ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
The Reflection-Informed Learning and Instruction to Improve Students&apos; Academic Success in Undergraduate Classrooms
Author: Menekse, Muhsin
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Reflection,Academic Achievement,Undergraduate Students,Instructional Effectiveness,Engineering Education,Difficulty Level,Self Management,Teaching Methods,Prompting,Handheld Devices,Natural Language Processing,Feedback (Response),Statistical Analysis,Electronic Learning

This study addressed the role of the reflection-informed learning and instruction (RILI) model on students' academic success by using CourseMIRROR mobile system. We hypothesized that prompting students to reflect on confusing concepts stimulates their self-monitoring activities according to which students are expected to review their understanding, search for related knowledge, and try to identify the confusing concepts. With this student-reflection information, instructors can thus address students' difficulties effectively, which can lead to enhanced academic success. We tested our hypothesis by conducting a semester-long quasi-experimental study in undergraduate industrial engineering classes (N = 153). The analyses revealed that students in the RILI condition performed significantly better than students in the control condition (Cohen's &quot;d&quot; = 0.82). In addition, reflection analysis showed that both the quality and quantity of reflections were significantly associated with exam performance. Surveys indicated users highly valued the RIFI model; they rated CourseMIRROR favorably and said they would continue to use it in future classes. [This article was published in &quot;The Journal of Experimental Education&quot; (EJ1241720).]
The Role of Context in Educational RCT Findings: A Call to Redefine &quot;Evidence-Based Practice&quot;
Author: Kaplan, Avi
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Opinion Papers
Subjects: Context Effect,Educational Research,Randomized Controlled Trials,Causal Models,Evidence Based Practice,Generalization,Research Design

In this commentary, we complement other constructive critiques of educational randomized control trials (RCTs) by calling attention to the commonly ignored role of context in causal mechanisms undergirding educational phenomena. We argue that evidence for the central role of context in causal mechanisms challenges the assumption that RCT findings can be uncritically generalized across settings. Anchoring our argument with an example from our own multi-study RCT project, we argue that the scientific pursuit of causal explanation should involve the rich description of contextualized causal effects. We further call for incorporating the evidence of the integral role of context in causal mechanisms into the meaning of &quot;evidence-based practice,&quot; with the implication that effective implementation of practice in a new setting must involve context-oriented, evidence-focused, design-based research that attends to the emergent, complex, and dynamic nature of educational contexts. [This article was published in &quot;Educational Researcher&quot; v49 n4 p285-288 2020.]
Ninth Grade Newcomers in the Fort Worth Independent School District: Predictors of Graduation Outcomes
Author: Chu, Haiwen
Date: 2015-04-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Grade 9,Graduation Rate,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Outcomes of Education,At Risk Students,Immigrants,Predictor Variables,Language Proficiency,Reading Comprehension,Listening Comprehension

This report is part of a long-term collaboration of the Quality Teaching for English Learners initiative at WestEd with the Fort Worth Independent School District. The objective of this report is to explore how ninth grade data can predict the graduation outcomes of newcomers. Based upon predictor variables, binary indicators can identify students &quot;at risk&quot; of not graduating. The utility of English language proficiency measures is compared to attendance in the ninth grade year for predicting graduation. This analysis of a historical cohort provides some insights into how data available early in a newcomer's enrollment in the district is associated with summative outcomes. Because only two continuous variables were available, the accuracy of predictors was limited. If more data--such as grade point average, course completion, and credit accumulation--were available, the accuracy of predictors could be improved. Other studies in other contexts have pointed at the promise of these variables, even though those studies have not focused explicitly on the subgroup of newcomers. [This report was prepared as part of Exploring Longitudinal Outcomes and Trajectories of English Language Learners (ELOTE), a Researcher-Practitioner Partnership funded by the Institute of Education Sciences.]
Supporting Secondary Newcomers Academically, Socially, and Emotionally
Author: Schmida, Mary
Date: 2016-06-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Immigrants,English Language Learners,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Well Being,Emotional Development,Social Development,Program Effectiveness,Special Needs Students,Academic Support Services,High School Students,Grade 9,College Readiness,Graduation,Teaching Methods,Instructional Materials,Notetaking,Interaction,Cooperation,Language Usage,English for Academic Purposes,Clubs,Athletics,Extracurricular Activities,Parent School Relationship,Teacher Influence,Counselor Role,Teacher Role,Peer Influence,Caring

