ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
The Groove of Growth: How Early Gains in Math Ability Influence Adolescent Achievement
Author: Watts, Tyler W.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Mathematics Skills,Academic Ability,Correlation,Elementary School Students,Mathematics Achievement,Knowledge Level,Elementary School Mathematics,Secondary School Mathematics,Preschool Education,Kindergarten,Grade 1,Grade 3,Predictor Variables,Adolescents,Educational Quality,Longitudinal Studies,Child Behavior,Check Lists,Verbal Ability,Intelligence Tests,Vocabulary,Personality,Questionnaires,Family Environment,Observation

A number of studies, both small scale and of nationally-representative student samples, have reported substantial associations between school entry math ability and later elementary school achievement. However, questions remain regarding the persistence of the association between early growth in math ability and later math achievement due to the increasing complexity of math knowledge required to be successful in middle and high school. The current study relates both preschool level math skills and growth in math skills over kindergarten and 1st grade to math achievement measured into adolescence. Although it was expected that the association between early math growth and later achievement would decline over time, the study found that early math growth across kindergarten and 1st grade predicts age 15 math achievement as strongly as it predicts 3rd grade achievement. The study results imply the need for high quality math instruction and interventions during the period in which students first begin their primary schooling, as growth during in math ability during early elementary school appears to pay large dividends for achievement into adolescence. Tables and figures are appended.
The Platinum Bullet: An Experimental Evaluation of CUNY's Accelerated Study in Associate Program (ASAP)--New Three-Year Impacts, Cost Analyses, and Implementation Findings
Author: Weiss, Michael
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Acceleration (Education),Associate Degrees,Program Effectiveness,Cost Effectiveness,Program Implementation,Community Colleges,Outcomes of Education,Comparative Analysis,Urban Universities,Two Year College Students,Fidelity,Low Income Students,College Programs

The City University of New York's (CUNY's) Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) combines many of the ideas from a range of programs into a comprehensive model that requires students to attend school full-time, and provides supports and incentives for three years. ASAP's financial aid reforms, enhanced student services, and scheduling reforms are designed to increase the proportion of students who graduate with an associate's degree. Broadly speaking, the primary objective of the study is to determine: What is the effect of the ASAP program on students' academic outcomes? This question examines whether ASAP is effective compared with the business-as-usual services offered at the participating colleges. This is the question at the heart of the evaluation. The three-year ASAP program bundles together a group of strategies--financial aid reforms, enhanced student services, and schedule reforms--many of which have a research base on their effectiveness therefore the study's results reported ASAP is one of the most ambitious efforts in the country to improve the success rates of low-income postsecondary students. Services at community colleges are often lacking--particularly when contrasted with services at four-year institutions--and initiatives such as ASAP may be what is needed to help the field see beyond the status quo and achieve the results desired by policymakers. Tables and figures are appended.
The Power of Partnerships: Lessons Learned from Research Alliances in the Northwest
Author: Akey, Terri
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Researchers,Partnerships in Education,Educational Research,Educational Policy,Policy Formation,College Readiness,Career Readiness,Stakeholders,Educational Cooperation,Needs Assessment

The purpose of this panel is to discuss how researchers and policymakers work together in two Regional Education Laboratory (REL) research alliances to develop research agendas aimed at changing policy and practice and to provide practical lessons for researchers about the challenges and solutions to working in a research alliance context. The main content of the panel discussion will focus on three key issues that have emerged in their research alliance work--stakeholder engagement, capacity for research, and evidence use. The panel will describe how each key issue manifested in both featured alliances, explore variation in the approach to each issue, and discuss lessons that can be drawn from each alliance's experience to improve research alliance work. At the close of the panel, the moderator will provide a short response to the panelists' presentation and will engage the audience in a facilitated question-and-answer session about the key issues presented.
Updating Algebra for All?: Evidence of a Middle-Grades Math Acceleration Policy
Author: Dougherty, Shaun M.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Algebra,Secondary School Mathematics,Middle School Students,Acceleration (Education),Predictor Variables,Probability,Mathematics Achievement,Scores,Grade 6,Grade 7,Grade 8,Educational Policy,Regression (Statistics)

The Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) in North Carolina recently addressed the issue of advancement in and equitable access to advanced mathematics. Under a recent policy, WCPSS uses a SAS-generated predicted probabilities of students' success in obtaining a passing score on the NC Algebra I End-of-Course (EOC) exam, to determine recommended course placement in grades 6 through 8. The authors examine the question: do students who are just eligible for advancement in mathematics in middle school and who participate in advanced mathematics lead to improved academic outcomes compared to students who just miss being eligible for advancement and who do not enroll in advanced mathematics? By focusing on the students on the margin of eligibility under this policy the authors use a regression-discontinuity design to estimate the causal impact of this mathematics acceleration policy on subsequent test scores, grades, and course-taking behavior of middle-school students in Wake County who were exposed to this policy. The results indicate that students on the margin of eligibility and who participate in advanced mathematics in middle school may experience negative effects as a result of being in a peer group of more advanced ability, on average. Tables and figures are appended.
Variation in Observed Program Characteristics across Classrooms in the Tennessee Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten Program
Author: Farran, Dale C.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Preschool Education,Program Descriptions,Access to Education,Low Income Groups,Developmentally Appropriate Practices,Educational Quality,Preschool Children,Randomized Controlled Trials,Regression (Statistics),Rating Scales

Interest in scaling up prekindergarten programs for children from low income families is dramatically increasing, especially with the announcement by President Obama of support for &quot;universal preschool.&quot; Research in early education supports the idea of developmentally appropriate practice as reflected in instructional groupings and covered content; however, it is not yet clear if such appropriate practice and consistency in that practice can be upheld in a statewide program. This paper focuses on evidence from one portion of the Tennessee Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten Program (TN-VPK) evaluation from which classroom observations yield information on classroom quality state-wide. One table is appended.
Theoretical and Empirical Underpinnings of the What Works Clearinghouse Attrition Standard for Randomized Controlled Trials
Author: Deke, John
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Attrition (Research Studies),Student Attrition,Randomized Controlled Trials,Standards,Evidence,Models,Statistical Bias,Error of Measurement,Intervention,Educational Research

Meeting the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) attrition standard (or one of the attrition standards based on the WWC standard) is now an important consideration for researchers conducting studies that could potentially be reviewed by the WWC (or other evidence reviews). Understanding the basis of this standard is valuable for anyone seeking to meet existing standards and for anyone interested in adopting this approach to developing a standard (that is, combining a theoretical model with empirical estimates of key parameters) in a new context. The purpose of this paper is to explain the WWC attrition model, the process for selecting key parameter values for that model, and how the model informed the development of the WWC attrition standard and can be used to develop attrition standards tailored to other substantive areas. The model of attrition bias presented here, and the standard based on it, is an effort to protect consumers of research from drawing mistaken conclusions because of bias (in this case, attrition bias) in impact estimates. Tables and figures are appended.
Testing the Efficacy of a Tier 2 Kindergarten Mathematics Intervention: Findings of Year 1
Author: Doabler, Christian
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Kindergarten,Mathematics Education,Intervention,Mathematics Achievement,Randomized Controlled Trials,Small Group Instruction,Mathematics Tests,Classroom Observation Techniques,Statistical Analysis,Common Core State Standards,Teaching Methods

The adoption of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM, 2010) in 46 states has raised the mathematical proficiency bar for U.S. students. The advent of these new standards is at a time when the body of empirical evidence on the negative consequences of early and persistent difficulties in mathematics is clear, compelling, and growing. The purpose of this 4-year Goal-3 Efficacy Trial, funded by the Institute of Education Sciences (Clarke, Doabler, Smolkowski, &amp; Fien, 2012), is to study the efficacy of ROOTS, a (Tier 2) kindergarten mathematics intervention designed to improve the mathematics achievement of students at risk for MD. This presentation focuses on data generated from the first year of the larger efficacy trial (2012-2013). The study used a randomized control trial (RCT) design (blocking on classrooms) to investigate the ROOTS intervention when implemented under rigorous experimental conditions. Year 1 of the ROOTS efficacy trial took place in 29 kindergarten classrooms from four school districts in Oregon with approximately 10 eligible students per classroom. The two primary aims of this presentation are: (1) present impact findings from the first year of the 4-year ROOTS efficacy trial; and (2) empirically examine the association between instructional intensity, manipulated via instructional group size, and student mathematics achievement. One table is appended.
Perceived Enablers and Barriers Related to Sustainability of School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports
Author: Pinkelman, Sarah
Date: 2015-05-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Sustainability,Positive Reinforcement,Intervention,Barriers,School Personnel,Teacher Surveys,Qualitative Research,Teacher Attitudes,Positive Attitudes,Negative Attitudes,Time Management,Money Management,Administrator Attitudes,Administrators,Elementary Schools,High Schools,Middle Schools,Measures (Individuals),Phenomenology

