ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
State Capacity to Support School Turnaround. NCEE Evaluation Brief. NCEE 2015-4012
Author: Tanenbaum, Courtney
Date: 2015-05-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: School Turnaround,Educational Improvement,Educational Change,Grants,Federal Programs,Low Achievement,Achievement Gains,Intervention,Expertise,Interviews,Administrator Attitudes,Needs Assessment,Change Strategies,State Government,Educational Policy,Educational Practices,Professional Development,Technical Assistance,Data Analysis,Individualized Instruction,Teacher Recruitment,Teacher Persistence,Rewards,Teacher Evaluation,Evaluation Methods,Teacher Role,Federal Aid,College School Cooperation,Agency Cooperation,Capacity Building,Administrator Role,Models

One objective of the U.S. Department of Education's (ED) School Improvement Grants (SIG) and Race to the Top (RTT) program is to help states enhance their capacity to support the turnaround of low-performing schools. This capacity may be important, given how difficult it is to produce substantial and sustained achievement gains in low-performing schools. There is limited existing research on the extent to which states have the capacity to support school turnaround and are pursuing strategies to enhance that capacity. This brief documents states' capacity to support school turnaround as of spring 2012 and spring 2013. It examines capacity issues for all states and for those that reported both prioritizing turnaround and having significant gaps in expertise to support it. Key findings, based on interviews with administrators from 49 states and the District of Columbia, include the following: (1) More than 80 percent of states made turning around low-performing schools a high priority, but at least 50 percent found it very difficult to turn around low-performing schools; (2) 38 states (76 percent) reported significant gaps in expertise for supporting school turnaround in 2012, and that number increased to 40 (80 percent) in 2013; (3) More than 85 percent of states reported using strategies to enhance their capacity to support school turnaround, with the use of intermediaries decreasing over time and the use of organizational or administrative structures increasing over time; and (4) States that reported both prioritizing school turnaround and having significant gaps in expertise to support it were no more likely to report using intermediaries than other states but all 21 of these states reported having at least one organizational or administrative structure compared with 86 percent (25 of 29) of all other states. Appended are: (1) Race to the Top and School Improvement Grant Intervention Models as Described by the U.S. Department of Education SIG Guidance (2012); (2) State Interview Questions Used for Analyses in this Brief; and (3) Analysis of State Capacity to Support School Turnaround by RTT Status.
Early Identification of High School Graduation Outcomes in Oregon Leadership Network Schools. REL 2015-079
Author: Burke, Arthur
Date: 2015-04-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Identification,High School Students,Grade 9,Graduation,School Districts,Attendance Patterns,Grade Point Average,Gender Differences,English Language Learners,Grade 8,Student Characteristics,Special Education,Academic Achievement,Student Behavior,Predictor Variables,Dropouts

The purpose of this study was to examine student characteristics related to completing high school within four years, with particular emphasis on graduation outcomes for male and English language learner students. The authors looked at a cohort of students who began grade 9 in the 2007/08 school year in four Oregon districts. Factors related to three key graduation outcomes were analyzed: dropping out within four years of starting grade 9, graduating on time (within four years), and staying in school but not graduating on time. Findings confirmed previous studies showing that attendance and grade point average (GPA) in grades 8 and 9 are significantly associated with graduating on time. In addition, race/ethnicity and achievement on standardized tests are less predictive of graduating on time after other factors are considered. When the influence of demographic, behavioral, and academic characteristics were considered at the same time, only gender, status as an English language learner, and attendance and GPA in grades 8 and 9 were associated with graduation outcomes. Practitioners and policymakers concerned with early identification of students at-risk of not graduating on time could consider these early warning indicators: grade 8 attendance rates below 80 percent; grade 8 GPA of less than 2.0; grade 9 attendance rates below 80 percent, and grade 9 GPA of less than 2.0. The following are appended: (1) Study variables and characteristics of the student cohort in each district; (2) Connections to previous research; and (3) Modeling graduation outcomes with logistic regression.
Check &amp; Connect. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report. Updated May 2015
Author: What Works Clearinghouse (ED)
Date: 2015-05-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Academic Persistence,Mentors,High School Students,Learning Disabilities,Behavior Problems,Emotional Disturbances,At Risk Students,Dropout Prevention,Program Effectiveness,Graduation Rate,Intervention,Special Education,Progress Monitoring,Attendance Patterns,Suspension,Grades (Scholastic),Credits,Student Needs,Student Personnel Services,Academic Support Services,Public Schools,Comparative Analysis,Effect Size,Control Groups,Experimental Groups

