ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Towards Individualized Instruction with Technology-Enabled Tools and Methods: An Exploratory Study. CRESST Report 854
Author: Chung, Gregory K. W. K.
Date: 2016-06-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Grade 6,Algebra,Grade 8,Individualized Instruction,Computer Assisted Instruction,Educational Technology,Feedback (Response),Urban Schools,Middle Schools,Pretests Posttests,Statistical Analysis,Program Effectiveness,Mathematics Instruction

This report addresses a renewed interest in individualized instruction, driven in part by advances in technology and assessment as well as a persistent desire to increase the access, efficiency, and cost effectiveness of training and education. Using computer-based instruction we delivered extremely efficient instruction targeted to low knowledge learners in sixth-grade algebra readiness classes and eighth-grade Algebra 1A classes. Our research questions were the following: (1) To what extent can very brief exposure to instruction result in learning? and (2) How effective is the instruction compared to no exposure? We found that computer-based &quot;instructional parcels&quot; can be developed to provide very brief instruction that results in learning of mathematics content. The following are appended: (1) Summary of Design Guidelines Implemented in Instruction; (2) Student Background Detail; (3) Student Background Measures; (4) Sample of Pretest Items and (5) Transfer Test Items.
School Processes That Can Drive Scaling-Up of an Innovation, or Contribute to Its Abandonment. Conference Paper
Author: Zacamy, Jenna
Date: 2015-10-00
Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Subjects: Scaling,Reading Programs,Apprenticeships,Educational Innovation,Reading Improvement,Literacy,Content Area Reading,Secondary Education,Formative Evaluation,Feedback (Response),High Schools,School District Autonomy,Capacity Building,Program Implementation,Adoption (Ideas),Theory Practice Relationship,Predictor Variables,Models,Regression (Statistics)

This paper reports findings from a multi-year study of the scale-up of Reading Apprenticeship (RA), an approach to improve academic literacy by helping teachers provide the support students need to be successful readers in the content areas. WestEd's Strategic Literacy Initiative (SLI), began developing the program in 1995 and has since reached over 100,000 teachers in schools across the country, at the middle school, high school and college levels. In 2010, WestEd received a &quot;Validation&quot; grant from the Department of Education's Investing in Innovation Fund (i3) competition to scale-up and study the &quot;Reading Apprenticeship Improving Secondary Education&quot; (RAISE) project. For this five-year project, SLI focused on three secondary school content areas: English Language Arts, History, and Biology. From the grant, SLI not only funded an independent randomized control trial, but also a parallel effort to study the schools outside of the RCT that were to receive the same professional development and other supports in implementing RA. This scale-up study was intended to provide formative feedback to the SLI developers to help them achieve their goal to build local education agency capacity to disseminate, support, and sustain academic literacy improvement in high school subject areas within their regions. Whereas, the i3 and similar funding can &quot;prime the pump,&quot; the project must build the capacity to disseminate, support, and sustain the innovation. Ultimately, adoption at the state-level, driven by local adoption and evidence of success, will keep it going. Appended to the report are: (1) Detailed Data Collection Activities; and (2) Results From GL Analysis.
The Implementation and Effects of the Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC): Early Findings in Sixth-Grade Advanced Reading Courses. CRESST Report 846
Author: Herman, Joan L.
Date: 2015-07-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Instructional Design,Common Core State Standards,Language Arts,Grade 6,Advanced Courses,Reading Instruction,Curriculum Development,Cooperative Planning,Teacher Collaboration,Teacher Attitudes,Quasiexperimental Design,Teacher Surveys,Regression (Statistics),Achievement Tests,Standardized Tests,State Standards,Student Records,Essays,Scoring,Learning Modules,Program Implementation,Statistical Analysis

