ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Inadequate Financial Aid for Higher Education Puts Brakes on Opportunity. Policy Page. No. 08-353
Author: Center for Public Policy Priorities (CPPP)
Date: 2008-12-12
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Higher Education,Student Financial Aid,Economic Opportunities,Low Income Groups,Educational Opportunities,Student Loan Programs,College Readiness,State Legislation

Meaningful access to higher education is a cornerstone of economic opportunity. Higher educational attainment strengthens the workforce, increases earnings, and often leads to a better quality of life--for individuals and the broader society. Limited financial aid, however, undermines Texans' participation and success in our colleges and universities. Denied student aid, many students and families either postpone higher education or turn to the increasingly unstable student loan market. To remain competitive in the global marketplace, Texas must support students who are seeking higher education. This policy page discusses the underfunding of Texas' financial aid programs and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's strategies to improve educational participation and success. (Contains 3 endnotes.) [Funding for this paper was provided by the Working Poor Families Project.]
Testimony: Combating the Student Loan Burden
Author: Helmcamp, Leslie
Date: 2012-09-12
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Higher Education,Student Financial Aid,Public Policy,Debt (Financial),Student Loan Programs,College Students,Grants,Adult Students,Nontraditional Students,Work Study Programs,Financial Support

The Center for Public Policy Priorities (CPPP) provides written testimony on the Senate Higher Education Committee interim charges exploring student financial aid and the issue of student loan debt Texas institutions of higher education. This paper highlights recommendations for strengthening and improving the financial aid system in Texas to better serve students and families. (Contains 2 endnotes.)
College Savings Accounts 101. Policy Page. No. 08-325
Author: Center for Public Policy Priorities (CPPP)
Date: 2008-04-09
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Enrollment,Educational Attainment,Paying for College,Elementary Secondary Education,Low Income Groups,Low Income,Student Financial Aid,Money Management,Higher Education,Investment,Barriers,Parent Financial Contribution,College Bound Students,Parents

An educated and skilled workforce is critical to Texas' economic vitality and competitiveness. However, Texas' low educational attainment poses tremendous challenges for the future. Rising tuition and limited financial aid also present Texas families and students with considerable barriers in paying for college and postsecondary training. Without substantial intervention, this trend is likely to continue, leaving many students locked out of higher education and a brighter future. 529 College Savings Plans offer important tools for increasing educational levels by improving K-12 student achievement, minimizing dropouts, supporting our lagging financial aid system, and reducing dependence on expensive student loans. To date, however, the Texas plans have yet to reach their full potential. As with most savings and investment vehicles, low-income families may face barriers to participation because they have a limited ability to save for the future. Texas can overcome these barriers by developing policies that help families save for their children's education, such as matching their contributions to a 529 plan. Increasing participation in these college savings plans should be a vital component of statewide efforts to increase college enrollment and completion. This policy page introduces college savings plans, how they operate, and why a matched savings policy can move Texas forward. (Contains 6 online resources and 1 endnote.)
Texas Tuition Promise Fund: Using College Savings to Increase College Success. Policy Page
Author: Baylor, Don
Date: 2010-06-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Higher Education,Incentives,Paying for College,Economically Disadvantaged,Low Income Groups,Master Plans,Tuition,Low Income,State Legislation,Educational Finance,Student Financial Aid

The old saying, &quot;You have to learn to earn,&quot; underscores the importance of investing in higher education. Yet rising tuition, limited financial aid, and a lack of savings keeps college out of reach, and out of mind, for many Texas families, especially low-income families. Although the Legislature created the Texas Tuition Promise Fund explicitly to reach low-income students, an analysis of the plan's first two years demonstrates that students who most need college savings accounts largely remain untouched. To close the gaps, the state must align its college savings plans and master plan for higher education to seamlessly provide incentives for economically disadvantaged students to begin college savings. (Contains 7 resources and 10 endnotes.)
Expanding the Reach of the Summer Food Program. Policy Page. No. 09-428
Author: Center for Public Policy Priorities (CPPP)
Date: 2009-12-21
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Lunch Programs,Nutrition,Low Income Groups,Federal Programs,Hunger,Barriers,Summer Programs,Food,Children

