ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
School Community Engaging with Immigrant Youth: Incorporating Personal/Social Development and Ethnic Identity Development
Author: Gonzalez, Laura M.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: School Community Relationship,Immigrants,Youth Opportunities,Social Development,Individual Development,Personality Development,Ethnicity,Ethnic Groups,Context Effect,Family Influence,Educational Objectives,Learning Activities,Peer Influence,Educational Environment,Culturally Relevant Education,Student Centered Curriculum,Integrated Activities,Educational Practices

It has been projected that 33% of all school children will be from immigrant households by the year 2040 (Suarez-Orozco et al., 2010). For school personnel (e.g., administrators, counselors, teachers) working with immigrant youth and adolescents, understanding ethnic identity development is an essential cultural competency. In this essay, the authors outline how the family, peer, and school contexts can influence a student&apos;s ethnic identity, along with suggested activities that utilize ethnic identity development to enhance student personal/social development. Greater personal/social development of individual students and greater integration of marginalized ethnic groups can contribute to a healthier school community. Informal methods of evaluating outcomes are also identified.
&quot;Entre Familia&quot;: Immigrant Parents' Strategies for Involvement in Children's Schooling
Author: Poza, Luis
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Parent Participation,Immigrants,Hispanic Americans,Family School Relationship,Semi Structured Interviews,Barriers,Qualitative Research,Parent Background,Educational Attainment,Employment Level,Child Rearing,Cultural Influences,Coding,Parent Attitudes

Teachers and administrators in schools with large, working-class Latino populations often complain of parents' indifference or lack of involvement in children's schooling because of their low visibility at school events and relatively little face-to-face communication with teachers and school administration. In a series of semi-structured interviews with Latino immigrant parents, this study finds that, despite different educational experiences than those of their children in the United States, these parents engage in many of the parent involvement strategies observed by previous research to be most beneficial, though often through avenues bypassing the school itself. This finding presses schools and districts to recognize both the ways in which immigrant parents actually do the many things for which they never receive credit and the value of the other forms of involvement in which parents are active. We classify these reported behaviors into categories of &quot;asking questions&quot; about school and school processes, &quot;attending&quot; events at school or outside of school that parents deem supportive of children's learning, and &quot;altering/augmenting&quot; children's educational trajectories to improve outcomes. The study also reports on obstacles that interviewed parents faced in their efforts to interact with schools in conventional ways.
&quot;Contra La Corriente&quot; (Against the Current): The Role of Latino Fathers in Family-School Engagement
Author: Quiñones, Sandra
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Hispanic Americans,Fathers,Parent Role,Parent School Relationship,Urban Schools,Student Attitudes,Parent Attitudes,Mixed Methods Research,Focus Groups,Theories,Puerto Ricans,Family Involvement,Success,Advocacy,Racial Bias,Middle Class,Power Structure,Cultural Influences,Resistance (Psychology),Barriers,Epistemology,Working Class,At Risk Students,Qualitative Research,Adolescents,Communication Strategies,Elementary Schools,Secondary Schools

A community-based, multisite study using mixed methods examined the experiences and perspectives of Latino students and families in a low performing urban school district in New York State. This research project was spearheaded by a Latino Education Task Force which brought together multiple stakeholders in a collaborative effort to counteract high dropout rates and deficit thinking about Latino youth and their families. The findings reported here, drawn from a thematic analysis of data collected specifically from focus groups with parents, center on Latino fathers' perspectives and experiences. We utilized a conceptual framework of Latino family epistemology and alternative parental role theory to explore the role of Puerto Rican fathers in family-school engagement. Findings reveal that these fathers: (a) cultivate education as a family and community affair in order to promote school success; (b) critique dynamics within the parent-school--istrict system and advocate for their children; and (c) acknowledge their vulnerable positioning as fathers resisting racism and invisibility in schools and the larger community. Fathers understood middle-class forms of involvement as well as culture and power dynamics, suggesting their involvement was a form of agency--a pushing back against the system that made them distrustful in the first place. A common theme across the data sources is the idea of moving &quot;contra la corriente&quot; or going against the current. Our research highlights the need for collaboration and community action aimed at &quot;adjusting the sails&quot; as we move toward educational equity.
Family-School Partnership: Practices of Immigrant Parents in Quebec, Canada
Author: Beauregard, France
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Immigrants,Parent Participation,Educational Practices,Family School Relationship,Partnerships in Education,Parent Attitudes,Parent Surveys,Semi Structured Interviews,Predictor Variables,Qualitative Research,Questionnaires,Participant Characteristics,Content Analysis,Parent Role,Interpersonal Communication,Child Care,Home Study,School Community Relationship,School Community Programs,Family Involvement,Decision Making