&quot;Check &amp; Connect&quot; aims to help students stay in school by continually monitoring school performance and providing individualized attention through mentoring, case management, and other supports. In 2006, the WWC published a systematic review of all the studies that examined the impact of &quot;Check &amp; Connect&quot; on high school students with learning, behavioral, or emotional disabilities who are at risk of dropping out. The WWC recently updated this report to include more recent publications. Based on the most up-to-date evidence, the WWC found that &quot;Check &amp; Connect&quot; has positive effects on staying in school, potentially positive effects on progressing in school, and no discernible effects on completing school for high school students with learning, behavioral, or emotional disabilities. The following are appended: (1) Research details for Sinclair et al. (1998) [EJ573544]; (2) Research details for Sinclair et al. (2005) [EJ697215]; (3) Outcome measures for each domain; (4) Findings included in the rating for the staying in school domain; (5) Findings included in the rating for the progressing in school domain; (6) Findings included in the rating for the completing school domain; (7) Description of supplemental findings for the staying in school domain; and (8) Description of supplemental findings for the completing school domain. [For the 2006 report, see ED493664.]
Credit Recovery Programs. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report
Author: What Works Clearinghouse (ED)
Date: 2015-05-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Intervention,High School Students,At Risk Students,Dropout Characteristics,Dropout Prevention,Academic Standards,Prior Learning,Program Descriptions,Bibliographies,Educational Research

&quot;Credit recovery programs&quot; allow high school students to recover course credit, through in-school, online, or mixed modes, for classes they previously failed. The WWC reviewed the research on these programs and their impacts on middle school, junior high school, or high school students at risk of dropping out or who have already dropped out. The review finds that none of the existing research meets WWC design standards. More research is needed to determine the effectiveness of &quot;credit recovery programs&quot; for dropout prevention. A glossary of terms is provided.
Assessing English Literacy as a Predictor of Postschool Outcomes in the Lives of Deaf Individuals
Author: Garberoglio, Carrie Lou
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Deafness,English,Literacy,Standardized Tests,Predictive Validity,Adults,Employment,Postsecondary Education,Independent Living,Self Concept,Income,Job Satisfaction,Enrollment,Graduation,Regression (Statistics)

Lower English literacy achievement of deaf students is often hypothesized to be an impediment for successful adult life experiences. Yet, literacy practices that individuals engage in throughout their daily lives are much more complex than what school-based measures of English can capture and particularly so for deaf individuals. A national large-scale data set with a sample of over 1,000 deaf youths was used to assess what, precisely, standardized measures of literacy may predict in terms of postschool outcomes in three domains: life, employment, and education. Regression analyses indicate that these measures predicted some postschool outcomes, but not all, and if significant, only a small amount of variation in the outcomes was explained. Findings suggest that English literacy, particularly the narrow conceptualization of English literacy skills that are measured through school-based assessments, may not play a significant role in the lives of deaf individuals, contrary to expectations.
Effective Strategies for Improving Writing Skills of Elementary English Language Learners
Author: Cole, Jenny
Date: 2015-04-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: English Language Learners,Elementary School Students,Writing Skills,Writing Improvement,Writing Instruction,Instructional Effectiveness,Teaching Methods,Technology Uses in Education,Vocabulary,Literacy

Reaching proficient levels of literacy is a universal goal for all children in the elementary classroom. This objective is especially challenging for English language learners particularly in the domain of writing. Writing has been identified as one of the most essential skills because the world has become so text-oriented. Due to this change, mainstream teachers as well as ESOL instructors, are in great demand of effective techniques to improve writing skills of this particular population. The purpose of this project is to provide research based techniques successful in improving the writing skills of ESL students. The findings suggest that through the use of technology, pre-taught vocabulary, various teacher influences and the implementation of positive diverse literacy practices, this goal can be attained.
Reconnecting Youth. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report
Author: What Works Clearinghouse (ED)
Date: 2015-05-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Dropout Prevention,At Risk Students,Program Evaluation,Program Effectiveness,Secondary School Students,Elective Courses,Attendance,Grades (Scholastic),Low Achievement,Small Classes,Curriculum,Self Esteem,Decision Making Skills,Self Control,Interpersonal Communication,Standards,Intervention

&quot;Reconnecting Youth&quot; is an elective, credit-bearing course for students at risk of dropping out of school due to frequent absenteeism, low grades, or a history of dropping out. The curriculum focuses on building self-esteem, decision making, personal control, and interpersonal communication skills. The What Works Clearninghouse (WWC) reviewed all of the existing research on the program and its impacts on middle school, junior high school, or high school students who are at risk of dropping out or have already dropped out. The review finds that none of the existing research meets WWC design standards. Therefore, more research is needed to determine whether the program is effective for dropout prevention. A glossary of terms is included.
Do Facilitated Online Dual Credit Classes Result in Deep Learning?
Author: Stark Education Partnership
Date: 2015-02-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Dual Enrollment,Online Courses,Learning,Case Studies,High School Students,Secondary School Teachers,College Faculty,Student Surveys,Teacher Surveys,Interviews,Focus Groups,Barriers,Academic Achievement,Student Characteristics,Teacher Role,Teacher Responsibility,Interprofessional Relationship,Gender Differences,Age Differences,Economic Status