The purpose of this study was to identify the most important perceived enablers and barriers regarding sustainability of School-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS). School personnel representing 860 schools implementing or preparing to implement SWPBIS completed an open-ended survey of factors regarding its sustainability. Qualitative analyses were used to assess perceptions of the most important factors related to sustainability. Thematic analysis produced 13 themes regarding enablers and/or barriers. The most commonly cited enablers were Staff Buy-in, School Administrator Support, and Consistency. The most commonly cited barriers were Staff Buy-in, Resources: Time, and Resources: Money. Results are discussed in terms of enhancing durability of evidence-based practices in schools. [This article was published in &quot;Behavioral Disorders,&quot; v40 n3 p171-183 May 2015 (EJ1072245).]
Targeting Summer Credit Recovery
Author: Eno, Jared
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Algebra,Remedial Mathematics,Academic Failure,Credits,Summer Programs,High School Students,Secondary School Mathematics,Online Courses,Public Schools,Randomized Controlled Trials,Mathematics Achievement,Pretests Posttests,Regression (Statistics),Student Characteristics,Least Squares Statistics,Outcomes of Education,Cohort Analysis,Context Effect,Evidence,High School Freshmen,Evidence Based Practice,Comparative Analysis,Conventional Instruction,At Risk Students,Program Effectiveness,Research Design,Statistical Significance,Educational Benefits

Algebra is considered a key gatekeeper for higher-level mathematics course-taking in high school and for college enrollment (Adelman, 2006; Gamoran &amp; Hannigan, 2000). Yet, algebra pass rates are consistently low in many places (Higgins, 2008; Ham &amp; Walker, 1999; Helfand, 2006), including Chicago Public Schools (CPS). This is of particular concern because academic performance in core courses during the first year of high school is the strongest predictor of eventual graduation (Allensworth &amp; Easton, 2005). Offering online credit recovery courses is one strategy to deal with high failure rates. However, no rigorous evidence currently exists about the efficacy of online credit recovery courses. Understanding patterns of treatment effects may provide clues to the relative strengths and weaknesses of online and standard face-to-face (f2f) learning. A related policy question is whether district and school administrators should target online learning to certain students. This paper investigates these questions by exploring heterogeneity in the treatment effects of online algebra credit recovery using Chicago Public School students who failed second semester Algebra I in the spring of freshman year, and attempted credit recovery as part of the study in summer 2011 or 2012. [For a related abstract, see ED562834.]
Study Design and Impact Results
Author: Heppen, Jessica
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Algebra,Remedial Mathematics,Academic Failure,Credits,High School Students,Online Courses,Evidence,Randomized Controlled Trials,Public Schools,High School Freshmen,Evidence Based Practice,Outcomes of Education,Research Design,Comparative Analysis,Summer Programs,At Risk Students,Program Effectiveness,Cohort Analysis,Statistical Significance,Educational Benefits,Student Attitudes,Difficulty Level

The consequences of failing core academic courses during the first year of high school are dire. More students fail courses in ninth grade than in any other grade, and a disproportionate number of these students subsequently drop out (Herlihy, 2007). As shown in Chicago and elsewhere, academic performance in core courses during the first year of high school is the strongest predictor of eventual graduation (Allensworth &amp; Easton, 2005). Credit recovery online courses are a promising and popular strategy strategy to address high failure rates. This paper describes the design and initial implementation of a randomized control trial that was designed to strengthen the evidence base for online credit recovery. Using a sample of Chicago Public School first-time freshman who failed second semester Algebra (Algebra IB), the study tests: (1) the impact of online Algebra I for credit recovery against the standard face-to-face (f2f) version of the course; and (2) the effects of offering expanded credit recovery options with online algebra, relative to business as usual (i.e., summer programming that schools would offer in the absence expanded credit recovery efforts).
School Dropout Prevention Pilot--First Follow-Up Impacts
Author: Murray, Nancy
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Dropout Prevention,Intervention,Dropout Rate,Elementary School Students,Secondary School Students,Foreign Countries,At Risk Students,Student Needs,Program Effectiveness,Grade 7,Grade 8,Grade 9,Grade 5,Grade 4,Grade 6,Cultural Relevance,Attendance,Academic Achievement,Student Behavior,Parent Participation,Recreational Activities,Learning Activities,After School Programs,Control Groups,Experimental Groups,Comparative Analysis,Surveys,Questionnaires,Student Records,Multivariate Analysis