The immigrant population is increasing steadily every year in Canada and in Quebec, in particular. The immigrant population is made up largely of families, most of whom have school-age children. However, we have little information on the practices these parents adopt when they become involved in their children's schooling. In this study, 28 parents from three groups (Latin American, Maghrebi/Northwest African, and Central African) took part in semistructured interviews designed to uncover their perspectives of family-school collaboration. The practices identified were analysed using Epstein's (2001) framework of six types of involvement. The results showed that the parent involvement practices were interdependent and that the intentions underlying the practices could vary from one parent to another. We were also able to identify individual and environmental factors that influenced these practices.
The Impact of a Collaborative Family Involvement Program on Latino Families and Children's Educational Performance
Author: O'Donnell, Julie
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Hispanic Americans,Hispanic American Students,Family Involvement,Low Income Groups,Academic Achievement,Spanish Speaking,Urban Population,Child Caregivers,Elementary School Students,Workshops,Parent Education,Family Literacy,Advocacy,Leadership,Teacher Education,Family School Relationship,Regression (Statistics),Interpersonal Competence,Study Habits,Language Arts,English (Second Language),Demography,Measures (Individuals),Questionnaires,Rating Scales,Correlation,Prediction,Cooperation

Latino families highly value education and are committed to their children's educational success; however, Latino students often experience educational challenges. Well-designed family involvement programs can encourage Latino families, especially new immigrants or monolingual Spanish-speakers, to increase their involvement resulting in positive outcomes for children, families, and schools. This two-year study examined the impact of the YMCA Family Involvement Project on levels of family involvement and children's educational performance using a sample of 144 low-income, urban, predominantly monolingual Spanish-speaking, Latino caregivers of 208 elementary-age children. Family workshops developed based on community input focused on in-home education strategies, parenting education, family literacy, and community leadership and advocacy. Teacher training on family involvement and school socials were also provided. Significant improvements were found in frequency of family-teacher contact, family involvement at school, and quality of the family-teacher relationship after program participation. Hierarchical regression analyses found higher levels of family participation predicted significantly better student social skills and work habits grades after one year of participation when controlling for baseline scores. At the end of two years, level of participation significantly predicted student effort, social skills and work habit grades, and standardized English Language Arts test scores and was somewhat predictive of achievement grades. Implications for practice are discussed.
A Path Analysis of the Relationship among Critical Motivational Variables and Achievement in Reform-Oriented Mathematics Curriculum
Author: Middleton, James A.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Mathematics Achievement,Student Motivation,Middle School Students,Path Analysis,Educational Change,Program Implementation,Predictor Variables,Achievement Gains,Student Interests,Program Effectiveness,Measures (Individuals),Structural Equation Models,Statistical Analysis,Correlation,Models,Learner Engagement,Mathematics Curriculum

This study investigated the relationship among critical motivational variables and mathematics achievement as middle grades students engaged in a reform-oriented curriculum, &quot;Mathematics in Context.&quot; We tested 327 students in fifth, sixth, and seventh grade before and after two years of implementation. We performed a path analysis with subscales representing latent motivational variables and with achievement on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills as the outcome variable. The variables stimulation and control interacted to produce task interest, which, in turn, contributed to achievement gains. Effort was a byproduct of the stimulation afforded by the mathematical tasks. Attributions of success and failure were outcomes of interest. Utility mediated the effort on tasks and the attributions the tasks engendered. Results show that, with curriculum designed to emphasize utility and interest, students forged a high degree of motivation. Also, their achievement increased dramatically, in part, as a function of this increase in motivation.
Helping Middle School Girls at Risk for School Failure Recover Their Confidence and Achieve School Success: An Experimental Study
Author: Mann, Michael J.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: At Risk Students,Academic Failure,Behavior Problems,Middle School Students,Trauma,Program Effectiveness,Mixed Methods Research,Statistical Analysis,Self Esteem,Identification (Psychology),Qualitative Research,Interviews,Adolescent Development,Early Adolescents,Measures (Individuals),Rating Scales,Program Evaluation,Adventure Education,Transfer of Training,Comparative Analysis,Nontraditional Education,Academic Achievement

