ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Broadening the Definition of College and Career Readiness: A Holistic Approach. ACT Research Report Series, 2014 (5)
Author: Mattern, Krista
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Definitions,Career Readiness,College Readiness,Holistic Approach,Research Reports,Barriers,Educational Benefits,Relevance (Education),Failure,Program Effectiveness,Multidimensional Scaling,Educational Indicators,Evaluation Methods,Evaluation Problems,Predictor Variables,Accountability,Student Centered Curriculum,Elementary Secondary Education,Educational Change,Change Strategies,Educational Needs,Skill Development,Job Skills,Education Work Relationship,Developmentally Appropriate Practices,Educational Practices,Educational Strategies

A hallmark of the US education system is the opportunity afforded to students to pursue education and career paths of their own choosing. This flexibility and autonomy, however, has drawbacks. Students must navigate a series of complex and often disconnected environments, as well as numerous decision points, before they attain a fulfilling career. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that while core academic skills are necessary, they are not sufficient for academic and workplace success, and that a holistic approach to College and Career Readiness is needed. This paper is divided into five sections. Section 1 summarizes the current evidence on both the importance of having a well-educated nation and the reality that the current educational system is leaving a large percentage of students unprepared for college and work. Potential solutions to better foster College and Career Readiness are proposed, Section 2 describes previous attempts to operationalize College and Career Readiness and their limitations, notably the narrow focus on core academic skills, Section 3 includes a review of the existing empirical evidence on the predictors of educational and workplace success, and clearly indicates that success in education and at work is a function of a wide range of cognitive and noncognitive skills, Section 4 addresses some of the barriers that have impeded the inclusion of noncognitive skills in definitions, assessments, and reporting of College and Career Readiness. Section 5 describes ACT's move toward a more holistic approach to College and Career Readiness.
A Review of State Test Security Laws in 2013. ACT Research Report Series, 2014 (1)
Author: Croft, Michelle
Date: 2014-04-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Research Reports,State Policy,State Regulation,Achievement Tests,State Programs,Safety,Best Practices,Testing Programs,Testing Problems,State Surveys,Prevention,Staff Development,Investigations,Sanctions,Educational Malpractice,Testing,Educational Administration,Elementary Secondary Education,Laws

Test security has increased in importance in the last few years given high-profile cases of educator misconduct. This paper provides a review of state test security statutes and regulations related to statewide achievement testing using as a framework recent best practices reports by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the National Council for Measurement in Education (NCME), and the Technical Issues in Large Scale Assessment (TILSA) group within the Council of Chief State School Officers. The review indicates that many states have laws related to preventing test security breaches, but few specify detection or investigation methods. The appendix contains: &quot;Test Security Laws.&quot;
A Comparison of Three Methods for Computing Scale Score Conditional Standard Errors of Measurement. ACT Research Report Series, 2013 (7)
Author: Woodruff, David
Date: 2013-10-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Comparative Analysis,Error of Measurement,Scores,Scaling,Computation,Methods,Test Theory,Item Response Theory,College Entrance Examinations,Educational Testing

Professional standards for educational testing recommend that both the overall standard error of measurement and the conditional standard error of measurement (CSEM) be computed on the score scale used to report scores to examinees. Several methods have been developed to compute scale score CSEMs. This paper compares three methods, based on classical test theory, item response theory, and the four-parameter beta compound binomial model. The three methods are compared using data from a single form of the ACT® College Readiness Assessment. The results indicate that all three methods produce comparable results. Figures A-1 through A-8 are contained in the appendix.
A Comparison of Four Linear Equating Methods for the Common-Item Nonequivalent Groups Design Using Simulation Methods. ACT Research Report Series, 2013 (2)
Author: Topczewski, Anna
Date: 2013-04-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Comparative Analysis,Equated Scores,Methods,Simulation,Item Response Theory,Accuracy,Sampling,Sample Size,Mathematics Tests,Language Tests,English

This paper investigates four methods of linear equating under the common item nonequivalent groups design. Three of the methods are well known: Tucker, Angoff-Levine, and Congeneric-Levine. A fourth method is presented as a variant of the Congeneric-Levine method. Using simulation data generated from the three-parameter logistic IRT model we compare the accuracy of the four methods under a variety of conditions involving group differences between the old and new groups. The sampling properties of the methods' parameter estimates are also investigated. The results indicate that the Tucker method is less accurate than the other three methods when group differences exist, especially when sample size is large (800). However, the Tucker method's gamma has the smallest sampling error, especially when sample size is small. Appended are: (1) Tables A1-A8; and (2) Figures B-1 through B-7.
Differential Effects of Using ACT® College Readiness Assessment Scores and High School GPA to Predict First-Year College GPA among Racial/Ethnic, Gender, and Income Groups. ACT Research Report Series, 2013 (4)
Author: Sanchez, Edgar I.
Date: 2013-07-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: College Readiness,Scores,Grade Point Average,High School Students,College Admission,Selective Admission,Racial Differences,Ethnic Groups,Gender Differences,Income,Cutting Scores,Predictor Variables,College Freshmen,Probability,Educational Attainment,Statistical Analysis,White Students,African American Students,Hispanic American Students,Student Records,Enrollment,Public Colleges,Institutional Characteristics,Geographic Location,Regression (Statistics),Two Year College Students,College Students,Two Year Colleges