From 2000 to 2011, the number of children out of school worldwide has decreased from 102 million to 57 million--a reduction of almost 50 percent (Millennium Development Goals Report, 2013). However, many children in developing countries do not complete primary or secondary cycles once they enroll; out of the 137 million children who entered first grade in 2011, 34 million are likely to leave school before reaching the last grade in primary school (Millennium Development Goals Report, 2013). Unfortunately, the research base into interventions targeting student dropout in developing countries is still underdeveloped. The School Dropout Prevention Pilot (SDPP), a five-year, multi-country program, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, is designed to help fill this research gap by piloting and evaluating interventions aimed at decreasing student dropout rates in primary and secondary schools in Cambodia, India, Tajikistan, and Timor-Leste. Each intervention consists of an Early Warning System (EWS), which uses student data to identify and provide additional support students who are most likely to drop out of school, and additional country-specific school activities. The impact evaluations address the following questions: (1) Do the interventions improve the dropout rate? (2) Do the interventions improve student engagement in school? (3) Do the interventions improve student behavioral and attitudinal outcomes? (4) Do the interventions improve teacher behavior and attitudes? and (5) What are the programs' impacts on all of the above dimensions for students identified as being at risk of dropping out of school? In this presentation, the authors present impacts from the first follow-up data collection, which represents less than a complete school year of exposure to the interventions. They will conduct two rounds of additional data collection in the remaining two years of the program. Two tables are appended.
Predicting Success in College: SAT® Studies of Classes Graduating since 1980. Research Report No. 2001-2
Author: Burton, Nancy W.
Date: 2001-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: College Entrance Examinations,Scores,Grade Point Average,Academic Achievement,Academic Records,Predictor Variables,Predictive Validity,Test Bias,Graduation,Grading,Grades (Scholastic),African American Students,Females,Hispanic American Students,Asian American Students,Disabilities

Studies predicting success in college for students graduating since 1980 are reviewed. SAT scores and high school records are the most common predictors, but a few studies of other predictors are included. The review establishes that SAT scores and high school records predict academic performance, nonacademic accomplishments, leadership in college, and postcollege income. The combination of high school records and SAT scores is consistently the best predictor. Academic preadmission measures contribute substantially to predicting academic success (grades, honors, acceptance and graduation from graduate or professional school); contribute moderately to predicting outcomes with both academic and nonacademic components (persistence and graduation); and make a small but significant contribution to predicting college leadership, college accomplishments (artistic, athletic, business), and postcollege income. A small number of studies of nonacademic predictors (high school accomplishments, attitudes, interests) establish their importance, particularly for predicting nonacademic success.
SAT® and Gender Differences. Research Summary RS-04
Author: College Entrance Examination Board
Date: 1998-02-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: College Entrance Examinations,Gender Differences,Prediction,Correlation,Grade Point Average,Grades (Scholastic),College Bound Students,Grade Inflation,Course Selection (Students),Test Results,Test Bias,High School Students

The SAT I: Reasoning Test actually predicts how well females will do in college better than it predicts for males. Results from validity studies that have been conducted with hundreds of colleges and universities and examined by ETS and external researchers consistently confirm that the SAT correlation with both freshman GPA and individual course grades is actually higher for females than males.
Teacher Evaluation in Practice: Understanding Evaluator Reliability and Teacher Engagement in Chicago Public Schools
Author: Sporte, Susan E.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Teacher Evaluation,Evaluators,Reliability,Teacher Attitudes,Partnerships in Education,Researchers,Generalizability Theory,Teacher Surveys,Scoring Rubrics,Administrators,Administrator Role,Secondary School Teachers,Elementary School Teachers

Starting in 2012-13, researchers have worked in partnership with Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) to study implementation of Chicago's new teacher evaluation system: Recognizing Educators Advancing Chicago's Students (REACH). This paper presents findings as well as experiences from the collaboration with CPS and the CTU as they seek to identify real-time strategies for improving implementation. The paper focuses on findings from two key components for implementing a new evaluation system: the reliability of evaluators, and teacher perceptions of their evaluators and the new process. Researchers share findings from the following research questions about Chicago's new teacher evaluation system: (1) To what extent do systematic differences between evaluators affect teacher ratings?; (2) What are teacher perceptions of their evaluators?; and (3) What are teacher perceptions of the new observation process? In addition to these questions, this paper describes how the district utilized findings to guide changes to the implementation of Chicago's new evaluation system. To understand systematic differences in evaluators and their effect on teacher observation ratings, researchers focus on three aspects of evaluator behavior: (1) evaluator severity; (2) evaluator internal consistency; and (3) reliability using a generalizability theory approach. Data for this study includes CPS personnel and administrative data from the 2012-13 school year, observation ratings from external observers, and survey data from the 2012-13 and 2013-14 school year. Findings from the end of the first year of REACH implementation include: (1) In general, administrators were able to apply the rating rubric in ways that were consistent with predictions given component difficulty. About 3 percent of administrators were identified as muted and about 5 percent of administrators were erratic; (2) There is considerable variation in evaluator severity, but few are so extreme as to have a very substantial effect on teacher ratings. About 10 percent of the sample of evaluators is extremely severe or lenient. In general, most administrators and external observers were rating within 0.5 points of the average; and (3) In the first year of REACH implementation, teachers were generally positive about the accuracy of the ratings they received from evaluators and the observation process. Tables and figures are appended.