The Summer Food Program is a federally funded program that provides more than $40 million each year to help low-income communities in Texas serve nutritious meals to children in safe, enriching environments during the summer. In Texas, where one-in-four children are at risk for hunger, the Summer Food Program is critically important to ensure every child has the chance to grow into a healthy and productive adult. Texas has one of the largest School Lunch Programs in the nation, serving meals to more than 2.5 million low-income children every day. The Summer Food Program is intended to serve the same population, yet it reaches only a fraction of the low-income children who eat lunch during the school year. This paper compares participation in the Summer Food Program to participation in the School Lunch Program for each county in Texas. It documents Texas' progress in the Summer Food Program, explores the barriers to participation, and makes recommendations for expanding the reach of the program in Texas. (Contains 5 endnotes.)
Proposed Texas Children's Budget for 2012-2013. Policy Point
Author: Center for Public Policy Priorities (CPPP)
Date: 2011-02-18
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Safety,Budgets,Income,Human Services,Educational Finance,Juvenile Justice,Nutrition,Child Health,Federal Legislation

For the 2012-2013 biennium, legislative proposals would cut the state budget overall by more than 15 percent compared to 2010-11, and are at least 30 percent below the General Revenue levels needed to main critical services such as education, health and human services, and public safety. This brief analysis focuses on House Bill 1's proposed 12 percent overall cut (from 2010-11 levels) to services that primarily benefit children. Much of the decrease is due to the failure to restore General Revenue to services that were temporarily supported in 2010-11 by federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds.
Promoting College Success. Policy Page
Author: Center for Public Policy Priorities (CPPP)
Date: 2011-04-26
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Student Financial Aid,Grants,College Freshmen,Graduation Rate,Educational Legislation,State Legislation,State Aid,State Programs,State Regulation,Politics of Education,Budgets,Budgeting,Economic Impact,Educational Improvement,Improvement Programs,Change Strategies,Educational Change,Financial Policy,Finance Reform

Expanding economic opportunity in Texas depends on our state's ability to increase the college graduation rate for the thousands of college freshmen arriving on campuses each year. The pending budget bills would hamper college access for thousands of Texans through severe cuts to successful financial aid programs, including TEXAS Grants (Towards Excellence Access and Success) and other grants for aspiring college students. Despite these cuts, several bills aim to promote college success through developmental education, performance-based funding, and more eligibility restrictions for TEXAS Grants. This policy page provides an overview of this pending legislation.
Failure Is Not an Option: How Principals, Teachers, Students and Parents from Ohio's High-Achieving, High-Poverty Schools Explain Their Success
Author: Hagelskamp, Carolin
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Educational Change,Elementary Secondary Education,Poverty,Effective Schools Research,Disadvantaged Schools,High Achievement,Change Strategies,Educational Strategies,School Administration,Best Practices,Educational Practices,Sustainability,Profiles,Institutional Characteristics,Focus Groups,Administrator Attitudes,Student Attitudes,Teacher Attitudes,Parent Attitudes,Interviews,School Effectiveness

Why do some schools in high-poverty communities produce remarkable stories of success while others fail? This study, conducted by Public Agenda and sponsored by the Ohio Business Roundtable, the Ohio Department of Education and The Ohio State University, attempts to shed light on this fundamentally important question by talking directly to educators, students and parents from nine high-achieving, high-poverty Ohio schools. Our purpose was to learn more about how principals, teachers, parents and students define the keys to success and to highlight some of the specific strategies and decisions that are used in these high-achieving schools. Moreover, we wanted to understand more about how these schools sustain effective practices and what, in their view, helps them to weather tough times. Our hope is that the insights and ideas that emerge here will stimulate fresh, open and constructive dialogue on K-12 education in Ohio. A bibliography is included. (Contains 14 footnotes.)
Optimal Testing Environment. Research Brief
Author: Walker, Karen
Date: 2010-05-19
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Aptitude Tests,Testing,Standardized Tests,Graduation,Test Use,Federal Legislation,Educational Legislation,High Stakes Tests,Accountability,Test Preparation,Educational Environment

