ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Achievement Gaps and the Proficiency Trap
Author: Dahlin, Michael
Date: 2010-01-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Federal Legislation,Disadvantaged,Academic Achievement,Academic Standards,Achievement Gap,Educational Legislation,Accountability,Measures (Individuals),Educational Indicators,Federal Programs,Advantaged

One of the main goals of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was to hold schools accountable for ensuring that all students are meeting high academic standards, and to eliminate disparities in academic performance between traditionally advantaged and disadvantaged groups of students. One could argue that this focus on holding schools accountable for the performance of individual subgroups, rather than considering only aggregated school-wide performance, is a step in the right direction. Still, the metrics specified within NCLB to evaluate school and sub-group performance (i.e., group proficiency rates), are inadequate for evaluating whether progress has been made towards eliminating racial and/or socio-economic gaps in academic achievement. Simply put, even though the goal of NCLB was to eliminate disparities in achievement among groups of students within schools, the performance metrics required under NCLB make it nearly impossible to determine whether schools are actually making progress towards these ends. Only by considering the full distribution of student performance, and by considering growth information along with performance information, can a complete picture be revealed about gaps in academic achievement, and whether schools are making adequate progress towards eliminating such gaps. Using alternative measures such as the ones described in this report will be critical in that effort. (Contains 1 table and 3 figures.) [This publication was produced by the Kingsbury Center at Northwest Evaluation Association.]
Evaluating the Effect of Random Selection on Virtual Comparison Group Creation
Author: Ma, Lingling
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Social Science Research,Comparative Analysis,Sampling,Student Characteristics,Institutional Characteristics,Computer Assisted Testing,Research Methodology,Evaluation Methods,Test Validity,Quasiexperimental Design,Grade 5,Elementary School Students,Mathematics Achievement

Virtual Comparison Groups (VCG) were developed by the Northwest Evaluation Association as an alternative to conventional controlled experiments for social science researchers working in the field of education. The VCG is generally a group of up to 51 students who are matched, based on key characteristics of the student and school, to a single student who is part of a study group. This study evaluated the procedures for selecting students to be used as Virtual Comparisons for a study group of 1,000 students in an effort to determine whether the random selection procedures created differences between the VCG sample and the population from which it was drawn. In summary, this study finds that the procedures for randomly selecting cases for membership in a VCG do not create samples that differ significantly from the population group from which they are drawn. The study also shows that while VCG samples above 40 do not necessarily improve the stability of VCG estimates across a large population of students, they greatly improve the stability of individual VCG estimates, thus making the individual comparisons more valuable to teachers. The study informs the need for future research into how the VCG criteria themselves and the order in which they are applied are likely to impact the nature and performance of a Virtual Comparison Group and its validity as a means for comparing student performance to a control in a quasi-experimental setting. Virtual Comparison Group Selection Procedure is appended. (Contains 2 tables and 6 figures.)
Gainful Employment: The Real Issue. Policy Memo
Author: Mandel, Michael
Date: 2010-10-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Legislation,Federal Regulation,Employment Patterns,Labor Market,Educational Benefits,College Graduates,Cost Effectiveness,Higher Education,Educational Finance,Politics of Education,Associate Degrees,Observation,Educational Policy,Context Effect,Structural Unemployment,Economic Climate

Sometimes a proposed piece of legislation or new rule can catalyze debate about a key issue. That seems to be the case for the "gainful employment" rule currently being proposed by the Department of Education (DOE). The rule addresses a very real problem: The large amounts of debt being taken on by some students, mainly those attending for-profit colleges. However, if enacted in its current form, the new rule would require many institutions--for-profit, non-profit, and public alike--to follow complicated new procedures that could greatly limit their flexibility in offering new programs and potentially reduce the educational options open to students. This policy brief will make one observation about today's economy, and then draw three implications for policy. The observation is simple: Young educated workers face vastly more uncertainty in the labor market than recent generations of graduates. Young workers with a bachelor's, associate degree, or other postsecondary education must deal with much higher unemployment rates, falling real wages, and a job landscape that keeps shifting. (Contains 1 figure, 1 table and 8 endnotes.)
The Learning Disabilities Association of America's White Paper on Evaluation, Identification, and Eligibility Criteria for Students with Specific Learning Disabilities
Author: Learning Disabilities Association of America
Date: 2010-02-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Expertise,Evidence,Opinions,Learning Disabilities,Federal Government,Lawyers,Special Education,Disability Identification,Eligibility,Educational Legislation,Federal Legislation,Intervention,Response to Intervention

