ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Promoting Academic Achievement in the Middle School Classroom: Integrating Effective Study Skills Instruction
Author: Thorpe, Christin
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Middle School Students,Academic Achievement,Questionnaires,Study Skills,Content Analysis,Middle School Teachers,Thinking Skills,Interviews,Educational Strategies,Evaluation Methods

This study aimed to discover what study skills are most useful for middle school students, as well as strategies for integrating study skills instruction into the four main content area classrooms (English, math, science, and social studies) at the middle school level. Twenty-nine in-service middle school teachers participated in the study by either completing a questionnaire or participating in an interview. A content analysis of a study skills resource binder for teachers was also performed. Results indicate that while many study skills are important for middle school students to know and apply to their academics, those that involve higher order thinking skills or a deeper level of processing are most beneficial to students. Moreover, results suggest that many middle school teachers do not possess a clear understanding of study skills and, consequently, are ill-equipped to provide study skills instruction within their classrooms. As a result, teachers may need to receive more formalized study skills training in order to provide study skills instruction in their classrooms and help boost student learning and academic achievement in the core content areas. Four appendixes are included: (1) Emails to Teachers Regarding Questionnaire; (2) Informed Consent; (3) Questionnaire; and (4) Interview Guide. (Contains 6 tables.)
Using Socialization to Increase Academic Skills in a Pre-School Classroom
Author: Saunders, Ashley N.
Date: 2010-06-28
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Socialization,Qualitative Research,Research Methodology,Preschool Education,Evaluation Methods,Interaction,Student Behavior,Academic Achievement,Preschool Teachers,Student Evaluation,Observation,Speech Communication

Recent research has shown that students who enter kindergarten with prior academic knowledge are more successful later in their school careers. Yet, pre-school teachers face the problem of limited time in a day to focus on the academic skills of students, as well as work on their basic needs. The goal of this study was to find out if students can increase their academic skills by developing socialization skills. The study consisted of quantitative and qualitative research with questionnaires given to parents, student interviews, and student observations. The conclusion of the study is that the more students interact with each other the better they perform academically. (Contains 2 figures.)
Comparing and Contrasting NAEYC and SACS Accreditation
Author: Isaacs, Mary Ruth
Date: 2010-02-13
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Early Childhood Education,Accreditation (Institutions),National Programs,Regional Programs,Comparative Analysis

The purpose of this paper is to describe, compare, and contrast an early childhood departmental accreditation process from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and a college/university-wide accreditation process from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). The history of higher education accreditation is also discussed. The author concludes by illustrating the need for further research in the area of educational program evaluations. (Contains 4 tables.)
The Effects of a Year-Long Student Teaching Model on the Self-Esteem and Preparation of the New Teacher
Author: Griffiths, Jennifer L.
Date: 2010-06-00
Type: Dissertations/Theses - Masters Theses
Subjects: Student Teaching,Teaching Models,Interviews,Self Esteem,Beginning Teachers,Program Evaluation,School Schedules,Time

The student teaching component of most teacher preparation programs in the United States varies from 30 to 300 hours of field service (Levine, 2006); typically this is a culminating activity comprised of a 15-week engagement at a school in two separate grade levels. California Multiple Subject Credential candidates typically divide their 15-week practicum into a nine-week assignment in a lower grade and a six-week assignment in a higher grade. Yet some graduates of these programs feel under-prepared and overwhelmed in their new role as teacher. This lack of preparation may promote fear and insecurity within some neophyte teachers. A year-long student teaching model may well provide the additional insight and support to fledgling teachers. By interviewing new teachers from both types of programs, this paper investigates the benefits and potential drawbacks of year-long and 15-week teacher preparation programs.
The Effects of Differentiation and Motivation on Students' Performance
Author: Fenner, Dorraine
Date: 2010-05-00
Type: Dissertations/Theses
Subjects: Individualized Instruction,Multiple Intelligences,Student Surveys,Student Motivation,Intelligence Tests,Positive Reinforcement,Grade 6,Grade 7,Grade 8,Teaching Methods,Cognitive Style,Student Attitudes,Intervention,Academic Achievement,Letters (Correspondence),Bilingual Education,Low Income,Reflection,Teacher Attitudes,Personal Narratives,Pretests Posttests,Parent Attitudes,Scores,Achievement Gains,Middle School Students