Middle school girls who are at risk have experienced a disproportionate number of intense and disruptive traumatic life events. Such events can adversely affect healthy development and often contribute to higher levels of school failure and problem behavior. Few programs focus on helping at-risk middle school girls achieve school success through gender-specific developmental intervention, and little research has examined the outcomes of such programs. This study describes the lifetime histories of trauma and developmental challenge among a sample of at-risk middle school girls and confirms Project Challenge as an effective program for helping girls recover their self-confidence and succeed in school. The quantitative portion of this mixed methods study used a true experimental design. Repeated Measures ANOVA results supported significant differences in: self-confidence, self-esteem, perceived social support, mattering, and identity. Effect size estimates suggested a strong effect on self-confidence; a stronger-than-moderate effect on self-esteem, mattering, and identity; and a moderate effect on perceived social support. Gains in self-confidence, self-esteem, and identity persisted two weeks after treatment. Qualitative interviews confirmed the study's quantitative findings. A one-year follow-up found 35 of 35 participants maintaining successful school outcomes.
Transitioning Year 7 Primary Students to Secondary Settings in Western Australian Catholic Schools: How Successful Was the Move?
Author: Coffey, Anne
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Elementary School Students,Stakeholders,Transitional Programs,Secondary Schools,Catholic Schools,Student Adjustment,Secondary School Students,Principals,Administrator Attitudes,Mixed Methods Research,Statistical Analysis,Likert Scales,Measures (Individuals),Student Surveys,Student Attitudes,Parents,Secondary School Teachers,Teacher Attitudes

After much preparatory work, the Catholic Education Office in Western Australia determined to move Year 7 students from its more than 100 primary schools to secondary schools in 2009. This was the first time in the state's history that a major education system had embarked on such an undertaking. This system-wide shift presented a unique opportunity for investigating the degree of success experienced when viewed through the eyes of relevant stakeholders. This paper reports second phase results (stakeholder perceptions) of a prior study that reported details of the preparation undertaken in anticipation of the move. Issues identified here have clear implications for other systems that may be contemplating the creation of a six plus six primary-secondary schooling structure.
Ohio's Middle Childhood Licensure Study
Author: White, Paula M.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Qualitative Research,Teacher Education,Middle School Teachers,Teacher Attitudes,Interviews,Principals,Middle School Students,Teacher Certification,Educational Philosophy,Student Attitudes,Teacher Student Relationship,Integrated Curriculum,Curriculum Design,Educational Assessment,School Community Relationship,Parent School Relationship

The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe middle level prepared teachers' perceptions of their practices after completing an Ohio Middle Childhood: Grades 4-9 teacher education program. Using the National Middle School Association/National Council of Accreditation of Teacher Education Initial Level Teacher Preparation Standards (2001) as the organizing framework for the interview protocols, the researchers interviewed middle level teachers, their administrator, and their students. The researchers in this study wanted to explore the perceptions of teachers in their implementation and understandings of the middle school concept as articulated in the teacher education program, even if the middle level schools in which they were employed did not fully implement practices consistent with these middle level practices. The findings that emerged from these analyses provide insights for middle level teacher educators about how middle level teachers construct a philosophy arising out of middle level ideals and, therefore, how they implement their understandings with young adolescents.
Middle Grades Students' Situation Definitions: Development of a Knowledge-Linking Inventory
Author: Schuh, Kathy L.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Constructivism (Learning),Cognitive Processes,Prior Learning,Measures (Individuals),Demography,Student Attitudes,Knowledge Level

The purpose of this study was to develop the Student Knowledge Linking Instrument (SKLI), an inventory for middle grades students that seeks to understand student knowledge construction processes. This study included 461 fifth and sixth grade students and follows from a series of qualitative studies that were used as a foundation for development of the SKLI. The SKLI captures student knowledge linking through student responses to brief reading passages and is proposed to capture the students' situation definition (Wertsch, 1985), specifically their initial links with the information. Eight student linking profiles emerged from these students' data, with students on one end of the spectrum drawing on surface characteristics of the text in their linking, while others used more elaborative links that indicated a depth of processing. These profiles were hypothesized to be developmentally ordered, supported by an increase in elaborative links for some sixth grade students in this group.
A Case Analysis of Middle Level Teacher Preparation and Long-Term Teacher Dispositions
Author: Thornton, Holly
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Case Studies,Teacher Education,Middle School Teachers,Beginning Teachers,Teacher Characteristics,Preservice Teachers,Interviews,Observation,Standards