This study, with funding from the Jennings Foundation, sought to answer the following broad research question: Do facilitated online dual credit courses result in deep learning? The answer to this question is key to addressing barriers many students face in bridging from high school to college. This report includes a descriptive case study that included surveys, interviews, and focus groups of students taking online dual enrollment courses in Stark County, Ohio. High school facilitating teachers and college faculty teaching the online dual enrollment courses were also surveyed and interviewed. The results reached were that online dual credit courses provide an opportunity for first generation and other underserved students who meet the academic requirements to earn college credit in high school, reduce the costs of college, and demonstrate to themselves that they have the capacity to pursue college pathways. Also included in the study are recommendations and footnotes.
Instructional Improvement Cycle: A Teacher's Toolkit for Collecting and Analyzing Data on Instructional Strategies. REL 2015-080
Author: Cherasaro, Trudy L.
Date: 2015-05-00
Type: Guides - Classroom - Teacher
Subjects: Instructional Improvement,Guidance,Teaching Methods,Best Practices,Units of Study,Comparative Analysis,Student Evaluation,Instructional Effectiveness,Educational Practices,Computer Software,Documentation,Worksheets,Pretests Posttests,Experimental Groups,Data Analysis,Effect Size,Spreadsheets,Planning,Guides,Faculty Development,Research Methodology,Scores

This toolkit, developed by Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Central in collaboration with York Public Schools in Nebraska, provides a process and tools to help teachers use data from their classroom assessments to evaluate promising practices. The toolkit provides teachers with guidance on how to deliberately apply and study one classroom strategy over the course of one unit and systematically document and compare results to consider the effects of a given instructional strategy on student learning. The process for testing the strategy uses a scientific approach by comparing the performance of students who receive the strategy to the performance of a similar group of students who do not receive the strategy. Teachers can use this information to reflect on their practice and consider adjustments to their instruction to increase student learning. A section on technical documentation is appended.
What Predicts Participation in Developmental Education among Recent High School Graduates at Community College? Lessons from Oregon. REL 2015-081
Author: Hodara, Michelle
Date: 2015-05-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Developmental Programs,High School Graduates,Community Colleges,Two Year College Students,Correlation,Student Experience,Student Records,Academic Persistence,Graduation,Academic Achievement,Dual Enrollment,College Preparation,College School Cooperation,Standardized Tests,State Standards,English Instruction,Mathematics Instruction,Public Schools,Reading Instruction,Writing Instruction,Remedial Reading,Remedial Mathematics,Graduation Rate,Regression (Statistics),Student Characteristics,Institutional Characteristics,Socioeconomic Status,Databases,Racial Differences,Gender Differences,Ethnic Groups,Reading Achievement,Mathematics Achievement,Science Achievement,Grade 10,High School Students

This study examines the extent of developmental education participation among Oregon high school graduates students who attend community college and the relationship between high school experiences and subsequent developmental education course-taking. An analysis of state and national data from more than 101,000 Oregon public high school graduates who enrolled in the state's community colleges shows that 65 percent of high school graduates took at least one developmental education course. Mirroring findings from across the country, the study also finds that students who started at lower levels of developmental education were less likely to stay in college and earn a degree. Finally, the study shows that individual high school academic achievement and enrollment in certain dual-credit courses decreases developmental education course-taking. Overall, the findings emphasize the need to target academic underpreparedness at the high school level and to strengthen partnerships between high schools and colleges in addressing this issue. The following are appended: (1) About the data; (2) Methodology; (3) Detailed results; and (4) Dual-credit courses by subject.
WWC Review of the Report &quot;The Iterative Development and Initial Evaluation of We Have Skills!, an Innovative Approach to Teaching Social Skills to Elementary Students.&quot; What Works Clearinghouse Single Study Review
Author: What Works Clearinghouse (ED)
Date: 2015-05-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Skill Development,Elementary School Students,Video Technology,Interpersonal Competence,Instructional Materials,Student Evaluation,Faculty Development,Elementary School Teachers,Intervention,Comparative Analysis,Experimental Groups,Control Groups,Program Effectiveness,Kindergarten,Grade 2,Grade 1,Grade 3,Learning Activities,Effect Size