This report described how implementation of differentiated assignments provided documentation of how students' motivation increased. The volunteers that participated in this study were 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. Students struggle academically to meet the expectations of their instructors. These struggles impact how students learn academically, behave socially, and participate collaboratively within a classroom. Implementation of differentiation showed some improvement in students' learning as well as increases in student motivation. These strategies were documented using surveys and exit slips. Participants received a multiple intelligence survey to see how their individual learning styles impacted their academic success. These collection tools were documented to show how students progressed academically. As teachers, we influenced the attitudes and motivational levels of our students. Providing positive reinforcement and leveled assignments, our students experienced success and progressed academically. The intervention's post data resulted in academic growth. Using differentiated strategies allowed students to become motivated according to their ability. There were extraneous factors that affected the students' level of motivation; however, the majority of students showed an increase in motivation. This increase was a result of using differentiated methods of instruction in a classroom setting. The implication of these tools allowed students to become successful in their academics. Eight appendixes are included: (1) Parental Information Letter; (2) Student Informational Letter; (3) Student Survey; (4) Parent Survey; (5) Pretest; (6) Posttest; (7) Exit Slip; and (8) Multiple Intelligence Test. (Contains 27 figures and 5 tables.)
The Modern Effects of Teacher Education on the Arab World
Author: Eldakak, Sam
Date: 2010-06-23
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Arabs,High Achievement,Ethnicity,Illiteracy,Teacher Education,Context Effect,Teaching Methods,Rote Learning,Economic Progress,Teacher Student Relationship,Student Motivation,Human Capital,Role of Education,Economic Impact

The Arab world contains one of the greatest cultures and histories of any ethnic group in the world. However, since the 1980s, the education of this region has plummeted despite increases in school enrollers. This is prominently seen in the illiteracy rate of 30% throughout the Arab world. Furthermore, with a high unemployment rate of 14%, which is second only to sub-Saharan Africa, the struggles of this society are prominent. Additionally, this is of particular concern due to the majority of the population of Arab nations being under the age of 30 years. A dominant reason for this problem is the heavy reliance on rote learning and memorization of definitions, facts and concepts in student education. This decreases the ability for students to learn decision-making, problem-solving and critical thinking. This is further exacerbated by teacher-student interaction. If a teacher only promotes rote learning, students become disinterested in the courses that they take. Only by promoting these interests can the Arab world find its place on an internationally stage academically and economically. This insures learning not only for students at present, but in their ability to apply their learning on a national and international level in their professional careers. This will provide economic growth and technological advances for their nation, providing the UAE with the ability to become an international leader. This research project delves into the education methods, economic values, interaction between the economy and education, teaching methods, and learning outcomes that are provided within the Arab world. It details the beneficial and disadvantageous parts of the economy and education system, as well as those factors that will increase and promote education within the Arab world. This is a prominent and important evaluation on the subject of education within the Arab world, its future and what must be done at present to insure the economic stability and academic abilities of this region of the world internationally. (Contains 2 figures.)
Should Intelligent Design Be Included in Today's Public School Curriculums?
Author: Costley, Kevin C.
Date: 2010-07-25
Type: Opinion Papers
Subjects: Science Curriculum,Evolution,Creationism,Religious Factors,Controversial Issues (Course Content),Etiology,Biology,Politics of Education,Science Teachers,Core Curriculum,Critical Thinking

The controversial concept of evolution makes up only a small part of the science curriculum stated in Arkansas. During the past few years, the curriculum topic of &quot;Intelligent Design&quot; has caught the attention of many science teachers in the public schools. The Intelligent Design Movement has been successful in attracting the attention of the general public. Intelligent Design is the belief that the origin and complexities of life can be attributed only to the action of a supernatural intelligence; the origin of life cannot be ascribed to natural causes or material mechanisms, such as those described by evolutionary science. Intelligent Design is a theory of biological origins and development. The whole concept of Intelligent Design originated in 2001 by Andrew Johnson (Gross. The chief proponents of Intelligent Design today are Christian fundamentalists and their conservative political organizations. Intelligent design is important to education for several reasons. First, it is a new approach to teaching a framework. Teachers should always be looking for other ways to explore subjects. Presently, the popularity of Intelligent Design is on the rise as a major movement in the United States, generally, and specifically, the science curriculum. It is presently under great scrutiny from historians. Secondly, Intelligent Design can propel the classroom teachers in teaching controversial subjects that make students think on higher levels of thought. Controversy teaches students 1) how to evaluate the truth, 2) how to focus on the topic including more than one viewpoint, 3) to search for some kind of common ground, 4) to define issues and points of disagreement, 5) to develop criteria for standards of reference, and; 6) to explain at least two sides of the issue.
The Ecology of School-Based Coaching in the MLI Initiative
Author: Burk, Kymyona C.
Date: 2010-05-04
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Educational Change,Professional Development,Evaluation,Partnerships in Education,Elementary Secondary Education,Higher Education,Cooperation,Literacy,Educational Improvement,Coaching (Performance),Surveys,Academic Achievement