This White Paper project was undertaken to address the Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA) concerns regarding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) of 2004 statutory and regulatory requirements for the identification of Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD), and the subsequent U. S. Department of Education Final Regulations and Commentary regarding implementation of IDEIA (34 CFR Parts 300 and 301; Federal Register, 2006). The purpose of the White Paper is to provide additional information for and guidance to the federal government, professional organizations, practitioners, and the public. The LDA is hopeful that this document will facilitate legal, regulatory, policy, and training decisions, and ultimately, service delivery to children with SLD. This White Paper presents the expert professional opinions and empirical evidence regarding the identification of children with SLD and best practices in SLD service delivery. The preliminary findings of the LDA Expert Panel Survey and this White Paper represent the opinions and empirical evidence presented by 56 university professors and researchers, special education administrators, and special education lawyers with expertise in and public recognition for their work in SLD identification and intervention. (Contains 117 endnotes.)
Financial Literacy for High School Students: A Guidance Document to Assist Nevada's School Districts in Meeting the Requirements under SB 317
Author: Nevada Department of Education
Date: 2010-01-15
Type: Guides - Non-Classroom
Subjects: Charter Schools,Consumer Science,State Standards,School Districts,Politics of Education,Social Studies,Civics,Economics Education,Business Education,Alignment (Education),State Legislation,Teachers,Public Schools,High School Students,High Schools,Money Management,Knowledge Level,Credit (Finance),Debt (Financial)

The 2009 Nevada Legislature approved Senate Bill 317 (SB 317) requiring that Nevada's public high schools, including charter schools, provide instruction in financial literacy. In an effort to assist school districts with implementation of instruction in financial literacy, the Nevada Department of Education assembled a task force (Financial Literacy Task Force) comprised of teachers and district personnel from around the state to develop this guidance document. The purpose of this document is to provide districts with the requirements of SB 317, an interpretation of the language of SB 317, the correlated state standards, and resources for teaching financial literacy. This document is not policy, nor is it meant to be a curriculum guide; rather, it is a tool to aid school districts in the implementation of SB 317. The document provides an alignment between the requirements of SB 317 and state standards in three content areas: Business, Family and Consumer Sciences, and Social Studies (Civics and Economics). To assist school district staff and teachers in reading this document, it has been divided into three columns. The first column notes the requirements of SB 317; the second column is an explanation of the content of the bill; and the final column aligns each section of the law with corresponding state standards in Business, Family and Consumer Sciences, and Social Studies. A resource list is included to assist teachers with the implementation of financial literacy in their classrooms. The list contains free resources available from various government entities, non-profit organizations, and foundations. This is not meant to be an all inclusive list, and no single resource will meet all the requirements of SB 317. (Contains 49 resources.)
State Skill Standards: Foods and Nutrition
Author: Atkinson, Jeanette
Date: 2008-03-07
Type: Guides - Classroom - Teacher
Subjects: Food Service,Family Life Education,State Standards,Nutrition,Lifelong Learning,Food,School Districts,Nutrition Instruction,Career Development,Sanitation,Consumer Education,Career Planning,Occupational Information,Vocational Education,Job Skills,Academic Standards,Alignment (Education),Safety

The mission of Foods and Nutrition Education is to prepare students for family life, community life and careers in the foods and nutrition fields by creating opportunities to develop the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviors needed to: (1) Analyze career paths within the foods and nutrition industry; (2) Examine factors that influence food choices; (3) Evaluate the nutritional needs of individuals and families in relation to health and wellness; (4) Integrate knowledge, skills and practices in sanitation and safety; (5) Employ kitchen resource management; (6) Apply knowledge, skills and practices of food preparation techniques; (7) Employ principles of meal management; (8) Make informed consumer choices; and (9) Achieve competence in workplace readiness, career development and lifelong learning. The Foods and Nutrition Standards were developed with state involvement from local education agencies. The standards apply to all students, regardless of age, gender, cultural or ethnic background, disabilities, aspirations, interests or motivations. The Foods and Nutrition Standards format consists of three levels: the content standard, the performance standard, and performance indicators. The Foods and Nutrition Standards include competency-based, conceptual and process perspectives. The content standard provides a broad description to assist individuals in understanding the content of the area. This standard is designed to provide a general description and overall direction.
Automotive Technology Skill Standards
Author: Garrett, Tom
Date: 2009-06-25
Type: Guides - Classroom - Teacher
Subjects: Machine Tools,Equipment,Auto Mechanics,Engines,State Standards,Career Planning,Occupational Information,Vocational Education,Career Development,Industry,Job Skills,Academic Standards,Alignment (Education),High School Students,Shop Curriculum,Safety,National Standards

