ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Multilevel Meta-Analysis of Multiple Regression Coefficients from Single-Case Experimental Studies
Author: Jamshidi, Laleh
Date: 2020-03-06
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Multivariate Analysis,Hierarchical Linear Modeling,Meta Analysis,Regression (Statistics),Case Studies,Research Design,Robustness (Statistics),Effect Size,Statistical Bias,Error of Measurement

The focus of the current study is on handling the dependence among multiple regression coefficients representing the treatment effects when meta-analyzing data from single-case experimental studies. We compare the results when applying three different multilevel meta-analytic models (i.e., a univariate multilevel model avoiding the dependence, a multivariate multilevel model ignoring covariance at higher levels, and a multivariate multilevel model modeling the existing covariance) to deal with the dependent effect sizes. The results indicate better estimates of the overall treatment effects and variance components when a multivariate multilevel model is applied, independent of modeling or ignoring the existing covariance. These findings confirm the robustness of multilevel modeling to misspecifying the existing covariance at the case and study level in terms of estimating the overall treatment effects and variance components. The results also show that the overall treatment effect estimates are unbiased regardless of the underlying model, but the between-case and between-study variance components are biased in certain conditions. In addition, the between-study variance estimates are particularly biased when the number of studies is smaller than 40 (i.e., 10 or 20) and the true value of the between-case variance is relatively large (i.e., 8). The observed bias is larger for the between-case variance estimates compared to the between-study variance estimates when the true between-case variance is relatively small (i.e., 0.5). [This paper is the online first version of an article published in &quot;Behavior Research Methods&quot; (e-ISSN 1554-3528).]
K-12 Education: Information on How States Assess Alternative School Performance. Report to the Chairman, Committee on Education and Labor, House of Representatives. GAO-20-310
Author: Nowicki, Jacqueline M.
Date: 2020-03-00
Type: Legal/Legislative/Regulatory Materials
Subjects: Elementary Secondary Education,Educational Assessment,Accountability,Nontraditional Education,State Standards,Evaluation Methods,Educational Indicators,College Readiness,Career Readiness,Graduation Rate,Performance Based Assessment,Educational Legislation,Federal Legislation,School Demography,High Schools,Low Achievement

States use their accountability systems to identify low-performing schools, which can receive added support and are expected to improve. Alternative schools serve students whose needs are not met in a regular school. They often serve at-risk students who are struggling academically or behaviorally. Given this unique population, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) looked at how states hold alternative schools accountable. A review of 15 selected state accountability systems--used to assess all types of schools--found that all 15 include at least one indicator that research organizations and relevant studies considered useful in capturing alternative school achievement. The GAO also found a few states that, as part of their accountability system, adopted approaches to differentiate alternative schools when identifying them for support and improvement.
Effect Size Estimation for Combined Single-Case Experimental Designs
Author: Moeyaert, Mariola
Date: 2020-04-30
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Effect Size,Research Methodology,Research Design,Hierarchical Linear Modeling,Regression (Statistics),Least Squares Statistics,Bayesian Statistics,Computation

The methodology of single-case experimental designs (SCED) has been expanding its efforts toward rigorous design tactics to address a variety of research questions related to intervention effectiveness. Effect size indicators appropriate to quantify the magnitude and the direction of interventions have been recommended and intensively studied for the major SCED design tactics, such as reversal designs, multiple-baseline designs across participants, and alternating treatment designs. In order to address complex and more sophisticated research questions, two or more different single-case design tactics can be merged (i.e., &quot;combined SCEDs&quot;). The two most common combined SCEDs are (a) a combination of a multiple-baseline design across participants with an embedded ABAB reversal design, and (b) a combination of a multiple-baseline design across participants with an embedded alternating treatment design. While these combined designs have the potential to address complex research questions and demonstrate functional relations, the development and use of proper effect size indicators lag behind and remain unexplored. Therefore, this study probes into the quantitative analysis of combined SCEDs using regression-based effect size estimates and two-level hierarchical linear modeling. This study is the first demonstration of effect size estimation for combined designs. [This is the online version of an article published in &quot;Evidence-Based Communication Assessment and Intervention&quot; (ISSN 1748-9539).]
Health and STEM Career Expectations and Science Literacy Achievement of U.S. 15-Year-Old Students. Stats in Brief. NCES 2020-034
Author: Hall, Marissa
Date: 2020-06-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: STEM Education,Allied Health Occupations Education,Academic Achievement,Student Characteristics,High School Students,Careers,Expectation,Science Achievement,Gender Differences,Racial Differences,Ethnicity,Immigrants,Socioeconomic Status,Cultural Influences,Scores,Achievement Gap,Adolescents

