ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Outsider Partners? Working with and within a Teacher Preparation Partnership in an Indigenous Rural Community
Author: Torrez, Cheryl A.
Date: 2015-04-19
Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Subjects: Partnerships in Education,Preservice Teacher Education,Rural Schools,American Indian Education,College School Cooperation,Teacher Educators,Elementary Secondary Education,Self Evaluation (Individuals),Teacher Recruitment,Faculty Development,Minority Group Teachers,American Indians,Barriers,Culturally Relevant Education

Two university-based educators conducted a year-long self-study regarding their work within a rural Native American School district, focusing on Indigenous teacher recruitment, preparation, and classroom-based professional development. The authors describe the nature of their work, the context in which the work was conducted, and the ways in which they negotiated being outsiders working within a rural community. They discuss their work as partners, their values as teacher educators, their personal responses to their perceptions of being outsiders, the changes they have made in their work in teacher education as a result of these experiences, and they ways they have navigated the tensions of inside/outside perceptions. They also discuss university/institutional barriers that were encountered which impeded the access and educational parity of rural teachers, PK-12 students, rural students navigating the institution of the university, and community members; the ways in which collaborative efforts eliminated and/or lessened some of these barriers; and key features of blending ancestral and community heritage and culture in teacher preparation and community-based professional development. The authors also share lessons learned and suggest ways in which others may successfully navigate working with and within rural Indigenous settings.
Redesigning Teacher Evaluations: Lessons from a Pilot Implementation. Stated Briefly. REL 2016-101
Author: Riordan, Julie
Date: 2015-11-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Teacher Evaluation,Evaluation Methods,Standards,School Districts,Fidelity,Program Implementation,Pilot Projects,Administrator Qualifications,Evaluators,Training,Educational Objectives,Educational Environment,Teacher Attitudes,Scores,Scoring Rubrics,Stakeholders,Intervention,Educational Change,Documentation,Surveys,Attitude Measures,Administrator Attitudes,Principals,Teaching Conditions,Employment Level,Teacher Responsibility,Observation,Meetings,Portfolios (Background Materials),Self Evaluation (Individuals),Faculty Development,Instructional Effectiveness,Rating Scales,Summative Evaluation,Measurement Techniques,Teacher Competencies,Elementary School Teachers,Middle School Teachers,High Schools,Secondary School Teachers

This &quot;Stated Briefly&quot; report is a companion piece that summarizes the results of another report of the same name. REL Northeast and Islands, in collaboration with the Northeast Educator Effectiveness Research Alliance and the New Hampshire Department of Education conducted a study of the implementation of new teacher evaluation systems in New Hampshire's School Improvement Grant schools. While the basic system features are similar across district plans, the specifics of these features vary considerably by district. Further, district fidelity to the plans, as measured by the exposure of teachers to different features of the evaluation system, ranged from moderate to high. Finally, researchers identified several factors related to implementation: (1) capacity of administrators to conduct evaluations; (2) initial and on-going evaluator training; (3) the introduction and design of student learning objectives; (4) the professional climate of schools, including the support of the new system by teachers and evaluators. [For the full report, see ED552484.]
Professional Experiences of Online Teachers in Wisconsin: Results from a Survey about Training and Challenges. REL 2016-110
Author: Zweig, Jacqueline
Date: 2015-11-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Online Courses,Teaching Experience,Teacher Surveys,Training,Teacher Competencies,Barriers,Teacher Education,Faculty Development,Student Behavior,Educational Methods,Elementary School Teachers,Secondary School Teachers,Technology Uses in Education,Academic Persistence,Student Responsibility

REL Midwest, in partnership with the Midwest Virtual Education Research Alliance, analyzed the results of a survey administered to Wisconsin Virtual School teachers about the training in which they participated related to online instruction, the challenges they encounter while teaching online, and the type of training they thought would help them address those challenges. REL Midwest researchers and Virtual Education Research Alliance members collaborated to develop the survey based on items from the Going Virtual! survey (Dawley et al., 2010; Rice &amp; Dawley, 2007; Rice et al., 2008). Wisconsin Virtual School administered the survey to its 54 teachers, and 49 (91 percent) responded to the survey. The responses of the 48 teachers who indicated that they taught an online course during the 2013/14 or 2014/15 school year were analyzed for the report. Results indicate that all Wisconsin Virtual School teachers reported participating in training or professional development related to online instruction and that more teachers reported participating in training that occurred while teaching online than prior to teaching online or during preservice education. The teachers most frequently reported challenges related to students' perseverance and engagement and indicated that they preferred unstructured professional development to structured professional development to help them address those challenges. Further research is needed to determine what types of professional development and training are most effective in improving teaching practice, especially related to student engagement and perseverance. The following are appended: (1) Survey on online teacher training and challenges; (2) Data and methodology; and (3) Supplementary tables.
A Descriptive Study of the Pilot Implementation of Student Learning Objectives in Arizona and Utah. REL 2016-102
Author: Makkonen, Reino
Date: 2015-11-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Evaluation Methods,Pilot Projects,Academic Achievement,Accountability,Teacher Evaluation,Tests,Teaching Methods,Scoring Rubrics,Scores,Principals,Teacher Competencies,Observation,Student Surveys,Teacher Attitudes,Teacher Improvement,Student Evaluation,Elementary School Teachers,Secondary School Teachers,State Standards,Correlation,Student Educational Objectives,Goal Orientation

