ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Limited-Information Goodness-of-Fit Testing of Diagnostic Classification Item Response Models
Author: Hansen, Mark
Date: 2016-05-10
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Goodness of Fit,Item Response Theory,Classification,Maximum Likelihood Statistics,Models,International Programs,Testing Programs,Mathematics Tests,Achievement Tests,International Assessment,Elementary Secondary Education,Foreign Countries,Mathematics Achievement,Science Achievement,Science Tests

Despite the growing popularity of diagnostic classification models (e.g., Rupp, Templin, &amp; Henson, 2010) in educational and psychological measurement, methods for testing their absolute goodness-of-fit to real data remain relatively underdeveloped. For tests of reasonable length and for realistic sample size, full-information test statistics such as Pearson's X[superscript 2] and the likelihood ratio statistic G[superscript 2] suffer from sparseness in the underlying contingency table from which they are computed. Recently, limited-information fit statistics such as Maydeu-Olivares and Joe's (2006) M[subscript 2] have been found to be quite useful in testing the overall goodness-of-fit fit of item response theory (IRT) models. In this study, we applied Maydeu-Olivares and Joe's (2006) M[subscript 2] statistic to diagnostic classification models. Through a series of simulation studies, we found that M[subscript 2] is well calibrated across a wide range of diagnostic model structures and was sensitive to certain misspecifications of the item model (e.g., fitting disjunctive models to data generated according to a conjunctive model), errors in the Q-matrix (adding or omitting paths, omitting a latent variable), and violations of local item independence due to unmodeled testlet effects. On the other hand, M [subscript 2] was largely insensitive to misspecifications in the distribution of higher-order latent dimensions and to the specification of an extraneous attribute. To complement the analyses of the overall model goodness-of-fit using M[subscript 2], we investigated the utility of the Chen and Thissen (1997) local dependence statistic X[superscript 2 over subscript LD] for characterizing sources of misfit, an important aspect of model appraisal often overlooked in favor of overall statements. The X [superscript 2 over subscript LD] statistic was found to be slightly conservative (with Type I error rates consistently below the nominal level) but still useful in pinpointing the sources of misfit. Patterns of local dependence arising due to specific model misspecifications are illustrated. Finally, we used the M[subscript 2] and X[superscript 2 over subscript LD] statistics to evaluate a diagnostic model fit to data from the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), drawing upon analyses previously conducted by Lee, Park, and Taylan (2011). [This paper was published in &quot;British Journal of Mathematical and Statistical Psychology&quot; v69 p225-252 2016.]
A Gender Analysis of the Occupational Pathways of STEM Graduates in Canada. Analytical Studies Branch Research Paper Series
Author: Frank, Kristyn
Date: 2019-09-16
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Foreign Countries,STEM Education,Gender Differences,Equal Opportunities (Jobs),College Graduates,Outcomes of Education,Occupations,Career Change,Age Differences,Persistence,Wages,Disproportionate Representation,Labor Turnover,Individual Characteristics,Marital Status,Family Structure,Minority Groups,Indigenous Populations,Educational Attainment,Geographic Location,Place of Residence

