ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Language Preparation and the First Year Experience: What Administrators and Policy Makers Should Know
Author: Ren, Jia
Date: 2007-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Foreign Students,Graduate Students,Graduate Study,English (Second Language),Language Proficiency,Study,Context Effect,Academic Achievement,Student College Relationship,Language Tests,Standardized Tests,Test Results,Predictor Variables,Student Needs,Social Support Groups,Academic Support Services

Studying in a second language is probably one of the greatest challenges for international students. In this study, the relationship between language preparation and the first year graduate study among East Asian international graduate students in the United States was investigated in order to provide implications and suggestions for university administrators and policymakers. Language preparation before arriving in the United States and their first year experiences were explored in order to understand the challenges that East Asian international students face. The findings from 12 interviews reveal the first year academic experience of East Asian international graduate students and the needs of this population regarding university language support. In addition, the findings allow policymakers and higher education administrators to better understand the difficulties this population faces as well as the importance of support services and mentoring programs in ensuring their  academic success in the United States.
The Negative Commandments: Ten Ways Urban Community Colleges Hinder Student Success
Author: Hagedorn, Linda Serra
Date: 2007-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Community Colleges,Institutional Mission,Qualitative Research,Urban Education,Focus Groups,Institutional Administration,Organizational Effectiveness,Interviews,Counseling Effectiveness,Academic Support Services,Guidance Programs,Student Personnel Services,Transfer Students,School Holding Power,Vocational Education,Efficiency,Access to Information,Student College Relationship,Educational Facilities,Educational Technology,Access to Computers,Courses,Scheduling,Access to Education,Part Time Faculty,School Space,Job Placement,Internship Programs

One of the goals of the Transfer and Retention of Urban Community College Students (TRUCCS) project was to understand how the community college fulfills its multiple missions. This article uses qualitative data collected through a series of focus groups with students, faculty and administrators held at the nine Los Angeles campuses during the Fall semester of 2001. In a sister paper, published in the &quot;Community College Journal,&quot; the authors described 10 &quot;positive commandments&quot; or factors that promote student success (Hagedorn, Perrakis, &amp; Maxwell, 2006). In this article, the authors took the opposite approach, highlighting 10 negative operating principles found to be consistent among the focus group interviews they conducted. Thus this article takes the approach of what &quot;not&quot; to do. Taken together, these lists of positive and negative &quot;commandments&quot; formed the basis of ongoing research designed to illustrate the duality of institutional management. (Contains 1 footnote.)
Can France Give Education Action Zones New Life?
Author: Storey, Valerie A.
Date: 2007-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Change,Foreign Countries,Educational Opportunities,Improvement Programs,Disadvantaged,Equal Education,Politics of Education,Educational Policy,Change Strategies,Social Justice,Academic Achievement,Partnerships in Education,Educational Innovation,Reverse Discrimination,Urban Education

Schools are essentially expected to provide all students with the same educational opportunity despite where they live, or their ability levels. Education Action Zones (EAZs) and Zones d'Education Prioritaire (ZEPs) have been implemented to help eradicate the issue of student equity, promising innovation and a solution to inequalities evidenced in society and the school system. This policy looks to reduce inequalities and improve educational achievement in areas of disadvantage by nurturing partnerships, not only with parents, but also with the community, broader society, and other educators. The French government is rejuvenating ZEPs as a solution to recent urban unrest in Paris, packaging old wine in new skin. Yet to be determined is whether the zone concept will help to deliver improvements in recent social issues in France. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)
Observing the Learner-Centered Class
Author: Harris, Michael
Date: 2008-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Undergraduate Study,Faculty Evaluation,College Faculty,Classroom Observation Techniques,Student Centered Curriculum,Instructional Leadership,Change Strategies,Educational Change,Evaluation Methods,Teaching Models,Teaching Methods,Instructional Innovation

Colleges and universities across the country are struggling with the issue of accountability, especially with regard to student learning. One attempt to revitalize undergraduate education and to respond to the calls for change is defined by a shift in the dominant pedagogy to a learner-centered focus. If academic administrators are to promote and facilitate learner-centered education, they must understand the current research on how students learn and the resulting changes that knowledge brings to the classroom. One of the many issues related to this paradigm shift for academic administrators is the question of faculty evaluation. How will the evaluation of teaching faculty evolve in this new paradigm? Of the many facets of faculty evaluation that are part of the administrator's responsibility, classroom observation provides numerous challenges in the new paradigm. In this article, the authors consider how academic administrators might approach classroom observation in the new paradigm.
To Test (Or Not) in Arena Settings
Author: Kiger, Derick M.
Date: 2008-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Grade Point Average,Group Testing,Educational Environment,Statistical Significance,Experimental Groups,Control Groups,Grade 10,Classroom Environment,Intermode Differences,Mathematics Achievement,Reading Achievement,Scores,Effect Size,Comparative Testing,Standardized Tests

