ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
A Study of States' Monitoring and Improvement Practices under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. NCSER 2011-3001
Author: Bollmer, Julie
Date: 2010-10-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Educational Needs,Early Intervention,Disabilities,Data Collection,Special Education,Educational Legislation,Federal Legislation,Educational Research,Outcomes of Education,Compliance (Legal),Public Education,Mail Surveys,Educational Improvement,Item Response Theory,Rating Scales,Models,Evaluation Methods,Elementary Secondary Education,Program Implementation,Program Administration

The Study of Monitoring and Improvement Practices under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) examined how states monitored the implementation of IDEA by local   special education and early intervention services programs. State monitoring and improvement practices in 2004-05 and 2006-07 were the focus of the study. Prior to the mid-1970's, Congress found that the special education needs of the 8 million children with disabilities were not being met (Education of All Handicapped Children Act of 1975) (P.L. 94-142). To meet the educational needs of these children, Congress, in 1975, enacted the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA). In 2004, the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) contracted with Westat to conduct a 5-year study of states' monitoring and improvement practices under IDEA. Until 2004, there had been no independent and systematic examination of monitoring systems across the states. In OSEP's view, such an examination of monitoring systems could inform its efforts to provide monitoring guidance to states and, thus, enable it to better carry out its responsibilities under the act. The study had the following three objectives: (1) To provide a description of the nature and scope of states' monitoring systems; (2) To describe states' monitoring systems at two points in time; and (3) To create a framework to describe state monitoring systems. In 2006, the study was transferred from OSEP to the National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) within the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). However, the primary purpose of this report remains to provide OSEP with information on states' Part B and Part C monitoring systems. This report presents the findings from the study. Chapter 2 provides a brief history of the IDEA monitoring requirement as it relates to this study; chapter 3 provides a discussion of how a framework for state monitoring was developed; chapter 4 describes the methods for obtaining information about states' Part B and Part C monitoring systems; chapter 5 presents the findings from the site visit data collection efforts; and chapter 6 presents a summary of the key findings from the study. Appendices include: (1) List of Acronyms; (2) Framework Key Characteristics and Elements; (3) Element Rating Instructions; (4) Site Visit Documentation Checklist; (5) Site Visit Interview Probes; (6) Reliability of the Site Visit Data Collection; (7) Description of Rasch Analysis; and (8) Development of Component Scores. (Contains 45 tables, 6 figures and 54 footnotes.)
Accreditation Criteria: Policies, Procedures, and Standards
Author: Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools
Date: 2010-08-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Nontraditional Education,Evaluators,Second Language Programs,Guidelines,Federal Government,Accreditation (Institutions),Student Financial Aid,English (Second Language),Educational Policy,Standards,Educational Quality,Partnerships in Education,Educational Administration,Higher Education

The Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools ("ACICS" or "Council") supports the concept that periodic evaluation entered into voluntarily by institutions and their peers enhances the quality of the educational process and demonstrates that self regulation of a profession is superior to outside regulation. This has been the philosophy of ACICS since 1912 when the first association of business schools was formed. ACICS is incorporated as a non-profit education organization in the Commonwealth of Virginia and maintains offices in the District of Columbia. It has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education since 1956 as a national institutional accrediting body. The federal government, for purposes of distributing institutional and student financial funds, lists ACICS as an accrediting body on which it relies in determining the quality of education and training offered at institutions that ACICS accredits. To help institutions and peer evaluators meet their responsibilities in conducting the process, ACICS developed and periodically has revised a set of policies, procedures, and standards governing the activity. Collectively, they comprise the Accreditation Criteria which, when complied with by institutions, results in the awarding of accreditation. This document incorporates all changes agreed to by the institutions since the last published edition, as well as organizational modifications. Appendices include: (1) Bylaws; (2) Procedures and Guidelines for Unannounced Visits; (3) Guidelines for Institutional Publications; (4) Standards of Satisfactory Progress; (5) Guidelines for Institutionally Funded Student Aid; (6) Guidelines for English as a Second Language Programs; (7) Guidelines on Disclosure and Notification; (8) Principles and Guidelines for Nontraditional Education; and (9) Principles and Guidelines for International Partnership Agreements. An index is included.
Developing School Policies and Procedures for Physical Restraint and Seclusion in Nebraska Schools. A Technical Assistance Document
Author: Peterson, Reece L.
Date: 2010-06-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Crisis Intervention,Federal Legislation,Legislators,Disabilities,School Districts,Politics of Education,Technical Assistance,Best Practices,State Standards,Boards of Education,Administrators,School Safety,Students,School Personnel,Behavior Modification,Discipline,Educational Legislation,Injuries