This study examines the differential effects on student subgroups of using the ACT® College Readiness Assessment Composite (ACTC) score and high school grade point average (HSGPA) for making admission decisions. The subgroup characteristics investigated include race/ethnicity, gender, and income. For each student subgroup, we examine the effect of using a total group cut point for ACTC score, HSGPA, or both to predict first-year college grade point average (FYGPA) and the estimated effects of using these predictors to make admission decisions. The data for the study consisted of over 137,000 first-year entering students from 259 two- and four-year institutions and over 498,000 nonenrolled students. The present research estimates the probability of attainment of a specific level of success in college. We also utilize validity statistics at specific cutoff values to evaluate the effects on dichotomous outcomes. Across student subgroups, the joint use of ACTC score and HSGPA resulted in greater prediction accuracy than when either predictor was used alone. Furthermore, the use of a total group cutoff score for both ACTC score and HSGPA slightly over predict the probability of success of Hispanic and African-American students, males, and lower-income students. Both ACTC score and HSGPA slightly underpredict the probability of success of White students, females, and higher-income students. These findings suggest, therefore, that African American, Hispanic, and lower-income students are not disadvantaged by the use of a total-group cutoff for making admission decisions.
A Research Experience Using Portfolios for Assessing College Teaching
Author: Cisneros-Cohernour, Edith J.
Date: 2014-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Portfolio Assessment,Evaluation Methods,Teacher Competencies,College Faculty,Portfolios (Background Materials),Teaching Skills,Workshops,Statistical Analysis,Scoring Rubrics,Teacher Improvement

In this article, we use the findings of a study conducted in a university in the southeast of Mexico to examine strengths and limitations of portfolios to assess formatively the quality of teaching. The research is part of the study: Model for the Development and Evaluation of Academic Competencies, involving researchers from six Mexican universities. Findings of the study indicate that the use of portfolio allowed faculty members to collect evidence of the quality of their work, analyze their classroom instruction and began to involve in a dialogue for improving teaching.
The Condition of Work Readiness in the United States
Author: LeFebvre, Mary
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Career Readiness,Job Skills,Educational Assessment,Statistical Data,Mathematics Skills,Locational Skills (Social Studies),Information Skills,Labor Force Development,Educational Attainment,Race,Ethnicity,Benchmarking,Employment Projections,Demand Occupations,High School Students,Knowledge Level

ACT has issued a series of reports concerning the role of skills in today's job market and the growing importance they play in predicting workplace success. This is the third report in the series. This report highlights the levels of work readiness for various subgroups of an estimated 4 million ACT WorkKeys® examinees in the United States and provides ACT Work Ready Standards and Benchmarks for targeted occupations over the next 8-10 years. Data are presented for ACT WorkKeys examinees from 2006-2011 for three cognitive assessments: Reading for Information, Applied Mathematics, and Locating Information. These three skills have been consistently identified as important for success in a broad range of jobs, making them &quot;essential&quot; foundational skills. Occupational profiles in the ACT JobPro® database were used to determine work readiness benchmarks for three selected groups of targeted occupations (those projected to be in demand, growing, and high paying) and grouped into three education categories (high, middle, and low). This report investigated the assumption that individuals with a given level of education have the requisite skills for occupations requiring that level of education. A gap analysis was conducted to compare examinees by education group for occupations requiring similar levels of education for entry into employment. &quot;Skills gap&quot; was defined as a gap between the skills needed for a job requiring a given level of education versus those skills possessed by workers with that level of education. [For the first report in the series, &quot;A Better Measure of Skills Gaps: Utilizing ACT Skill Profile and Assessment Data for Strategic Skill Research,&quot; see ED523298. For the second report in the series, &quot;Work Readiness Standards and Benchmarks: The Key to Differentiating America's Workforce and Regaining Global Competitiveness,&quot; see ED546848. The following author's provided support and contribution in writing this report: Hope Clark, assistant vice president of workforce research, ACT; Kurt Burkum, director of policy research, ACT; and Tobin Kyte, principal research associate, ACT.]
The Condition of STEM 2014. National
Author: ACT, Inc.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: STEM Education,College Entrance Examinations,Science Interests,Student Interests,Majors (Students),Science Achievement,Occupational Aspiration,Academic Aspiration,Mathematics Achievement,College Readiness,Gender Differences,Teaching (Occupation),High School Graduates,Benchmarking,Reading Achievement,Language Arts,English,Racial Differences,Ethnic Groups,African American Students,Asian American Students,American Indian Students,Pacific Islanders,Hispanic American Students,White Students,Multiracial Persons,Parent Background,Computer Science,Medicine,Allied Health Occupations,Engineering,Information Technology,Geographic Location

