ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Developing a Process-Oriented Translation Test for Assessing English-Arabic Basic Translation Skills
Author: Abdellah, Antar Solhy
Date: 2007-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Majors (Students),Student Attitudes,Semitic Languages,Answer Keys,Scoring,Reading Comprehension,Translation,College Freshmen,Process Approach (Writing),Language Tests,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Test Items,Difficulty Level,Correlation,Statistical Analysis,Thinking Skills,Test Validity

The study reviews translation validated tests and proposes a process-oriented translation test for assessing basic translation skills for freshmen English majors at the faculty of Education. The proposed test is developed based on the process approach to translating and translation teaching, and is confined to translation from English to Arabic. Translation basic skills (reading comprehension--researching--analytical thinking--and production) are the four dimensions of the test. Appended are: (1) The Translation Test: A Test in Basic Translation Skills for First Year English Majors; and (2) Answer Key and Scoring Criteria. (Contains 11 tables, 4 figures, 4 footnotes, and 1 diagram.)
Using Data to Improve Instruction in the Great City Schools: Key Dimensions of Practice. Urban Data Study
Author: Heppen, Jessica
Date: 2010-12-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Academic Achievement,Teaching Methods,Decision Making,Hypothesis Testing,Data Analysis,Data,Intervals,Instructional Improvement,Educational Assessment,Accountability,Student Needs,Surveys,Benchmarking,School Districts,Path Analysis

Recent years have seen increased interest in data-driven decision making in education; that is, using various types of data, particularly quantitative assessment data, to inform a range of decisions in schools and classrooms. At the same time, districts, states, and schools have invested resources in tools designed to provide teachers, principals, and other key actors with ready access to (and analysis of) information regarding student performance. Of particular interest in this area is the development of interim assessments, administered at regular intervals throughout the academic year, which are designed to predict student performance on end-of-year accountability tests. In this preliminary report, the authors first review the literature on using data from interim assessments and put forth a Theory of Action that undergirds their investigation. The theory of action identifies a set of Key Dimensions of data use practice and hypothesizes that supporting conditions in states, districts, and schools can facilitate effective classroom-level use of data to respond to students' instructional needs. In the final section of this report, the authors provide an initial empirical test of this theory of action, using survey data from more than 500 teachers across four urban districts collected during the 2009-2010 school year. The focus in this preliminary report is on the predictors of whether teachers use interim assessment data to change their instruction. Future reports will extend the findings to examine the data-use practices that predict improvements in student achievement. Appended are: (1) Measures; and (2) Estimation Methods and Hypothesis Testing. (Contains 1 figure, 2 exhibits, 11 tables, and 6 footnotes.)
Managing for Results in America's Great City Schools. A Report of the Performance Measurement and Benchmarking Project
Author: Council of the Great City Schools
Date: 2012-10-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Program Effectiveness,Measurement,Management Systems,Best Practices,School Districts,Case Studies,Urban Schools,Public Schools,Educational Assessment,Online Surveys,Grants,Educational Finance,Human Resources,Risk,Workers Compensation,Food Service,School Maintenance,Student Transportation,Information Technology,Academic Achievement

"Managing for Results in America's Great City Schools, 2012" is presented by the Council of the Great City Schools to its members and the public. The purpose of the project was and is to develop performance measures that can improve the business operations of urban public school districts nationwide. This year's report includes data from 61 of the Council's 67-member districts (91 percent) and provides a fully tested set of Power Indicators that superintendents and school boards can use to assess the overall performance of their district's business operations. It also provides a set of what the authors call Essential Few Measures that, along with the Power Indicators, can be used by chief executives to assess the performance of individual departments and operations. This report also provides an overview of the automated ActPoint[R] KPI performance management system, which was developed in partnership with TransACT Communications, Inc. Act Point[R] KPI is a fully-automated intelligence tool that allows districts to input raw data into smart on-line surveys; measure performance on selected Key Performance Indicators; compare performance to peer groups; and manage results for improved performance using the data-modeling tool. For the first time, the Council used the ActPoint[R] KPI system to produce this year's written report, "Managing for Results in America's Great City Schools, 2012." This report also provides "Case Studies of Best Practices" that answer the question, "What are the effective management practices of top performing urban school districts that allow them to run effective financial and business operations?" The intention of these case studies is to document practices underneath positive indicators and to increase collaboration between executives of top-performing districts and districts striving to improve their performance. Ultimately, the authors hope to enhance urban schools' ability to learn from each other and to better determine how large urban school systems work and what it takes to improve them. Appended are: (1) The Performance Management System; (2) Case Studies of Best Practices; (3) Grants Management; and (4) Accounts Payable.
Predicting High School Outcomes in the Baltimore City Public Schools. The Senior Urban Education Research Fellowship Series. Volume VII
Author: Mac Iver, Martha Abele
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Academic Achievement,Grade Point Average,Enrollment,Behavior Problems,Public Schools,Student Behavior,Graduation,High Schools,Urban Education,Urban Schools,Partnerships in Education,Educational Indicators,Academic Failure,Attendance Patterns,Potential Dropouts,Dropouts,Models,Student Characteristics,Prediction,Predictor Variables,Intervention,Educational Research,Middle Schools