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation invested in the Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC) as one strategy to support teachers' and students' transition to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in English language arts. This report provides an early look at the implementation of LDC in sixth-grade Advanced Reading classes in a large Florida district, and the effectiveness of the intervention in this setting. The study found that teachers understood LDC and implemented it with fidelity and that curriculum modules were well crafted. Teachers also generally reported positive attitudes about the effectiveness of LDC and its usefulness as a tool for teaching CCSS skills. Although implementation results were highly positive, quasi-experimental analyses employing matched control group and regression discontinuity designs found no evidence of an impact of LDC on student performance on state reading or district writing assessments. Furthermore, students generally performed at basic levels on assessments designed to align with the intervention, suggesting the challenge of meeting CCSS expectations. Exploratory analyses suggest that LDC may have been most effective for higher achieving students. However understandable, the findings thus suggest that, in the absence of additional scaffolding and supports for low-achieving students, LDC may be gap enhancing. Two appendices are included: (1) LDC Instruments and Rubrics; and (2) Summary Report: Developing an Assignment Measure to Assess Quality of LDC Modules (Abby Reisman, Joan Herman, Rebecca Luskin, and Scott Epstein).
Semi-Parametric Item Response Functions in the Context of Guessing. CRESST Report 844
Author: Falk, Carl F.
Date: 2015-04-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Guessing (Tests),Item Response Theory,Mathematics Instruction,Mathematics Tests,Evaluation Methods,Algebra,Mathematical Formulas,Models,Computation,Standardized Tests,Grade 4,Simulation

We present a logistic function of a monotonic polynomial with a lower asymptote, allowing additional flexibility beyond the three-parameter logistic model. We develop a maximum marginal likelihood based approach to estimate the item parameters. The new item response model is demonstrated on math assessment data from a state, and a computationally efficient strategy for choosing the order of the polynomial is demonstrated and tested.
National Assessment of Educational Progress Grade 12 Preparedness Research College Course Content Analysis Study: Final Report
Author: Educational Policy Improvement Center (EPIC)
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: National Competency Tests,Grade 12,College Preparation,Career Readiness,College Readiness,Mathematics Skills,Reading Skills,Knowledge Level,Required Courses,Course Content,Content Analysis,Documentation,Coding,Course Descriptions,Assignments,Textbooks,Colleges,Statistical Analysis,Institutional Characteristics

The National Assessment Governing Board is an independent, bipartisan organization that sets policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The Governing Board established the NAEP Program of 12th Grade Preparedness Research to assess what NAEP can report on the academic preparedness of 12th grade students entering college and job training. The Governing Board commissioned the Educational Policy Improvement Center in October 2012 to conduct the College Course Content Analysis (CCCA) study, which used course artifacts to identify the prerequisite knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) in mathematics and reading that are necessary for students to be prepared to qualify for entry-level, credit-bearing courses that satisfy general education requirements. The CCCA study was designed to answer the following research questions: (1) What are the prerequisite KSAs in mathematics and reading to qualify for entry-level, credit-bearing courses that satisfy general education requirements? (2) How do these prerequisite KSAs compare with the 2009 and 2013 NAEP mathematics and reading frameworks and item pools? (3) How do these prerequisite KSAs compare with previous NAEP preparedness research, i.e., descriptions of minimal academic preparedness requirements produced in the Judgmental Standard Setting (JSS) research? (4) How can these prerequisites inform future NAEP preparedness research? This report also describes the College Course Content Analysis (CCCA) study, one of a series of studies contributing to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Program of 12th Grade Preparedness Research. Appendices are available as separate files from the NAEP.
Teaching and Learning in Dual and Concurrent Enrollment Programs: Performance Tasks in the Postsecondary Transition
Author: Fukuda, Erin
Date: 2016-06-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Dual Enrollment,Two Year Colleges,Public Colleges,Private Colleges,Courses,Course Descriptions,Secondary Education,Postsecondary Education,Focus Groups,Curriculum,Faculty Development,Alignment (Education),Assignments,Expectation,Administrators,Teacher Qualifications,School Culture,Academic Freedom

In 2012, the &quot;Educational Policy Improvement Center&quot; (EPIC) analyzed more than 2,000 entry-level course documents collected from a stratified sample of two- and four-year public and private institutions of higher education (IHEs) to establish an empirical understanding of entry-level college course expectations. Based on the findings of that initial study, EPIC researchers developed a series of performance tasks that reflected indices such as the average assignment length, the most common writing type, and the average depth of knowledge required in assignments in thirteen courses. An analysis of course syllabi revealed the most commonly taught themes for each course type (e.g., Physics: Newton's laws of motion; Introduction to Psychology: social inequalities; Statistics: probability; and U.S. Government: political parties and elections). After piloting a sample of tasks in secondary and postsecondary classrooms, EPIC researchers sought audiences and avenues to disseminate the tasks free of charge. EPIC's performance tasks were based on expectations that EPIC researchers identified in entry-level college syllabi. Given that dual and concurrent enrollment programs serve students transitioning into entry-level college courses, researchers sought to learn about dual and concurrent enrollment programs and whether the tasks would be a useful resource for program instructors. EPIC researchers conducted nine focus groups composed of members of the &quot;National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships&quot; (NACEP) and other dual enrollment coordinators from across the United States. This report details the methodological approach of the study and summarizes key findings from conversations with focus group participants in three areas. First, EPIC researchers were interested in the nature of dual and concurrent enrollment curriculum, both in terms of the adoption process and curriculum characteristics or qualities. Additionally, EPIC researchers were interested in whether the performance tasks would be useful given the curricular norms of their program. Lastly, EPIC researchers were curious about current professional development opportunities for dual and concurrent enrollment faculty and instructors. Appended to the report are: (1) Focus Group Questions; and (2) EPIC Performance Task Packet.
Influence of Risk and Community Setting on Kindergarten Children's Development. R2Ed Working Paper 2015-2
Author: Holmes, Shannon R.
Date: 2015-03-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Kindergarten,Risk,Child Behavior,Environmental Influences,Parent Attitudes,Teacher Attitudes,Predictor Variables,Place of Residence,Social Influences,Demography,Randomized Controlled Trials,Rating Scales,Disabilities,Models,Rural Areas,Urban Areas,Child Development