ACT has been a leader in measuring college and career readiness trends since 1959. Each August, they release &quot;The Condition of College &amp; Career Readiness&quot; (www.act.org/newsroom/data/2014), their annual report on the progress of the ACT-tested graduating class relative to college readiness. Nationally, 57% of the 2014 graduating class took the ACT® college readiness assessment. The continued increase of test takers enhances the breadth and depth of the data pool, providing a comprehensive picture of the current college readiness levels of the graduating class as well as offering a glimpse of the emerging national educational and STEM pipeline. It also allows the review of various aspects of the ACT-tested 2014 graduating class. This report reviews the graduating class in the context of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics)-related fields. ACT is uniquely positioned to deliver this report for two key reasons. First is our commitment to science by the inclusion of subject-level science tests in our assessments. Second is our research-based measure of interests, the ACT Interest Inventory, which is delivered with the ACT and determines inherent interest in occupations and majors. With the inventory, we can determine student interest levels in specific STEM fields and, more importantly, readiness in math and science among students interested in STEM careers. The report breaks the graduating class into three STEM-related cohorts: (1) Students who have an expressed and measured interest in STEM; (2) Students who have an expressed interest only--those who chose a major or occupation (out of the 294 listed in the Standard Profile Section of the ACT) that corresponds with STEM fields; and (3) Students who have a measured interest only--those who indicated STEM interest on the ACT Interest Inventory.
Interpreting Changes over Time in High School Average ACT® College Readiness Assessment Composite Scores and ACT College Readiness Benchmark Attainment Rates. ACT Research Report Series, 2013 (9)
Author: Sawyer, Richard
Date: 2013-12-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: College Readiness,College Entrance Examinations,High School Students,Statistical Analysis,Trend Analysis,Scores,Benchmarking,Predictor Variables,Accountability,Tests,Grades (Scholastic),Evaluation Methods,Student Records,Comparative Analysis,Student Characteristics,Models

Education officials and journalists frequently track changes over time in the average ACT® College Readiness Assessment Composite scores and ACT College Readiness Benchmark attainment rates of individual high schools. Using standard statistical methods, I examined how often changes in these statistics are unambiguously positive or negative, rather than plausibly due to chance (random variation). I studied two-year differences, five-year trends, ten-year trends, and the difference between the most recent five-year period and the preceding five-year period. For a large majority of high schools, changes over the time periods studied were ambiguous: They could plausibly be attributed to random variation among student cohorts. For example, two-year differences in the average ACT Composite score were plausibly due to chance at 91% of schools; five-year trends were plausibly due to chance at 79% of schools; and ten-year trends were plausibly due to chance at 64% of schools. This result is also true of changes adjusted for student background characteristics and prior achievement. As one would expect, unambiguous changes tend to be large and based on large numbers of ACT-tested students. This report describes simple ways for school officials to predict whether observed changes are unambiguous without doing a formal statistical analysis. Tables are appended.
Development and Validation of Information Technology Mentor Teacher Attitude Scale: A Pilot Study
Author: Saltan, Fatih
Date: 2015-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Information Technology,Mentors,Teacher Attitudes,Attitude Measures,Rating Scales,Technology Integration,Measures (Individuals),Public Schools,Elementary Schools,Elementary School Teachers,Computer Attitudes,Questionnaires,Reliability,Factor Analysis,Correlation,Interviews