For the 2014 study, &quot;The Iterative Development and Initial Evaluation of We Have Skills!, an Innovative Approach to Teaching Social Skills to Elementary Students&quot;, researchers examined the effects of We Have Skills! (WHS), a supplemental, video-based social skills program for early elementary students. WHS consists of three components: instructional materials, student assessment, and teacher professional development. WHS was developed by the study authors. The study sample included 17 elementary schools in four school districts. Teachers were randomly assigned either to a WHS intervention group or to a comparison group. Teachers in the intervention group received training on the WHS intervention and were asked to use the intervention with students in their classrooms. This study is a well-executed randomized controlled trial with low sample attrition, and therefore, it meets WWC group design standards without reservations. Study authors examined the impact of WHS on student social skills using the Elementary School Behavioral Assessment (ESBA)--a teacher rating of students' classroom behaviors--and found statistically significant positive effects. The WWC confirmed these findings. The following are appended: (1) Study details; (2) Outcome measure for the social outcomes domain; and (3) Study findings for the social outcomes domain. A glossary of terms is also included. [The following study is the focus of this Single Study Review: Marquez, B., Marquez, J., Vincent, C., Pennefather, J., Sprague, J., Smolkowski, K., &amp; Yeaton, P. (2014). The iterative development and initial evaluation of We Have Skills!, an innovative approach to teaching social skills to elementary students. Education and Treatment of Children, 37(1), 137-161.]
WWC Review of the Report &quot;A Randomized Trial Examining the Effects of Aerobic Physical Activity on Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms in Young Children.&quot; What Works Clearinghouse Single Study Review
Author: What Works Clearinghouse (ED)
Date: 2015-05-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Physical Activities,Exercise,Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder,Primary Education,Elementary School Students,Symptoms (Individual Disorders),Program Evaluation,Program Effectiveness,Standards,Student Behavior,Identification,At Risk Students,Research Methodology,Research Problems,Cognitive Ability,Groups

For the 2014 study, &quot;A Randomized Trial Examining the Effects of Aerobic Physical Activity on Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms in Young Children&quot;, researchers examined the effect of a daily before-school physical activity program on behavioral outcomes of students in grades K-2. The study sample included 202 students who either were identified as at risk for ADHD or showed typical development. The study authors randomly assigned students to receive either the physical activity intervention or a sedentary classroom-based program. The study authors then altered the random assignment of students in order to have more similar research groups and analyzed the student data based on the altered research conditions. The analysis included imputed outcomes for students with missing data. Because randomization was compromised, the study could not meet WWC group design standards without reservations. In addition, to meet WWC group design standards with reservations, the WWC requires that baseline equivalence of the analytic samples be demonstrated without imputed outcomes. The study did not demonstrate this baseline equivalence, so the study does not meet WWC group design standards. A glossary of terms is included. [The following study is the focus of this Single Study Review: Hoza, B., Smith, A. L., Shoulberg, E. K., Linnea, K. S., Dorsch, T. E., Blazo, J. A., Alerding, C. M., &amp; McCabe, G. P. (2014). &quot;A randomized trial examining the effects of aerobic physical activity on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms in young children&quot;. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology. doi:10.1007/s10802-014-9929-y]
Measuring Principals' Effectiveness: Results from New Jersey's Principal Evaluation Pilot. REL 2015-089
Author: Ross, Christine
Date: 2015-05-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Principals,Administrator Effectiveness,Performance Based Assessment,Administrator Evaluation,Reliability,School Districts,Validity,Academic Achievement,Institutional Characteristics,Evaluation Methods,Correlation,Disadvantaged,Statistical Analysis,Accuracy,Pilot Projects,Measures (Individuals),Tables (Data),Elementary Secondary Education

The purpose of this study was to describe the measures used to evaluate principals in New Jersey in the first (pilot) year of the new principal evaluation system and examine three of the statistical properties of the measures: their variation among principals, their year-to-year stability, and the associations between these measures and the characteristics of students in the schools. The study reviewed information that developers of principal practice instruments provided about their instruments and examined principals' performance ratings using data from 14 districts in New Jersey that piloted the principal evaluation system in the 2012/13 school year. The study had four key findings: First, the developers of principal practice instruments provided partial information about their instruments' reliability (consistency across raters and observations) and validity (accurate measurement of true principal performance). Second, principal practice ratings and schoolwide student growth percentiles have the potential to differentiate among principals. Third, school median student growth percentiles, which measure student achievement growth during the school year, exhibit year-to-year stability even when the school changes principals. This may reflect persistent school characteristics, suggesting a need to investigate whether other evaluation measures could more closely gauge principals' contributions to student achievement growth. Finally, school median student growth percentiles correlate with student disadvantage, a relationship that warrants further investigation using statewide evaluation data. Results show a mix of strengths and weaknesses in the statistical properties of the measures used to evaluate principals in New Jersey. Future research could provide more evidence on the accuracy of measures used to evaluate principals. The following are appended: (1) Description of districts participating in the pilot; (2) Data used in the study; (3) Design of the principal evaluation system and component measures selected by pilot districts; and (4) Variation in ratings on the component measures.