ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Blended Learning and Data Use in Three Technology-Infused Charter Schools: A Report to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Author: Mandinach, Ellen B.
Date: 2016-08-31
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Blended Learning,Charter Schools,Technology Uses in Education,Data,Information Utilization,Learning Activities,Educational Environment,Usability,Context Effect,Program Implementation,Outcome Measures,Interviews,Educational Trends,Barriers,Administrator Surveys,Teacher Surveys,Middle Schools,High Schools,Observation,Affordances

This report provides a description of a study conducted by WestEd on behalf of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to examine how the affordances of the technologies in the blended learning environments of three charter schools impacted teaching and learning activities. A particular focus of the work was to examine whether the blended learning environments provided enhanced access to and more diverse data sources for teachers and students from which to make educational decisions. The research was conducted in three small charter schools in Arizona, serving populations of challenged middle and high school students. The schools were infused with technologies that support in-person and distant educational experiences, using a hybrid model. Teachers and administrators were well trained in the use of the technologies and how they could be used to enhance instructional and administrative decision making. Findings from the research are consistent with results from related studies on blended learning and recommendations for the effective use of data. The teachers were able to address the needs of particular students through various media and diverse learning experiences. The ability to move the educational process beyond the school walls seemingly was an essential component. The ability to engage the students by providing flexible and customizable learning activities also was a key component. The technologies made possible such personalization. Other characteristics of these schools are, however, generalizable to traditional environments -- strong leadership, an explicit vision for the use of technology and data, the engagement of students in the teaching and learning process, the enculturation of data use through data teams and data coaches, and the provision of professional learning opportunities.
Degrees of Difficulty: Boosting College Success in New York City
Author: Hilliard, Tom
Date: 2017-12-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: College Readiness,Success,High School Students,Urban Schools,College Bound Students,Interviews,Focus Groups,Student Costs,Academic Aspiration,Educational Counseling,College Choice,College Preparation,Nonprofit Organizations,Educational Needs,State Aid,Educational Finance,Change Strategies,State Action,Graduation Rate,Educational Attainment,Racial Distribution,Family Income,College Graduates,High School Graduates,Barriers,Costs,Public Schools,Remedial Instruction

This report, the latest in a series of studies by the Center for an Urban Future examining opportunities to expand economic mobility in New York City, takes an in-depth look at college readiness and success among the city's public high school students. It explores opportunities to dramatically boost the rate at which New York City's students enter a best-fit college and graduate with a degree or other credential. Funded by The Clark Foundation, this report draws on data furnished by the New York City Department of Education (DOE) and City University of New York (CUNY), as well as data prepared by the New York State Education Department (NYSED), the Higher Education Services Corporation, Graduate NYC, and the Research Alliance for New York City Schools. In addition, this research included dozens of interviews and focus groups with officials at DOE, CUNY, high schools and colleges, affinity groups, and community-based organizations, as well as leading academic researchers, policy advocates, and high school and college students from across the five boroughs.
Equity Starts Early: Addressing Racial Inequities in Child Care and Early Education Policy
Author: Johnson-Staub, Christine
Date: 2017-12-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Equal Education,Racial Bias,Early Childhood Education,Educational Policy,Child Care,Early Intervention,Preschool Education,Educational History,State Government,Federal Government,Access to Education,Disadvantaged,Low Income Groups,Barriers,Costs,Eligibility,Parents,Immigrants,Educational Quality,Supply and Demand,Suspension,Expulsion,Labor Force,Equal Opportunities (Jobs)

Child care and early education policies are shaped by a history of systemic and structural racism. This has created major racial disparities in children's access to quality child care that meets their cultural and linguistic needs and enables their parents to work. Early care and education workers are overwhelmingly in low-quality jobs with inadequate compensation. And workers of color are often relegated to the lowest-paid positions. &quot;Equity Starts Early: Addressing Racial Inequities in Child Care and Early Education Policy&quot; explores these critical racial equity issues in major early childhood programs, policies, and systems, including CCDBG [Child Care and Development Block Grant], Head Start, and state pre-kindergarten programs. It provides demographic and historical context for creating racially equitable early childhood policies and analyzes policy issues related to access, quality, and the early childhood workforce. Finally, the report offers state and federal policy strategies that can begin to address inequities.
HEA Proposal Fails Low-Income Students on Affordability, Equity, and Connecting to Work. Policy Brief
Author: Walizer, Lauren
Date: 2017-12-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Postsecondary Education,Educational Policy,Student Needs,Access to Education,Equal Education,Career Readiness,Costs,At Risk Students,Federal Legislation,Educational Legislation,Higher Education,Low Income Students

