ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Documentation for the NCES Common Core of Data National Public Education Financial Survey (NPEFS), School Year 2008-09 (Fiscal Year 2009). Revised File Version 1b. NCES 2011-330rev
Author: Cornman, Stephen Q.
Date: 2012-10-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Public Education,Preschool Education,Elementary Secondary Education,National Programs,Data Collection,Special Education,School Statistics,Information Dissemination,State Departments of Education,Educational Administration,Federal Government,State Government,Public Officials,Public Policy,Educational Research,Educational Researchers,Educational Policy,News Media,Citizen Participation,Educational Finance,National Surveys,School Surveys,Enrollment,Average Daily Attendance

This documentation is for the revised file (Version 1b) of the National Center for Education Statistics' (NCES) Common Core of Data (CCD) National Public Education Financial Survey (NPEFS) for school year 2008-2009, fiscal year 2009 (FY 09). It contains a brief description of the data collection along with information required to understand and access the data file. The Governments Division of the U.S. Census Bureau conducts the NPEFS data collection on behalf of NCES. The Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, section 151(b) (3), 20 U.S.C. 9541, authorizes NCES to collect these data. NPEFS provides state aggregate finance data for revenues and expenditures for public elementary and secondary education. NPEFS data are useful to: (1) chief officers of state education agencies; (2) policymakers in the executive and legislative branches of federal and state governments; (3) education policy and public policy researchers; (4) the press; and (5) citizens interested in information about education finance. State education agencies (SEAs) in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and four U.S. Island Areas (American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) report state aggregate finance data to the NPEFS program. The data file is organized by state or jurisdiction and contains revenue data by funding source, expenditure data by function and object, and average daily attendance (ADA) data. The file also includes total student membership data from the 2008-2009 CCD State Nonfiscal Survey of Public Elementary/Secondary Education 1c file. Appended are: (1) Record Layout and Description of Data Elements; (2) Glossary; (3) State Abbreviations and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) State Codes; (4) Imputations and Edits List; (5) Fiscal Data Plan Questions; (6) Fiscal Data Plan Responses; (7) Value Distribution and Field Frequencies; (8) State Notes; and (9) Survey Form. (Contains 3 tables, 7 exhibits and 11 footnotes.
Equity Analysis of the Governor's Educational Excellence &amp; Property Tax Relief Plan (April 2004). Testimony before the Joint Select Committee on Public School Finance, 78th Texas State Legislature (April 19, 2004)
Author: McCown, Scott
Date: 2004-04-19
Type: Opinion Papers
Subjects: Educational Finance,Educational Equity (Finance),Taxes,Educational Quality,Public Schools,Rewards,Expertise,Public Policy,Economically Disadvantaged,Politics of Education

In this testimony Scott McCown testifies on behalf of the Center for Public Policy Priorities. The center is interested in public school finance because education is the pathway to prosperity for low-income Texans. McCown's personal expertise in school finance comes from having presided as a state district judge over the state's school finance cases from 1990-2002. The Governor's plan rests on four principles, and McCown was asked to comment on the third: &quot;Eliminating Robin Hood while increasing funding equity in our public schools.&quot; McCown elaborates on his four major points: (1) In a good school finance system, the question is not what percentage of children has access to the same resources in any given year, but whether the system is designed to at least maintain and better yet to increase the percentage over time; (2) Under the Governor's plan, 98% of the children are not really in the equalized system; (3) The Governor's incentive funding favors the wealthy districts over poor districts in two ways: (1) because the incentives are on top of an unequal funding system, the wealthy would have more resources with which to perform, making it more likely that they would win rewards while the poor would not; and (2) the proposed incentives reward districts for student performance, rather than teacher performance, which favors wealthy districts because generally speaking their students walk in the front door better prepared to learn; and (4) The Governor's plan is ultimately a reverse Robin Hood under which the vast majority of ordinary Texans would pay higher state taxes of one sort or another so that a group of wealthy Texans can have better schools and lower local taxes than the rest. (Contains 1 graph.)
CSHB 454, Relating to the Provision of Free Lunch and Breakfast to All Enrolled Students in Certain School Districts and Campuses. Testimony before the House Education Committee, 80th Texas State Legislature (April 17, 2007)
Author: Hagert, Celia
Date: 2007-04-17
Type: Legal/Legislative/Regulatory Materials
Subjects: School Districts,Breakfast Programs,Nutrition,Costs,Public Policy,Lunch Programs,Child Health,Low Income Groups,Federal Aid,Federal Programs,Well Being,Academic Achievement,At Risk Students,Obesity,Program Effectiveness