Newcomer students who arrive in the secondary grades face daunting challenges in order to achieve desired academic outcomes such as high school graduation and college access. Besides simultaneously developing conceptual understandings analytical and linguistic practices, newcomers also need to adapt to a new country, a new schooling system, and a new language. While a few newcomers come with English proficiency, most newcomers are English language learners. The Fort Worth Independent School District has a dedicated program at the International Newcomer Academy for students in their first year in the district. After that first year, students attend programs hosted at campuses across the district. This study of two programs, located at two different campuses, is guided by the notion that newcomer academic success is supported by their emotional well-being and social development. These two programs were selected because they had the highest graduation rates for newcomer students. The focus of this study is on programs and practices. Here, programs encompass all activities that are formally scheduled and structured, including academic programs, classes, clubs, and college fairs. In addition to formal programs, the study examined informal school interactions as well, because the extent to which newcomers engage in informal social interactions in English predicts higher English language proficiency. This report summarizes and illustrates findings, integrating classroom observations with the voices of students, teachers, and administrators. This report briefly introduces the two schools and then presents findings organized according to two categories: 1) formal and informal; and 2) academic and social-emotional. [This report was prepared as part of Exploring Longitudinal Outcomes and Trajectories of English Language Learners (ELOTE), a Researcher-Practitioner Partnership funded by the Institute of Education Sciences.]
Ninth Grade Newcomers in the Fort Worth Independent School District: Comparisons to Other English Language Learners
Author: Chu, Haiwen
Date: 2015-05-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Immigrants,English Language Learners,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Special Needs Students,Academic Support Services,High School Students,Grade 9,Language Usage,English for Academic Purposes,Teacher Role,Caring,Spanish Speaking,Middle School Students,Language Proficiency,Graduation Rate,Gender Differences,Socioeconomic Status,Student Characteristics,Student Diversity,Classification

This report is part of a long-term collaboration of the Quality Teaching for English Learners initiative at WestEd with the Fort Worth Independent School District. The focus of this report is on comparisons between ninth grade newcomers and other groups of English language learners (ELLs). Analyses compare newcomers to 1) long-term ELLs who were classified in the elementary grades, 2) &quot;recent&quot; ELLs who were classified as ELLs during middle school and coded as immigrants in the ninth grade, 3) &quot;recent&quot; ELLs classified during middle school who were not immigrants. The report focuses on initial English language proficiency, reclassification, and graduation outcomes, three areas of interest identified by an earlier descriptive report.At the beginning of their time in the district, newcomers are more ethnically and linguistically diverse than their non-immigrant counterparts. Newcomers also start out with lower levels of English language proficiency than other ELLs. In the intervening years, newcomers are reclassified as English proficient at less than half the rate of other ELLs. By the end of four years, however, non-immigrant recent ELLs end up graduating at a rate similar (49%) to newcomers (47%). More research may be needed into why this group ends up with outcomes lower than both immigrant recent ELLs and long-term ELLs. The fact that immigrant recent ELLs were able to graduate at a rate slightly higher (64%) than long-term ELLs (61%) may suggest immigrant students need more time enrolled in the district to graduate, including four full years in a comprehensive high school. More research is necessary to understand how programs can more effectively serve newcomers and ELLs and support them towards high school graduation. [This report was prepared as part of Exploring Longitudinal Outcomes and Trajectories of English Language Learners (ELOTE), a Researcher-Practitioner Partnership funded by the Institute of Education Sciences.]
Testing the Inference Mediation Hypothesis in a Post-Secondary Context
Author: Magliano, Joseph P.
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Hypothesis Testing,Inferences,Individual Differences,Reading Comprehension,College Students,Reading Tests,Vignettes,College Readiness,Standardized Tests,Predictor Variables,Reading Skills

The inference mediation hypothesis (IMH) assumes that individual difference factors that affect reading proficiency have direct and indirect effects on comprehension outcomes, with the indirect effects involving inference processes. The present study tested the IMH in a diverse sample of two and four-year college students in a task that emphasizes comprehension of the passage (traditional assessment) and a task that emphasizes complex problem solving (SBA). Participants were administered assessments of foundational skills that support reading, inference generation, a traditional assessment of comprehension proficiency, and a scenario-based reading assessment. The results support the IMH. However, the strength of the indirect relationships depended on the type of reading performance assessment. Coherence building inferences partially mediated the relationship for both assessments. However, elaborative inferences only partially mediated the relationship for the scenario-based assessment. The results are discussed in terms of theories of purposeful reading and implications for understanding college readiness. [This paper will be published in &quot;Contemporary Educational Psychology.&quot;]
The Progressive Roots of Charter Schools
Author: Langhorne, Emily
Date: 2019-09-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Charter Schools,Equal Education,Public Schools,Institutional Autonomy,Accountability,Diversity,Parent Participation,Competition,Unions,School Choice,Educational History,Educational Legislation,Politics of Education,State Legislation,Federal Legislation

