ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
English Teacher Training Programs in Denmark, Sweden and Turkey
Author: Solak, Ekrem
Date: 2016-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Teacher Education Programs,College Second Language Programs,Comparative Education,Content Analysis,Qualitative Research,Educational Practices,Job Shadowing

Teachers play one of the most important roles in reaching learning objectives. The qualifications of teachers in an education system reflect the potential of that system and directly influence the learners' achievement. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to compare Danish and Swedish English teacher training programs with that of Turkey and to reveal the similarities and differences to shed light on English teacher training in Turkey. Danish and Swedish English teacher training programs are analyzed, because these countries are ranked at the top by the average level of English skills amongst adults according to English Proficiency Index. The study is qualitative in nature and document analysis method is used to collect data about the relevant countries' teacher training programs. The results of the study suggest that the duration for teaching practices and job-shadowing should be longer. In addition, graduation examination and submitting a project/thesis should be a requirement for the graduation. [This paper was presented at the International Conference on Teaching and Learning English as an Additional Language, GlobELT 2016, Antalya, Turkey, April 14-17 2016]
Video Killed the Radio Star: Language Students' Use of Electronic Resources-Reading or Viewing?
Author: Kiliçkaya, Ferit
Date: 2016-06-08
Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Subjects: Electronic Libraries,Electronic Learning,Electronic Publishing,Use Studies,Student Research,Information Sources,Reading Strategies,Research Methodology,Methods Courses,Transcripts (Written Records),Semi Structured Interviews,Cognitive Style,College Students,Foreign Countries,Mixed Methods Research

The current study aimed to investigate language students' use of print and electronic resources for their research papers required in research techniques class, focusing on which reading strategies they used while reading these resources. The participants of the study were 90 sophomore students enrolled in the research techniques class offered at a public university in Turkey. The data were collected through the participants' logs as a requirement of the class as well as the semi-structured interviews with the selected participants. The findings revealed that the participants were more interested in speed than deep understanding while reading for their research projects. The findings also indicated that the participants mostly benefited from scanning and skimming while reading electronic resources.
Prior Learning Assessment and Competency-Based Education: An Overview of Programs, Policies, and Practices
Author: Valenzuela, Ireri
Date: 2016-03-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Prior Learning,Evaluation,Competency Based Education,Community Colleges,Nontraditional Students,Public Colleges,Private Colleges,Educational Policy,State Policy,Educational Innovation

How can we help significantly more students reach their educational goals and improve their employment outcomes? How can we reign in the growing time burden and ballooning costs students must shoulder throughout their educational journey? How can we recognize the learning and experience the vast number of nontraditional students bring when they come to our colleges seeking a path to improved career opportunities and family-sustaining wages? These are some of the key questions the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce (L.A. Area Chamber) was seeking to answer in collaboration with Los Angeles Trade Technical College (LATTC), in part through the implementation of a &quot;Pathways to Academic, Career, and Transfer Success&quot; (PACTS) framework. On behalf of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce (LA Chamber), the Research and Planning Group collaborated with the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning and the Moran Technology Group to conduct research on prior learning assessment (PLA) and competency-based education (CBE). This study examined policies and practices currently governing PLA and CBE at the national and state levels in order to inform program development efforts and potential advocacy for these approaches. The partners aimed to utilize the information gleaned from the research to advocate for changes in policies and practices at the state and local levels that are necessary to strengthen PLA and CBE programs across California community colleges (CCC). Two primary findings emerged from this research related to PLA/CBE in California: (1) the CCCs do not have uniform practices and policies for awarding credit for prior learning with the exception of student fees for exams associated with credit-by-exam (currently mandated to be equal to the per unit enrollment fee). Credit-by-exam appears to be the primary mechanism supported by the system to recognize prior learning. Additionally, most community colleges have policies that recognize military coursework; and (2) CCCs have been slow to embrace CBE as a method of awarding credit. Ultimately, this research reveals a considerable opportunity for this local partnership to serve as a state, if not national, leader in both modeling effective PLA and CBE practices through its PACTS framework, and in advocating for policy changes that pave the way for more students to take advantage of this innovative educational approach. [This report was made possible through the support of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the partnership between the Los Angeles Trade Technical College (LATTC) and the Education and Workforce Development Division of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce.]
State Policies to Support Competency-Based Education for Overage, Under-Credited Students. Ask the CCRS Center
Author: Tomasello, Jenna
Date: 2016-04-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: State Policy,Competency Based Education,Career Readiness,College Readiness,At Risk Students,Educational Strategies,Educational Practices,Change Strategies,Profiles,Mental Age