Occupations related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) are generally associated with high pay and contribute to the development of new technology. Continued growth is expected for STEM occupations, which would provide STEM-educated workers with additional labour market opportunities. However, less is known about the extent to which STEM graduates enter into and remain in STEM occupations in Canada. This study uses data from the 2006 and 2016 longitudinal census files to examine the occupational pathways of women and men with postsecondary credentials in STEM fields. Generally, male STEM graduates were more likely than female STEM graduates to be employed in a STEM occupation. The occupational pathways of male and female STEM graduates also differed. Among STEM graduates who were employed in a STEM occupation in 2006, women were more likely than men to have moved to a non-STEM occupation by 2016. Younger STEM graduates were more likely to exit a STEM occupation than older graduates, and men and women with college-level STEM credentials were more likely to leave a STEM occupation than their counterparts with a bachelor's degree. Some differences in the occupational mobility of men and women with STEM credentials were associated with their field of study. For example, men who studied mathematics or computer and information sciences were less likely than their counterparts who studied engineering or engineering technology to exit a STEM occupation between 2006 and 2016. However, there was no statistically significant difference in the likelihood of leaving a STEM occupation among women who had studied in these two fields. Lastly, the wage growth of male and female STEM graduates who persisted in a STEM occupation between 2006 and 2016 was not significantly different from the wage growth of their counterparts who had moved from a STEM occupation to a non-STEM occupation. [This study was funded by the Department for Women and Gender Equality.]
A Flexible Full-Information Approach to the Modeling of Response Styles
Author: Falk, Carl F.
Date: 2015-08-13
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Response Style (Tests),Item Response Theory,Outcome Measures,Models,Simulation,Evaluation Methods,Scores,Error of Measurement,Scoring

In this paper, we present a flexible full-information approach to modeling multiple userdefined response styles across multiple constructs of interest. The model is based on a novel parameterization of the multidimensional nominal response model that separates estimation of overall item slopes from the scoring functions (indicating the order of categories) for each item and latent trait. This feature allows for the definition of response styles to vary across items as well as overall item slopes that vary across items for both substantive and response style dimensions. The model is compared with similar approaches using examples from the smoking initiative of NIH's Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System. A small set of simulations show that the estimation approach is able to recover model parameters, factor scores, and reasonable estimates of standard errors. Furthermore, these simulations suggest that failing to include response style factors (when present in the data generating model) has adverse consequences for substantive trait factor score recovery. [This paper was published in &quot;Psychological Methods&quot; v21 n3 p328-347 2016.]
TOPS Report: Analysis of the TOPS Program from 2009-2018
Author: Louisiana Board of Regents
Date: 2019-10-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Tuition,College Entrance Examinations,High School Graduates,Eligibility,College Bound Students,Academic Persistence,School Holding Power,Graduation Rate,Time to Degree,Awards,Educational Finance,State Programs,Program Evaluation,Scores,Secondary School Curriculum,Core Curriculum,Grade Point Average,State Legislation,Student Participation,Statistical Distributions,Student Financial Aid,Honors Curriculum

The Tuition Opportunity Program for Students (subsequently renamed the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students, or TOPS) was created by ACT 1375 of the 1997 Regular Legislative Session. The first college freshman class to receive TOPS awards entered postsecondary education in the fall of 1998. ACT 1202 of the 2001 Regular Legislative Session requires the Louisiana Board of Regents (BoR) to prepare a report analyzing various aspects of the TOPS program. In accordance with ACT 1202, this report includes: (1) An analysis of the relationship between the high school courses taken and the student's score on the American College Test (ACT); (2) The number of high school graduates who are eligible for TOPS and subsequently enroll in college; (3) Persistence (retention) rates of TOPS students; (4) The number of and reasons for students losing award eligibility; (5) Graduation data; and (6) TOPS time-to-degree and degree attainment. Act 587 of the 2014 Regular Legislative Session added several additional types of information to the TOPS report, including: (1) Demographic information of program award recipients (race, gender, parent's income); (2) High school GPA and ACT scores of program award recipients grouped by mean, median, and mode; and (3) Average high school GPA and average ACT scores of those who lost the award. Overall, the findings indicated that: (1) From 2009 to 2018, 88.1% of students deemed eligible for a TOPS award accepted the award and subsequently enrolled in a postsecondary education institution in Louisiana; (2) The average ACT score of all TOPS recipients between 2009 and 2018 was 24 and the average high school GPA (Core GPA) was 3.36; (3) From 2007-2008 to 2016-2017 the majority of TOPS recipients were white (71.7%) and female (58%); (4) Students who begin college with a TOPS award persist and graduate at a higher rate than non-TOPS students; (5) The average time-to-degree for TOPS recipients pursuing an associate degree is 3.8 years vs. 5.9 years for Non-TOPS; and (6) The average time-to-degree for TOPS recipients pursuing a baccalaureate degree is 4.5 years vs 7.3 years for Non-TOPS. [For &quot;TOPS Report: Analysis of the TOPS Program from 2008-2017,&quot; see ED591716.]
Investigation the Effects of Field-Based Practicum Experience on Pre-Service Physical Education Teachers&apos; Self-Efficacy Beliefs
Author: Yilmaz, Idris
Date: 2017-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Self Efficacy,Preservice Teachers,Physical Education Teachers,Student Attitudes,Foreign Countries,Teacher Effectiveness,Practicums,Experiential Learning,Learner Engagement,Teaching Methods,Classroom Techniques

