ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the Transformative Potential of Positive Gender Socialization in Education for Peace Building
Author: Chinen, Marjorie
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Peace,Socialization,Sex Fairness,Inservice Teacher Education,Mixed Methods Research,Outcome Measures,Program Effectiveness,Comparative Analysis,Intervention,Teacher Characteristics,Teacher Attitudes,Synchronous Communication,Telecommunications,Randomized Controlled Trials,Elementary School Teachers,Educational Practices

American Institutes for Research (AIR) is conducting an impact evaluation of The United Nations Children's Emergency Fund's (UNICEF's) teacher-training program and reinforcing text messages that aim to provide meaningful knowledge regarding the transformative potential of positive gender socialization in education for peace building in the region of Karamoja, Uganda. The impact evaluation assesses the effects of the teacher-training program, with an emphasis on gender socialization, on teachers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices concerned with gender equity, and positive gender socialization. The authors implemented a mixed-methods research design for the impact evaluation, using quantitative and qualitative methods. They compared the outcomes of interest among the teachers who benefit from the program with the outcomes of interest of comparable teachers in different schools who do not benefit from the program. The impact evaluation is based on an eight-month intervention, with baseline data collected in March 2015 and endline data collected in November 2015. One hundred five schools from eight Coordinating Centre Tutors (CCTs) located in the districts of Abim, Kaabong, and Napak are participating in the study, with a third of the schools receiving the training plus reinforcing text messages (the &quot;complete intervention&quot; group), another third receiving the teacher training only (the &quot;limited intervention&quot; group), and the other third not receiving any of the interventions (the control or &quot;business as usual&quot; group). A total of 916 teachers working in the 105 schools at the time of baseline data collection were surveyed. Provided that the various stakeholders respond in the manner anticipated, the trainings--and potentially the active teacher support and engagement delivered using the mobile SMS platform--should lead to a set of initial effects or intermediate outcomes. Tables and figures are appended.
The Supply and Demand of High-Achieving Hispanic Students
Author: Gurantz, Oded
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Supply and Demand,High Achievement,Hispanic American Students,College Students,Academic Persistence,Aptitude Tests,High Schools,High School Students,College Entrance Examinations,Longitudinal Studies,High School Graduates,Regression (Statistics),Recognition (Achievement),Intervention,Talent Identification,Student Recruitment

Hispanics are the largest minority group in the United States, increasing almost six-fold from 1970 to 2014. Although Hispanics youth in the U.S. have traditionally had lower college attendance rates, some sources suggest a narrowing of the White-Hispanic postsecondary attendance gap over the last fifteen years. A key question is whether altering Hispanic demand for specific institutions has a causal impact on degree completion. In this paper, the authors examine a program which provides positive feedback to high-achieving Hispanic students. First, the authors document that this program substantially alters student demand for postsecondary institutions, particularly in areas where Hispanic students traditionally lag behind their white peers. They then investigate whether these shifts increase postsecondary attainment. The authors studied all Hispanic students who took the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualify Test (PSAT/NMSQT, henceforth PSAT) in 11th grade and graduated from high school from 2006-07 through 2008-09, as well as all Hispanic high school graduates residing in the Western and Southwestern portion of the United States from 2003-04 to 2009-10. Although approximately 250,000 Hispanic students take the 11th grade PSAT in a given year, the authors focus on approximately 50,000 students who lie relatively close to a threshold for National Hispanic Recognition Program (NHRP) eligibility. A regression discontinuity design was used to estimate the causal impact of NHRP, which compares students just above and below year- and region-specific cutoffs for eligibility. The authors relied on secondary data collected by the College Board on all PSAT takers and their scores from 2003-04 through 2009-10. It was found that NHRP dramatically alters college attendance patterns for many students, increasing the likelihood that students attend college at a four-year institution, out of state, or at a public flagship by two, five, and three percentage points, respectively. Figures and tables are appended. [SREE documents are structured abstracts of SREE conference symposium, panel, and paper or poster submissions.]
Redesigning Teacher Evaluation: Lessons Learned from a Pilot Implementation in New Hampshire
Author: Riordan, Julie
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Teacher Evaluation,Program Implementation,Pilot Projects,Surveys,Semi Structured Interviews,Content Analysis,Statistical Analysis,Evaluators,Teacher Attitudes,Coding,Educational Policy,Teaching Experience,Tenure,Evaluation Methods,Summative Evaluation,Student Educational Objectives,Capacity Building