The purpose of this document is to provide information and guidance for Nebraska School districts in creating new, or revising existing policies and procedures related to the use of physical restraint and seclusion in school settings. The goal is to create policies that are informed by national policy directions, research, good practice and appropriate professional standards. Federal legislation on this topic is pending (Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools Act, H.R. 4247, see Appendix A). This technical assistance document will address and attempt to fully comply with the practices described in the pending federal legislation, which represents current research and &quot;best&quot; practice. The bill has been endorsed by over 100 advocacy and professional organizations and has the broad general support of educators, parents and policy makers. School districts in Nebraska can demonstrate their commitment to &quot;best practice&quot; on this issue and maintain the safety of their students and staff by designing policies now to meet the standards as established in the federal bill. This may also preclude the need to make modifications in local district policies should this legislation take effect later. This document is intended to be primarily for school boards and administrators who are developing local school district policies. It includes three sections: (1) Developing Policies and Procedures; (2) Components of Policies and Procedures; and (3) Examples of Potential Policies and Procedures. Appendices include: (1) Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H.R. 4247 Offered by Mr. George Miller of California; (2) Internet Links and Resources; (3) Duncan Letter; (4) Nebraska Commissioner Breed Memo; (5) Understanding Physical Restraint &amp; Seclusion Policies; (6) Additional Definitions for District Policies; (7) Representative Crisis Intervention Training Programs; (8) Incident Reporting For Restraint &amp; Seclusion; (9) Links to a Representative Sample State and Local Policies; and (10) Nebraska Laws Potentially Pertinent to Restraint and Seclusion. [Funding for this report was provided by the Special Education Office of the Nebraska Department of Education.]
Dialogue as a Means of Learning and Teaching
Author: Baskas, Richard S.
Date: 2010-11-28
Type: Information Analyses
Subjects: Interpersonal Communication,Classroom Communication,Classroom Techniques,Teaching Methods,Computer Mediated Communication,Educational Technology,Peer Relationship,Preservice Teacher Education,Student Teachers,Student Teacher Supervisors

The purpose of this paper is to examine how dialogue is involved in learning and teaching in the classroom. Dialogue is present in many forms as it is used in group interactions, used with technology and how pre-service teachers communicate with their school supervisors during their training. Research was conducted through Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC), and seven articles were researched and reviewed to examine how dialogue is used in three situations in the classroom. Results revealed that dialogue is an important aspect in the classroom and must be developed quickly and professionally in order to provide the best instruction in the classroom.
Helping to Create and Nurture Strong Relationships among Families, Schools and Communities
Author: Addison, Falanda R.
Date: 2010-11-15
Type: Information Analyses
Subjects: Urban Schools,Geographic Location,School Community Relationship,Partnerships in Education,Stakeholders,Family School Relationship,Group Dynamics,School Districts,Educational Resources,Financial Support,Predictor Variables,Performance Factors

The purpose of the research is to establish an understanding of relationships with students in public schools and the community. The research was done with looking at the geographic location of students in an urban school district, resources available and the amount of funding. The results concluded that schools, communities and parents have a great deal of work ahead of them to bridge the gap between school and community relationships.   The recommendations are for schools to continue to build relationships with community partners, stakeholders, steering committees and parents to help support the vision of the schools, the achievement and the success of students.
The "Bottom" Seventy Percent: What America's Elite Institutions of Higher Learning Owe to Everyone Else. WISCAPE Viewpoints
Author: Carey, Kevin
Date: 2009-10-13
Type: Opinion Papers
Subjects: Higher Education,Educational Needs,Employed Parents,Immigrants,Selective Admission,Low Income Groups,Part Time Students,First Generation College Students,Minority Group Students,Minority Groups,Private Colleges,Public Colleges

For the disproportionately well-off students who attend reasonably selective public and private institutions--roughly, the top 30%--life is good. Their colleges are well-resourced and so are they. They'll most likely graduate and go onto the substantial rewards society offers to those with a college degree. For everyone else--the bottom 70%--the story is quite different. These are students who are more likely to be low-income, part-time, first-generation, working parents, immigrants, people of color. Students who have the biggest educational needs; and yet, they are funneled systematically into institutions with the fewest resources, crumbling colleges where the promise of mobility is a mirage. The author opines that is time to stop thinking of higher education institutions like so many palaces, isolated and magnificent, focused on keeping the undeserving away. The author asks institutions to be generous to the newer and less wealthy institutions that came after them. They should open to their students, be mindful of their needs. And be creative when it comes to gauging the potential of great institutions of higher learning to spread the knowledge they create. Only by subordinating some of their self-interest, institutions adopting a kind of "post-palatial" way of thinking, and embracing the interests of all institutions--including the students within them and the students who aren't within them at all--will America's elite institutions be able to live up to the historic ideals that have done so much to make this nation it is today. (Contains 2 notes.)
Addressing Opportunity in Wisconsin's Four-Year Universities: A Comparative Analysis of State College Access Programs. WISCAPE Policy Brief
Author: Stransky, Beth
Date: 2009-01-21
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Higher Education,State Programs,State Colleges,Comparative Analysis,Access to Education,Paying for College,Student Financial Aid,Educational Policy,Policy Analysis,Organizational Objectives,Efficiency,Intervention,Models,Change Strategies,Program Descriptions,Audits (Verification)