In this testimony Celia Hagert, senior policy analyst for the Center for Public Policy Priorities, testifies in support of CSHB 454, which relates to the provision of free lunch and breakfast to all enrolled students in certain school districts and campuses. Houston Independent School District (HISD) started serving free breakfast to all students in the Spring of 2006. The district reports that the implementation of its new program of breakfast at no charge to all students, and an expanded classroom breakfast program during the 2006-2007 school years, will result in increased participation. Students at 20 HISD schools participate in the &quot;First Class Breakfast&quot; program, which was designed specifically for HISD schools to improve student achievement. This program went into effect in September 2006 and gives students the option of having their morning meal brought to them at their desks every day rather than requiring them to go to the cafeteria to retrieve it. The program is designed to offer students a convenient option for obtaining a nutritious breakfast to start their day. School districts in Washington state and Tampa, Florida have eliminated the reduced price category in their school breakfast programs. This means they now serve free meals to all students with income below 185% of poverty. These districts report increased participation, lower labor costs, and a reduction in the costs associated with recouping the unpaid balances of students in the reduced-price category. In Tampa, the percentage of reduced students participating increased an average of 30% and federal revenue increased by approximately $700,000. For each day a low-income child was not being served breakfast in 2005-2006, school districts lost $1.27 in federal funding for every child who would have received a free breakfast, and $0.97 for every child who would have received a reduced-price breakfast. Those meals add up to hundreds of millions of dollars in federal child nutrition funding going unclaimed by Texas districts every year.
Moving Forward: Common Sense Policies to Promote Prosperity for Working Texans
Author: Baylor, Don, Jr.
Date: 2006-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Middle Class,Economic Development,Education Work Relationship,Low Income Groups,Public Policy,State Government,Economic Factors,Well Being,Employment Level,Productivity,Labor Force,Corporations,Incentives,Job Skills,Tax Credits,Minimum Wage,Wages,Money Management,Adult Education,Job Training,Early Childhood Education,Higher Education

This report proposes several distinct--yet interrelated--policy opportunities that can move more Texans into the middle class. These proposals blend greater state-level investments with common sense policy changes to increase economic well-being for working Texans. While Texas policy makers have recognized the connection between workforce productivity and economic development, state economic development strategies depend too heavily on corporate incentives. State workforce investments have lagged behind. As incentives become more expensive, they will deliver lower and lower returns on investment. A sustainable growth agenda is necessary to truly improve economic well-being, enhance marketable skills, and create wealth-building opportunities for working Texans. This report analyzes the barriers facing low-income Texans and provides recommendations to promote prosperity and move the economy forward.
Analysis of Sixty-Five Percent Rule in School Spending. The Policy Page. No. 254
Author: Center for Public Policy Priorities (CPPP)
Date: 2005-09-27
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Educational Finance,Public Policy,Federal Government,Instruction,Financial Support,Expenditures,State Legislation,Political Power,Power Structure,Academic Achievement,Student Evaluation

On August 22, 2005, the Governor issued an executive order requiring that &quot;65 percent of school district funds be expended for instructional purposes as defined by the National Center for Education Statistics.&quot; A similar mandate had appeared in versions of HB 2, the school finance bills debated during the special sessions. This paper addresses whether a 65% rule is good public policy. It argues that requiring school districts to spend at least 65% of their operating budget on &quot;instruction&quot; as defined by the federal government would not enhance student achievement, would have unintended negative consequences, and would move Texas back to measuring process rather than performance.
Report Card on the Education of Foster Children. Policy Page. No. 08-319
Author: Center for Public Policy Priorities (CPPP)
Date: 2008-02-11
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Report Cards,Outcomes of Education,Foster Care,Graduation Rate,Public Education,At Risk Students,Scores,Academic Achievement,Postsecondary Education,Access to Education,Family Programs,Well Being,Data Collection,Agency Cooperation,Confidentiality,Homeless People,Federal Legislation,Financial Support,School Districts

The public educates children because of our common interest in ensuring that children become responsible and productive adults and to provide an opportunity to every child to achieve their potential. Unfortunately, several national studies show that we aren't doing a good job educating foster children. Foster children have lower test scores, lower graduation rates, and less post-secondary education. This policy page examines the problem and makes recommendations. (Contains 42 endnotes.)
HB 2578--Relating to the School Meals Program. Testimony, 79th Texas State Legislature (April 26, 2005)
Author: Hagert, Celia
Date: 2005-04-26
Type: Legal/Legislative/Regulatory Materials
Subjects: Academic Achievement,Program Effectiveness,Eligibility,Lunch Programs,School Districts,Breakfast Programs,Nutrition,Public Policy,Federal Legislation,Dietetics,Low Income Groups,At Risk Students,Delivery Systems,Educational Finance,Certification,State Legislation