How can states ensure that students who are overage or under-credit (OA/UC) not only graduate high school but are prepared for college or the workforce? Competency-based education (CBE) is one emerging strategy for addressing the needs of at-risk youth. CBE can address the needs of at-risk students because it is personalized to individual students, offers self-paced instruction, and ensures mastery of specific content and skills. In this Ask the CCRS Center brief, we discuss how CBE can support OA/UC students and provide recommendations for how other states can develop and implement CBE policies. We highlight state policy examples utilizing CBE elements to improve high school graduation outcomes of OA/UC students from: Georgia; Illinois; Nevada; and Ohio.
Children's Kindergarten Outcomes and Program Quality in the North Carolina Pre-Kindergarten Program: 2013-2014 Statewide Evaluation
Author: Peisner-Feinberg, Ellen S.
Date: 2015-02-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Kindergarten,Educational Quality,State Surveys,Preschool Children,Language Skills,Mathematics Achievement,Literacy,Academic Achievement,Skill Development,Behavior Rating Scales,Outcomes of Education,Participant Characteristics,Pretests Posttests,School Statistics,Classroom Environment,Comparative Analysis,Achievement Gains,Performance Factors,Bilingual Students,Global Approach,Predictive Validity,Educational Assessment,Educational Indicators

The 2013-2014 North Carolina Pre-Kindergarten (NC Pre-K) Evaluation study was designed to examine the longitudinal outcomes through kindergarten for children who attended the Pre-K program, along with comparisons to previous cohorts of program attendees. A sample of 561 children was included in the study, with data gathered at the beginning and end of NC Pre-K (2012- 2013) and kindergarten (2013-2014) to examine their growth in skills. Researchers conducted individual assessments of children's language, literacy, math, and general knowledge skills and gathered teacher ratings of behavior skills. For 119 Spanish-speaking dual language learners (DLLs) in the sample, parallel assessments were conducted in both English and Spanish to examine their progress when measured in both languages. In addition, program characteristics and services were examined for the 2013-2014 NC Pre-K Program using data from the statewide databases, as well any changes over time since the program became statewide in 2003-2004. Information about the observed quality of classroom practices was obtained from NC rated license assessments of a sample of 374 NC Pre-K classrooms conducted by the NC Rated License Assessment Project (NCRLAP) in 2013-2014.
What Can States Learn about College and Career Readiness Accountability Measures from Alternative Education? Ask the CCRS Center
Author: Deeds, Carinne
Date: 2016-08-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Career Readiness,College Readiness,Accountability,Nontraditional Education,Outcome Measures,At Risk Students,Special Needs Students,State Policy,Evaluation Criteria,Growth Models,Learning Readiness

This &quot;Ask the CCRS Center Brief&quot; provides an overview of the accountability measures used by states and districts to assess the college and career readiness of students who are educated in alternative programs and schools (defined hereafter as &quot;alternative settings&quot;). Alternative settings are designed to serve at-risk students by providing pathways to educational success for students whose needs are not met in traditional school environments. Accountability measures currently used in alternative settings acknowledge the differing needs of students served and offer flexibility for measuring readiness as students progress through alternative settings. Given that states now have the opportunity to design new accountability systems under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), they will have the flexibility to consider the needs of, and to develop accountability measures for, students in alternative settings. Whether states develop new accountability systems for alternative settings or revise existing measures, they can use this opportunity to ensure that all students receive a high quality education that adequately prepares them for life beyond high school. This brief describes various accountability measures used in alternative settings and offers considerations for states as they move forward in designing new accountability systems under ESSA.
Newark Public Schools: Budget Impacts of Underfunding and Rapid Charter Growth
Author: Farrie, Danielle
Date: 2015-11-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Public Schools,Urban Schools,Educational Finance,Financial Support,Budgets,Charter Schools,Financial Problems,Funding Formulas,Expenditure per Student,School Personnel,Elementary Secondary Education,Enrollment Trends,State Legislation,Educational Legislation,State Aid

