ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Becoming Adults: One-Year Impact Findings from the Youth Villages Transitional Living Evaluation
Author: Valentine, Erin Jacobs
Date: 2015-05-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Transitional Programs,Independent Living,Program Evaluation,Young Adults,Foster Care,Juvenile Justice,Outcomes of Treatment,Outcomes of Education,Income,Housing,Economic Status,Well Being,Participation,Caseworker Approach,Counseling,School Readiness,High School Equivalency Programs,Money Management,Daily Living Skills

The &quot;Youth Villages Transitional Living Evaluation&quot; is testing whether the &quot;Transitional Living&quot; program, operated by the social service organization Youth Villages, makes a difference in the lives of young people with histories of foster care or juvenile justice custody. The program, which was renamed &quot;YVLifeSet&quot; in April 2015, is intended to help these young people make a successful transition to adulthood by providing intensive, individualized, and clinically focused case management, support, and counseling. This is the second major report in the evaluation. An earlier report provides a detailed description of the &quot;Transitional Living&quot; program model and assesses its implementation. This second report assesses whether the program affected key outcomes during the first year after young people enrolled in the study. After one year, the program increased earnings, reduced homelessness and material hardship, and improved outcomes related to health and safety. These findings set the stage for additional analysis using a second year of follow-up data and an assessment of the program's benefits relative to its costs. Those results will be available in 2016. Appendices to this report include: (1) Survey Response Bias Analysis and (2) Definitions of the Scales Used in This Report. [See First Report and Policy Brief in ERIC: &quot;Moving into Adulthood: Implementation Findings from the Youth Villages Transitional Living Evaluation,&quot; (Manno, Michelle; Jacobs, Erin; Alson, Julianna; Skemer, Melanie), at ED545451, and &quot;After Foster Care and Juvenile Justice: A Preview of the Youth Villages Transitional Living Evaluation. Policy Brief&quot; (Muller-Ravett, Sara; Jacobs, Erin) at ED531545.]
Developing Positive Young Adults: Lessons from Two Decades of YouthBuild Programs
Author: Ferguson, Ronald F.
Date: 2015-05-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Young Adults,Youth Programs,Adult Development,Self Concept,Program Effectiveness,Surveys,Administrators,Administrator Attitudes,Change

Youth development is a cornerstone of the YouthBuild program, which provides job skills training, academic support, counseling, and leadership opportunities to low-income, out-of-school young adults. This report presents findings from two separate research efforts that shed light on the process of youth transformation and identity development in YouthBuild. The first paper, &quot;A Framework for Understanding Identity Development: Findings from YouthBuild Programs,&quot; written in 1997 by Ronald F. Ferguson and Jason Snipes, is based on a formative evaluation of early YouthBuild programs between 1991 and 1994. In that evaluation, participants described themselves as more efficacious, optimistic, and morally upright after participating in the program for a year. Young adults whom Ferguson and Snipes interviewed spoke often of deep personal transformations not only in their own identities but also in relationships with friends, family, and community. The second paper, &quot;Transforming Youth from the Inside Out Program: Directors' Views of YouthBuild's Potential,&quot; presents the findings from a 2014 survey of YouthBuild program directors across the country and shows that the themes Ferguson and Snipes set forth continue to resonate.
Moving down the Track: Changing School Practices during the Second Year of &quot;Diplomas Now&quot;
Author: Sepanik, Susan
Date: 2015-05-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Urban Schools,Secondary Schools,Dropout Prevention,College Readiness,Postsecondary Education,Employment Qualifications,Educational Change,Models,At Risk Students,Fidelity,Program Effectiveness,Secondary School Students,Career Readiness,Grants,Intervention,Attendance Patterns,Student Behavior,Academic Achievement,Dropouts,Control Groups,Experimental Groups,Teacher Surveys,Interviews,Focus Groups,Case Studies,Graduation Rate,Teamwork,Partnerships in Education,Teacher Attitudes,Educational Environment,Student Needs,Surveys,Administrator Attitudes,Communities of Practice,Professional Development,Grade 6,Grade 9,Comparative Analysis,Middle Schools,High Schools,Program Evaluation

