ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Untapped Potential: The Status of Middle School Science Education in California. Strengthening Science Education in California
Author: Hartry, Ardice
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Public Schools,Science Education,Resource Allocation,Middle School Students,Educational Improvement,Educational Quality,Program Descriptions,Partnerships in Education,Accountability,Science Teachers,Knowledge Base for Teaching,Science Instruction,Instructional Materials

Despite the expressed need for high-quality science education, very little research has been conducted on what middle school science learning opportunities look like in practice. This study was conducted in support of &quot;Strengthening Science Education in California&quot;, a research, policy, and communications initiative. Partners in this initiative are the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning at WestEd; the Lawrence Hall of Science at the University of California, Berkeley; SRI International; Belden Russonello &amp; Stewart; Stone's Throw Communications; and Inverness Research. The research conducted as part of this initiative was designed to provide data on the status of science education in California and identify how science education can be strengthened. The authors' objective is to portray accurately the state of science education in California. The ultimate goal is to inform policymakers and practitioners in their efforts to strengthen science education in California. As a whole, the authors conclude that California needs a new road map for supporting science learning in public schools. Policymakers must review and revise the accountability, resource allocation, and support systems that are driving science education out of public schools. Strengthening science education must be a priority. (Contains 10 exhibits and 3 footnotes.)
Impact of Incentives on the Use of Feedback in Educational Videogames. CRESST Report 813
Author: Delacruz, Girlie C.
Date: 2012-03-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Feedback (Response),Video Games,Educational Games,Incentives,Help Seeking,Algebra,Mathematics Instruction,Mathematics Achievement,Motivation,Outcomes of Education,Scoring Rubrics,Performance,Elementary School Students

Educational videogames can be designed to provide instructional feedback that is responsive to specific actions. However, existing research indicates that students tend to ignore videogame feedback and subsequently use less effective help-seeking strategies. Research on help-seeking in learning environments has primarily focused on the role of cognitive factors, the nature of the help, or issues of timing and frequency. There is a noticeable gap in understanding regarding how to motivate and increase the use of feedback for improved learning. Using a pre-algebra videogame, this study examined the relationship between an incentive to use feedback and math achievement. A randomized-control design was employed, which compared learning outcomes of students who received the incentive to those who did not. Results indicated that students given the incentive to use feedback had significantly higher normalized change scores on math items (d = 0.53), with stronger effects for students with low academic intrinsic motivation (d = 0.88 - 1.17). (Contains 3 tables, 2 figures and 1 footnote.)
Use of a Survival Analysis Technique in Understanding Game Performance in Instructional Games. CRESST Report 812
Author: Kim, Jinok
Date: 2012-02-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Educational Games,Mathematics Instruction,Mathematics,Design,Performance,Students,Risk,Prior Learning,Experience,Student Characteristics,Learning,Time,Statistical Analysis

In this study we compared the effects of two math game designs on math and game performance, using discrete-time survival analysis (DTSA) to model players' risk of not advancing to the next level in the game. 137 students were randomly assigned to two game conditions. The game covered the concept of a unit and the addition of like-sized fractional pieces. The math content in the baseline version of the game focused on procedures and did not elaborate on the math topics. The experimental version of the game provided more conceptual instruction by emphasizing the underlying concepts in fractional addition. Students played the game for 30 minutes. DTSA was used to examine student game performance, and whether and how game performance relates to students' prior math knowledge and game experience. Students who played the experimental version of the game were less likely to fail in the game relative to students who played the baseline version of the game (odds ratio = 0.64). Students with higher prior knowledge of fractions also were less likely to fail in the game (odds ratio = 0.41), and students with more game experience were less likely to fail (odds ration = 0.58). The use of DTSA provided an analytical method to understand game performance and game process data. DTSA enabled examination of the game play progression of students with various characteristics over sequences of game levels. Goals and Knowledge Specifications in "Save Patch" Game Levels are appended. (Contains 5 figures and 6 tables.) [This paper was supported under the Educational Research and Development Centers Program.]
Learning (Not) to Talk about Race: Investigating What Doctoral Students Learn about Race Variables and Statistical Modeling
Author: Armijo, Michael
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Race,Statistical Analysis,Models,Graduate Students,Advanced Courses,Content Analysis,Course Descriptions,Textbooks,Interviews,Doctoral Programs,Schools of Education,College Faculty