Even though it often feels like standardized testing is a relatively recent phenomena, it has been around at least since the 1800s, when in China, those that wanted a government job were required to take a test on their expertise of Confucian philosophy and poetry. During the Industrial Revolution, standardized tests were a quick way to test large numbers of people. During WWI, Army servicemen were given aptitude tests to determine where their talents could be best utilized. In the 1930s, the SAT was designed and in the 1950s, its cousin, the ACT, was launched (Fletcher, 2009). In 2001, with the passage of &quot;No Child Left Behind,&quot; high stakes standardized testing in schools became a regular part of the educational landscape. This approach reflects the world outside of school where people are required to take standardized tests for things like driver's and professional licenses, job skills and promotions. Regardless of whether or not one agrees with mandated testing, it is a reality. Students, teachers and school districts are held accountable for the tests' results. The initial effects of standardized testing were to compare students with their peers and determine how much curriculum students had learned so that the instructional program could be improved. Today the results are often being used to make decisions about students' grade promotion and high school graduation. (Contains 8 online resources.)
Title I Strategies. Research Brief
Author: Muir, Mike
Date: 2004-11-08
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Principals,Educational Change,Community Involvement,Academic Achievement,Achievement Gains,Goal Orientation,Benchmarking,Needs Assessment,Decision Making,Data,State Standards,Academic Standards,Educational Environment,Cooperation,Parent Participation,Professional Development

The Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory profiled 12 schools in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana that had made significant improvement in student achievement. While specifics of reform may vary, research shows that it is an ongoing process of determining goals and benchmarks by conducting needs assessments, using data to guide decision-making, aligning goals for student performance with state and local standards, and evaluating results to fine-tune reform strategies. There is a shared vision of excellence and equity, with students and staff engaged in learning. Adequate resources, a positive school climate, and effective collaborative leadership prevail. Parent and community involvement is welcome, and decision-making is based on data. School leaders play a critical role, and districts can support school reform by investing in professional development of principals in creating a collaborative culture of continuous learning and improvement. (Contains 8 online resources.)
Test-Taking Strategies. Research Brief
Author: Walker, Karen
Date: 2010-12-07
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Academic Achievement,Testing,Standardized Tests,Test Items,Test Wiseness,Test Preparation,Change Strategies,Educational Change,Cognitive Style,Educational Strategies,High School Students,Student Characteristics,Educational Resources,Mathematics Achievement,Reading Achievement

Much has been written about student preparation for standardized tests such as: get enough sleep, do not eat sugary food or drinks, eat a well-balanced meal, wear comfortable clothing, bring appropriate supplies especially extra #2 pencils, answer every question, write neatly and legibly, deduce wrong answers immediately and use all of the time given. For additional information see Research Briefs on Optimal Testing Environments--http://www.principalspartnership.com/TestingEnvironments.pdf and Improving Test Scores--http://www.principalspartnership.com/imptestscores.pdf. Today's high school students, the Millennials or Generation Y, process information differently than previous generations. Although you must consider the testing environment and ways to support students prior to the test, there are other considerations that will help them experience success on standardized tests. (Contains 15 online resources.)
Teacher Evaluation. Research Brief
Author: Williamson, Ronald
Date: 2011-06-30
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Educational Technology,Evaluation Methods,Collective Bargaining,Teacher Evaluation,Computer Software,Federal Legislation,State Legislation,Technology Uses in Education,Educational Legislation,Academic Achievement,Formative Evaluation,Summative Evaluation,Self Evaluation (Individuals),Reflection,Reflective Teaching,Models,Cooperation,Professional Development,Handheld Devices,Elementary Secondary Education

Every school district has policies and procedures for evaluating teachers that are shaped by state law and local collective bargaining agreements. As a result of No Child Left Behind and other accountability legislation many states modified requirements about the frequency of evaluation and now require the use of student achievement data as one measure of effectiveness. The research is clear that effective evaluation systems are based on a mutually agreed upon model of good teaching. Effective systems include both a formative and summative component and provide for self-assessment and reflection. The most effective models reflect a culture of collaboration and commit to continued professional growth. They use multiple measures and recognize that no single visit to a classroom can provide a comprehensive understanding of a teacher's knowledge and skill. In recent years principals have begun to use mobile technology such as iPads and laptops and software designed purposively to record data gathered during classroom visits. Many different vendors provide such software, some tailored to the individual needs of school districts.
Teacher Evaluation. Research Brief
Author: Marx, Gary E.
Date: 2007-05-18
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Academic Achievement,Teacher Effectiveness,Principals,Feedback (Response),Educational Change,Teacher Evaluation,Federal Legislation,Educational Legislation,Program Effectiveness,Accountability,Educational Objectives,Goal Orientation,Teacher Participation,Instructional Leadership