Too many students in high-poverty, urban communities drop out of high school, and too few graduate prepared for college and careers. Three national organizations--Talent Development Secondary, City Year, and Communities In Schools--have formed &quot;Diplomas Now&quot; in an effort to transform urban secondary schools so fewer students drop out and more graduate ready for postsecondary education and work. The model combines a comprehensive school reform strategy aimed at transforming the academic experience of all students with early warning indicators related to attendance, behavior, and course performance. By identifying students at risk of dropping out and intervening with targeted support, &quot;Diplomas Now&quot; attempts to get failing students back on track. This second report shares second-year implementation fidelity findings, looks at the differences in school structure and staff practice between schools implementing and not implementing the program, and presents analyses of qualitative data that delve deeper into contextual issues and the integration of the program into the schools. Appendices to the report include: (1) Supplementary Materials for Fidelity of Implementation Analyses, (2) Service Contrast Supplemental Materials, and (3) Qualitative Data from Case Study Sites. (Additional funding was provided by Ballmer Family Giving.) [See the First Year Report: &quot;Laying Tracks to Graduation: The First Year of Implementing Diplomas Now&quot; at ED546638.]
The Types and Nature of Questions vis-à-vis Students' Test-Taking Skills as Significant Indicators of Second Language Examinees? Performance on the TOEFL-ITP Reading Comprehension Sub-Test
Author: Perez-Amurao, Analiza
Date: 2011-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Language Tests,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Reading Achievement,Scores,Correlation,Reading Tests,Test Preparation,Reading Skills,Qualitative Research,Statistical Analysis,Difficulty Level,Journal Writing,Interviews,Second Language Instruction,Teaching Methods,Learning Processes,Foreign Countries,Secondary School Students,College Admission,Universities

This study examines the reading performance of selected students at the Pre-College program of the Mahidol University International College (PC-MUIC) as they are required to attain a score of 520 in the TOEFL-ITP (or equivalent performance in IELTS) to enter MUIC. Specifically, this research aims to evaluate whether the reading skills that examinees possess correlate with successful performance on the Reading Comprehension sub-test of the TOEFL-ITP. Only TOEFL-ITP Reading Comprehension Sub-test performance has been considered in this study as IELTS is not taught or administered in the Pre-College program. This study makes use of descriptive qualitative-quantitative design relying heavily on the following instruments for data collection: Commercial-based test-prep texts (Reading Comprehension Sub-section), Schraw and Roedel's Levels of Difficulty (1994), the researcher's modification of said band, the respondents' scores per question type, tabulations of the respondents' scores based on the levels of difficulty of the items and the question types used in the test, focused interviews with the respondents, and retrospective journal entries of the researcher. This study aims to shed light on issues surrounding how second language learners' reading skills affect performance on standardized tests such as TOEFL. This study specifically seeks to provide MUIC PC instructors empirical data that would help them understand their own students' reading difficulties which, consequentially, will aid them address teaching-learning issues.
A Career Approach to GED Instruction
Author: MDRC
Date: 2015-04-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: High School Equivalency Programs,Models,Curriculum Design,Transitional Programs,Career Development,Postsecondary Education,Enrollment Rate

Nearly 39 million adults in the United States lack a valid high school credential and face a significant barrier to both higher education and employment opportunities. High school equivalency exams, primarily the General Educational Development (GED) exam, are the primary gateway to college for high school dropouts, but relatively few people are able to pass these exams each year, and most of those who obtain a credential fail to complete even one year of postsecondary education or training. Adult education policymakers and practitioners are searching for ways to improve the quality of GED preparation programs and create paths from those programs to postsecondary education or training, and ultimately to careers. MDRC is currently evaluating a program model that includes the basic tenets of the career pathway approach: The career-focused GED curriculum model aims to improve high school credentialing and college entry rates. It offers a contextualized, career-focused GED curriculum, while supporting students in their transition to college or training. In this model, the &quot;pathway&quot; is sequential in that it focuses on first getting students the high school credential and then helping them transition to college. It is especially useful in states where a high school credential is required to enroll in public postsecondary institutions. To this end, MDRC has evaluated the contextualized, career-focused GED curriculum model once already at LaGuardia Community College in New York City, through its program called GED Bridge to Health and Business. The results there were very positive. It is now evaluating a similar version at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College.
Services for Families of Infants and Toddlers Experiencing Trauma. A Research-to-Practice Brief. OPRE Report 2015-14
Author: Harden, Branda Jones
Date: 2015-01-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Infants,Toddlers,Trauma,Family Programs,At Risk Persons,Child Development,Child Rearing,Intervention,Parent Role,Family Environment,Child Safety,Early Intervention,Child Care,Home Visits,Child Welfare,Delivery Systems,Attachment Behavior,Psychotherapy,Family Counseling,Parent Child Relationship,Counseling Techniques,Psychological Patterns,Screening Tests,Mental Health