Public schools face raised performance expectations on group-administered achievement tests. In response, educators have implemented various preparation strategies to ready students. However, the research community largely ignores the impact of setting on test performance. This randomized field trial assesses whether or not there were significant performance differences between two group test-taking conditions (classroom vs. arena) on the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exams. Participants included tenth-grade students from a medium-sized Wisconsin high school. Results showed no overall achievement advantage for classroom test takers. However, students in the top GPA quartile performed better in the classroom setting while students in the bottom GPA quartile performed better in the arena setting. Implications for school officials are presented. (Contains 3 tables and 3 figures.)
Enthusiastic Educational Leadership
Author: Russell, Jill Frymier
Date: 2008-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Instructional Leadership,Principals,Leadership Styles,Personality Traits,Work Ethic,Quality of Working Life,Administrator Behavior,Cooperation,Leadership Effectiveness,Emotional Intelligence,Administrator Attitudes,Qualitative Research

A qualitative research study was conducted to explore the factors relating to enthusiastic and engaged educational leadership. The methodology included interviews of successful leaders in education at the elementary, secondary, and post-secondary levels, as well as a review of related research literature. The information gathered leads to the conclusion that enthusiasm and engagement with work is related to a collaborative leadership style, a strong work ethic, and alignment of personal and organizational missions. That is, educational leaders who (1) seek to achieve progress through collaboration; (2) exhibit a strong work ethic; and (3) clarify for themselves and others how the organizational mission aligns with personal mission are more likely, themselves, to be engaged and enthusiastic, while also promoting the same characteristics among those with whom they work. (Contains 1 figure.)
Challenges of the Public School Superintendency: Differences by Tenure and District Location
Author: Trevino, Daniel, Jr.
Date: 2008-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Discipline,Tenure,Superintendents,Geographic Location,Barriers,Governance,High Stakes Tests,Socioeconomic Status,School Demography,Educational Finance,Work Ethic,Experienced Teachers,Instructional Effectiveness,Administrator Attitudes,Mail Surveys

In this study, the researchers examined current challenges faced by 46 public school superintendents in South Texas. Challenges faced by these superintendents which were investigated in this study were: political obstacles/governance; high stakes testing; curriculum and instruction; funding; student socioeconomic status; student demographics; personnel ethics; a lack of highly-qualified teachers and paraprofessionals; a lack of educational diversity; and, student discipline. Through a survey completed by 46 public school superintendents in South Texas, statistically significant relationships were found between superintendent tenure and concerns about these challenges. Statistically significant differences were present in superintendents' views about these challenges as a function of school district location. Implications of these findings are discussed. (Contains 4 tables.)
Assessment Is for Learning: Formative Assessment and Positive Learning Interactions
Author: Clark, Ian
Date: 2008-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Feedback (Response),Formative Evaluation,Cooperative Learning,Educational Policy,Teaching Methods,Educational Strategies,Learning Processes,Classroom Techniques,Learner Engagement,Student Participation,Aptitude Treatment Interaction,Educational Practices,Barriers,Constructivism (Learning),Intervention

Wherever the challenge of promoting effective learning exists in our classrooms there also exists the opportunity for better formative assessment. The time has passed when educational policy makers should support practitioners and embrace the preponderance of relatively recent research which recommends formative assessment interventions in the classroom. One such programme has been gathering increasing momentum in recent years and has become known as Assessment for Learning (AfL). AfL uses formative assessment methods to inform, support and enhance the learning process. The focus of this system is placed on: the quality of learning, the provision of advice and feedback for improvement and a strong emphasis on cooperative learning groups. AfL is founded upon five fundamental principles, all of which revolve around the hub of positive interactions in the classroom: students must a) be able to understand clearly what they are trying to learn, and what is expected of them; b) be given feedback about the quality of their work; c) be given advice about how to go about making improvements; d) be fully involved in deciding what needs to be done next, and e) be aware of who can give them that help.
Supporting New Scholars: A Learner-Centered Approach to New Faculty Orientation
Author: Cullen, Roxanne
Date: 2008-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teacher Orientation,Beginning Teacher Induction,College Faculty,Work Environment,Job Satisfaction,Improvement Programs,Teacher Collaboration,Trust (Psychology),Collegiality,Communities of Practice,Interviews,Participant Satisfaction,Program Effectiveness,Change Strategies,Tenure