This paper asks how doctoral students understand the use of race variables in statistical modeling. More specifically, it examines how doctoral students at two universities are trained to define, operationalize, and analyze race variables. The authors interviewed students and instructors in addition to conducting a document analysis of their texts and syllabus. They interviewed six advanced doctoral students from each university who study education and have taken an advanced statistics course, defined as regression analysis, multi-level modeling, or other advanced courses. These students were randomly selected from the pool of doctoral students who have completed their course work. They interviewed three instructors from each university who teach advanced statistical methods. Again, the process for selection was random. They collected the syllabus and texts used by all interviewees in their advanced statistics courses. Using responses from the interview questions and short task the authors uncovered student voices on the prevalence and relevance of investigator perspective in race-related quantitative research personally and in terms of their training. In general, participants misinterpreted the output, employing causal language and incorrectly attributing characteristics to racial group membership. Participants also noted receiving very little, if any mention of the complexity of race as a social construct in their statistical training courses. Neither the syllabus nor the text used in these courses spent adequate space and time exploring the issues associated with using racial variables in statistical modeling.
Teacher Characteristics Influence Responsiveness to a Course and a Consultancy Focused on Effective Teacher-Child Interactions
Author: Hatfield, Bridget
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Teacher Characteristics,Teacher Participation,Classroom Environment,Preschool Teachers,Early Childhood Education,Faculty Development,Teacher Student Relationship,Coaching (Performance),Education Courses,Inservice Teacher Education

In the current study characteristics of the teacher and classroom that influence teacher responsiveness to the course or consultancy are explored. If classroom quality or characteristics of teachers, such as anxiety levels or efficacy in teaching prior to intervention participation are predictive of responsiveness, then future programs will be able to provide additional supports and resources for these individuals. Further, it may be that the influences of these characteristics differ depending on the intervention setting. For example, the course may provide a safe haven for teachers who are shy and nervous, while the consultancy, which is an intensive, one-on-one relationship, may increase teacher anxiety levels and limit participation. On the other hand, teachers who have more child-centered beliefs about development and classroom interactions may be more responsive to the course and consultancy. Two hundred twenty-three teachers were randomized into the course, however only 167 teachers had at least partial data. Two hundred eight teachers were randomized into the consultancy, and 193 had at least some data and were included in analyses. Teachers were diverse in their educational attainment, experience, and in their racial/ethnic background. Overall, higher authoritarian beliefs about children limited teacher responsiveness to the course while anxiety prohibited teachers from fully benefiting from the consultancy. Other teacher characteristics (e.g., education, ethnicity) also impacted responsiveness to both intervention settings. Further, participation in the course and consultancy was differentially impacted for teachers' with literacy-rich classrooms. These findings have implications for promoting participation in varying intervention settings and shed light on identifying individuals for which more resources for participation may be allocated. (Contains 4 tables.)
Locating Differential Effectiveness of a STEM Initiative through Exploration of Moderators
Author: Newman, Denis
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: STEM Education,Public Schools,Elementary Schools,Middle Schools,Intervention,Elementary School Students,Middle School Students,Academic Achievement,Outcomes of Education,Instructional Effectiveness,Context Effect,Statistical Analysis,Robustness (Statistics)

In randomized control trials, such as the one the authors conducted in Alabama, moderators are potentially an important source of variation in treatment effects. Whether moderators used in the RCT's analysis are pre-existing characteristics of students, their teachers, or the school or other organizational context, they can point toward differences in the way the program (treatment) is implemented, the way teachers interact with different kinds of students when implementing the program, or how effects are operating at levels in the organization above the level where the differences were measured. The authors appreciate Cronbach's (1975) metaphor of the &quot;hall of mirrors&quot; to point to the endless possibilities for higher-order interactions complicating the explanation of what was found. But the goal of this paper is to illustrate a disciplined approach to exploring important interactions guided by the authors' interest in narrowing the working hypotheses as to how the program is having its effects and thus guiding practitioners, program developers, and policy makers in making the most effective use of STEM programs. The Alabama Math Science and Technology Initiative (AMSTI) is a major program developed and deployed in Alabama schools. Partly motivated by the 1996 National Assessment of Educational Progress scores, which were below the national average for Alabama's grade 4-8 students in mathematics and grade 8 students in science, the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) developed a statewide initiative to improve mathematics and science teaching and student achievement in K-12 schools. AMSTI, a school-wide intervention, was introduced in a set of 20 schools in 2002. Each year since then, the state has rolled out the program to additional schools within its 11 regions. By 2009, about 40 percent of the state's 1,518 schools were designated as AMSTI schools. The RCT measured the impact of AMSTI. Key outcomes included student achievement in mathematics problem solving, science, and reading; the use of active learning instructional strategies in mathematics and science classrooms; and teacher content knowledge and student engagement in mathematics and science.
Using a Two-Staged Propensity Score Matching Strategy and Multilevel Modeling to Estimate Treatment Effects in a Multisite Observational Study
Author: Rickles, Jordan H.
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Probability,Statistical Analysis,Computation,Observation,Simulation,Monte Carlo Methods,Outcomes of Treatment