Infancy is a time of extreme opportunity, but it is also a time of extreme vulnerability, particularly for those reared in high-risk environments. Although infant exposure to any risk is important to understand, this brief focuses on the experience and impact of &quot;trauma,&quot; defined as witnessing or experiencing an event that poses a real or perceived threat. Beginning life in the context of trauma places infants and toddlers on a compromised developmental path. Because of this, the impact of trauma on infants and toddlers can be particularly harmful. On the other hand, the developmental plasticity (i.e., the potential for developmental change in response to the environment) during this early period of life may allow infants and toddlers to rebound from these traumatic experiences, particularly if they experience &quot;stable, nurturing caregiving.&quot; The author briefly summarizes what is known about the impact of trauma on infants and toddlers, and the intervention strategies that could potentially protect them from the adverse consequences of traumatic experiences. She focuses on interventions that support parents in providing the stable and nurturing caregiving that is responsive to the child's general developmental needs and that promotes children's sense of safety and security. Such interventions may reduce or provide a buffer against infants' traumatic experiences. Finally, the author considers how child care, Early Head Start, home visitation, and child welfare can become trauma-informed infant/toddler service delivery systems.
Basic Facts about Low-Income Children: Children under 18 Years, 2013. Fact Sheet
Author: Jiang, Yang
Date: 2015-01-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Poverty,At Risk Persons,Children,Low Income Groups,Adolescents,Family Income,Educational Attainment,Parent Background,Employment Level,Racial Differences,Ethnic Groups,Correlation,Socioeconomic Influences,Demography,Geographic Location,Parents,Disadvantaged Youth,Age Differences,Family Structure,Ownership,Housing,Health Insurance

Children under 18 years represent 23 percent of the population, but they comprise 33 percent of all people in poverty. Among all children, 44 percent live in low-income families and approximately one in every five (22 percent) live in poor families. Being a child in a low-income or poor family does not happen by chance. Parental education and employment, race/ethnicity, and other factors are associated with children experiencing economic insecurity. This fact sheet describes the demographic, socio-economic, and geographic characteristics of children and their parents. It highlights the important factors that appear to distinguish low-income and poor children from their less disadvantaged counterparts. The following questions were addressed: (1) How many children under age 18 years in the United States live in low-income families?; (2) Has the percentage of children living in low-income and poor families changed over time?; (3) How do children compare to the rest of the population?; (4) Does the percentage of children in low-income families vary by children's age?; (5) Does the percentage of children in low-income families vary by race/ethnicity?; (6) Does the percentage of children in low-income families vary by parents' nativity?; (7) What are the family characteristics of low-income and poor children?; (8) Does the percentage of children in low-income families vary by where they live?; and (9) Are children in low-income families covered by health insurance?
Case Management for Students at Risk of Dropping Out: Implementation and Interim Impact Findings from the Communities in Schools Evaluation
Author: Corrin, William
Date: 2015-04-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Caseworker Approach,At Risk Students,High School Students,Potential Dropouts,Dropout Prevention,Program Evaluation,Student Personnel Services,Program Implementation,Outcomes of Education,Student Improvement,Attendance,Academic Failure,Coordinators,Community Coordination,Social Support Groups,Interpersonal Competence,Identification,Needs Assessment

Too many students drop out and never earn their high school diploma. For students at risk of dropping out, academic, social, and other supports may help. &quot;Communities In Schools&quot; seeks to organize and provide these supports to at-risk students in the nation's poorest-performing schools, including through &quot;case-managed&quot; services. This report, the first of two from a random assignment evaluation of &quot;Communities In Schools&quot; case management, focuses primarily on the implementation of case management in 28 secondary schools during the 2012-2013 school year. The report also includes interim one-year findings about case management's impact on student outcomes. The report concludes with suggestions for improvement for &quot;Communities In Schools&quot; based mainly on the implementation findings. The next report will present two-year impact findings and more about the implementation of case management in the 2013-2014 school year. Appended to the report are: (1) Statistical Model and Statistical Power; and (2) Sample and Response Analysis.
College Match Advising for the Moderate- and High-Achieving Student: Promoting Knowledge, Sharing Advice, and Giving Support. College Match Issue Focus
Author: MDRC
Date: 2015-04-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: College Bound Students,Academic Achievement,Student Needs,Academic Advising,Low Income Groups,At Risk Students,First Generation College Students,Enrollment,Intervention,High School Students,Graduation Rate,College Applicants,Minority Group Students