A well-established number of research has been conducted on the role of self-efficacy belief in teaching and learning environments. The goal of the study is to examine the effect of the field-based practicum experience on pre-service physical education teachers' self-efficacy beliefs within one Physical Education and Sport Science Teacher Education Program in a large urban city in Turkey. The participants were 55 (Male = 34 and Female = 21) undergraduate students who enrolled in Physical Education Program in Karadeniz Technical University in 2013-2014 semester. The current study employed pretest-posttest research design. A Turkish version of the Teacher Efficacy Scale (TES) was used to assess the pre-service teacher candidates' self-efficacy beliefs. By the end of 14-weeks the field-based teacher practicum course, the participants' self-efficacy beliefs statistically and significantly increased (t (54) = 8.95, p &lt; 0.05.) The eta squared statistic (0.59) indicated a large effect size.
The Impact of Online Supplemental Instruction on Academic Performance and Persistence in Undergraduate STEM Courses
Author: Spaniol-Mathews, Patricia
Date: 2016-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teaching Methods,Educational Innovation,Online Courses,Higher Education,STEM Education,Academic Persistence,Undergraduate Students,Conventional Instruction,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Peer Teaching,Cooperative Learning,Communities of Practice,Computer Mediated Communication,Program Effectiveness,Videoconferencing,Grades (Scholastic)

Though demonstrated as an effective strategy for enhancing academic performance and course persistence in higher education, traditional Supplemental Instruction (SI) relies on face-to-face interaction in a classroom setting. Consequently, students who have other obligations or feel apprehensive in a group setting often cannot attend traditional SI sessions. This paper focuses on an innovative alternative to traditional SI: an online SI program currently being implemented at Texas A&amp;M University-Corpus Christi (TAMUCC). This paper describes TAMUCC's online SI program and discusses results from a pilot study that compared the STEM course performance and persistence of TAMUCC undergraduates (N=585) randomly assigned to SI groups (i.e., traditional SI or online SI) in the spring semester of 2015.
Alternative Multiple Imputation Inference for Categorical Structural Equation Modeling
Author: Chung, Seungwon
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Computation,Statistical Inference,Structural Equation Models,Goodness of Fit,Item Response Theory,Social Science Research,Simulation,Equations (Mathematics),Error of Measurement

The use of item responses from questionnaire data is ubiquitous in social science research. One side effect of using such data is that researchers must often account for item level missingness. Multiple imputation (Rubin, 1987) is one of the most widely used missing data handling techniques. The traditional multiple imputation approach in structural equation modeling has a number of limitations. Motivated by Lee and Cai's (2012) approach, we propose an alternative method for conducting statistical inference from multiple imputation in categorical structural equation modeling. We examine the performance of our proposed method via a simulation study and illustrate it with one empirical data set. [This paper was published in &quot;Multivariate Behavioral Research&quot; v54 p323-337 2019.]
Evaluating Structural Equation Models for Categorical Outcomes: A New Test Statistic and a Practical Challenge of Interpretation
Author: Monroe, Scott
Date: 2015-03-18
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Structural Equation Models,Test Interpretation,Goodness of Fit,Item Response Theory,Error of Measurement,Computation