The makeup of today's students requires federal postsecondary education policies to be influenced by a wide variety of student experiences and needs. Any reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA) must be focused on principles like offering affordable and equitable postsecondary opportunities, and being deliberate about linking school to work and careers. Because low-income students have faced rising costs and other challenges since the last reauthorization of the HEA in 2008, it is well past time for Congress to improve the law to increase students' odds of success. Unfortunately, the comprehensive HEA reauthorization bill introduced last week by House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) fails students. This brief, written by Lauren Walizer, discusses how Rep. Foxx's bill, the Promoting Real Opportunity, Success, and Prosperity through Education Reform (PROSPER) Act, would move backward on the fronts of affordability, equity, and connections to work and careers.
Examination of the Relations amongst Support, Class Belonging and Teacher Self-Efficacy in Turkish Pre-Service Teachers
Author: Alpaslan, Muhammet Mustafa
Date: 2018-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Preservice Teachers,Self Efficacy,Sense of Community,Classroom Environment,Structural Equation Models,Teacher Student Relationship,Parent Student Relationship,Interpersonal Relationship,Statistical Analysis,Likert Scales,Foreign Countries,Student Attitudes

In this study, it was aimed to investigate the contributions of support and class belonging to teacher self-efficacy. A total of 357 teacher candidates from the different departments enrolled in the Pedagogical Formation Education Certificate Program at a state university in the Aegean Region of Turkey participated in the study. Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale, Psychological Sense of Membership Scale and Perceived Support Scale were used to collect data. To examine the relationship between variables, structural equation modeling technique was utilized in the MPLUS program. It was found that the teacher candidates received the most support from their families and the least support from their instructors. Analysis revealed that the support received from the instructors was statistically significantly related to all the sub-dimensions of teacher self-efficacy. Findings showed that class belonging was positively related to all of the sub-dimensions of teacher self-efficacy. Findings suggest that when teacher candidates receive support from their classmates and instructors, their sense of class belonging would increase and eventually, their teacher self-efficacy would grow up
Critique of &quot;A Big Apple for Educators: New York City&apos;s Experiment with Schoolwide Performance Bonuses: Final Evaluation Report&quot;
Author: Fallah, Soraya
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Book/Product Reviews
Subjects: Educational Experiments,Teacher Salaries,Incentives,Program Effectiveness,Academic Achievement,Program Evaluation,Teacher Effectiveness,Teacher Motivation,Outcomes of Education,Merit Pay,Mixed Methods Research,Public School Teachers,Statistical Analysis,Urban Schools

The purpose of this paper is to review and critique a groundbreaking research report. The research article under review in this paper is: &quot;A Big Apple for Educators: New York City's Experiment with Schoolwide Performance Bonuses: Final Evaluation Report&quot; (see ED521920). In 2007-08, a program called the Schoolwide Performance Bonus Program (SPBP) was held in the New York City public schools on behalf of the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) and United Federation of Teachers (UFT). They established a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the RAND Corporation and Vanderbilt University evaluated the program to assess the SPBP. The objective was to see the students' development outcome based on changed compensation plans for teachers hence motivating the teachers to perform well in order to receive rewards. The idea is for the collaboration and bonus to boost morale, therefore resulting in better outcomes. Result of the study showed that there was no evidence to suggest that student achievement increased as a result of SPBP.
The Shape of Things: The Origin of Young Children&apos;s Knowledge of the Names and Properties of Geometric Forms
Author: Verdine, Brian N.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Young Children,Geometric Concepts,Toddlers,Naming,Concept Formation,Child Development,Language Acquisition,Accuracy,Comparative Analysis,Graphs,Statistical Analysis

How do toddlers learn the names of geometric forms? Previous work suggests that preschoolers have fragmentary knowledge and that defining properties are not understood until well into elementary school. The current study investigated when children first begin to understand shape names and how they apply those labels to unusual instances. We tested 25- and 30-month-old children's (N = 30 each) understanding of names for canonical shapes (commonly encountered instances, e.g., equilateral triangles), noncanonical shapes (more irregular instances, e.g., scalene triangles), and embedded shapes (shapes within a larger picture, e.g., triangular slices of pizza). At 25 months, children knew very few names, including those for canonical shapes. By 30 months, however, children had acquired more shape names and were beginning to apply them to some of the less typical instances of the shapes. Possible mechanisms driving this initial development of shape knowledge and implications of that development for school readiness are explored. [This article was published in the &quot;Journal of Cognition and Development&quot; (EJ1090613).]
California Youth Continue Steep Declines in Arrests. Fact Sheet
Author: Males, Mike
Date: 2017-12-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Law Enforcement,Crime,Young Adults,Trend Analysis,Juvenile Justice,Correlation,Correctional Institutions,Safety,Justice,Social Change,Adolescents,Educational Attainment