This study examined differences in kindergarten children's behavioral functioning across rural and non-rural communities, as well as explored the effect of risk in each setting (i.e., rural, nonrural) on these children's behavior. Data from 116 kindergarten students and their parents and teachers was analyzed. Multileveling modeling was used to explore the main and interaction effects of community setting and cumulative risk on parent and teacher reports of children's behavioral functioning. Findings suggested that community setting or cumulative risk did not predict kindergarten children's behavior; however, risk differentially predicted children's behavior based on rural or non-rural community status. Particularly, cumulative risk predicted poorer student outcomes upon entrance in kindergarten in rural communities than non-rural communities. Limitations of the study and implications for practice are discussed.
Dynamic Effects of Teacher Turnover on the Quality of Instruction. Working Paper 170
Author: Hanushek, Eric A.
Date: 2016-11-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Labor Turnover,Teacher Persistence,Educational Quality,Urban Schools,Disadvantaged Youth,Low Achievement,Teacher Distribution,Teacher Placement,Teaching Experience,School Districts,Teacher Effectiveness,Productivity,Public Schools,Academic Achievement,Comparative Analysis,Instructional Program Divisions,Records (Forms),Student Records,Statistical Analysis

It is widely believed that teacher turnover adversely affects the quality of instruction in urban schools serving predominantly disadvantaged children, and a growing body of research investigates various components of turnover effects. The evidence at first seems contradictory, as the quality of instruction appears to decline following turnover despite the fact that most work shows higher attrition for less effective teachers. This raises concerns that confounding factors bias estimates of transition differences in teacher effectiveness, the adverse effects of turnover or both. After taking more extensive steps to account for nonrandom sorting of students into classrooms and endogenous teacher exits and grade-switching, we replicate existing findings of adverse selection out of schools and negative effects of turnover in lower-achievement schools. But we find that these turnover effects can be fully accounted for by the resulting loss in experience and productivity loss following the reallocation of some incumbent teachers to different grades. Supplemental tables are appended.
The Compositional Effect of Rigorous Teacher Evaluation on Workforce Quality. Working Paper 168
Author: Cullen, Julie Berry
Date: 2016-10-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Teacher Competencies,Teacher Effectiveness,Labor Turnover,Teacher Persistence,Teacher Evaluation,Evaluation Methods,Low Achievement,School Districts,Educational Policy,Human Capital,Statistical Analysis,Standardized Tests,Scores,Academic Achievement,Models

Improving public sector workforce quality is challenging in sectors such as education where worker productivity is difficult to assess and manager incentives are muted by political and bureaucratic constraints. In this paper, we study how providing information to principals about teacher effectiveness and encouraging them to use the information in personnel decisions affects the composition of teacher turnovers. Our setting is the Houston Independent School District, which recently implemented a rigorous teacher evaluation system. Prior to the new system teacher effectiveness was negatively correlated with district exit and we show that the policy significantly strengthened this relationship, primarily by increasing the relative likelihood of exit for teachers in the bottom quintile of the quality distribution. Low-performing teachers working in low-achieving schools were especially likely to leave. However, despite the success, the implied change to the quality of the workforce overall is too small to have a detectable impact on student achievement. Supplementary tables are appended.
Guided Science Inquiry Instruction with Students with Special Education Needs. R2Ed Working Paper 2015-1
Author: White, Andrew S.
Date: 2015-03-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Science Instruction,Inquiry,Science Achievement,Student Centered Learning,Science Process Skills,Teaching Methods,Special Education,Special Needs Students,Coaching (Performance),Rural Areas,Randomized Controlled Trials,Mixed Methods Research,Likert Scales,Hands on Science,Inclusion,Learner Engagement,Pacing,Teachers