This study of high school outcomes in the Baltimore City Public Schools builds on substantial prior research on the early warning indicators of dropping out. It sought to investigate whether the same variables that predicted a non-graduation outcome in other urban districts--attendance, behavior problems, and course failure--were also significant predictors of non-graduation in Baltimore. The study specifically probed the relationship between eighth- and ninth-grade early warning indicators as predictors of graduation outcomes, as well as the relationship between ninth-grade indicators and college enrollment outcomes. The results are divided into three parts. Parts I and II present descriptive analyses of the data, including frequencies, cross-tabulations, means, and other descriptive summaries that show the relationship between various student behaviors/early warning indicators (such as absenteeism, GPA, or course failures) and high school graduation and college enrollment outcomes. Part III then reports the results of multi-level modeling analyses of the data, wherein the relative impact of eighth- and ninth-grade early warning indicators on high school graduation and college enrollment outcomes are presented. Appended are: (1) Data Definitions and Missing Data; and (2) Technical Results. (Contains 12 figures, 7 tables, and 51 footnotes.)
Charting Success: Data Use and Student Achievement in Urban Schools. Executive Summary
Author: Faria, Ann-Marie
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Academic Achievement,Decision Making,Urban Schools,Instructional Improvement,Data,Evaluation Utilization,Information Utilization,Research Utilization,Summative Evaluation,Formative Evaluation,Educational Practices,Use Studies,Management Information Systems,Schematic Studies,Barriers,Educational Resources,School Policy,Administrator Attitudes,Teacher Attitudes,Evidence,Inferences

In recent years, interest has spiked in data-driven decision making in education--that is, using various types of student data to inform decisions in schools and classrooms. In October 2008, the Council of the Great City Schools and American Institutes for Research (AIR) launched a project funded by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that focused on understanding the use of data as a lever for instructional improvement. This study focused specifically on interim (also known as benchmark) assessments that are often adopted at the district level. Interim assessments are typically characterized as falling between regular (often daily) formative assessments and annual summative assessments. The goals of this project were to (1) document and understand current interim assessment data-use practices in urban school districts and (2) to test the links between data-use practices and perceptions and student achievement. This brief is a summary of the report that focused on the second objective: examining the empirical relationships between teacher- and school-level data use and student achievement in mathematics and reading. By examining the extent to which certain data use practices are related to student achievement, the study expands on the existing body of literature on the use of interim assessments to drive instructional improvement. (Contains 1 exhibit and 3 footnotes.) [For the full report, "Charting Success: Data Use and Student Achievement in Urban Schools," see ED536748.]
California's Women Veterans: Responses to the 2011 Survey. CRB 12-004
Author: Blanton, Rebecca E.
Date: 2012-07-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Females,Participant Characteristics,Veterans,Individual Needs,Comparative Analysis,Demography,Measures (Individuals),Surveys,Sampling

In 2011, CalVet and the California Commission on the Status of Women (the Commission) requested the California Research Bureau (CRB) conduct a second iteration of its 2009 survey of women veterans; identifying their needs, surveying their service utilization and gathering information on their demographics. This report provides the findings of the 2011 Survey. This report is organized into five chapters. In chapter one, the authors discuss the current state of research about women veterans by providing an overview of the literature. They then discuss the methodology used in conducting this survey. In chapter two, they provide the reader with information about the participant characteristics and compare these with a national sample and a sample taken by CRB in 2009. In chapter three, they examine the needs identified by women veterans. The authors provide a breakdown of these needs by service era, age, and other key variables. Chapter four reviews the service utilization pattern of women veterans. It discusses both state and federal services, their utilization, and women's knowledge of these services. Wherever possible, the findings are compared to those of national samples and of the 2009 CRB survey of women veterans. Chapter five includes the conclusions and suggestions for future iterations of this survey. Appended are: (1) Survey Instrument; (2) Scripting Tool; and (3) Works Cited. (Contains 34 figures and 18 tables.) [For &quot;California's Women Veterans: Responses to the 2011 Survey. CRB Briefly Stated,&quot; see ED536751.]
Using Data to Improve Instruction in the Great City Schools: Documenting Current Practice. Urban Data Study
Author: Heppen, Jessica
Date: 2011-01-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Academic Achievement,Program Effectiveness,Decision Making,Best Practices,Urban Schools,Data Analysis,Instructional Improvement,Research Directors,Educational Assessment,School Districts,Data,Surveys,Coordinators,Curriculum Development,Human Resources