Recently released statistics from the California Department of Justice (DOJ, 2017) show that arrests of youth ages 10-17 declined in 2016, reaching historically low levels. Arrest rates, which are reported to the state by local law enforcement agencies, fell for the ninth straight year in 2016, continuing a decades-long pattern of decline. Though the specific causes remain unknown, the massive decline in youth and young-adult crime is associated with increased educational attainment among younger Californians (Males, 2015). This indicates investment in education, rather than increased detention, is a more promising approach.
California&apos;s Local Juvenile Facilities Can Absorb the State Youth Correctional Population. Fact Sheet
Author: Washburn, Maureen
Date: 2018-04-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Juvenile Justice,Correctional Institutions,Organization Size (Groups),Organizational Change,Cost Effectiveness,Facilities Management,Statistical Distributions,Institutionalized Persons,Adolescents,Youth,Counties

California maintains two sets of secure juvenile facilities: a state-run youth correctional system, the Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), and 112 juvenile halls, camps, and ranches operated by county probation departments. Despite sustained declines in serious juvenile arrests and a reduction in commitments to the state, DJJ has not closed a facility since 2011 and continues to operate a fire camp and three large institutions at an annual cost of nearly $200 million (CDCR, 2018; CJCJ, 2018). Declines in DJJ's population and unprecedented capacity in county juvenile facilities would allow for the phased realignment of confined youth from the aging state system to more modern local facilities, generating savings, bringing high-needs young people closer to home, and curbing the trauma and violence endemic to DJJ (CJCJ, 2012; 2016).
How School Culture and Support Systems Can Improve Disciplinary Outcomes for Students with Disabilities: Mott Haven Academy Charter School Case Study
Author: Rhim, Lauren Morando
Date: 2018-03-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Disabilities,Public Schools,Charter Schools,Educational Innovation,Student Needs,Models,Case Studies,Barriers,Success,Individualized Instruction,Institutional Characteristics,Student Characteristics,Special Education,Lesson Plans,Skill Development,Program Effectiveness,Elementary Secondary Education,Grade 4,School Culture,Positive Behavior Supports,Interviews,Documentation,Observation,Social Development,Emotional Development

Charter schools--public schools that receive greater autonomy from district and state regulations in return for greater accountability--present opportunities to provide exemplary and innovative supports and services to students with disabilities. Charter schools' freedom to innovate enables them to create and offer new models and practices, which are much needed by students with disabilities and their families seeking the right &quot;fit.&quot; Charter schools, however, face specific challenges and struggles in providing students with specialized, and potentially expensive, services and accommodations, especially without the benefits provided by large district infrastructures and economies of scale. In an effort to document and promote school models and practices that effectively serve students with disabilities in charter schools, the Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) asked the National Center for Special Education in Charter Schools (NCSECS) to conduct two case studies about exemplary schools that respectively leverage available opportunities and mitigate challenges. This case study examines Mott Haven Academy Charter School in New York City and how its positive school culture and behavior support systems improve disciplinary outcomes for students with disabilities. The other case study, &quot;How Personalized Learning Models Can Meet the Needs of Students with Disabilities,&quot; highlights Thrive Public Schools in San Diego and how its personalized learning model especially benefits students with disabilities and meets their specific needs. Together, these case studies provide examples of models and practices that other public schools--both charter and traditional--can implement to create programs where all students succeed, including those with disabilities. [For &quot;How Personalized Learning Models Can Meet the Needs of Students with Disabilities: Thrive Public Schools Case Study,&quot; see ED582803.]
How Personalized Learning Models Can Meet the Needs of Students with Disabilities: Thrive Public Schools Case Study
Author: Rhim, Lauren Morando
Date: 2018-03-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Disabilities,Public Schools,Charter Schools,Educational Innovation,Student Needs,Models,Case Studies,Barriers,Success,Individualized Instruction,Institutional Characteristics,Student Characteristics,Special Education,Lesson Plans,Evidence Based Practice,Student Centered Learning,Skill Development,Program Effectiveness,Elementary Secondary Education,Grade 6