The No Child Left Behind emphasis on teacher quality and its relationship to student achievement has made teacher evaluation an area of increased concern for today's high school principal. Numerous problems associated with the evaluation of teachers have been cited in the literature, including lack of agreement on what constitutes good teaching, an emphasis on accountability rather than improved performance, limited feedback, and low benefit to teachers as a means for improving instruction. In response, efforts have been made to better understand the characteristics of effective teacher evaluation systems and improve current practice. A recent review of the literature on teacher evaluation (Bradshaw &amp; Joyner, 2002) identified criteria that can be used to develop more effective evaluation systems. These criteria included things like linking evaluation to school goals, gathering and using data on teacher performance, establishing feedback mechanisms, and including ways to meaningfully involve teachers in the process. Efforts to improve the technical quality of evaluation systems over the past two decades have not produced evidence of improved teaching and increased student achievement. Thus, newer thinking treats teacher evaluation as an organizational problem that includes improving school climate, having the principal become an instructional leader, and building links between school improvement, professional development, teacher evaluation and student learning. This paper presents guidelines for principals which are synthesized from the characteristics of effective evaluation systems identified in the literature. (Contains 12 online resources.)
Strategies for Dealing with Tardiness. Research Brief
Author: Muir, Mike
Date: 2005-02-13
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: At Risk Students,Behavior Modification,Student Attitudes,Change Strategies,Attendance,Functional Behavioral Assessment,Discipline Policy,Discipline,School Policy,Student Behavior,Behavior Problems,Educational Resources,Behavioral Science Research,Best Practices,Attendance Patterns

Principals and teachers have long thought that student tardiness was a serious problem. In one study from the 1990s, 8-12% of students were absent each day, and more than 40% of teachers found tardiness to be a significant problem. In fact, it is considered so serious that a school's response can go to extremes. The question, of course, is not "what are high schools doing?", but "what are high schools doing that's working?" Many approaches seem to work, but they tend to break into two categories: the behavior modification approach and the needs-based approach. Behavior modification approaches include the following: being locked out of class; detentions; parent conferences; additional assignments; reductions in grades; work details during lunch, after school, or free periods; Saturday classes; token systems for being on time; time cards; time management workshops; contingency contracts; and tardy rooms. Many of these strategies proved effective, but detentions, reduced grades, tardy rooms, and additional assignments proved ineffective at changing behavior. Other schools, however, look at the reasons that students are tardy and try to address the underlying problems. This approach is based on the idea that before a school can change the behavior of at-risk students, they must understand what is going on in those students' lives. When asked through interviews or surveys, students indicated that they were tardy for the following reasons: transportation problems; overcrowded conditions; lack of positive history about people of color; lack of a culturally sensitive curriculum; dirty and limited access to bathrooms; health-related causes; sleeping habits; and family-related excuses. Successful needs-based strategies included the following: identifying chronic offenders, assessing them individually, and referring them to appropriate services, including support groups; working with parents to find solutions; instituting free breakfast programs; working with teachers to improve the quality of the instructional program; switching to Block scheduling; interdisciplinary & integrated curriculum; and providing opportunities for students to express their opinions and contribute to the operation of the school. Needs-based approaches had the added benefit of not only improving punctuality, but often academic achievement and attitude toward school, as well. (Contains 15 online resources.)
Teaching American History. Research Brief
Author: Muir, Mike
Date: 2004-02-21
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: National Standards,Teaching Methods,United States History,Best Practices,Historical Interpretation,Educational Research,Educational Resources,Instructional Effectiveness,Teaching Models

Best practice in teaching American History is a two-pronged approach: a high quality curriculum with highly engaging instruction. Muir (2001) showed that good learning experiences: create strong relationships; involve hands-on, active work; adjust for differences in learning styles; make learning interesting; allow students choices; make connections to previous knowledge, the students lives, and the real world; and put learning into context. The National Standards for History describe the kinds of content, activities, and historical thinking students should be involved. Students engaged in standards-based work will draw upon skills in the following five interconnected dimensions of historical thinking: (1) Chronological Thinking; (2) Historical Comprehension; (3) Historical Analysis and Interpretation; (4) Historical Research Capabilities; and (5) Historical Issues-Analysis and Decision-making. Real historical understanding requires that students have opportunity to create historical narratives and arguments of their own. Historical understanding also requires that students thoughtfully read the historical narratives created by others. Well-written historical narratives are interpretative, revealing and explaining connections, change, and consequences. They are also analytical, combining lively storytelling and biography with conceptual analysis drawn from all relevant disciplines. Such narratives promote essential skills in historical thinking. (Contains 18 online resources.)