The study is designed to demonstrate and test the utility of the proposed two-stage matching method compared to other analytic methods traditionally employed for multisite observational studies. More specifically, the study addresses the following research questions: (1) How do different specifications of the matching method influence covariate balance? (2) How do different specifications in the matching method influence inferences about treatment effect and effect heterogeneity? The different matching method specifications include differences in the propensity score model and whether a between-site match, within-site match, or two-stage matching process is used. The simulation results indicate that the two-stage matching method balances the desire for within-site covariate balance and the desire to retain as many treatment units in the analysis as possible. Relative to more straightforward matching methods, however, the two-stage matching method does not result in greater covariate balance nor less biased effect estimation. As a result, more straightforward methods that address the nested data structure--such as within-site matching or pooled matching with a random-intercept-and-slope propensity score model--might be preferable to the more complex two-stage matching method. These conclusions are based on a finite set of data generating conditions, with a small set of important confounders at both the unit and site level and a reasonable within-site sample size for matching. Future research should examine the performance of various propensity score model and matching methods under more extreme data conditions. (Contains 2 tables and 5 figures.)
Enrollment in Postsecondary Institutions, Fall 2010; Financial Statistics, Fiscal Year 2010; and Graduation Rates, Selected Cohorts, 2002-07. First Look. NCES 2012-280
Author: Knapp, Laura G.
Date: 2012-03-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Undergraduate Students,Graduation Rate,Educational Finance,Student Financial Aid,Enrollment,Two Year Colleges,Family Income,National Surveys,Postsecondary Education,Public Colleges,Private Colleges,Proprietary Schools,Educational Legislation,Federal Legislation

This &quot;First Look&quot; presents findings from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) spring 2011 data collection. This collection included five components: Student Financial Aid for the 2009-10 academic year; Enrollment for fall 2010; Graduation Rates within 150 percent of normal program completion time for full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students beginning college in 2004 at 4-year institutions or in 2007 at less-than-4-year institutions; Graduation Rates within 200 percent of normal program completion time for full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students beginning college in 2002 at 4-year institutions or in 2006 at less-than-4-year institutions; and Finance for fiscal year 2010, such as revenues and operating expenditures. The data on which this report is based are available to researchers and the public through the IPEDS Data Center and the College Navigator. Appended are: (1) Survey Methodology;and (2) Glossary of IPEDS Terms. (Contains 24 tables and 22 footnotes.)
High School Disciplinary Responses to Student Truancy: Findings from a National Sample
Author: Frank, Jennifer L.
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Truancy,High School Students,Discipline,Recidivism,Prevention,At Risk Students,Grade 9,Public Schools

Truancy is a common problem facing nearly all high schools across the nation (Baker, Sigmon, & Nugent,2001). Although estimating national truancy prevalence rates is difficult due to inconsistent definitions most current national surveys have found that 4.3% of 9th grade students, 7.5% of 10th grade students, 8.7% of 11th grade students, and 13% of 12th grade students reported skipping one or more days of school during the previous 30 days (National Center on School Engagement, 2006; National Center on Education Statistics, 2007). Although a considerable amount of work has been done to understand how individual student-level risk factors relate to truancy, far less work has examined how school responses to student truancy may affect future reoccurrence or growth in truancy rates over time. Rather than focus on individual-student risk factors, the authors examine the effectiveness of distinctive types of school disciplinary strategies in order to draw conclusions about the impact of such decisions on subsequent truancy rates. Tables are appended.
A Multilevel Bi-Factor Framework for the Measurement of Instruction
Author: Kelcey, Ben
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Reading Instruction,Grade 2,Grade 3,Reading Comprehension,Vocabulary Development,Elementary School Teachers,Teaching Methods,Measurement,Models