Approximately 30 states are now adopting teacher evaluation policies that include student learning objectives (SLOs), which are classroom-specific student test growth targets set by teachers and approved (and scored) by principals. Today state and district leaders are trying to determine the appropriate level of guidance and oversight to provide in support of this work. This study describes results of the pilot implementation of SLOs in two states--Arizona (with 363 teachers) and Utah (with 82 teachers)--that were implementing SLOs with the same aims: to positively affect student achievement and to fulfill the state's required student-accountability component for teacher evaluations. Findings indicated that, in their SLOs, Arizona teachers tended to target student proficiency growth on vendor-developed tests, without including any specifics about instructional strategies, while Utah's pilot teachers (over half of them special education teachers) tended to define their own SLO-focused instructional strategies and/or use their own classroom-level tests or rubrics, with goals geared toward students demonstrating knowledge (through project completion) or a physical skill. Arizona teachers' end-of-year SLO scores from their principals varied, distinguishing high- and low-performing teachers, and teachers with higher SLO scores were also rated higher on classroom observations and student surveys. Conversely, SLO scores varied little in Utah's pilot, with 89 percent of teachers &quot;meeting expectations.&quot; (Utah's pilot teachers were not rated on other measures.) On end-of-year surveys, Utah pilot teachers generally perceived the SLO process as worthwhile and beneficial to their students and to their own professional growth; however, they did not perceive the SLO pilot as positively affecting their instruction or their knowledge of effective ways to assess students. (A low response rate precluded parallel survey analysis in Arizona.) Appended are: (1) Data and methodology; (2) Correlations between Arizona teacher measures, by grade span; and (3) Response frequencies for Utah's pilot teacher survey.
WWC Review of the Report &quot;The Effects of Math Video Games on Learning.&quot; What Works Clearinghouse Single Study Review
Author: What Works Clearinghouse (ED)
Date: 2015-11-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Educational Games,Grade 6,Instructional Effectiveness,Mathematics,Mathematics Instruction,Outcome Measures,Video Games,Pretests Posttests,Scores,Item Response Theory,Fractions

In the 2014 study, &quot;The Effects of Math Video Games on Learning,&quot; researchers examined the impacts of math video games on the fractions knowledge of 1,468 sixth-grade students in 23 schools. The video games focused on fractions concepts including: whole units, numerator and denominator, understanding the number line, fractions computation, and slope. Students played the games independently in a predetermined sequence over a 10-day period. Using a researcher-designed assessment, study authors found positive impacts on students' knowledge of fractions concepts. The study meets the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) group design standards without reservations. Appended are: (1) Study Details; (2) Outcome measures for the mathematics achievement domain; and (3) Study findings for the mathematics achievement domain. A glossary of terms is included. [The following study is the focus of this Single Study Review: Chung, G. K. W. K., Choi, K., Baker, E., &amp; Cai, L. (2014). &quot;The effects of math video games on learning: A randomized evaluation study with innovative impact estimation techniques.&quot; National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST), University of California, Los Angeles. http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED555700.pdf.]
Successmaker®. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report. Updated November 2015
Author: What Works Clearinghouse (ED)
Date: 2015-11-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Reading Instruction,Computer Assisted Instruction,Reading Fluency,Reading Comprehension,Literacy,Reading Achievement,Educational Research,Instructional Effectiveness,Phonological Awareness,Phonics,Reading Skills,Integrated Learning Systems,Computer Software,Adolescents,Vocabulary Skills,Grammar,Spelling,Language Arts,Grade 5,Grade 7,Program Evaluation