Demand for jobs in many science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields and in the health care field is projected to grow faster than the average for all occupations in the United States (Bureau of Labor Statistics 2019). However, the current STEM and health care workforces are characterized by demographic disparities and a lack of diversity in many positions (e.g., see Funk and Parker 2018). For the United States to equitably meet national demands for STEM and health care jobs, it is important to understand key factors that may be associated with students' decisions to pursue STEM and health-related careers. Some of these key factors may include student career expectations, academic achievement, and demographic characteristics. This Statistics in Brief contributes to the understanding of U.S. high school students' expectations of health or STEM careers and their science achievement. Analyses between and within demographic groups highlight whether any disparities are evident years before young people begin their careers.
Using Bayesian Methods to Test Mediators of Intervention Outcomes in Single-Case Experimental Designs
Author: Miocevic, Milica
Date: 2020-03-02
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Bayesian Statistics,Computation,Intervention,Case Studies,Research Design,Hypothesis Testing,Regression (Statistics),Least Squares Statistics,Effect Size

Single-Case Experimental Designs (SCEDs) have lately been recognized as a valuable alternative tolarge group studies. SCEDs form a great tool for the evaluation of treatment effectiveness in heterogeneous and low-incidence conditions, which are common in the field of communication disorders. Mediation analysis is indispensable in treatment research because it informs researchers about the mechanism through which the intervention leads to changes (e.g., communication skills) in the outcome of interest (e.g., developmental outcomes). Despite the increasing popularity of both SCEDs and mediation analysis, there are currently no methods for estimating mediated effects for a single individual. This paper describes how Bayesian piecewise regression analysis can be used for mediation analysis in SCEDs. A Playskin LiftTM dataset from one infant born preterm who is at risk for cognitive developmental delays is used to illustrate two approaches to mediation analysis in SCEDs: Bayesian computation of the mediated effect and Bayesian informative hypothesis testing. Annotated R code is provided so researchers can easily fit the proposed models to their own SCED data set. Advantages and limitations of the method are discussed. [This is the online version of an article published in &quot;Evidence-Based Communication Assessment and Intervention&quot; (ISSN 1748-9539).]
Bureau of Prisons: Improved Planning Would Help BOP Evaluate and Manage Its Portfolio of Drug Education and Treatment Programs. Accessible Version. Report to Congressional Requesters. GAO-20-423
Author: Goodwin, Gretta L.
Date: 2020-05-00
Type: Legal/Legislative/Regulatory Materials
Subjects: Correctional Institutions,Institutionalized Persons,Clinical Diagnosis,Substance Abuse,Drug Addiction,Drug Rehabilitation,Drug Education,Federal Aid,Program Administration,Program Evaluation,Public Agencies,Accountability,Documentation,Data Analysis,Administrator Attitudes,Program Descriptions,Law Enforcement,Mental Health,Health Services,Drug Therapy,Residential Programs,Federal Programs

The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is responsible for managing the care and custody of approximately 175,000 federal inmates--an estimated 20 percent of whom have been diagnosed with a substance use disorder. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) was asked to review BOP's efforts to provide drug treatment to federal inmates. This report (1) describes BOP's drug education and treatment programs and funding for them from fiscal years 2015 through 2019; (2) examines BOP's plans for expanding the MAT program; and (3) examines BOP's plans for evaluating and managing these programs. GAO examined program documentation and data, interviewed BOP officials regarding the provision of drug treatment, and conducted site visits that included four BOP institutions and one privately managed institution selected, in part, for the range of drug treatment programs offered.
A Brexit from Government Schooling: Toward Education Freedom in the United Kingdom. Backgrounder. No. 3466
Author: Ladner, Matthew
Date: 2020-01-31
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Politics of Education,Educational Policy,Educational Innovation,School Choice,School District Autonomy,Educational Vouchers,Educational Finance,Accountability,Commercialization

Freed of the shackles of the EU, Brexit offers a valuable window of opportunity for the United Kingdom, America's closest friend and ally, to reassess and rethink existing policy in a whole range of areas, from defense and foreign policy to immigration and cybersecurity. Brexit offers tremendous opportunities for innovation not only in the security and intelligence arenas, but also in the vital field of education. The British government, as well as the devolved governments of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, can take significant steps toward education freedom, adopting market-based ideas that advance educational access for students and greater parental choice, as well as increased local control over schools.
Financial Crisis Looming for K-12 Schools? Flexibility Needed, Not Bailouts. Issue Brief No. 5061
Author: Butcher, Jonathan
Date: 2020-04-17
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Educational Finance,Elementary Secondary Education,Financial Problems,Finance Reform,Administrative Change,Economic Impact,Federal Aid