The budget of the State-operated Newark Public Schools (NPS) is now in its fourth year of crisis. The district is currently struggling to close a $13 million budget hole almost halfway into the school year. Most importantly, the ongoing budget crisis has eroded essential resources in district schools, depriving students of the opportunity for a thorough and efficient education. This report analyzes the impact of the NPS budget crisis on per pupil spending and staff levels in district schools. The authors find that the combined stress of chronic underfunding and rapid charter expansion has significantly lowered spending and reduced staff and programs in district schools. The drastic underfunding of NPS under the School Funding Reform Act (SFRA), combined with an increase in payments to charter schools, has left NPS with no alternative but to reduce spending on schools and students, resulting in significant cuts in teachers, support staff, special education, programs for English Language learners and other essential programs and services. It is clear that the NPS budget crisis is worsening--and will continue to worsen in coming years--depriving NPS students of the opportunity to achieve the Common Core State Standards (CCCS), the benchmark for a thorough and efficient education. Urgent action by the Commissioner, the New Jersey Department of Education (DOE), and the State District Superintendent is required to address this crisis. In order to stabilize the budget for the next few years and enable NPS to restore resources necessary for a thorough and efficient education, the following recommendations are presented: (1) Restore state formula aid to move NPS to full SFRA funding; (2) Increase the city of Newark's local contribution, utilizing waivers of the 2% property tax cap where appropriate; (3) Temporarily halt the expansion of enrollment in existing Newark charter schools, pending a thorough analysis by the Commissioner and the DOE of the impact of further expansion on the funding and resources available in district schools, as mandated by law and court rulings; (4) Reduce district payments to charter schools in 2016-17, by requiring Newark charter schools to apply any fund balance in excess of 2% to the charter's per pupil payment amount under the charter law; and (5) End the authorization of additional payments to charter schools from the NPS budget in excess of the per pupil amounts under the charter law. &quot;Full-time Equivalent Staff by Job Code&quot; is appended.
Reducing Class Size in New York City: Promise vs. Practice
Author: Farrie, Danielle
Date: 2016-06-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Class Size,Educational Finance,State Departments of Education,Planning,Advocacy,Financial Support,Activism,Urban Schools,At Risk Students,Low Income Groups,Minority Group Students,Court Litigation,Elementary Secondary Education,Student Characteristics,Poverty

In the landmark school funding litigation, &quot;Campaign for Fiscal Equity v. State&quot; (&quot;CFE&quot;), the highest Court in New York recognized that reasonable class sizes are an essential element of a constitutional &quot;sound basic education.&quot; In response to the rulings in the case, in 2007, the Legislature adopted a law mandating that New York City develop and implement a class size reduction plan for all grade levels. Unfortunately, as the policy brief explains in detail, little progress has been made. The Department of Education's (DOE) own class size reports show that the district is actually losing ground. Given the well known benefits of reduced class sizes, particularly for low-income students, there needs to be a renewed effort to get the policy back on track. For years, elected officials have used the lagging economy as an excuse for their failure to enforce the class size reduction law. Now that there is a healthy fiscal environment, with both the city and state enjoying substantial budget surpluses, the time to recommit and reduce class size has arrived. This report provides a framework for moving the issue forward including the following action steps: (1) DOE needs to issue a five-year class size reduction plan with specific annual class size targets along with sufficient funding to achieve those goals; (2) In the longer term, the DOE should extend this plan to schools citywide, and for all grades, as the law requires, while adopting a school construction plan to ensure there is sufficient space; (3) The New York State Education Department should refuse to approve any city plan unless it includes specific targets in specific schools along with sufficient funding to achieve them. The State should also maintain strict oversight to ensure that it achieves these goals; and (4) More support and resources should be provided to advocates and stakeholder groups by foundations and other funding sources to encourage engagement and activism around the need for smaller classes in New York City's schools. Reducing class size is one of the most important tools available to improve educational outcomes, especially for low-income children and students of color. It has been proven to improve achievement levels, boost high school graduation rates and increase the likelihood that students will attend college.
The Educational Rights of Children in Foster Care and Other Out-of-Home Placements: A Guide for Advocates
Author: Michaels, Lauren S.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Guides - General
Subjects: Student Rights,Foster Care,State Legislation,Federal Legislation,Advocacy,Transitional Programs,Planning,Disabilities,Educational Finance,Student Records,Confidentiality,Special Education,Individualized Education Programs