National and state educational mandates require students achieve proficiency in not only science content, but also &quot;science inquiry&quot;, or those process skills associated with science (National Research Council, 2011; Next Generation Science Standards, 2013). Science inquiry instruction has been shown to improve student achievement and process skills (e.g., Llewellyn, 2002; Schroeder, Scott, Olson, Huang, &amp; Lee, 2007; Minner, Levy, &amp; Century, 2010). Guided scientific inquiry is a student-centered, teacher-facilitated approach to science instruction where students are guided toward, but not directly presented, scientific concepts. Students are led by the teacher to develop the concept (Trowbridge, Bybee, &amp; Powell, 2004). Guided science inquiry has been found effective in promoting student achievement (e.g., Wilson, Taylor, Kowalski, &amp; Carlson, 2010). However, research has not yet specifically examined the value of guided scientific inquiry among students drawn from the special education population. This study sought to answer two research questions. First, how did teachers involved in a study examining implementation of guided science inquiry qualitatively describe their experience implementing guided science inquiry among their students from special education populations? Second, did teachers find guided science inquiry effective to use with students from special education populations? This study sought to answer two research questions. First, how did teachers involved in a study examining implementation of guided science inquiry qualitatively describe their experience implementing guided science inquiry among their students from special education populations? Second, did teachers find guided science inquiry effective to use with students from special education populations? The results suggest that guided science inquiry instruction can be effectively implemented with students from the special education population. The majority of teacher responses suggested that a guided science inquiry approach provides these students with greater understanding, inclusion, and engagement with their science lessons than do traditional instructional methods. Guided science inquiry's flexibility allows for differentiated instruction. Limited concerns with the approach reported for these students included a need to adapt instruction in order to meet their needs and difficulties among students grasping its occasionally abstract structure.
Active Ingredients of Instructional Coaching: Developing a Conceptual Framework. R2Ed Working Paper 2015-3
Author: White, Andrew S.
Date: 2015-12-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Coaching (Performance),Qualitative Research,Literature Reviews,Grounded Theory,Focus Groups,Teacher Attitudes,Rural Schools,Summer Programs,Program Effectiveness,Cooperative Planning,Observation,Reflection,Feedback (Response),Models,Science Teachers,Secondary School Teachers,Teacher Characteristics,Interprofessional Relationship,Discussion

Although researchers have explored the impact of instructional coaching and named possible elements believed essential to effective coaching, there has yet to emerge from the literature a coherent model of those essential elements (&quot;active ingredients&quot;). This qualitative study sought to identify those elements through a systematic process beginning with a synthesis of current coaching literature to compile a list of ingredients. Using a modified grounded theory approach, this list was then validated through semi-structured focus group data of teachers and triangulated with focus group data provided by instructional coaches to create a conceptual framework of coaching. Future coaching research can build upon this framework through empirically testing those key components that are necessary for effective coaching.
Connecting Secondary Career and Technical Education and Registered Apprenticeship: A Profile of Six State Systems
Author: Rice, Olivia
Date: 2016-07-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Secondary Education,Vocational Education,Apprenticeships,Alignment (Education),State Programs,High School Students,Program Administration,Educational Finance,Interviews

Work-based learning, an educational strategy that provides students with technical skills and knowledge in an authentic work setting, is often delivered through a Career Technical Education (CTE) or Registered Apprenticeship (RA) program. Both have overlapping structures and content, including experiential learning and career exploration coursework, which has led many states to build more deliberate linkages between the two. This report from the National Center for Innovation in CTE (NCiCTE) profiles six states--North Carolina, Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky, Washington and Rhode Island--that are working to align secondary CTE and RA programs. The report identifies three approaches that these states have taken to align and expand apprenticeship opportunities. No matter the approach, states frequently face the same challenges with aligning CTE and RA programs, including lack of resources, misperceptions about pre-apprenticeship and RA programs, and difficulty engaging employers. The report further describes strategies that these states have taken to address these challenges. The following are appended: (1) Interview Protocols; (2) Overview of Career and Technical Education and Registered Apprenticeship in Study States; and (3) Example State Tools &amp; Resources.