Nearly every economic indicator, from the stock market to unemployment and beyond, suggests that a global financial crisis is imminent. While an economic downturn may affect every parent, family, and taxpayer, education special-interest groups are demanding that Washington bail them out now, regardless of future tax or spending implications. These groups have a record of making financial demands that are incommensurate with school needs or taxpayer resources. Policymakers should reject such demands and renegotiate union contracts that would interfere with flexible learning solutions such as online instruction and continuing the school year into the summer. Federal lawmakers should extend the waivers offering more budgetary discretion to schools during the pandemic so that educators can direct resources to areas of need.
Using Standards-Based Grading to Reduce Mathematics Anxiety: A Review of Literature
Author: Dempsey, Patricia
Date: 2020-05-20
Type: Information Analyses
Subjects: Academic Standards,Grading,Mastery Learning,Mathematics Anxiety,Alternative Assessment,Educational Benefits,Formative Evaluation,Learning Motivation

Mathematics anxiety is a prevalent problem in many K-12 classrooms, and if not appropriately addressed can cause lasting educational harm to students as they enter adulthood. Researchers suggest that the finality of traditional grades has increased mathematics anxiety in today's classrooms. The extreme weight of grades, such as determining participation in school events, scholarship awards, and further education opportunities is a significant contributing factor to the increased heightened stress. The purpose of this literature review is to address one factor that can decrease mathematics anxiety, the use of standards-based grading, which shows mastery or progress towards mastery on individual standards. The beginning of this review will provide an overview of factors that lead to mathematics anxiety, then move into a discussion about the differences between traditional grading and standards-based grading, then a review of the relevant research studies, and finally an analysis of those studies which drives a call for additional research on this topic. The hope for this review of literature is to encourage math teachers to incorporate standards-based grading into their classrooms to help reduce the negative impacts of mathematics anxiety in students.
Ensuring Fairness in Difficulty and Content among Parallel Assessments Generated from a Test-Item Database
Author: Parry, James R.
Date: 2020-05-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Culture Fair Tests,Difficulty Level,Test Items,Test Validity,Cutting Scores,Item Analysis,Test Bias,Databases,Test Content,Evaluation Methods

This paper presents research and provides a method to ensure that parallel assessments, that are generated from a large test-item database, maintain equitable difficulty and content coverage each time the assessment is presented. To maintain fairness and validity it is important that all instances of an assessment, that is intended to test the same subject content, are presented to each test-taker without bias. The method described demonstrates how each test-item in an item bank (i) is assigned a difficulty rating using a recognized test-centered legally defensible cut-score determination method, (ii) assigned to either hard, moderate, or easy categories, and (iii) then selected in a stratified random selection fashion, by content and difficulty, to ensure equal content coverage and difficulty level within an acceptable range of the calculated cut score.
Postsecondary Peer Assisted Learning Programs Offered Online: 2020 Annotated Bibliography
Author: Arendale, David R., Ed.
Date: 2020-05-00
Type: Reference Materials - Bibliographies
Subjects: Postsecondary Education,Peer Teaching,Group Instruction,Communities of Practice,Computer Mediated Communication,Best Practices,Annotated Bibliographies,Acceleration (Education),Supplementary Education,Educational Technology

(Purpose) The purpose of this annotated bibliography is to identify best education practices for offering traditional student-led study group programs online. Lessons can be learned from the past to enable educators now and in the future to offer programs can promote higher student outcomes and increased persistence towards graduation. (Method) This topical annotated bibliography is drawn from a larger database of peer-assisted learning (PAL) programs available at https://www.arendale.org/peer-learning-bib Major national and international models in the bibliography of nearly 1600 citations are: (a) Accelerated Learning Groups (ALGs), (b) Emerging Scholars Program (ESP), (c) Peer Assisted Learning (PAL), (d) Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL), (e) Structured Learning Assistance (SLA), (f) Supplemental Instruction (SI), and (g) Video-based Supplemental Instruction (VSI). Some programs are also known by other names such as PASS for the SI Program. Check back throughout the year since the database is frequently updated. Only two of these models provided research studies or implementation information for providing their program online: Peer-Led Team Learning (also known as cPLTL or Cyber PLTL), and Supplemental Instruction/PAL/PASS (also known as iPASS, OPAL, OPASS, and OSI). These publications provide examples from North America, Europe, and Australasia. When available, a weblink is provided so that they can be downloaded. (Results) The thirty-eight publications identify key principles for successful online student peer study groups: needed technology, methods to evaluation, samples of activities and engagement, and more. (Implication) Online academic support programs will continue to be an important part of student retention and academic achievement programs for the future. Identifying best education practices are essential for student success.
Preparatory Year Students&apos; Perspectives on the Inclusion of Social Networking Sites (SNS) in Higher Education
Author: Abdullah, Haneen
Date: 2020-04-15
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Social Networks,Foreign Countries,Social Media,Females,College Preparation,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Learning Processes,Positive Attitudes,Barriers,Student Attitudes,Educational Experience,Educational Benefits,Higher Education,Technology Uses in Education