This brief explores three examples of state policies designed to help students and families cope with rising tuition costs at four-year institutions: the Wisconsin Covenant, the Georgia HOPE Scholarship Program, and the Indiana Twenty-first Century Scholars Program. Although the authors acknowledge the important role two-year colleges play in Wisconsin's higher education system, they have chosen to limit the scope of this analysis to public four-year colleges and universities. Policy directed at increasing access has traditionally focused on these institutions because they offer the most direct route to a bachelor's degree, which in turn can provide financial rewards for the individual and the state. They evaluate the Covenant, a relatively new state program, in comparison to Twenty-first Century Scholars and HOPE--two of the first and longest-standing state scholarship programs focused on access to higher education--in terms of efficiency, equity, and political feasibility. They recommend that the state of Wisconsin adopt a hybrid model--one that integrates components of the existing Wisconsin Covenant with state scholarships targeted to low-income students--in order to provide students, families, the higher education system, and the state with the highest levels of efficiency and equity. Appended are: (1) Returns to a Bachelor's Degree; (2) Selected State Scholarship Programs; and (3) Policy Goal Matrices. (Contains 4 tables and 18 notes.)
Factors Contributing to the Upward Transfer of Baccalaureate Aspirants Beginning at Community Colleges. WISCAPE Working Paper
Author: Wang, Xueli
Date: 2010-11-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Community Colleges,Performance Factors,College Transfer Students,Self Concept,Enrollment Trends,Racial Identification,Academic Achievement,Predictor Variables,Student Records,Transcripts (Written Records),Regression (Statistics),Academic Aspiration,Socioeconomic Status,African American Students

Incorporating the psychological perspective, this study examines factors associated with the upward transfer of baccalaureate aspirants beginning at community colleges. Based on data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 and the Postsecondary Education Transcript Study, the study tests a logistic regression model to predict bachelor's degree-seeking community college entrants' transfer to four-year institutions. The results indicate that students' socioeconomic status, identification as African American, self-concept, high school test scores, and postsecondary enrollment patterns are significantly associated with the probability of transfer to four-year institutions among baccalaureate aspirants. (Contains 2 tables and 2 footnotes.)
Postsecondary Opportunity Programs: Defining and Improving an Educational Policy Innovation. WISCAPE Policy Brief
Author: Vaade, Elizabeth Stransky
Date: 2009-09-29
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Educational Policy,Postsecondary Education,Educational Opportunities,Eligibility,Educational Benefits,Financial Support,Educational Objectives,Educational Attainment,Economic Development,Educational Improvement,College Programs,College Outcomes Assessment

This brief provides an introductory overview of postsecondary opportunity programs (POPs) nationwide based on more than 50 qualifying programs--selected from an exploration of over 120--led by municipalities, counties, states, or institutions, that aim to enroll and graduate students at two- and four-year institutions. The brief gives the reader a sense of the programs' goals, eligibility guidelines, benefits to recipients, and funding sources. This analysis does not offer suggestions on the successes or shortcomings of any particular program. Further research will explore POPs in greater detail. The brief concludes with four policy recommendations to consider as these programs continue to develop. A list of Postsecondary Opportunity Programs is appended. (Contains 1 table and 7 notes.)
The 2008 Amendments to the Federal Higher Education Act: Are We on the Right Track? WISCAPE Policy Brief
Author: Stampen, Jacob O.
Date: 2009-03-09
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Higher Education,Federal Aid,Educational Opportunities,Student Financial Aid,Educational Policy,Policy Formation,Politics of Education,Educational Development,Investment,Finance Reform,Financial Policy,Financial Support,Federal Legislation,Policy Analysis,Change Strategies