In this paper the authors briefly describe how features of the multilevel bi-factor model align with salient features of instruction. They then apply this framework to measure the extent to which teachers' instruction is supportive of vocabulary learning in second and third grade reading comprehension and vocabulary lessons. The results lend empirical evidence to the importance of studying instruction by treating lesson purpose as the teachers' unit of instruction and examining dimensions or features of instruction within lessons. The results suggest that the multilevel bi-factor model may more appropriately describe instruction and how it changes over lessons. Moreover, the results suggest that assuming unidimensionality across lesson purposes obscures measurement of the primary dimension in ways that both diminish the variance attributed to differences among teachers and overstate the ability of the measured features in discriminating among teachers. (Contains 3 tables and 5 figures.)
Implementing a Dual Enrollment Program. Guiding Questions
Author: Columbia University, Community College Research Center
Date: 2012-02-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Grade Point Average,Dual Enrollment,Vocational Education,Outcomes of Education,College Credits,Academic Persistence,College Students,Academic Achievement,Low Income Groups,Socioeconomic Influences,Program Development,Partnerships in Education,College School Cooperation,High Schools,Colleges,Educational Finance

According to research, dual enrollment (DE) participation is associated with a range of positive college outcomes (such as GPA, credit accumulation, and persistence) for mainstream students, as well as those in career-technical education pathways and programs. In addition, lower achieving, lower income students may experience greater gains from  dual enrollment than higher achieving, more advantaged students. This paper presents a list of guiding questions that should be asked at various stages of implementing a dual enrollment program, starting from what to ask when seeking to establish a partnership, to the what should be asked when evaluating the success of the program. (Contains 2 footnotes.) [For related reports, see "What We Know about Dual Enrollment. Research Overview" (ED530528) and "City College of San Francisco Academy and Pathway Dual Enrollment Program. Case Study" (ED530529).]
What We Know about Dual Enrollment. Research Overview
Author: Columbia University, Community College Research Center
Date: 2012-02-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: High Schools,Dual Enrollment,Secondary School Teachers,College Faculty,Advanced Placement Programs,Community Colleges,High School Students,College Credits,Enrollment Trends,Grade Point Average,Academic Persistence,Course Selection (Students),Gender Differences,Socioeconomic Influences

In dual enrollment (DE), high school students are enrolled in a college course and complete all the assignments that would normally be completed as part of the course. At the end of the course, they are given a final grade on a college transcript and course credit that can be applied toward a college degree. Dual enrollment programs differ from Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs in that students take college courses rather than high school courses with college-level content. DE programs vary widely in terms of how many and what college courses they offer, where the courses take place (on college or high school campuses), and who teaches them (college faculty or high school teachers who qualify as college adjuncts). This paper outlines a research overview wherein it answers the following questions: (1) What is dual enrollment?; (2) Why dual enrollment?; and (3) Who benefits from dual enrollment? (Contains 4 sources.) [For related reports, see &quot;Implementing a Dual Enrollment Program. Guiding Questions&quot; (ED530527) and &quot;City College of San Francisco Academy and Pathway Dual Enrollment Program. Case Study&quot; (ED530529).]
City College of San Francisco Academy and Pathway Dual Enrollment Program. Case Study
Author: Columbia University, Community College Research Center
Date: 2012-02-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Dual Enrollment,Student Recruitment,Urban Schools,Partnerships in Education,College School Cooperation,High Schools,Program Implementation,Enrollment Trends,Student Personnel Services,Cooperative Planning,Barriers,Sustainable Development,Community Colleges

This paper provides a case study of a dual enrollment program at the City College of San Francisco. The case study describes different aspects of the program, including implementation, student recruitment, enrollment, course offerings, student support services, high school/college collaboration, challenges, and sustainability. (Contains 1 footnote.) [For related reports, see &quot;Implementing a Dual Enrollment Program. Guiding Questions&quot; (ED530527) and &quot;What We Know about Dual Enrollment. Research Overview&quot; (ED530528).]