The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) has updated its 2009 intervention report for SuccessMaker®, a set of computer-based courses designed to supplement regular K-8 reading instruction. The program is designed to improve skills in areas such as concepts of print, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, grammar, and spelling. Since the last WWC intervention report, there have been 34 new studies, one of which meets WWC group design standards without reservations. Based on the evidence now available, SuccessMaker® shows no discernible effects on comprehension and reading fluency for adolescent readers. Appended are: (1) Research details for Gatti (2011); (2) Outcome measures for each domain; (3) Findings included in the rating for the comprehension and reading fluency domains; and (4) Description of supplemental findings for the comprehension and fluency domains.
Untapped Resources, Untapped Labor Pool: Using Federal Highway Funds to Prepare Women for Careers in Construction
Author: Hegewisch, Ariane
Date: 2014-12-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Females,Career Development,Construction Industry,Federal Aid,Gender Bias,Sex Stereotypes,Equal Opportunities (Jobs),Literature Reviews,Interviews,Stakeholders,Public Agencies,Recruitment,Persistence,Vocational Interests,Outreach Programs,State Legislation

Women are underrepresented in highway, street, and bridge construction where employment is projected to grow by more than 20 percent until 2022. Creating sustainable pathways into construction careers fills critical hiring needs for industry while improving economic security for women, as these jobs typically provide family-supporting wages with good benefits. Activities to improve women's recruitment and retention in skilled construction jobs are widely known, but dedicated funding for such activities is scarce. Federal highway funding offers states a stable resource that can support activities that improve women's entry into and success in the construction trades. This briefing highlights examples of how two states, Maryland and Oregon, are using this funding to improve diversity in the highway construction workforce. The paper begins by discussing the lack of gender diversity in the construction workforce, describes the challenges and proven strategies for improving the pipeline into construction jobs for women, and outlines how federal highway dollars can be used to improve the diversity of this workforce by funding on-the-job training and support services. The briefing paper is based on a review of literature, pre-apprenticeship state-level evaluations and progress reports, and interviews with key stakeholders from Oregon, the tradeswomen community, and the U.S. Department of Transportation. [This briefing paper was prepared as part of the Jobs for the Future GreenWays initiative.]
The Effect of Computer Games on the Proficiency of the B.Ed. Teacher Trainees in Using the Conventional Expressions in Conversations
Author: Muthiah, Rajendran
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Computer Games,Preservice Teachers,Language Proficiency,Technology Uses in Education,Educational Technology,Program Effectiveness,Gender Differences,Skill Development,Communication Skills,Hypothesis Testing,Foreign Countries,Language Usage,Achievement Tests,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction

The purpose of the study is to assess the effect of computer games on the proficiency of the B.Ed teacher trainees in using the conventional expressions in conversations. The role of technology in language learning has made outdated, drills, grammatical explanations and translation of texts, and the focus is shifted to communication based contexts. Recreational Computer Games make a positive impact on children's subsequent performance after instructional tasks. Playing the games, children live in both physical and virtual spaces such as chat rooms, email, and communication. The tool to test their proficiency has thirty items. The achievement test has ten dialogues with three blanks in each for the students to fill them up. This is an experimental study with a single group design. After a stratified sample of 70 female and 34 male teacher trainees were exposed to some computer games involving fun and conversations for a week, they were tested for their proficiency. The tool was a standardized one. The levels of proficiency of the male and female teacher trainees were found to be average and above average. The't'test was applied. The proficiency of the female teacher trainees was found to be significantly higher than that of the male teacher trainees. The computer games have the potential to improve the cognitive, affective and psychomotor skills of the student-teachers.
English Language Teachers and Technology Education = Ingilizce Ögretmenleri ve Teknoloji
Author: Basal, Ahmet
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Technology Uses in Education,Language Teachers,Educational Technology,Technology Integration,Technological Literacy,Teaching Methods,Foreign Countries,Teacher Education Programs,Preservice Teachers,Curriculum,Student Attitudes,Expectation

Today, the rapid advances in technology have been drastically changing and shaping the way humans live.In line with these developments, the use of technology in education has been on the increase and language education is no exception. Therefore, the expectations from language teachers have been changing. As expected from all teachers of other fields, language teachers are expected to integrate technology into their practices successfully. Technology integration into language courses naturally requires new qualifications for English language teachers. Because, the use of technology has been affecting and changing the way English is taught and students learn. Therefore, technological competence levels of English teachers should be improved. In this context, it is essential to equip English teachers with the necessary technological knowledge and skills before they become real teachers. It is suggested in the literature that the most important time to equip teachers with such qualifications is teacher training programs, that is, pre-service teacher education. This study aims to offer suggestions based on inferences drawn from the literature with the use of document analysis for teacher training programs in Turkey about how to educate English teacher candidates to integrate technology successfully into their practices. [This article is provided in both English and Turkish.]
Student Success Center Toolkit
Author: Jobs for the Future
Date: 2014-04-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Community Colleges,Academic Persistence,Graduation,Two Year College Students,Educational Change,State Programs,Success,Intercollegiate Cooperation,Educational Improvement,Budgeting,Fund Raising,Sustainability,College Faculty,Teacher Participation,Meetings,Alignment (Education),Educational Policy,Advocacy,Educational Finance