This policy brief summarizes the Higher Education Amendments of 2008 (HEA 2008) and the evolution of the Higher Education Act since 1965, particularly the evolution of federal and non-federal forms of financial assistance aimed at increasing educational opportunity and attainment in the United States. Because the act's extensive academic support programs, such as TRIO and GEAR UP, require separate attention, this analysis of HEA 2008 is limited to a general overview of the student financial aid aspects of what appears to be its overarching theme: to promote more effective and efficient collaboration among the federal government, state governments, colleges and universities, lending agencies, and the private sector in order to improve college education and make it more affordable. The authors then address questions about the evolution of the Higher Education Act and whether HEA 2008 is likely to increase the ability of the American higher education system to achieve its historic goals. The brief concludes with findings and suggestions for future improvement. (Contains 6 figures and 31 notes.)
Public Opinion on Merit Pay: Self Interest vs. Symbolic Politics. Program on Education Policy and Governance Working Papers Series. PEPG 10-05
Author: Howell, William G.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Merit Pay,Public Education,Governance,Educational Policy,Public Opinion,Compensation (Remuneration),Teacher Salaries,Salary Wage Differentials,Tenure,Academic Achievement,Achievement Tests,Achievement Gains,Political Affiliation,Socioeconomic Status,Multivariate Analysis,Teacher Effectiveness

Merit pay initiatives transparently alter the teaching profession and goings-on within classrooms, and thereby promise to stoke the self-interests of the two most prominent stakeholders in public education: teachers and parents. This memo summarizes the authors' ongoing efforts to empirically evaluate the extent to which public debates about merit pay pit key stakeholders, rather than well-defined political constituencies, against one another. The authors examine the content of public opinion on these issues; the willingness of different groups to update their views in light of new information; and the ways in which expressed opinions on these policies figure into the larger assembly of education policies. When it comes to public debates about merit pay, they find, cleavages between parents and teachers are not merely evident. They utterly overwhelm those differences observed between either Democrats and Republicans or liberals and conservatives. The authors use the 2009 &quot;Education Next&quot;-Program on Education Policy and Governance (PEPG) Survey conducted by Knowledge Networks[R]. The survey was fielded to a stratified nationally representative sample of 3,251 adults, including an oversample of 709 teachers. The sample also includes 863 parents with children under the age of 18. Samples were drawn from the probability-based KnowledgePanel[R], and surveys were administered over the internet between February 25 and March 13, 2009. (Contains 13 tables, 2 figures, and 5 footnotes.)
Cross-Country Evidence on Teacher Performance Pay. Program on Education Policy and Governance Working Papers Series. PEPG 10-11
Author: Woessmann, Ludger
Date: 2010-05-14
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Teacher Salaries,International Education,Educational Policy,Comparative Analysis,Comparative Education,Merit Pay,Incentives,Recognition (Achievement),Salary Wage Differentials,Productivity,Mathematics Achievement,Reading Achievement,Science Achievement,Evidence,Governance,School Statistics,Data Interpretation

The general-equilibrium effects of performance-related teacher pay include long-term incentive and teacher-sorting mechanisms that usually elude experimental studies but are captured in cross-country comparisons. Combining country-level performance-pay measures with rich PISA-2003 international achievement microdata, this paper estimates student-level international education production functions. The use of teacher salary adjustments for outstanding performance is significantly associated with math, science, and reading achievement across countries. Scores in countries with performance-related pay are about one quarter standard deviations higher. Results avoid bias from within-country selection and are robust to continental fixed effects and to controlling for non-performance-based forms of teacher salary adjustments. (Contains 7 tables, and 1 figure, and 18 footnotes.)
Does Information Help Families Choose Schools? Evidence from a Regression Discontinuity Design. Program on Education Policy and Governance Working Papers Series. PEPG 10-17
Author: Henderson, Michael
Date: 2010-08-04
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: School Choice,Educational Improvement,Academic Achievement,Program Effectiveness,Educational Quality,School Effectiveness,Access to Information,Inferences,Parent Attitudes,Decision Making,Accountability,Student Mobility,Computation,Report Cards,Disadvantaged Schools

Does public information about school quality lead parents to sort their children out of schools with relatively poor performance? Use of this exit option in response to information about school quality has the potential to indirectly foster school responsiveness to quality concerns. To determine whether this information affects student exit, I use a regression discontinuity design to examine the effect of school grades on exit. Results indicate that parents do not seem to respond to information about school quality generally and, thus, cast doubt on the effectiveness of indirect accountability to promote educational improvement. However, there is limited evidence that particularly poor school performance accompanied by institutional mechanisms for school choice promote student sorting away from low-quality schools. (Contains 12 figures, 9 tables, and 11 footnotes.) [Funding for this paper was provided by the National Science Foundation's IGERT program.]