The standards in this document are for Automotive Technology programs and are designed to clearly state what the student should know and be able to do upon completion of an advanced high-school automotive program. Minimally, the student will complete a three-year program to achieve all standards. Although these exit-level standards are designed for advanced programs, they are also intended to focus curriculum objectives for entry-level programs. Objectives for first- and second-year programs, for example, may include many of the performance indicators in the &quot;approaches standard&quot; section for each performance standard. The standards are organized as follows: Content Standards are general statements that identify major areas of knowledge, understanding and the skills students are expected to learn in key subject and career areas by the end of the program. The content standards for Automotive Technology are organized according to the eight technical areas defined by the NATEF standards. Following each content standard are a number of performance standards. Performance standards identify the more specific components of each content standard and define the expected abilities of students within each content standard. Each performance standard is supported by performance indicators. Performance indicators are very specific criteria statements for determining whether a student exceeds the standard, meets the standard, or whose performance approaches the standard. Performance indicators may also be used as learning outcomes which teachers can identify as they plan their program learning objectives. All performance indicators are taken directly from the NATEF standards and are organized into three categories according to degree of difficulty: Exceeds Standard; Meets Standard; or Approaches Standard. Any student considered successful in the completion of a particular performance standard will have successfully demonstrated all performance indicators in the &quot;Meets&quot; and &quot;Approaches&quot; sections for the performance standard. Furthermore, any knowledge and/or performance assessments should be based on the indicators in those sections. Although the safety competencies are listed under the first content standard, they must be integrated into all performance standards, especially where the student will be working with tools, machinery, and/or hazardous materials. The final section of the document shows where the performance standards and performance indicators support the state academic standards for math, science, and English. Where correlation with an academic standard exists, students in the automotive program perform learning activities that support, either directly or indirectly, achievement of one or more academic standards.
Career and Technical Education Skills for Employment and Lifelong Learning Initiative
Author: Nevada Department of Education
Date: 2004-01-31
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Lifelong Learning,Articulation (Education),Educational Opportunities,Tech Prep,Public Education,Career Education,Technical Education,Job Skills,High School Students,College Students,Community Colleges,State Standards,Business,Industry,Postsecondary Education,Program Effectiveness,Federal Legislation,Faculty Development,Skill Development,Teacher Competencies,Leadership,Accountability,School Choice,Teacher Student Ratio

Career and Technical Education (CTE) has evolved over the years to include a plethora of skilled training opportunities for both secondary and postsecondary students. While postsecondary programs are viewed as being on the &quot;front end&quot; of education's effort to prepare students for the workforce, it is often the secondary-level programs that provide the inertia that steer high-school students from an education that has little focus to one with much focus, especially in helping the students clarify educational and career goals after graduation. As in most states, CTE plays a critical role in public education in Nevada. This last academic year, over 79,000 high school and 47,500 community college students enrolled in one or more CTE courses. Of those high-school students, more and more graduating seniors are seeking postsecondary education options at community colleges, promoted in large part through the establishment of articulation agreements through Tech Prep. This paper presents a plan which purpose is to improve the quality of CTE by implementing Program Quality Criteria that address the four pillars of No Child Left Behind, the benchmarks of the American Diploma Project, and the key issues of the Nevada P-16 Initiatives 2002-2007. A glossary is included.
State Skill Standards: Digital Video &amp; Broadcast Production
Author: Bullard, Susan
Date: 2007-11-30
Type: Guides - Classroom - Teacher
Subjects: Video Technology,Programming (Broadcast),Information Technology,High School Students,Communication Skills,State Standards,Career Planning,Occupational Information,Vocational Education,Career Development,Job Skills,Academic Standards,Alignment (Education),Safety