This guide is designed to help advocates--including biological and adoptive parents, resource parents, adult students in foster care, and service providers--understand and advocate for the educational rights of children in New Jersey's foster care system. The guide explains the requirements of federal and state laws that particularly affect these students and is designed to be used in conjunction with the Education Law Center's other advocacy guides. The intent of this guide is to provide information and guidance to advocates so that all children in out-of-home placements in New Jersey can achieve high standards and receive an education that prepares them for full participation in society. The guides also includes information on the following topics: Transition and Planning Services, Special Considerations for Students with Disabilities, Terms and Acronyms used in This Guide, and Educational Advocacy Resources. (This guide was written with assistance from Ruth Deale Lowenkron and Lucy Joffe.) [The law firm of Lowenstein Sandler LLP donated services to verify all legal citations and publish this guide. This guide was also made possible with funding from the IOLTA Fund of the Bar of New Jersey, as well as from Greenberg Traurig LLP and Equal Justice Works.]
Understanding New Jersey's School Funding Formula: The Role of Adjustment Aid
Author: Farrie, Danielle
Date: 2015-09-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Funding Formulas,Educational Finance,Misconceptions,Resource Allocation,State Aid,School Districts,Budgets,State Legislation

The objective of this policy brief is to explain the purpose of adjustment aid in New Jersey's school funding formula and to correct several misconceptions about the level of aid and how it is distributed. The main conclusions include: (1) The amount of adjustment aid in the funding formula is currently overstated in the &quot;informational&quot; state aid notices published by the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE); (2) Correcting the base year from which adjustment aid is calculated would lower the total adjustment aid required from $754 million to $579 million; (3) Just over a third of total adjustment aid is allocated to the former Abbott districts; and (4) While about half of adjustment aid is allocated to above adequacy districts and contributes to spending above the levels required by the funding formula, the other half is allocated to below adequacy districts and helps fund schools in communities that are unable to raise their local share of the adequacy budget.
Is School Funding Fair? A National Report Card. Fifth Edition
Author: Baker, Bruce
Date: 2016-03-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Educational Finance,Educational Equity (Finance),Financial Support,State Aid,Public Education,Elementary Secondary Education,Resource Allocation,Poverty,Early Childhood Education,Teacher Salaries,Teacher Student Ratio

The National Report Card (NRC) evaluates and compares the extent to which state finance systems ensure equality of educational opportunity for all children, regardless of background, family income, place of residence, or school location. It is designed to provide policymakers, educators, business leaders, parents, and the public at large with information to better understand the fairness of existing state school finance systems and how resources are allocated so problems can be identified and solutions developed. The NRC is unique among comparative school funding reports because it goes beyond simple per pupil calculations. To capture the complex differences among states, the NRC constructs four interrelated fairness measures--Funding Level, Funding Distribution, Effort and Coverage--that allow for comparisons that control for regional differences. The data for this fifth abridged edition of the NRC, published annually since 2008, comes from the 2013 U.S. Census Bureau Elementary-Secondary Education Finance Survey. This is the most recent data available. Major findings include: (1) School funding levels continue to be characterized by wide disparities among states, ranging from a high of $17,331 per pupil in Alaska to a low of $5,746 in Idaho; (2) Many of the lowest funded states, such as Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, North Carolina and Texas, allocate a very low percentage of their states' economic capacity to fund public education; (3) Fourteen states, including Nevada, North Dakota and Illinois, are regressive, providing less funding to school districts with higher concentrations of low-income students; (4) Only a handful of states--Delaware, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey and Ohio--have generally high funding levels and also provide significantly more funding to districts where student poverty is highest; and (5) Low rankings on school funding fairness correlate to poor state performance on key resource indicators, including less access to early childhood education, noncompetitive wages for teachers, and higher teacher-to-pupil ratios. Appended are: (1) Data and Methodology; (2) Fairness Measures; and (3) Resource Allocation Indicators. [For the fourth edition, see ED570392. For the companion report, &quot;Is School Funding Fair? America's Most Fiscally Disadvantaged School Districts,&quot; see ED570415.]
High School Graduation Requirements in a Time of College and Career Readiness. CSAI Report
Author: Center on Standards and Assessments Implementation (CSAI)
Date: 2016-09-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: High School Graduates,Graduation Requirements,Career Readiness,College Readiness,Language Arts,Mathematics Achievement,State Standards,Definitions,State Action,State Programs,Academic Standards

Ensuring that students graduate high school prepared for college and careers has become a national priority in the last decade. To support this goal, states have adopted rigorous college and career readiness (CCR) standards in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics. Additionally, states have begun to require students to pass assessments, in addition to specific coursework, in order to earn a high school diploma. This report aims to explore the definition(s) of college and career readiness across states and the efforts that states are currently engaging in to ensure that students graduate from high school ready for college and careers. The following are appended: (1) States' College and/or Career Readiness Definitions; (2) States' High School Graduation Requirements--Coursework; (3) Course Requirements for College Admission in Selected States (n = 10); and (4) States' High School Graduation Requirements--Assessments.