This paper presents research findings from a four-and a-half year evaluation focusing on the Mississippi Learning Institute (MLI) collaboration of partners fostering improved literacy in Jackson Public Schools (JPS). The partners are JPS, Jackson State University (JSU), the Mississippi State Department of Education (MSDOE) and the Barksdale Foundation. The evaluation by the Academy for Educational Development (AED) concentrated on the preK-20 partnership, the implementation of research-based literacy practices, and the outcomes of these efforts in schools and the College of Education and Human Development at JSU. The MLI initiative provided professional development (PD) and coaching to teachers who worked in the MLI Academy (MLA) schools. During year 5 of the evaluation AED focused on the role of the literacy coaches. Since school-based literacy coaches were the main vehicle for professional development, AED studied coaches by conducting coach interviews and surveys and by observing coaching practices during school site visits. Coach-shadowing visits and on-line surveys were also conducted. The study findings show that MLA schools had an increased level of instructional capacity, and thus school improvement, when MLI school-based coaching was implemented.
Educating Tomorrow's Science Teachers: STEM ACT Conference Report
Author: Sternheim, Morton M.
Date: 2008-02-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Teacher Effectiveness,National Standards,Teacher Supply and Demand,Science Teachers,Alternative Teacher Certification,Science Instruction,Secondary School Science,Preservice Teacher Education,Science Education,Educational Policy,Policy Analysis,Secondary School Teachers,Educational Research,Program Effectiveness,Research Needs,Definitions,Partnerships in Education,Educational Practices,Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Program Descriptions

This document reports on the findings of an NSF-funded conference (STEM ACT) on the alternative certification of science teachers. The conference explored the issues that have arisen in science education as a result of the proliferation of alternative certification programs in the United States, and to identify the research that needs to be done to reconcile the rapid growth of these programs with the demands that national standards and state curriculum frameworks put on science teacher quality. Alternative certification for science teachers has become a tapestry woven of various strands - political and professional, ideological and academic. Given the complexity of issues, the continued growth, and the on-going investment of public resources associated with alternative certification, a comprehensive, in-depth and systematic descriptive analysis is needed to help evaluate the ways in which alternative teacher certification does or does not address teacher supply and demand, and science teacher quality. Therefore, one purpose of the STEM ACT conference was to identify key features and issues relating to alternative teacher certification as the basis for suggesting a more systematic approach to the study of alternative teacher certification efforts. The STEM ACT conference was held in early May 2006 in Arlington, VA. It was a working conference in which 65 participants presented and discussed 42 papers. Most of the papers are available on-line on the conference website. The conference was organized along three themes: (1) An overview of the existing policy on alternative certification of secondary (middle and high school) science teachers in the US, including key assumptions and questions; (2) A synthesis of existing research about the needs, methods, and outcomes of alternative certification for science teachers; and (3) An in-depth look at existing practice through the examination of particular cases of alternative programs for science teacher preparation. On the last day of the conference participants were grouped into writing committees to begin the preparation of white papers on each theme. The findings of the conference are presented in this document. Appendixes list papers presented. (Individual sections contain references, tables, and figures.)
Education Policy and &quot;Friedmanomics&quot;: Free Market Ideology and Its Impact on School Reform
Author: Fiala, Thomas J.
Date: 2010-04-23
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Free Enterprise System,Ideology,Educational Change,Educational Vouchers,Social Theories,Educational Policy,Policy Analysis,Economics,Politics of Education,Educational History,School Choice,Political Attitudes,Educational Philosophy,Critical Theory,Racial Segregation,Government Role,School Desegregation