The Center for Public Policy Priorities supports HB 2574. Why encourage school districts to offer free meals to all students? The link between adequate nutrition and improved academic performance creates a clear incentive for Texas to increase participation in the school breakfast and lunch programs, particularly among low-income children. Provision 2 is an option in the federal School Breakfast Program and National School Lunch Program for schools to reduce the paperwork and simplify the logistics of operating school meals programs. Schools with high percentages of students eligible for free or reduced price school meals are the most likely to succeed with Provision 2. In general, school districts that are implementing Provision 2 have determined that they can operate Provision 2 without losing money in schools with as few as 60 to 75 percent of students eligible for free or reduced price school meals. However, any school that participates in the National School Lunch Program or the School Breakfast Program may opt for Provision 2. Even schools with predominantly higher-income students may decide to opt for Provision 2 in order to improve the diets and academic performance of their students. Combined, these two provisions can help increase the number of eligible children receiving free meals, while decreasing the number of kids who are not eligible.
The Texas We Create: State of Texas Children 2012--Texas KIDS COUNT Annual Data Book
Author: Deviney, Frances
Date: 2012-04-05
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Well Being,Child Welfare,Population Trends,Counties,Poverty,Unemployment,Employment Level,Social Services,Welfare Services,Trend Analysis,Nutrition,Child Health,Prenatal Care,Early Parenthood,Adolescents,Public Schools,Enrollment Trends,Preschool Education,Child Abuse,Victims of Crime,Foster Care

The 2012 data book explores how our kids have fared during the last decade--some outcomes are positive, some negative. But positive or negative outcomes for kids don't just happen. They are the inevitable results of effective or failed policy choices. The State of Texas Children 2012 combines data and policy to tell the story of Texas kids. It's time we learn from our past choices, positive and negative, so that we can shape a different story for our future. (Contains 78 endnotes.) [Additional funding for this paper was provided by Methodist Healthcare Ministries.]
Pathways to Faculty Learning and Pedagogical Improvement. Inside Out. Volume 1, Issue 3
Author: Bickerstaff, Susan
Date: 2012-12-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Educational Innovation,Educational Change,Community Colleges,Faculty Development,Instructional Improvement,Teacher Improvement,Developmental Studies Programs

This issue of &quot;Inside Out,&quot; a publication of Community College Research Center's (CCRC's) Scaling Innovation project, explores how developmental education reforms can create opportunities for faculty to engage in professional learning related to instruction. The authors present a case study at Fullerton College, where the process of redesigning a developmental English course influenced instructors' everyday work of classroom teaching. Based on their observations across the Scaling Innovation partner sites, the authors outline a three-part framework for designing effective professional learning opportunities. (Contains 2 endnotes.)
New Evidence of Success for Community College Remedial English Students: Tracking the Outcomes of Students in the Accelerated Learning Program (ALP). CCRC Working Paper No. 53
Author: Cho, Sung-Woo
Date: 2012-12-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Academic Achievement,Acceleration (Education),Basic Writing,Writing Instruction,Developmental Studies Programs,Longitudinal Studies,Two Year College Students,Community Colleges,Outcomes of Education,Academic Persistence,College Readiness,Multivariate Analysis,Regression (Statistics),Racial Differences,Income,Cohort Analysis

This paper presents the findings from a follow-up quantitative analysis of the Community College of Baltimore County's Accelerated Learning Program (ALP). The results suggest that among students who enroll in the highest level developmental writing course, participation in ALP is associated with substantially better outcomes in terms of English 101 completion and English 102 completion (college-level English courses), which corroborates the results of a similar analysis completed in 2010. Moreover, using a larger number of cohorts and tracking students over a longer period of time, we also found that ALP students were more likely than non-ALP students to persist to the next year. In addition to specific subgroup analyses, we compared college-ready students enrolled in ALP sections of English 101 with their counterparts in wholly college-ready sections, and found that those in ALP sections had equivalent performance within English 101 itself, but slightly lower subsequent college-level course enrollment and completion. (Contains 2 figures, 8 tables, and 7 footnotes.)
Progress in the First Five Years: An Evaluation of Achieving the Dream Colleges in Washington State
Author: Jenkins, Davis
Date: 2012-12-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Evidence,Outcomes of Education,Technical Institutes,Community Colleges,Educational Change,College Outcomes Assessment,Program Implementation,Change Strategies,Organizational Change,Educational Improvement,Improvement Programs,Trend Analysis,Organizational Culture,Success,Evaluation Utilization,Information Utilization,Research Utilization,State Colleges,Educational Innovation,Program Descriptions,Program Effectiveness,Program Evaluation