Many studies have called attention to the limitations of current teacher evaluation systems and the need for reform nationwide. This study addresses three research questions: (1) What are the features of the new teacher evaluation systems in New Hampshire's districts with SIG schools?; (2) To what extent did schools implement the evaluation system as intended?; and (3) What factors affected implementation during the pilot year? The study included a sample of 35 evaluators and 277 teachers who responded to surveys about their experiences and perceptions of the evaluation system. It also included a small sample of district administrators (5), principals (8) and teachers (6) who participated in semi-structured interviews. The study used a variety of methods to address the research questions including document review of district evaluation plans; descriptive statistics to analyze evaluator and teacher surveys and thematic coding of interviews. Data for this study came from district administrative guidance documents and other administrative data, including evaluation plans and instruments; survey data from evaluators and teachers about evaluator experiences and perceptions about the evaluation system; and interview data from district administrators, principals, and teachers. All data were from the 2012/13 school year. Findings from this study suggested the following implications for policy: (1) the need to assess and address capacity issues for evaluators; (2) provide adequate planning time or introduce components incrementally to support the implementation of new and complex initiatives; (3) allow for adequate early and ongoing training on the system; provide additional training for SLOs; (4) engage stakeholders; and (5) foster a positive professional climate. One table and 2 figures are appended. [SREE documents are structured abstracts of SREE conference symposium, panel, and paper or poster submissions.]
The Impact of Achieve3000 on Elementary Literacy Outcomes: Evidence from a Two-Year Randomized Control Trial
Author: Hill, Darryl V.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Elementary School Students,Reading Achievement,Public Schools,Randomized Controlled Trials,Emergent Literacy,Reading Programs,Computer Uses in Education,Reading Tests,Program Effectiveness,Pretests Posttests

School districts are increasingly adopting technology-based resources in an attempt to improve student achievement. This paper reports the two-year results from randomized control trial of Achieve3000 in the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) in Raleigh, North Carolina. Achieve3000 is an early literacy program that differentiates non-fiction reading passages based on individual students' Lexile scores. Two key questions and focal areas for research are addressed: (1) Do students who use Achieve3000 outperform students who do not use Achieve3000 on a host of reading achievement measures?; and (2) Does the performance of students who use Achieve3000 differ across student subgroups? An experimental research design in the form of a cluster-randomized trial was employed. Data for this investigation come from the school system's administrative and testing records; Amplify, Inc.'s mClass reporting system; and Achieve3000's activity completion and LevelSet Lexile pre- and post-test assessments. Results from a two-year randomized control trial of Achieve3000 suggest that the impacts, implementation, and overall promise of a technology literacy solution fell short of expectations. Tables and figures are appended. [SREE documents are structured abstracts of SREE conference symposium, panel, and paper or poster submissions.]
The Results of a Randomized Control Trial Evaluation of the SPARK Literacy Program
Author: Jones, Curtis J.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Randomized Controlled Trials,Literacy,Reading Programs,Program Evaluation,Program Effectiveness,Public Schools,Elementary School Students,Kindergarten,Grade 1,Grade 2,Tutoring,Family Involvement,Parents,Reading Achievement,Attendance,Statistical Analysis,Intervention

The purpose of this report is to present the results of a two-year randomized control trial evaluation of the SPARK literacy program. SPARK is an early grade literacy program developed by Boys &amp; Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee. In 2010, SPARK was awarded an Investing in Innovation (i3) Department of Education grant to further develop the program and test its impact in seven Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS). The evaluation used a randomized control trial selection to test the impact of SPARK across three domains: reading achievement, literacy, and school attendance. Informed consent was obtained from 576 parents for their students to participate in the study. A random sample of kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade students in seven MPS schools was selected in October and November of 2013 to participate. 286 students were randomly selected as SPARK participants and 290 students were randomly selected as control students. Stratification was done by school and grade level within school. The specific number of students selected to receive SPARK within each strata was determined both by the number of consented students and the capacity to serve students within each site. Students with a reading-related IEP or who were English Language Learners were not eligible to participate in the evaluation but were eligible to receive tutoring. All other students were eligible to participate. The results suggest that SPARK had statistically significant, positive impacts on reading achievement, literacy, and regular school day attendance. Tables are appended. [SREE documents are structured abstracts of SREE conference symposium, panel, and paper or poster submissions.]
The Correlates of Academic Performance for English Learner Students in a New England District
Author: Parker, Caroline
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Correlation,Academic Achievement,English Language Learners,Language Proficiency,Scores,Student Characteristics,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Urban Areas,School Districts,Regression (Statistics),Achievement Gap,Language Tests,Elementary School Students,Secondary School Students