The aim of this study development and validation of a teacher attitude scale toward Information Technology Mentor Teachers (ITMT). ITMTs give technological support to other teachers for integration of technology in their lessons. In the literature, many instruments have been developed to measure teachers' attitudes towards the technological tools and instructional technology but almost none proposed to collect information about their attitudes towards ICT coordinators. Perception of teachers is very important because ICT support can play a crucial role in developing positive teacher attitudes toward technology and also successful implementation of technology in curricula. Most of the schools have expensive technological equipment but many teachers have been frustrated by lack of support in integrating these technologies into their classroom. In this regard, in order to evaluate teachers' attitudes toward information technology mentor teachers, an attitude scale with 21 items was prepared by considering related literature, expert opinions and interview results. The scale was administered to 40 teachers form a public elementary school. Based upon the factor and reliability analysis, teacher attitude scale toward ITMT has been developed with 17 items and three factors. Coefficient alpha values belong to each subscales, confidence, willingness and efficacy were 0.88, 0.80 and 0.87 respectively. Appendix A presents the Correlation Matrix.
Analyzing Disciplinary Punishments in High Schools in Terms of Different Variables in Turkish Education System
Author: Ergün, Muammer
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Discipline,Secondary School Students,High School Students,Statistical Analysis,Punishment,Violence,Secondary School Teachers,Inservice Teacher Education,Behavior Change,Preservice Teacher Education,Conflict Resolution,Student Behavior,Behavior Problems,Records (Forms),Gender Differences,Institutional Characteristics,Age Differences

This study examined the disciplinary behaviors displayed at secondary education institutions located in Turkey and the disciplinary punishments imposed for those behaviors. The study made an attempt to reveal how disciplinary punishments imposed at high schools were distributed by different variables and whether those punishments varied by year, school type, gender, grade, and province. That was a historical study because it focused on six semesters between the years 2006 and 2009. That was also a descriptive quantitative study as it revealed the disciplinary punishments imposed at the above-mentioned schools. Research data were analyzed via SPSS package. Physical violence behaviors are the most frequently seen disciplinary behaviors at schools. In addition, teachers impose punishments, which should normally be inflicted in the last resort, in the first place. In consideration of the research results, it is recommended to provide teachers with in-service training on the subject of approach to disciplinary problems, to enable them to change their approaches to disciplinary behaviors, and to make pre-service teachers take courses about conflict management during their education at faculties of education.
Launching Low-Income Entrepreneurs
Author: Laney, Kahliah
Date: 2013-04-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Entrepreneurship,Low Income Groups,Self Employment,Barriers,Labor Force Development,Minority Groups,Economically Disadvantaged,Business Education,Role Models,Mentors,Money Management,Knowledge Level,Immigrants,Self Esteem,Models,Work Experience Programs,Elementary Secondary Education,Community Colleges,Small Businesses,Job Training,Developmental Programs,Competition,Cooperatives,Technical Assistance,Interviews

With middle-income jobs in decline, entrepreneurship offers an increasingly promising pathway out of poverty; but few low-income New Yorkers are currently taking this route to economic self-sufficiency. This report provides the most comprehensive examination of low-income entrepreneurship in New York. The report documents current self-employment rates among low-income people (both native-born and foreign-born), details the obstacles that keep larger numbers of native-born individuals from starting businesses, and assesses how entrepreneurship among low-income individuals is currently encouraged and supported in New York. The study also features a snapshot of programs in other cities and states that effectively promote and support low-income entrepreneurship. The report is based on an extensive data analysis and interviews with more than 75 entrepreneurs, small business and microfinance experts, community development leaders, workforce development practitioners, economic development officials and educators-both in New York City and around the nation. This report concludes that it is eminently possible to expand the number of low-income entrepreneurs in New York. As this report documents, while relatively few low-income minorities are starting formal businesses, there is no lack of entrepreneurial spirit or creativity among the native-born poor. Ample evidence suggests that a more strategic focus on promoting, teaching, and supporting entrepreneurship in New York and other cities could have a big impact. [This report was written with Jonathan Bowles and Tom Hilliard.]
Exploring the Turkish Teachers' Professional Development Experiences and Their Needs for Professional Development
Author: Özdemir, Soner Mehmet
Date: 2013-12-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Faculty Development,Elementary School Teachers,Secondary School Teachers,Teacher Surveys,Measures (Individuals),Internet,Online Searching,Computer Mediated Communication,Teaching Methods,Educational Technology,Special Needs Students,Student Evaluation,Educational Assessment,Educational Psychology,Questionnaires

The purpose of this study was to examine the activities of professional development that Turkish elementary and secondary teachers experienced individually in the previous two years. Survey method was used and data were collected through an instrument developed by researcher. Sample consisted of 507 elementary and secondary teachers employed in 12 elementary and 11 secondary schools in Kirikkale. Results of the study indicated that the most common activities, teachers participated in, were &quot;to search on the internet to follow the latest developments (new methods, techniques or activities etc.) related to their fields or education and use these in their lessons,&quot; &quot;to participate in forums on the Internet related to education or teachers to share opinions, documents or activities for professional development,&quot; &quot;to visit another school (in or outside city) with the aim of professional development.&quot; Besides, four-fifths of the teachers needed professional development. The most required professional development areas were &quot;new instructional approaches/techniques/methods, subject field, the use of instructional technologies, teaching students with special needs, recognition of the student psychology and measurement and assessment.&quot;