In 2006, six community and technical colleges in Washington State joined the innovative national reform initiative called Achieving the Dream (ATD). This report describes the progress each college made in implementing ATD's &quot;culture of evidence&quot; principles for institutional improvement, examines strategies implemented by the colleges to improve student success, and charts trends in student outcomes in the period before and after the colleges began their participation. All but one of the colleges made at least some progress in building a culture of evidence. Four of the colleges made significant systemic changes to programs, services, and instructional practices. Yet, most of their work was focused on helping students upon their entry to college. We argue that the Washington ATD colleges and others pursuing similar goals should also examine how they can help students better enter and complete a program of study if they hope to improve student completion and success. Appended are: (1) Framework for Measuring College Progress in Implementing the ATD Culture of Evidence Model; (2) Survey Results on Data Use by Faculty and Administrators at the Washington ATD Colleges; (3) Additional Student Outcome Trends at the Washington ATD Colleges; and (4) Average Student Outcome Changes at Individual Washington ATD Colleges. (Contains 25 figures, 22 tables, 2 boxes, and 15 footnotes.) [This report was written with Oscar Cerna, Dan Cullinan, and Phoebe Richman.]
Washington State Student Achievement Initiative Policy Study: Final Report
Author: Jenkins, Davis
Date: 2012-12-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Academic Achievement,Accountability,Incentives,Technical Institutes,Community Colleges,Rewards,Two Year College Students,Student Improvement,Financial Support,Educational Finance,Evidence,Cooperation,Cohort Analysis,Correlation,Longitudinal Studies,Achievement Gains,College Readiness,College Credits,School Policy,Institutional Characteristics,Student Characteristics

In 2007, the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges launched a performance funding policy called the Student Achievement Initiative (SAI) both to improve public accountability by more accurately describing what students achieve from enrolling in community colleges and to provide incentives to colleges through financial rewards for increasing student success. Based on a three-year evaluation that included both a quantitative analysis of &quot;achievement point&quot; accumulation by colleges and qualitative fieldwork, this report assesses how and to what extent the SAI model of performance funding has encouraged two-year public colleges in the state to take steps to improve student achievement. We find that the SAI's intermediate milestone framework is viewed as helpful in focusing collective efforts on student progression and in publicly accounting for college performance. The funding mechanism has proved problematic and unpopular, as SAI funding has come from reallocated base funds rather than as additional funds as originally intended. (Contains 4 figures, 1 table, 9 boxes, and 5 footnotes.)
Not Just Math and English: Courses That Pose Obstacles to Community College Completion. CCRC Working Paper No. 52
Author: Zeidenberg, Matthew
Date: 2012-11-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Grade Point Average,Introductory Courses,Community Colleges,Barriers,College Programs,Graduation Rate,Student Experience,Difficulty Level,Predictive Measurement,Predictive Validity,Predictor Variables,School Holding Power,Comparative Analysis,Mathematics Achievement,Reading Achievement,Achievement Gap,Dropout Characteristics,Academic Persistence

Discussions of the barriers to completion in community colleges have largely focused on student success in introductory college-level math and English courses, and rightfully so, since these courses are typically required for degrees. However, there is a much broader range of courses that also serve as "gatekeepers" in the sense that they are obstacles to completion. This paper offers methods for identifying these courses and for assessing the relative extent of the obstacle to completion each of them poses. The authors compare the performance in these courses of students who successfully completed a credential with those who did not. The authors find that the difficulty students experience in succeeding in many other introductory courses is just as great as that posed by college math and English, and that they pose just as large obstacles to completion. The authors also find that overall GPA in college courses is a stronger predictor of completion than performance in any single course. The paper concludes with recommendations for practitioners. (Contains 10 tables, 1 figure and 5 footnotes.)
Contextualized College Transition Strategies for Adult Basic Skills Students: Learning from Washington State's I-BEST Program Model
Author: Wachen, John
Date: 2012-12-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Statistical Analysis,Technical Institutes,Community Colleges,Student Experience,Program Evaluation,Transitional Programs,Adult Basic Education,Program Effectiveness,Questionnaires,Holistic Approach,Sustainability,Costs,Cost Effectiveness,Teaching Methods

Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) integrates the teaching of basic skills and technical content in order to accelerate basic skills students' transition into and through a college-level occupational field of study. The study reported on here represents the final phase of a multi-year evaluation of the I-BEST model that began in 2009, conducted by CCRC in collaboration with MPR Associates and the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. Based on fieldwork undertaken in spring 2011 on 16 I-BEST programs at eight colleges, this report builds on CCRC's earlier qualitative and quantitative research by seeking to understand those aspects of I-BEST that best support student learning, progression, and completion. In addition, the report considers the I-BEST student experience and presents the results of a cost-benefit analysis of the program. The findings and recommendations highlighted in the report will be of interest to funders, policymakers, and practitioners in other states who are considering transition interventions similar to the I-BEST model. Questionnaire for I-BEST Program Evaluation Resources Analysis is appended. (Contains 2 figures, 5 tables, and 15 footnotes.) [This paper was written with Amanda Richards and Kristen Kulongoski.]