This research is concerned with two topics in assessing model fit for categorical data analysis. The first topic involves the application of a limited-information overall test, introduced in the item response theory literature, to Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) of categorical outcome variables. Most popular SEM test statistics assess how well the model reproduces estimated polychoric correlations. In contrast, limited-information test statistics assess how well the underlying categorical data are reproduced. Here, the recently introduced C[subscript 2] statistic of Cai and Monroe (2014) is applied. The second topic concerns how the Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) fit index can be affected by the number of categories in the outcome variable. This relationship creates challenges for interpreting RMSEA. While the two topics initially appear unrelated, they may conveniently be studied in tandem since RMSEA is based on an overall test statistic, such as C[subscript 2]. The results are illustrated with an empirical application to data from a large-scale educational survey. [This paper was published in &quot;Multivariate Behavioral Research&quot; v50 n6 p569-583 2015.]
Sometimes Less, Sometimes More: Trends in Career and Technical Education Participation for Students with Disabilities. Working Paper No. 220-0819
Author: Theobald, Roddy
Date: 2019-08-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Students with Disabilities,Vocational Education,Educational Trends,STEM Education,Occupations,Student Participation,Longitudinal Studies,Disabilities,Educational Legislation,Equal Education,Federal Legislation,High School Students,Postsecondary Education,Course Selection (Students)

We leverage nationally representative data and statewide data from Washington to investigate trends in occupational career and technical education (CTE) participation for students with and without disabilities. Consistent with prior work, we document declines in occupational CTE participation since the early 2000s, and provide the first empirical evidence that students with disabilities disproportionately contributed to this decline. But we also show that occupational CTE participation has stabilized for all students in the past decade in Washington, and that participation by students with disabilities in applied science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (applied STEMM) CTE courses has increased since the early 2000s. These trends are encouraging given prior evidence linking applied STEMM-CTE participation to better long-term outcomes for students with disabilities.
CALL and Complexity: Short Papers from EuroCALL 2019 (27th, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, August 28-31, 2019)
Author: Meunier, Fanny, Ed.
Date: 2019-12-00
Type: Books
Subjects: Computer Assisted Instruction,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Teaching Methods,Faculty Development,Teacher Education,Language Teachers,Accuracy,Language Fluency,Computer Simulation,Computer Games,Computational Linguistics,Computer Mediated Communication,Natural Language Processing,Conferences (Gatherings)

The 27th European Association of Computer-Assisted Language Learning (EUROCALL) conference was hosted by UCLouvain in Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium), in collaboration with KU Leuven, from the 28th to the 31st of August 2019. The theme selected for the 2019 EuroCALL conference held in Louvain-la-Neuve was &quot;CALL and complexity.&quot; As languages are known to be intrinsically and linguistically complex, as are the many determinants of learning (additional) languages, conference organizers wanted to view complexity as a challenge to be embraced collectively. The 2019 conference paid tribute to providers of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) solutions and recognized the complexity of their task, acknowledged the notion of complexity to ensure the provision of ad hoc CALL solutions, and drew both learners' and teachers' attention to complexity issues so that they can make the most of their learning/teaching experience. The conference program included 189 paper presentations, 4 symposia, 10 workshops, and 46 posters. All of these activities were divided into the following sub-themes in CALL: social inclusion, computer mediated communication and telecollaboration, corpora and language learning, digital bi- and multi-literacies, digital game-based language learning, intelligent CALL, mobile assisted language learning, natural language processing applications, open educational resources and practices, research trends, second language acquisition principles, task complexity, teacher education and professional development, the complexity, accuracy, and fluency framework, and virtual reality and gamification.
Government-Funded Students and Courses, January to June 2019. Australian Vocational Education and Training Statistics
Author: National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) (Australia)
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Vocational Education,Federal Aid,Federal Programs,Enrollment Rate,School Statistics,Tables (Data),Student Characteristics,Institutional Characteristics,Statistical Data,Geographic Distribution,Profiles