A new generation of faculty is entering the academic workforce and they are increasingly dissatisfied with current working environments. Institutions must begin to address the changing nature of this new generation. This article reports on a New Faculty Orientation program based on elements of the learner-centered pedagogy. The goal was to achieve an atmosphere of trust and safety in a community of scholars, to encourage collaboration and experimentation. (Contains 1 table.)
Support and Resources for Site-Based Decision-Making Councils: Perceptions of Former Council Members of Two Large Kentucky School Districts
Author: Schlinker, William R.
Date: 2008-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: School Districts,School Councils,School Based Management,Administrator Attitudes,Operations Research,Questionnaires,Mail Surveys,Leadership Effectiveness,Participative Decision Making,Likert Scales,School Support,Administrator Behavior,Educational Needs,Educational Resources,Boards of Education

Legislation has directed schools to convene school councils that typically address issues related to curriculum, instruction, budget, and governance as one means to improve schooling. However, the expectation for improved schools through this involvement remains a challenge. The study examined issues connected to council operation in two large Kentucky school districts. Seventy-six former council members responded to twenty-nine items on a mail-out questionnaire. The areas investigated included training, support, and member effectiveness from the perspective of community members and teacher members. The findings include suggestions to improve council effectiveness and new emphasis for principal and member training. (Contains 2 tables.)
Site-Based Decision-Making: Views from Secondary School Personnel
Author: Noel, Cindi
Date: 2008-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Committees,School Based Management,Secondary School Teachers,Principals,Decision Making,Administrator Attitudes,Teacher Attitudes,Institutional Characteristics,Governing Boards,Educational Practices,Participative Decision Making,Influences,Organizational Culture,Interviews,Governance

With the implementation of site-based decision-making occurring in schools, an understanding of the views of secondary school principals and of secondary school teachers would provide valuable information. In the study, six principals and six teachers, from either high performing or low performing schools, were purposefully selected for their views of site-based decision-making at their respective campuses. For the first research question in which campus characteristics associated with site-based decision-making committees were sought, respondents provided three themes: collaboration; voice/communication; and application/procedures. Regarding ways in which decision-making committees were influencing the decision-making process on the campus level, the themes of site-based decision-making team member composition, empowerment, and negative power were present. Concerning how campus culture was influenced by site-based decision-making, participants responded in terms of the themes of acceptance and of dissatisfaction. Findings and implications are discussed.
Deregulation of University Education in Nigeria: Problems and Prospects
Author: Adeogun, A. A.
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Higher Education,Privatization,Social Change,Foreign Countries,Social Mobility,Labor Force Development,Educational Policy,Private Colleges,Costs,Social Class,Social Differences,Poverty,Academic Standards

This paper focuses on the deregulation of university education in Nigeria, its problems and prospects. The paper commences with the recognition given to education all over the world, especially higher education. Nigeria as a country gives much credence to higher education as the means for social and economic mobility, social transformation, and as a major platform for higher level workforce development--managerial and technological. To achieve these laudable objectives, therefore, government has given approval to private individuals and organizations to own and manage private higher institutions of learning. This paper examines some of the problems that accompany privatization policy of higher education such as high costs, the widening of gap between the upper class and indigent students, and the circumvention of standards in the name of profits, among others. The prospect for this noble idea was also examined.
Investment in Graduate and Professional Degree Education: Evidence of State Workforce Productivity Growth
Author: Fatima, Nasrin
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Human Capital,Masters Degrees,Doctoral Degrees,Professional Education,Outcomes of Education,Labor Force,Productivity,Economic Development,Economic Impact,Models

The purpose of this study was to estimate the effects of investment in graduate and professional education on the subsequent growth in state workforce productivity. The independent variables of this study were investment in master's degree education, investment in doctoral degree education, investment in professional degree education, initial productivity, and economic activity of different industrial sectors. The dependent variable was the subsequent growth in state workforce productivity for the period of 1990-2000. Aggregate data from several federal sources were used. Using the above mentioned variables, a growth model was developed to estimate the effects of independent variables on the dependent variables. Findings indicated that cumulative investments in master's degree education, doctoral degree education, and professional degree education significantly affect the subsequent growth of state workforce productivity. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)
Connecting Student Realities and Ideal Models: Changing the University of South Florida's Educational Leadership Program
Author: Greenlee, Bobbie
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Part Time Students,Student Needs,Leadership Training,Educational Change,Instructional Leadership,Student Characteristics,Change Strategies,National Surveys,Administrator Education,Principals,Barriers,Cooperative Learning,Graduate Students,Field Experience Programs,Administrator Characteristics,School Districts,Scheduling,Course Content