Social media networks (SNS) have spread among students of university education, and they have a major role and a clear impact on the educational process. This paper aims to identify the perception of preparatory-year Saudi female students on using SNS in the field of education, their potential contribution to improving the experience of university education, the possibility of employing them in the educational process, as well as the obstacles faced by students in using the educational capabilities of SNS. The study adopted a descriptive approach, and the research sample included 31 preparatory-year female students studying at King Abdulaziz University (KAU) at the English Language Institute (ELI) in the second semester of the 2019-2020 academic year. The study results indicated that students were positive towards the employment of SNS in higher education and the possibility to benefit from their interactive features and services in their learning. They also believed that there were some obstacles in the process of using SNS in university education, therefore they may feel discouraged from using these sites in their learning process.
Educating at a Distance: A Redistribution of Roles
Author: McGuinness, Carmen
Date: 2020-06-03
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Distance Education,Educational Technology,Parent Role,Educational Change,Teaching Methods,Student Attitudes,Parent Attitudes,Change Strategies,Virtual Classrooms,Direct Instruction,Parents as Teachers,Barriers,Teacher Attitudes,Program Effectiveness,Elementary Secondary Education,Age Differences,Elementary School Students,Secondary School Students,Student Behavior,Parent Education,Student School Relationship,Child Care,School Safety,COVID-19,Pandemics

This educational white paper is being written in the wake of school closures resulting from the CoVid-19 pandemic. As the necessity for distance learning has become apparent in order to reduce the spread of CoVid-19, the burden of the education of school children has shifted from teachers to parents. In this white paper, the author examines the components of instruction, the degree of shift in each, challenges associated with each, and proffers recommendations for schools and parents to manage these changes. Instructional and social-emotional components of education are discussed. Surveys of students and parents, observational feedback, and analysis of work produced, are employed to target problems and viable solutions and recommendations are made in regard to these findings.
Lessons Learned from Taking Postsecondary Peer Assisted Learning Programs Online in 2020: Raw Survey Data
Author: Arendale, David R., Ed.
Date: 2020-05-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Peer Teaching,Best Practices,Study,Group Activities,Communities of Practice,Training,Leadership Qualities,Leadership Training,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Computer Mediated Communication,Computers,Internet,Tutoring,Scheduling,Integrated Learning Systems,Computer Software,Interaction,Group Dynamics,Learner Engagement,Barriers,Student Behavior,Interpersonal Relationship,Online Courses,Higher Education,College Faculty,College Students,COVID-19,Pandemics

(Purpose) With the end of the spring 2020 academic term, a national survey was conducted to identify best practices of college educators regarding how they moved their traditional face-to-face tutoring and small group tutoring programs online due to Covid-19 pandemic. This document contains the results of that survey. (Methods) In early May 2020, invitations to complete a brief survey on postsecondary peer assisted learning (PAL) programs and their operation online in response to Covid-19 were posted to several national and international email listservs. Directors from 45 programs completed the survey. Since the survey was anonymous, it is impossible to know the institutional type and their locations. It is a reasonable guess that most respondents were from the U.S. with others from Australasia, Europe, and North America. As promised, the survey results are presented as they were received without data analysis. It is with deep gratitude to the program directors for taking time from the busiest time in the academic term in the middle of this pandemic to share valuable information with our world community of PAL professionals. (Results) Their comments were candid and honest about the things that went well and those that did not. The survey statements were grouped into six categories that included: needed equipment and meeting software, approaches and activities, program evaluation, expectations for participants and students leaders, and more. (Implications) Best education practices for providing online academic support were shared that can be studied by others as they make plans for fall 2020 academic term which may be offered online.