Charter schools--public schools that receive greater autonomy from district and state regulations in return for greater accountability--present opportunities to provide exemplary and innovative supports and services to students with disabilities. Charter schools' freedom to innovate enables them to create and offer new models and practices, much needed by students with disabilities and their families who seek the right &quot;fit.&quot; Charter schools, however, face specific challenges and struggles in providing students with specialized, and potentially expensive, services and accommodations, especially without the benefits provided by large district infrastructures and economies of scale. In an effort to document and promote school models and practices that effectively serve students with disabilities in charter schools, the Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) asked the National Center for Special Education in Charter Schools (NCSECS) to conduct two case studies about exemplary schools that respectively leverage available opportunities and mitigate challenges. This case study highlights Thrive Public Schools in San Diego and how its personalized learning model especially benefits students with disabilities and meets their specific needs. The other case study, &quot;How School Culture and Support Systems Can Improve Disciplinary Outcomes for Students with Disabilities,&quot; examines Mott Haven Academy Charter School in New York City and how its positive school culture and behavior support systems improve disciplinary outcomes for students with disabilities. Together, these case studies provide examples of models and practices that other public schools--both charter and traditional--can implement to create programs where all students succeed, including those with disabilities. [For &quot;How School Culture and Support Systems Can Improve Disciplinary Outcomes for Students with Disabilities: Mott Haven Academy Charter School Case Study,&quot; see ED582802.]
A Simpler Aid Application for Low-Income College Students. Policy Brief
Author: Walizer, Lauren
Date: 2018-04-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: College Students,Student Financial Aid,Federal Aid,Poverty,Grants,Racial Differences,Ethnicity,Student Loan Programs,Student Needs,Minority Group Students,Income,Financial Aid Applicants,Eligibility,Financial Problems,Paying for College,Low Income Students

Policymakers, postsecondary education leaders, and researchers agree: the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) can be a barrier to achieving this nation's college access goals. Concerns about the FAFSA's negative impact on enrollment and financial aid have sparked a bipartisan push to simplify and shorten the form by removing &quot;unnecessary&quot; questions. For low-income students, though, it's critical to expand the current political thinking about simplification. The simplification discussion should include raising the threshold for the automatic zero Expected Family Contribution (EFC). &quot;Autozero EFC&quot; allows low-income students to skip income and asset questions, thereby providing minimal information while still automatically qualifying for the maximum Pell Grant. It also allows low-income dependent students and independent students with dependents to maximize their eligibility for federal student aid. Students are eligible for autozero EFC if they have low income (up $25,000), and either receive public benefits, have status as a dislocated worker, or are allowed to file a simplified tax form or are not required to file a tax return at all. As a cost-savings measure in 2012, Congress lowered the threshold for autozero EFC from an adjusted gross income (AGI) of $32,000 to $23,000 (which has since risen with inflation to $25,000). By lowering the threshold, fewer students are eligible for the autozero EFC. Had the rollback not taken place and the $32,000 threshold continued to rise with inflation per the statute, the threshold would be nearly $35,000 today. This brief addresses two reasons why policymakers should raise the limit back to $35,000: (1) financial need goes further up the income stream than it once did, and the conception of &quot;low-income&quot; should include students with incomes up to $35,000; and (2) students who earn between $25,000 and $35,000 have significant financial need and are disproportionately students of color and frequently financially independent from their parents.
Education and Training Programs: A Critical Support for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. Building Strong Foundations: Advancing Comprehensive Policies for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
Author: Ullrich, Rebecca
Date: 2017-10-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Infants,Toddlers,Family Programs,Parent Education,Student Financial Aid,Federal Aid,Labor Force Development,Barriers,Access to Education,Training,Low Income Groups,State Government,Local Government,Federal Government,Government Role,Child Care

Low-income parents of infants and toddlers should have access to affordable education and training to improve their employment opportunities. Parents' education is one of the strongest, most consistent predictors of children's health, development, and achievement over time. Parents' education levels affect how they seek, understand, and use information about their children's health and development, which gives their children early advantages. Moreover, increased education levels open doors to better-quality jobs: positions that offer paid time off, regular hours, worker autonomy and flexibility, and adequate, stable pay. Because children's early experiences are so critical to their long-term outcomes, ensuring that parents of infants and toddlers have access to education and training that lead to stable, well-paying jobs is especially critical. This brief document highlights the federal government's student financial aid programs and the two primary federal funding streams that support states' workforce development systems. The authors discuss the barriers to attending and completing education and training programs that low-income parents face and the importance of increased federal investment in student aid programs. Finally, they recommend states and local governments leverage existing federal funds to provide additional services to parents and ensure that public assistance programs--particularly child care subsidies--are accessible to student-parents.