There is broad consensus that our nation must increase the number of low-income and first-generation students who enroll in and complete college, yet many academically capable low-income students enroll in nonselective four-year and two-year colleges where graduation rates are low and where they are less likely to succeed; others fail to enroll at all. For four years the College Match pilot program placed &quot;near-peer&quot; advisers--trained advisers who are recent college graduates--in a select number of low-income high schools where they delivered crucial information, supported students as they navigated the college and financial aid application process, and helped them and their parents make informed decisions about college selection and enrollment. Here several former advisers reflect on the range of issues facing the students they advised, and describe their efforts to provide informed advice and encouragement to students who may unknowingly underestimate their college options.
Using Astronomical Photographs to Investigate Misconceptions about Galaxies and Spectra: Question Development for Clicker Use
Author: Lee, Hyunju
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Astronomy,Misconceptions,Investigations,Introductory Courses,College Students,Questioning Techniques,Item Banks,Audience Response Systems,Student Surveys,Multiple Choice Tests,Visual Aids,Spatial Ability,Familiarity,Knowledge Level,Scientific Literacy

Many topics in introductory astronomy at the college or high-school level rely implicitly on using astronomical photographs and visual data in class. However, students bring many preconceptions to their understanding of these materials that ultimately lead to misconceptions, and the research about students' interpretation of astronomical images has been scarcely conducted. In this study we probed college students' understanding of astronomical photographs and visual data about galaxies and spectra, and developed a set of concept questions based on their common misconceptions. The study was conducted mainly in three successive surveys: (1) open-ended questions looking for students' ideas and common misconceptions; (2) combined multiple-choice and open-ended questions seeking to explore student reasoning and to improve concept questions for clickers; and (3) a finalized version of the concept questions used to investigate the strength of each misconception among the students in introductory astronomy courses. Here this study reports on the procedures and the development of the concept questions with the investigated common misconceptions about galaxies and spectra. We also provide the set of developed questions for teachers and instructors seeking to implement in their classes for the purpose of formative assessment with the use of classroom response systems. These questions would help them recognize the gap between their teaching and students' understanding, and ultimately improve teaching of the concepts. [This paper was published in &quot;Physical Review Special Topics - Physics Education Research v11 n2 p020101-1-020101-11 Jul-Dec 2011 (EJ1069912).]
Four-Year Effects on Degree Receipt and Employment Outcomes from a Performance-Based Scholarship Program in Ohio
Author: Mayer, Alexander K.
Date: 2015-04-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Scholarships,Student Financial Aid,Community Colleges,Two Year College Students,Intervention,Control Groups,Experimental Groups,Comparative Analysis,Low Income Groups,Parents,Family Income,Mothers,Academic Achievement,Academic Degrees,Employment Level,Outcomes of Education,Wages,Salaries,Program Effectiveness,Time to Degree,Student Surveys,Student Characteristics,Grants,Student Loan Programs

A college degree is often viewed as a key step toward better employment and higher earnings. Many community college students, however, never graduate and cannot reap the financial benefits associated with a college degree. Although existing research suggests that financial aid interventions can modestly improve students' short-term academic outcomes, there is little rigorous evidence on the critical question of whether such interventions improve graduation rates or employment outcomes. This study helps to fill that gap by using a randomized controlled trial involving over 2,000 community college students. It focuses on low-income parents, most of whom are low-income mothers. The study includes four years of post-random assignment data to examine the long-term impact of a performance-based scholarship program--financial aid that is contingent on academic performance--on degree receipt, employment, and earnings. The findings provide evidence that the program decreased the time it took students to earn a degree, but the findings do not provide evidence that the program increased employment or earnings by the end of the study period.
Maria Montessori on the Natural Formation of Character in Young Children
Author: Murphy, Madonna
Date: 2003-01-17
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Montessori Method,Montessori Schools,Early Childhood Education,Child Development,Citizenship Education,Caring,Altruism,Educational Philosophy,Young Children,Role of Education,Moral Values

This paper examines this issue of character formation from the perspective of Maria Montessori. Her method has much to offer in developing more peaceful classrooms and helping to develop compassionate and caring citizens. Maria Montessori developed a complete philosophy of education based on her discovery that the child has a mind able to absorb on its own. This discovery revolutionized early childhood education because she found that this special psychic force which helped the little child to develop--not only language, but also their whole personality--was common in all children no matter what their culture, nation, society, and religion. Maria considered herself a citizen of the world with a message for all humanity. If we synthesize her main ideas and apply them to education today, she would tell us that in 21st century society and family life does not allow children to do meaningful work. Too much time is spent in front of the television, the video games and on the computer. Children pass their time but they do not engage in real work or creative play. They do not develop their own character, instead they are bombarded with examples of poor characters. Is it any surprise that children become violent, withdrawn and listless? If we implement the philosophy of Maria Montessori in all schools, children at each developmental period will be allowed to work in meaningful ways and make a contribution to society. Children will yearn to serve others and to make life more pleasant for others through their work. In this way we will find our classrooms purposeful and peaceful and we will develop compassionate and caring citizens.