&quot;Student Success Center Toolkit&quot; is a compilation of materials organized to assist Student Success Center directors as they staff, launch, operate, and sustain Centers. The toolkit features materials created and used by existing Centers, such as staffing and budgeting templates, launch materials, sample meeting agendas, and fundraising and sustainability information. Those materials are supplemented by relevant resources from Jobs for the Future (JFF) and other national organizations. The toolkit allows Student Success Centers to share and learn from one another. In addition, the toolkit is designed to accelerate the time by which new Center directors are able to launch operations and provide value to the colleges. The toolkit uses the JFF brief, &quot;Joining Forces: How Student Success Centers Are Accelerating Statewide Community College Improvement Efforts&quot; (see ED561255) as an organizing construct.
Total VET Students and Courses 2014: Australian Vocational Education and Training Statistics
Author: National Centre for Vocational Education Research
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Vocational Education,Postsecondary Education,School Statistics,Student Characteristics,Courses,Enrollment,Tables (Data),School Location,Place of Residence,Accreditation (Institutions),Intellectual Disciplines

In November 2012, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Standing Council on Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment (SCOTESE) agreed to the introduction of mandatory reporting of nationally recognised training activity from 2014 onward. Under the mandatory reporting requirements, all Australian providers (excluding those exempted by regulators) delivering nationally recognised training to students, either in domestic or in overseas locations, must report information about these students and their training. This publication provides, for the first time, an estimate of the extent and nature of all accredited vocational education and training (VET) delivered in 2014 by Australian training providers. This picture of training activity reflects the information collected from all types of providers (including those not in receipt of Commonwealth or state funding). Information is provided on the number of training providers, students, enrolments in programs, enrolments in subjects, hours of delivery, and program completions. The data was gathered from 4,601 Australian providers. COAG SCOTESE expects coverage and completeness of the data to improve over time once reporting exemptions are removed and training providers adapt to the mandatory reporting requirements.
Developing Student Ownership and Responsibility in High Schools. Practitioner Brief
Author: National Center on Scaling Up Effective Schools (NCSU)
Date: 2014-03-31
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: High School Students,Effective Schools Research,Academic Achievement,Best Practices,Student Development,Student Empowerment,Student Responsibility

The National Center on Scaling Up Effective Schools (NCSU) spent the 2011-12 school year conducting intensive case studies of four Forth Worth, Texas high schools to understand what differentiates higher and lower performing schools. It was found that high schools can address gaps in student achievement by developing policies and practices that help students learn how to take ownership and responsibility for their own learning. This brief highlights what was learned from the work with Fort Worth Independent School District (FWISD) and provides examples of policies and practices to develop student ownership and responsibility.
Blending toward Competency. Early Patterns of Blended Learning and Competency-Based Education in New Hampshire
Author: Freeland, Julia
Date: 2014-05-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Blended Learning,Competency Based Education,Educational Benefits,Educational Policy,Models,Pacing,Time Factors (Learning),Case Studies,Charter Schools,Elementary Schools,High Schools

As the education field strives to differentiate and personalize learning to cater to each student, two related movements are gaining attention: competency-based education and blended learning. In competency-based models, students advance on the basis of mastery, rather than according to the traditional methods of counting progress in terms of time or credit hours. Blended learning is a method of delivering learning experiences; in essence, it is any formal education program that combines online learning and brick-and-mortar schools. Blended learning stands to support competency-based education in at least four overarching ways: (1) Online content can offer a continuum of learning along which students can progress at a flexible pace; (2) When students learn through online learning, testing can occur on-demand--that is, when students are ready to be assessed, not before or after; (3) Third, online content can be deployed in a more modular manner than traditional face-to-face instruction, which in turn offers students multiple pathways to mastery, as opposed to a single lesson or textbook; and (4) Blended learning can support school systems attempting to take competency based education to scale by providing tools to personalize learning for each student. This paper considers the role of blended learning in 13 schools in New Hampshire, where the New Hampshire Department of Education has mandated that high schools measure learning in terms of competency, rather than by credit hours. Some schools in New Hampshire have embraced this new policy by building competency-based models in their schools and classrooms, whereas other schools have remained tethered to time-based practices. This small sample suggests that the A La Carte, Individual Rotation, and Flex blended-learning models may be particularly powerful tools in competency-based high school environments. Significantly, this suggests that blended learning, as a relatively new tool, may have the power to unlock the instructional model and progression that competency-based models have long called for. &quot;Definitions of Blended Learning Models&quot; is presented in the appendix.