English learner students are one of the fastest growing subgroups in America's schools, and gaps between English learner students and their native English-speaking peers in academic outcomes remain large in most districts and states. This study examines data for all English learner students in grades K-12 in the study district who took the Language Assessment Systems Links (LAS Links) English language proficiency assessment in spring 2011. Focusing on a large urban district in Connecticut, this study examines three research questions: (1) What were the characteristics of English learner students and of the English learner programs and schools they attended in 2010/11?; (2) Which student characteristics, types of English learner programs, and school characteristics were most closely related to English learner students' English proficiency scores in 2010/11?; and (3) Which student characteristics, including English proficiency levels, and which types of English learner programs were most closely related to English learner students' math and reading performance? A large urban district in Connecticut with a share of just over 10 percent of English learner students in its student population was selected as the site for this study. The study used administrative data from the study district to conduct descriptive statistics and regression analyses to address the research questions. While there are differences in performance on both the LAS Links and Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT)/CAPT assessments by type of English learner program, the differences do not have a clear pattern. A table is appended. [SREE documents are structured abstracts of SREE conference symposium, panel, and paper or poster submissions.]
Mapping U.S. School District Test Score Distributions onto a Common Scale, 2008-2013
Author: Reardon, Sean
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: School Districts,Scores,Elementary School Students,Middle School Students,Public Schools,Accuracy,National Competency Tests,Achievement Tests

U.S. school districts differ dramatically in their socioeconomic and demographic characteristics (Reardon, Yun, &amp; Eitle, 1999; Stroub &amp; Richards, 2013), and districts have considerable influence over instructional and organizational practices that may affect academic achievement (Whitehurst, Chingos, &amp; Gallaher, 2013). This paper evaluates a linking method applied to a unique national district-level dataset that may achieve the goal of national district-level comparability for research purposes. The authors fit a heteroskedastic probit model to categorical test score data from the EDFacts Initiative (U.S. Department of Education, 2015), which includes frequencies of students in coarse &quot;achievement levels&quot; from every school district in the U.S. from 2008 to 2012. Data from 2013 are forthcoming. Using a population of all U.S. public school students in grades 3-8 from 2008 to 2013, the authors demonstrate that reparameterization of conventional model parameters recover, with remarkable accuracy, means and standard deviations of district test scores from fine-grained data. One table and one figure are appended. [SREE documents are structured abstracts of SREE conference symposium, panel, and paper or poster submissions.]
Time to Reclassification: How Long Does It Take English Language Learners in Seven Washington Districts to Develop English Proficiency?
Author: Greenberg Motamedi, Jason
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: School Districts,English Language Learners,Special Education,Classification,Language Proficiency,Instructional Program Divisions,Student Characteristics,Gender Differences,Native Language,Ethnicity,Race,Statistical Analysis

This study provides a basis for understanding how long it typically takes English language learners (ELLs) in seven Washington school districts to achieve reclassification as former ELLs. Researchers looked at ELLs' grade level and English proficiency at school entry, as well as their gender, home language, race/ethnicity, special education status, and country of birth. The study addresses three research questions: (1) What was the average time taken by ELLs to achieve reclassification?; (2) What was the rate of reclassification by 2012/13 among English learner students?; and (3) How do time to reclassification and rate of reclassification vary by grade level and English proficiency at entry into district schools and by student characteristics of gender, home language, race/ethnicity, special education status, and country of birth? Students who left the districts, graduated, or dropped out of school without being reclassified were excluded from this study. The study population included 17,733 current and former ELLs who were members of eight cohorts that attended schools in the seven districts between kindergarten and grade 5. Researchers used descriptive statistics to calculate the mean number of years it takes ELLs who were members of the eight study cohorts to achieve reclassification as former ELLs and the percentage of cohort members who were reclassified by 2012/13. Results show that it took an average of 3.8 years to achieve reclassification as former ELLs for the 82 percent of ELLs who were reclassified by or before the end of the study period. Of these, about 8 percent achieved reclassification after one year, 28 percent were cumulatively reclassified after two years, 49 percent after three years, and 62 percent after four years of being identified as an English learner student. The remaining 18 percent were still enrolled in a district school and were still considered ELLs in 2012/13, the final year of this study. A figure and tables are appended. [SREE documents are structured abstracts of SREE conference symposium, panel, and paper or poster submissions.]
Mediation Effects of Latent Numerical Abilities on the Associations between Domain General Competencies and Fraction Knowledge
Author: Ye, Ai
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Fractions,Number Concepts,Mathematics Skills,Numeracy,Cognitive Processes,Public Schools,Longitudinal Studies,Elementary School Mathematics,Elementary School Students,Grade 3,Grade 4,Grade 5,Grade 6,Common Core State Standards,Predictor Variables,Rating Scales,Intelligence Tests,Verbal Ability,Vocabulary,Children,Statistical Analysis,Structural Equation Models,Multiple Regression Analysis