A key lever for improvement in instruction and student support is the data that are available in urban districts. A considerable amount of information now exists about students' academic strengths and weaknesses, and the momentum to build and improve data systems is increasing at a rapid pace. In fall 2008, the Council of the Great City Schools and the American Institutes for Research launched a project funded by the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation focused on understanding and improving the use of interim assessment data as a catalyst for instructional improvement. The overarching goal of this study is to establish principles of &quot;best practice&quot; in using interim assessment data to improve instruction and target support. This report shares findings to date that address the first objective: to document current practices of urban school districts in regard to interim assessments, data systems, and the use of data for decision making. The findings draw from two sources of information. The first source comprises surveys administered in summer 2009 to Curriculum Coordinators and Research Directors in the member districts of the Council of the Great City Schools about their use of interim assessments and data systems. The data from this survey provide a general overview of the state of current practice in using data to inform school- and classroom-level decision making across U.S. urban districts. The second is a set of case studies based on site visits to four selected urban districts between February and April 2010. (Contains 7 exhibits and 2 footnotes.)
ACT: A Benchmark for College Readiness, 2007-2011
Author: Uzzell, Renata
Date: 2012-03-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Academic Achievement,Benchmarking,Ethnicity,School Districts,Counties,Urban Schools,Gender Differences,Racial Differences,Reading Achievement,Mathematics Achievement,Scores,English,College Entrance Examinations,Science Achievement

This report was prepared by the Council of Great City Schools in collaboration with ACT to collect and analyze urban student performance between 2007 and 2011 and to examine student achievement by race and gender. Following is a summary of the study's findings: (1) The total number of ACT test takers increased both nationally and in CGCS districts between 2007 and 2011; (2) The nation saw a 25 percent increase in ACT test takers; CGCS districts saw a 49 percent increase in ACT test takers; and (3) CGCS districts made up approximately 11 percent of the nation's ACT test takers. Most improved district on the ACT include: (1) Between 2007 and 2011, the Charleston County School District improved at a faster rate than other CGCS districts on the ACT composite, reading, mathematics and science scores; (2) Between 2007 and 2011, Minneapolis was the most improved district in ACT English and the second most improved district on ACT composite, mathematics and science scores; (3) Between 2007 and 2011, the percentage of students meeting all four College Readiness Benchmarks increased more in Charleston County School District than any other CGCS district; Minneapolis showed the second most improvement; and (4) Charleston Country School District showed the most improvement in the percentage of students meeting College Readiness Benchmarks in ACT English, reading, and mathematics between 2007 and 2011; and Minneapolis showed the most gain on ACT science scores. Appended are: (1) Average ACT Score for Males by Race/Ethnicity; (2) Average ACT Score for Females by Race/Ethnicity; (3) Percentage of Students Meeting ACT College Readiness Benchmarks for Males by Race/Ethnicity; (4) Percentage of Students Meeting ACT College Readiness Benchmarks for Females by Race/Ethnicity; (5) Number of ACT Test Takers in CGCS Districts, 2007-2011; and (6) State Participation Rates for ACT, 2011. (Contains 63 figures.)
National Educational Technology Trends: 2010. Innovation Through State Leadership
Author: State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA)
Date: 2010-04-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Technology Integration,Technological Literacy,Educational Trends,Program Implementation,Program Effectiveness,School Districts,State Surveys,Academic Achievement,Federal Programs,Teaching Methods,Preservice Teacher Education,Leadership,Curriculum Development,Grants,Educational Change,Teacher Effectiveness,Data,Decision Making,Educational History,Educational Technology,Technology Planning,State Policy,State Programs,Educational Policy,Federal Legislation,Funding Formulas,Educational Finance