Educational leadership program evolution naturally creates tensions among institutional, national, regional, departmental, practitioner, and student cultures. Learning that has occurred during University of South Florida's educational leadership program's change process will be shared as well as national survey documentation examining student characteristics. The realities of the lives of our full time educators/part time students caused our program to reconfigure to accommodate student needs while moving toward more ideal models of principal preparation. (Contains 1 table.)
At-Risk Students at Traditional and Academic Alternative School Settings: Differences in Math and English Performance Indicators
Author: Beken, Jo Ann
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: High School Students,High Schools,Nontraditional Education,Language Arts,Academic Achievement,At Risk Students,Standardized Tests,State Standards,Mathematics Tests,Mathematics Achievement,Reading Achievement,Accountability,Scores,Conventional Instruction

In this study, the researchers examined the extent to which at-risk students enrolled in traditional high schools differed in their state-mandated assessments in math and in English/Language Arts as compared to at-risk students enrolled in academic alternative education campuses (AECs). All data in this study were based on the accountability results reported by the Texas Education Agency for the 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 academic school years. Statistically significant differences were present between these two groups of students' math and English/Language Arts scores for the 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 school years. Students in traditional high schools with large at-risk populations had higher math and English/Language Arts scores than students served in AECs for both academic years examined. Implications of these findings are discussed. (Contains 3 tables.)
Reflections on the Uses of the Academic Journal in Socialization of the New Scholar
Author: Syed, Syraj
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Higher Education,Discourse Communities,Communities of Practice,Professional Development,Socialization,Interprofessional Relationship,Scholarship,Periodicals,Writing for Publication,Faculty Publishing

The benefits of developing learning communities or communities of practice to optimize the learning experiences of education professionals has been well documented in the recent research literature. Less consideration has been made for the development of academic scholars. This essay considers an existing paradigm within the academy, the academic journal, as a vehicle for the orientation and socialization of new scholars into the social norms and mores of academic research and scholarship. The authors worked with doctoral fellows from their orientation to the scope of work involved with content development through issue publication in order to consider their growing awareness of academic culture.
Assessment versus Achievement: Winner Takes All!
Author: Simon, Marsha
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Improvement,Second Language Learning,High Stakes Tests,Educational Quality,At Risk Students,African American Students,Hispanic American Students,English (Second Language),Disabilities,Student Evaluation,Test Wiseness,Educational Policy,Equal Education,Educational Change,Academic Standards,Standardized Tests

Florida schools consistently fail to make Adequate Yearly Progress [AYP] (FDOE, 2005d). Title I schools which serve poor and predominately students of color comprise the majority of schools designated as needing improvement in Florida. Black and Hispanic students, students with disabilities, and English language learners overwhelmingly perform below grade level on Florida's high stakes assessment, the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). Many oppose high stakes tests because of assumptions that these tests promote narrowing the curriculum (Barksdale-Ladd &amp; Thomas, 2000). Test preparation and ancillary activities often result in reduced time for academic learning at high levels. The author proposes alternatives to current school and state level policies in order to ensure that all students have the opportunity to learn the state curriculum. Furthermore, the author places the burden of change that will meet the needs of Florida's neediest children squarely on the shoulders of school leaders, including both teachers and administrators. (Contains 2 notes.)
Teachers and Students' Academic Performance in Nigerian Secondary Schools: Implications for Planning
Author: Akinsolu, A. Olatoun
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Secondary Schools,Teacher Effectiveness,Academic Achievement,Correlation,Foreign Countries,Teacher Qualifications,Teaching Experience,Teacher Student Ratio,Schematic Studies,Questionnaires,Interviews,Teacher Surveys,Exit Examinations,Alignment (Education)

This paper examined the number of qualified teachers and its relationship to students' academic performance in public secondary schools in a sample of Local Government Areas (LGA) of Osun State. This descriptive study used a post-hoc dataset. An instrument titled &quot;Quantity and Quality of Teachers and Students' Academic Performance&quot; (QQTSAP) was used for the study. Twenty-one (21) public secondary schools, one in each LGA from a population of thirty-one (31) LGA in the State, were sampled. The Senior School Certificate Examination results from 2000/01 to 2004/05 were used to analyze students' academic performance and reflected some concerns in the school system. The data were analyzed using ANOVA and Spearman rank correlation coefficient to test the three operational hypotheses. Findings of this study showed teachers' qualifications, experience and teacher-student ratio were significantly related to students' academic performance. These findings can be used to guide planners about the need for qualified teachers to facilitate effective teaching and learning in secondary schools in Nigeria. (Contains 8 tables.)