Underlying all pedagogical decisions are dispositions that animate, motivate, and direct abilities evident in the patterns of one's frequently exhibited behavior (Ritchhart, 2001). Although the research on teacher dispositions remains inconsistent, and the intensity with which dispositions are evaluated seems to be waning, middle level educators recognize the role of teacher dispositions in cultivating developmentally responsive practices and inclusive, safe learning communities. This case analysis examines one middle level teacher preparation program that embraced such practices and the dispositions that undergird them. The program intentionally focused on the cultivation of responsive dispositions, grounded in meeting the needs of a diverse group of young adolescents. If teacher preparation has standards for and works to cultivate specific dispositions, it is important to investigate what happens to these dispositions once novice teachers enter the real world of the classroom. This study examines novice middle level teachers' dispositions over their first five years in the field.
Promoting Rigor-in-Practice through School Self-Evaluation: A Middle School's Experience with Model Development, Implementation, and Evaluation
Author: Mann, Michael J.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Middle Schools,Institutional Evaluation,Self Evaluation (Groups),Educational Legislation

This article describes one middle school's efforts to use model building and school self-evaluation to hold itself accountable for its own priorities. These priorities were established by local administrators, teachers, and students, in addition to those established by No Child Left Behind (NCLB). This article discusses this school's efforts to make evaluation a more valuable and meaningful part of the work of all school professionals--particularly their efforts to use evaluation to enhance outcomes related to the whole student--and to develop a strong &quot;rigor-in-practice&quot; culture within the school. It concludes with a discussion about the role of evaluation in middle schools and recommendations for evaluators interested in implementing similar practices.
A Study of the Impact of Professional Development on Middle Level Advisors
Author: Niska, John M.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Professional Development,Program Effectiveness,Pretests Posttests,Facilitators (Individuals),Qualitative Research,Observation,Statistical Analysis,Intervention,Demography,Measures (Individuals),Student Empowerment,Middle Schools,Middle School Students,Educational Environment,Interpersonal Competence,Middle School Teachers,Teacher Student Relationship

Middle level advisors are faculty members whose role is to develop meaningful relationships and to facilitate conversations with a group of 10 to 12 students on a regular basis regarding the students' academic, personal, and social concerns. This study examines the impact of professional development on middle level advisors' knowledge, skills, and practices in five New England middle level schools. Thirty-four advisors representing these five diverse schools were randomly assigned to three groups. Group One received professional development after the study was completed. Group Two participated in a three-credit course in advisor knowledge and skills. Group three participated in the course, and each advisor was coached individually for one hour a week for 24 weeks. Results showed improvements in (1) advisor knowledge and skills for both groups who received the course and (2) in practice for advisors who received both the course and the coaching. Mean score differences in the Advisor Knowledge Assessment pre- and post-test, used as a supportive measure, were revealed between the two groups receiving the training and the one which did not. The primary conclusion is that coursework plus coaching may represent a promising quality investment in the preparation of middle level advisors.
From the School Yard to Cyber Space: A Pilot Study of Bullying Behaviors among Middle School Students
Author: Ockerman, Melissa S.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Middle School Students,Prevention,Intervention,Bullying,Computer Mediated Communication,Incidence,Urban Schools,Questionnaires,Likert Scales,Student Behavior,Scores,Victims,Verbal Communication,Aggression,Peer Relationship,Age Differences,Multivariate Analysis

Bullying and cyberbullying continue to be major problems in today's schools and topics of heightened public concern. This pilot study aimed to increase the knowledge base concerning bullying and cyberbullying, to explore the relationship between traditional bullying and cyberbullying, and to solicit information on the prevalence rates of technology use by students in grades 5-8 (N = 352). This information enhances the current research in cyberbullying and contributes to the development of prevention, intervention, and response strategies, especially as they relate to school counselors and mental health providers in schools.
Facilitating College Readiness through Campus Life Experiences
Author: Schaefer, Mary Beth
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: College Readiness,Middle School Students,Student Experience,Campuses,College School Cooperation,Partnerships in Education,Developmental Studies Programs,Academic Achievement,Program Descriptions,Student Surveys,Pretests Posttests,Participant Observation,Academic Aspiration,Familiarity,Consciousness Raising,Teacher Student Relationship,Self Esteem,Educational Attitudes

In a program called &quot;College Immersion,&quot; middle grades students spend up to one week on a local college campus, attending specially designed college classes and experiencing collegiate activities. This research study reports on findings related to two different college-middle school partnerships involved in a College Immersion program. Literature on college and career readiness suggests that the middle school years are critical for future academic success, especially for the kinds of vulnerable populations that are involved in this study. Taking middle grades students to college offers them authentic experiences that facilitate college readiness. After participation in a College Immersion program, students in both college-middle school partnerships demonstrated aspects of college readiness as outlined by Conley (2007). Following a weeklong experience of immersion in college life, students imagined a future that included post-secondary possibilities, developed college knowledge, and cultivated deeply positive feelings about college.