This annual report provides a national perspective on Title II-D for federal fiscal year  (FY) 2008 (2008-09 school year), as well as emergent trends based on data from the past seven years. Title II-D is the only federal education program with funds explicitly targeted to support state and local effective uses of educational technology in the  classroom, schools, and districts. It serves as a complement to investments through other federal programs, including eRate, Title I, and IDEA. The legislation identifies the program purposes as: (1) improve academic achievement through technology; (2) assist every student in crossing the digital divide; and (3) integrate technology into teacher training and curriculum development resulting in research-based instruction. Districts have the option to transfer limited funds between programs and have reported, on average over the last seven years, a positive net effect for Title II-D programs. Data presented here are based on surveys completed in fall 2009 by state technology directors from the 50 states, and reports from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) website. This report is organized into three major sections. Section I provides summaries of the top five national trends identified in Round 7 (FY08) drawn from the state-submitted survey data. Sections II and III focus respectively on the dual funding mechanisms of Title II-D: the competitive grant program and the formula grant program. Overall, the data collected for this report indicate a strong Title II-D track record of state use of emergent technologies to improve academic achievement, increase students' technology literacy, and establish effective instructional methods that leverage digital innovations. While the severe funding cuts to the program beginning in FY06 have limited the range and depth of impact, the state education agency (SEA) policies and leadership continue to advance the Title II-D legislative intents. (Contains 13 tables, 6 figures, a Glossary of Priorities, and 5 footnotes.)
Questions and Answers about AFTERSCHOOL CARE: A Sloan Work and Family Research Network Fact Sheet
Author: Sloan Work and Family Research Network
Date: 2008-06-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Family Work Relationship,After School Programs,Child Care,Program Effectiveness,Needs Assessment,Access to Education,Financial Support,Employee Assistance Programs

The Sloan Work and Family Research Network has prepared Fact Sheets that provide statistical answers to some important questions about work-family and work-life issues. This Fact Sheet includes statistics about Afterschool Care, and answers the following questions about afterschool programs: (1) How does afterschool care help children?; (2) How important is afterschool care to parents?; (3) Is afterschool care needed?; (4) Which families have access to and utilize afterschool care?; (5) How can employers help with afterschool care?; and (6) Who should fund afterschool care?
National Educational Technology Trends: 2012. State Leadership Empowers Educators, Transforms Teaching and Learning
Author: Duffey, Delia, R.
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Educational Technology,Leadership,Grants,Communities of Practice,Dropout Prevention,College Readiness,Career Readiness,Student Projects,Active Learning,Individualized Instruction,Cooperative Learning,STEM Education,Coaching (Performance),Mentors,Educational Assessment,Academic Standards,Data,Information Systems,Leadership Effectiveness,Technology Integration,Technology Planning,State Policy,State Programs,Educational Policy,Educational Change,Educational Trends,Program Implementation,Program Effectiveness,School Districts,Federal Legislation,State Surveys,Program Evaluation,Program Descriptions,Interviews,Content Analysis,Web Sites,Information Technology,Electronic Libraries,Web Based Instruction,Blended Learning

The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) is the principal association representing the technology leadership in all fifty states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. This is SETDA's ninth annual report on select educational technology activities. This year's report includes details regarding state educational technology programs, the Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) grant program for the federal fiscal year 2010 (FY10), and the EETT portion of the American Recovery and Reinvestment (ARRA) Act of 2009. ARRA provided $650 million dollars for EETT, a significant increase in funds, which afforded the opportunity for states to scale up and develop robust, effective educational technology grant programs, and also increased statewide program evaluations. This report shares a broad scope of innovative educational activities that promote technology integration to help prepare students for the 21st century global economy. SETDA collected data through a variety of mechanisms: (1) detailed surveys of the states; (2) personal interviews with state technology directors and their staff;  (3) analysis of education websites; and (4) review of public information. This report includes multiple examples of innovative, educational technology programs in states and districts that were funded by federal, state, local, and private sources and an  analysis of the federal technology grants awarded by the U.S. Department of Education to state educational agencies through the EETT grant program for FY10 and EETT ARRA funds. Appended are: (1) Technology Infrastructure; (2) Data Systems and Interoperability Standards; (3) Content Standards and High-Quality Assessments;   (4) Education Resource Repositories; (5) Professional Learning Communities and Communities of Practice; (6) Technology Coaches/Mentors; (7) High-Access, Technology-Rich Learning Environments; (8) Personalized Learning; (9) Online and Blended Learning; (10) Digital and Open Content; (11) Project-Based Collaborative Learning; (12) Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM); (13) Career and College Readiness Initiatives; and (14) Dropout Prevention/Credit Recovery. (Contains 3 tables, 6 figures, and 45 notes.)