The standards in this document are for digital video and broadcast production programs and are designed to clearly state what the student should know and be able to do upon completion of an advanced high-school program. Digital Video and Broadcast Production is a program that consists of the initial fundamentals and sequential courses that prepare students for most occupations in the field of video and broadcast production. The content and performance standards in this document support the development of knowledge and skills recognized as essential to the industry. The overall program focuses on broad, transferable skills and stresses understanding and demonstration of the major elements of the video and broadcast production industry, including planning, management, finance, technical and product skills, and underlying principles of technology, labor issues, community issues and health, safety, and environmental issues. The standards are organized as follows: Content Standards are general statements that identify major areas of knowledge, understanding, and skills students are expected to learn in key subject and career areas by the end of the program. Following each content standard are one or more performance standards. Performance standards identify the more specific components of content standards and define the expected abilities of students within each content standard. Each performance standard is analyzed into specific performance indicators. Performance indicators are very specific criteria statements for determining whether a student exceeds the standard, meets the standard, or whose performance approaches the standard. Performance indicators may also be used as learning outcomes which teachers can identify as they plan their program learning objectives. [Funding for this paper was provided by the Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education at the Department of Education.]
Collision Repair Technology Skill Standards Grades 9-14
Author: Andersen, Jack
Date: 2006-04-29
Type: Guides - Classroom - Teacher
Subjects: Maintenance,Employment Qualifications,Program Effectiveness,Technical Education,Auto Mechanics,Skilled Workers,Job Skills,Outcomes of Education,State Standards,Performance Factors,Performance Based Assessment,Academic Achievement

The Department of Education has undertaken an ambitious effort to develop statewide occupational skill standards. The standards in this document are for Collision Repair Technology programs, and are designed to clearly state what the Collision Repair Technology student should know and be able to do upon completion of an advanced high school Collision Repair Technology program. The standards are organized as follows: (1) Content Standards: Content Standards are general statements that identify major areas of knowledge, understanding, and skills which are expected to be learned by students in key subject and career areas by the end of the program. The Content Standards for Collision Repair Technology are organized according to the technical areas defined by the National Automotive Technical Education Foundation (NATEF) standards; (2) Performance Standards: Following each Content Standard are a number of Performance Standards. Performance Standards identify the more specific components of each content standard and define the expected abilities of students within each content standard; and (3) Performance Indicators: Each Performance Standard is analyzed into specific Performance Indicators according to the degree of difficulty. Performance Indicators are very specific criteria statements for determining whether a student exceeds the standard, meets the standard, or whose performance approaches the standard. Performance Indicators may also be used as learning outcomes which teachers can identify as they plan their program learning objectives. [Funding for this paper was provided by the Center for Workforce Development at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.]
State Skill Standards: Fashion, Textiles and Design
Author: Campbell, Rene Crepaldi
Date: 2008-03-07
Type: Guides - Classroom - Teacher
Subjects: Merchandising,Clothing,Textiles Instruction,Clothing Instruction,Needle Trades,Career Development,Design,Family Life Education,State Standards,Lifelong Learning,Career Planning,Occupational Information,Vocational Education,Job Skills,Academic Standards,Alignment (Education)

The mission of Fashion, Textiles and Design Education is to prepare students for family and community life and careers in the fashion industry by creating opportunities to develop the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviors needed to: (1) Examine skills needed to effectively manage clothing decisions; (2) Evaluate the use, care and production of fibers, fabrics and textiles; (3) Integrate knowledge, skills and practices in clothing and textile construction; (4) Develop skills needed in the field of fashion merchandising; (5) Analyze career paths within the fashion, textiles and design fields; and (6) Achieve competence in workplace readiness, career development and lifelong learning. The standards apply to all students, regardless of age, gender, cultural or ethnic background, disabilities, aspirations, interests or motivations. The Fashion, Textiles and Design Standards format consists of three levels: the content standard; the performance standard; and performance indicators. The Fashion, Textiles and Design Standards include competency-based, conceptual and process perspectives. The content standard provides a broad description to assist individuals in understanding the content of the area. This standard is designed to provide a general description and overall direction.
Advisory Technical Skills Committee Manual
Author: Barbee, Jim R.
Date: 2005-08-00
Type: Guides - Non-Classroom
Subjects: Advisory Committees,Tech Prep,Technical Assistance,Vocational Education,Public Schools,Career Education,Guides,Responsibility,Check Lists,Participative Decision Making,Specialists

The use of advisory committees is well established in the public school system. The purpose of advisory committees is to provide leadership, guidance and technical assistance to maintain, improve and develop quality career and technical education programs. This manual is written for those planning to form new advisory technical skills committees, wishing to improve those already in existence, and for newly appointed members. The purpose of this manual is to provide information for career and technical education (CTE) directors, school administrators, boards of trustees, teachers of CTE and Tech Prep committee members. Technical information and recommendations regarding the formation, functions, duties, and operation of advisory technical skills committees is included in this manual. An outline format is used to make the information easier to find and use. A bibliography is included.