Improving public education has long been a cornerstone of the Democratic platform. Because progressives understand that access to a quality education is the gateway to a better life, their decades-long struggle to promote equal rights and opportunity for all Americans has been deeply tied to their struggle to create an effective public school system. Over the past two decades, cities that have embraced chartering, such as New Orleans, Washington, D.C., Denver, Newark, and Indianapolis, have experienced profound student growth and school improvement. The charter formula--school-level autonomy, accountability for results, diversity of school designs, parental choice, and competition between schools--is far more effective than the centralized, bureaucratic approach that developed more than a century ago. The charter sector has created opportunity for millions of underserved children. But teachers at charter schools tend not to unionize, so as the charter sector grows, union membership shrinks. As a result, union leaders and their allies have gone to war against charters. This article traces the progressive roots of the charter school system over the past three decades and highlights the importance of preserving this system as the 2020 election approaches.
Creating Coherent Systems to Support Education Improvement. Research Brief. Getting Down to Facts II
Author: Henig, Jeffrey R.
Date: 2018-09-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Educational Policy,Public Policy,Governance,Common Core State Standards,Local Government,Funding Formulas,State Policy,School Districts,Networks,State Departments of Education,Educational Improvement,Federal State Relationship

California's education policy agenda, in particular the near-simultaneous implementation of Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), has created challenges and opportunities for the state. Coming on the heels of the Great Recession of 2008, these enormous shifts--the demands for substantially new teaching practices required by the CCSS and the fundamental shift from a state-controlled education finance system to locally determined priorities and resource allocation--require new infusions of support to help school districts realize these policies' ambitious goals. At the same time, shifting federal policies may have an unanticipated or unpredictable impact on state efforts and priorities. This brief summarizes three &quot;Getting Down to Facts II&quot; technical reports on governance issues facing California education: (1) &quot;Federal Policy Meets 'the California Way'&quot; (ED594696); (2) &quot;State Structures for Instructional Support in California&quot; (ED594746); and (3) Building a System of Support for School Improvement (ED594594). This brief also draws on another &quot;Getting Down to Facts II&quot; technical report: &quot;Frontline Perspectives on Instructional Support in the Common Core Era&quot; (ED594685). The major policy shifts embodied in the Common Core State Standards and the Local Control Funding Formula signal great ambition as well as the need for substantial support to implement these policies. Under the LCFF-generated System of Support, the state hopes that districts will have the capacity to identify local needs and strengths, develop strategies, seek the necessary assistance, and take actions to improve the performance of schools and students.
Stereotype Threat Effects on Learning from a Cognitively Demanding Mathematics Lesson
Author: Lyons McLaughlin, Emily
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Stereotypes,African American Students,Elementary School Students,Grade 5,Mathematics Instruction,Self Disclosure (Individuals),Racial Identification,Retention (Psychology),Learner Engagement,Achievement Gap,Difficulty Level

Stereotype threat--a situational context in which individuals are concerned about confirming a negative stereotype--has been frequently shown to test performance, with one hypothesized mechanism being that cognitive resources are temporarily coopted by intrusive thoughts and worries, leading individuals to underperform despite high content knowledge and ability (see Schmaeder &amp; Beilock, 2012). We test here whether stereotype threat may also impact initial student learning and knowledge formation when experienced prior to instruction. Predominantly African American 5th grade students provided either their race or the date before a videotaped, conceptually demanding mathematics lesson. Students who gave their race retained less learning over time, enjoyed the lesson less, reported a diminished desire to learn more, and were less likely to choose to engage in an optional math activity. The detrimental impact was greatest among students with high baseline cognitive resources. While stereotype threat has been well documented to harm test performance, the finding that effects extend to initial learning suggests that stereotype threat's contribution to achievement gaps may be greatly underestimated. [This paper was published in &quot;Cognitive Science&quot; (EJ1172751).]
DoDEA Annual Report: Fiscal Year 2018
Author: Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA)
Date: 2019-01-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Public Schools,Preschool Education,Elementary Secondary Education,Academic Achievement,School Effectiveness,Professional Development,Accountability,Organizational Effectiveness,Outreach Programs,Armed Forces,National Competency Tests,College Readiness,Career Readiness