The purpose of the present study was to reveal the developmental pathway from third grade cognitive competencies to sixth grade conceptual and procedural fraction knowledge through the intervening whole numerical skills at fifth grade. The study used empirical data that come from 536 students in nine schools across two Delaware public school districts. Students were followed longitudinally for four years, beginning in third grade and ending in sixth grade. All students in participating schools were taught with curricula aligned with the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics (Council of Chief State School Officers &amp; National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, 2010). Mediation analysis, following a sequential structural equation modeling (SEM) approach, was used to examine the relationships among third grade general cognitive competencies, fifth grade whole number related skills, and sixth grade fraction knowledge. By using a sequential SEM design, the authors found that domain general competencies is important for developing fraction knowledge only in that they are direct precursors for intervening whole-number related skills, which in turn promote understanding of fractions. More specifically, it is through whole number magnitude understanding, rather than through whole number arithmetic, that cognitive competencies indirectly influenced sixth graders' knowledge in fraction concepts; attentive behavior and verbal ability at early stages are important for developing whole number arithmetic, which, in turn, are relevant for learning fraction procedures. A table and figures are appended. [SREE documents are structured abstracts of SREE conference symposium, panel, and paper or poster submissions.]
Repetita Iuvant? Lessons from Repeated RCTs on the Effectiveness of a Teacher Professional Development Program
Author: Pennisi, Aline
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Randomized Controlled Trials,Program Effectiveness,Faculty Development,Secondary School Teachers,Mathematics Teachers,Foreign Countries,Program Evaluation,Mathematics Achievement,Student Attitudes,Achievement Tests,International Assessment,Secondary School Students,Scores,Cohort Analysis,Grade 6,Grade 7,Grade 8,Geographic Regions,Mathematics Tests,Pretests Posttests,Statistical Analysis,Test Anxiety

This work summarizes the results of two randomized control trails (RCTs) aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of a professional development program for lower secondary school math teachers. The program, called M@t.abel, was financed by the Ministry of Education in Southern Italy with EU funds. It lasts a full school year and it is based on formal and on-line tutoring, providing alternative methods for teaching traditional math contents. The program and its evaluation were both held at scale, a situation far from artificial settings and allowing for the observation of real constraints faced in delivering such a service. This situation, along with the replication of the RCT on two consecutive cohorts of teachers, provides several opportunities and challenges both from the policy and research practice points of view. The main outcome variable is student math achievement, but effects of the program on student attitudes are also explored (e.g., attitudes towards math, the motivation to study, the perception of the curriculum pace and text anxiety, etc.). A big effort in the collection of monitoring data allows the authors to better understand how the program works. Changes in the effectiveness of the program were detected from the first to second RCT. They are interpreted in the light of changes in some features of the program. In this evaluation, researchers managed to engage with policymakers and practitioners in the planning stages of the program and before even starting, the evaluation contributed to program design (streamlining the treatment, focusing on contents and ensuring collaboration among the different institutions). Randomization through delayed treatment resulted acceptable under technical and ethical profiles and response rates were high from both treatment and control groups, and from both teachers and students. The repeated RCTs bearing different results made the task for researchers to communicate results particularly difficult and requested an increase effort in collecting and analyzing implementation data. One table is appended. [SREE documents are structured abstracts of SREE conference symposium, panel, and paper or poster submissions.]
Understanding the Uncertainty of an Effectiveness-Cost Ratio in Educational Resource Allocation: A Bayesian Approach
Author: Pan, Yilin
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Resource Allocation,Cost Effectiveness,Bayesian Statistics,Statistical Analysis,Efficiency,Computation,Models,Demonstration Programs,Dropout Prevention,Sampling,Comparative Analysis,Probability

Given the necessity to bridge the gap between what happened and what is likely to happen, this paper aims to explore how to apply Bayesian inference to cost-effectiveness analysis so as to capture the uncertainty of a ratio-type efficiency measure. The first part of the paper summarizes the characteristics of the evaluation data that are commonly available in educational research, discusses the ratio property and proposes different estimators of interest. The second section synthesizes two perceptions of uncertainty in the literature, and reviews the conventional quantitative methods that address the uncertainty of a ratio under each perception. The third part proposes two Bayesian models that differ in the assumption of site-level variability, and demonstrates the estimation, presentation and interpretation of the results using the comparison of two high school dropout prevention programs: New Chance and JOBSTART. The last section summarizes the strengths and limitations of the Bayesian method, and lists some directions for future exploration. Tables and figures are appended.