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of neoliberal ideology, and in particular, the economic and social theories of Milton Friedman on education policy. The paper takes a critical theoretical approach in that ultimately the paper is an ideological critique of conservative thought and action that impacts twenty-first century education reform. Using primary and secondary documents, the paper takes an historical approach to begin understanding how Friedman's free market ideas helped bring together disparate conservative groups, and how these groups became united in influencing contemporary education reform. The paper thus considers the extent to which free market theory becomes the essence of contemporary education policy. The result of this critical and historical analysis gives needed additional insights into the complex ideological underpinnings of education policy in America. The conclusion of this paper brings into question the efficacy and appropriateness of free market theory to guide education policy and the use of vouchers and choice, and by extension testing and merit-based pay, as free market panaceas to solving the challenges schools face in the United States. Administrators, teachers, education policy makers, and those citizens concerned about education in the U.S. need to be cautious in adhering to the idea that the unfettered free market can or should drive education reform in the United States. (Contains 67 endnotes.)
Spatial Temporal Mathematics at Scale: An Innovative and Fully Developed Paradigm to Boost Math Achievement among All Learners
Author: Rutherford, Teomara
Date: 2010-05-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Symbols (Mathematics),Second Language Learning,Spatial Ability,Student Characteristics,Mathematical Concepts,Mathematics Achievement,Computer Assisted Instruction,Animation,Courseware,Video Games,Educational Technology,Electronic Learning,Curriculum Evaluation,Curriculum Implementation,Elementary School Mathematics,Mathematics Instruction,Experimental Groups,Control Groups,Elementary School Students,Instructional Effectiveness,English (Second Language),Mathematics Tests,Student Motivation

This paper describes the background, methodology, preliminary findings, and anticipated future directions of a large-scale multi-year randomized field experiment addressing the efficacy of ST Math [Spatial-Temporal Math], a fully-developed math curriculum that uses interactive animated software. ST Math's unique approach minimizes the use of mathematics symbols, terminology, and language to teach standards-based mathematical concepts by utilizing students' innate spatial ability. In 2007, fifty ethnically diverse low performing schools in Orange County, California were randomly assigned to receive ST Math in either 2nd and 3rd or 4th and 5th grades, with 36 of these schools implementing the program during the 2007-2008 school year. Initial findings using aggregated data from the math subtest of the California Standards Test (CST) show an improvement in CST scores among the treatment grades (p = 0.05) after one year of ST Math instruction. This association had an effect size of 0.37. Although treatment was not found to interact with student characteristics, further analysis of the treatment effect for specific groups, such as English Language Learners, is ongoing. Future directions include research on individual student-level effects and motivation as well as analysis of the effects of specific components of the program. (Contains 3 tables and 5 figures.)
Complex Ecologies of Indigenous Education at the Native American Community Academy
Author: Lee, Tiffany S.
Date: 2010-05-01
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Charter Schools,American Indians,Focus Groups,American Indian Education,Holistic Approach,Educational Philosophy,Educational Practices,Educational Principles,School Community Relationship,Program Descriptions,Middle School Students,High School Students,Secondary School Teachers,Teacher Attitudes,Student Attitudes,Community Attitudes,Culturally Relevant Education,Student Centered Curriculum,Transcripts (Written Records),Coding,American Indian Culture,Urban Schools

The Native American Community Academy (NACA) is demonstrating an example of Indigenous philosophies and practices in education through its holistic, student-centered approach to education. NACA was one school in a large statewide study on Indian education in New Mexico. Focus groups with students, teachers, and community members illustrate the evolution of complex ecologies NACA creates to facilitate students' growth intellectually, socially, emotionally, and physically. The experiences and perspectives of the participants at this secondary level charter school are shared to illustrate how this school exemplifies a model of Indigenous education, how it creates and builds community, and how it teaches students to know themselves by motivating a critical Indigenous consciousness and a sense of service toward building sustainable communities. (Contains 1 note.)
The Texas Projection Measure: Ignoring Complex Ecologies in a Changing World
Author: Roane, Warren
Date: 2010-05-03
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Federal Legislation,Statistical Analysis,Grade 8,Predictive Measurement,Models,Predictor Variables,Predictive Validity,Mathematics Achievement,Scores,Mathematics Tests,Evaluation Problems,Accountability,Federal Programs,Educational Indicators,High Stakes Tests,Student Promotion,Student Characteristics,Institutional Characteristics

The Texas Projection Measure (TPM) has grown out of the state's need to meet the requirements of No Child Left Behind (NCLB). An examination of the state's method of predicting 8th grade mathematics scores reveals that several factors have been ignored in the process of developing the model, including assumptions in its underlying statistical analysis as well as ease of use for its stakeholders. Although the TPM was based on value-added models, it has deviated from that foundation in significant ways. Alternatives are given to the TPM as currently used by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). (Contains 7 tables.)