This report covers Commonwealth and state/territory government-funded training (Commonwealth or state recurrent funding, Commonwealth specific purpose funding or state specific funding). This publication provides a summary of data relating to estimated students, programs, subjects and training providers in Australia's government-funded vocational education and training (VET) system. Data are presented by the state or territory that administered the funding of the training activity.
Striving Readers Project. Intent to Treat Descriptive Variable Analyses
Author: Kundert, Deborah K.
Date: 2012-06-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Reading Difficulties,Partnerships in Education,Literacy,Early Adolescents,Supplementary Education,Intervention,Middle School Students,Grade 7,Reading Instruction,Student Motivation,Sequential Approach,Teacher Characteristics,Student Characteristics,Institutional Characteristics,State Standards,Scores,Program Implementation,Reading Programs

The New York State Education Department, in partnership with the New York City Department of Education, developed a &quot;Striving Readers project&quot; to address the literacy needs of early adolescent struggling readers in middle school. The goal of the project was to implement and examine the impact of a one-year comprehensive supplemental literacy intervention offered in New York City middle schools. The 11 schools included in the study were drawn from 4 of the 5 boroughs of New York City, and were relatively homogeneous. Most were primarily male, and Hispanic/Latino. Furthermore, the majority of the students represented diverse backgrounds. The schools served grades 6-8, though ranged in size as well as number of teachers. The sample students were chosen from the pool who had earned scores of 2 on the 2009-2010 New York State English Language Arts (NYS-ELA) exam. The 11 participating schools had smaller percentages of students receiving passing scores on the exam. Similarly, most of the schools had fewer students earning a passing score on the 2009-2010 New York State Math (NYS-Math) exam. This report reflects comparability of the treatment and control students prior to program implementation. Students were compared on the individual level as well as on building, teacher, and classroom levels.
Results from the 2016 Census: Education and Labour Market Successes and Challenges for Children of Immigrant Parents. Insights on Canadian Society
Author: Turcotte, Martin
Date: 2019-11-15
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Labor Market,Immigrants,Economic Development,Public Policy,Role of Education,Outcomes of Education,Adolescents,Employment Level,Wages,Young Adults,Postsecondary Education,Academic Degrees,Higher Education,Parent Background,Educational Attainment,Geographic Regions,College Graduates

In Canada, one of the objectives of immigration policies is to promote Canada's economic growth and prosperity. In light of this objective, education plays an important role in the selection process for prospective immigrants, meaning that many immigrants have postsecondary qualifications. This summary highlights results from a larger report that discusses the outcomes of children of immigrant parents from different regions and compares them with those of children of Canadian-born parents. Based on integrated data from the 2006 and 2016 censuses, the study examines the educational outcomes of a cohort of children with an immigrant background who were aged 13 to 17 in 2006, and the employment earnings of young adults who had immigrant parents. [For the comprehensive report on the outcomes of children of immigrant parents, &quot;Education and Labour Market Outcomes of Children with an Immigrant Background by Their Region of Origin. Ethnicity, Language and Immigration Thematic Series,&quot; see ED600858.]
Semi-Parametric Item Response Functions in the Context of Guessing
Author: Falk, Carl F.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Item Response Theory,Guessing (Tests),Mathematics Tests,Simulation,Algebra,Mathematical Formulas,Educational Assessment,Probability,Multiple Choice Tests,Computation

We present a logistic function of a monotonic polynomial with a lower asymptote, allowing additional flexibility beyond the three-parameter logistic model. We develop a maximum marginal likelihood based approach to estimate the item parameters. The new item response model is demonstrated on math assessment data from a state, and a computationally efficient strategy for choosing the order of the polynomial is demonstrated. Finally, our approach is tested through simulations and compared to response function estimation using smoothed isotonic regression. Results indicate that our approach can result in small gains in item response function recovery and latent trait estimation. [This paper was published in &quot;Journal of Educational Measurement&quot; v53 n2 p229-247 2016 (EJ1102997).]