The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) educates over 71,000 students in pre-school through grade twelve and impacts the lives of thousands more through the Non-DoD School Program (NDSP) and Local Education Agency grants program. This annual report represents an essential tool for communication and accountability. The purpose of this report is to share DoDEA's achievements towards each of the Blueprint's Goals in Fiscal Year (FY) 2018. Although the plan was only initiated in September 2018, there is a lot of accomplishment to celebrate. Included in this report are: (1) Emergent Issues; (2) Goal 1: Student Excellence; (3) Goal 2: School Excellence; (4) Goal 3: Talent Excellence; (5) Goal 4: Organizational Excellence; and (6) Goal 5: Outreach Excellence. A glossary is included.
Improving the Skills of Writing a Thought Paragraph in 7th Grade Students: An Action Research Study
Author: Bayburtlu, Yavuz Selim
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Middle School Students,Grade 7,Writing Skills,Writing Improvement,Paragraph Composition,Action Research,Writing Attitudes,Writing Instruction,Teaching Methods,Journal Writing,Essays

This action research study was conducted to improve the skills of writing a thought paragraph in 7th grade students. The study was planned for a 14-week period and a total of 25 activities were implemented with students during the study. Interviews held with Turkish teachers, journals kept by the researcher and the students in relation to the study contributed to the course of the research. At the end of the study, it was observed that the students had a preconception against writing before starting the action research study. According to the findings of the study, it is understood that the students did not receive a paragraph-only education, and that the paragraph types are briefly addressed in Turkish courses. This may have led students to have prejudice about writing and paragraph type. Students have undergone a process-based activity implementation that moves from word to sentence, and from sentence to paragraph. The activities applied to students during the action research study were created to achieve inductive and deductive learning, completing a piece, gaining the skills of comprehensive and critical thinking about an event or a subject. It was seen in the students' journal entries and written essays that the skills of thought paragraph writing gradually improved. This action research study revealed that if students are provided with comprehensive thought paragraph writing training, they would be able to write thought paragraphs at the desired level. It is thought that if students are given more comprehensive training on paragraph types, students' problems with their ability to write would be reduced.
Iranian EFL Teacher Cognition: Tracing Cognitive Dissonance
Author: Ghasemi, Farshad
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),English Teachers,Psychological Patterns,Beginning Teachers,Experienced Teachers,Teacher Attitudes,Teacher Certification,Teaching Methods

This paper is based on research with two groups of novice and expert teachers with and without TEFL Certificate (Standard Licensed and Alternatively Licensed) in contexts with prescribed methodology. It considers discord and tensions between teachers' preformed beliefs, prior experiences and conceptions of teaching with the contextual obligations and teaching practices which may result in cognitive dissonance. In addition, it attempts to understand how teachers' dispositions as indicated through teaching practices could affect them with various professional profiles such as expertise and teaching licensure. Associated with this, the article also studies how awareness and experience of dissonance in different teachers may be reflective of a 'change provoking disequilibrium' which may affect and shift their cognition and quality of their teaching. Cognitive Dissonance questionnaire (DARQ), class observation, and semi-structured interviews are used to help explain to what extent teachers experience and respond to dissonance during their field experiences and professional development.
Blueprint for Continuous Improvement. Strategic Plan, SY 2018/19 - SY 2023/24
Author: Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA)
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Educational Improvement,Educational Planning,Strategic Planning,Military Service,Elementary Secondary Education,Public Schools,Educational Indicators,Educational Quality,Evidence Based Practice

The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) is the Department of Defense agency charged with providing high quality education for military-connected students both domestically and overseas. DoDEA operates 166 schools located in eleven countries, two territories, and seven states and serves over 72,000 students. The Blueprint for Continuous Improvement (Blueprint) is DoDEA's strategic plan for school years 2018/19 through 2023/24. The Blueprint incorporates critical elements from the Community Strategic Plan (CSP) for School Years 2012/13 through 2017/18 (see ED605261 and ED605265) and updates them to meet DoDEA's future needs. This document contains a description of the purpose of the Blueprint, an overview of the planning process, and the details of specific elements of the plan. The elements in this plan create a firm foundation for DoDEA's pathway to greater student success for our next generation.