain. The amount of gain made during the pre-k year in TN-VPK classrooms varied substantially from classroom to classroom. Correlations of gains across subscales revealed that though classrooms that tended to make more relative gain on one subtest also tended to make relatively more gain on other subtests, the strength of the correlations did not suggest that classrooms making the most gains always made the most gains regardless of subject matter. Tables and figures are appended.