ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Comparisons of Student Growth by District Performance and Poverty. ACT Research Report Series 2017-8
Author: Dougherty, Chrys
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Poverty,Value Added Models,School Districts,Instructional Program Divisions,Demography,Scores,Statistical Analysis,Academic Achievement,Socioeconomic Influences,College Readiness,Career Readiness,Benchmarking,Grade 4,Grade 5,Grade 6,Grade 7,Grade 8,Grade 9,Grade 10,Grade 11,Grade 12,Reading Achievement,Science Achievement,Mathematics Achievement,Standardized Tests,State Standards

This report looks at student growth in Arkansas school districts disaggregated by district poverty and by the district's value-added performance relative to other districts. We estimated district value-added performance statistics by subject and grade level (8 and 11-12) for longitudinal student cohorts, using statistical models that adjusted for district demographics, the percentage of students in the analysis, and prior student scores. We found that differences in these value-added statistics across districts at each poverty level were large enough to be of practical importance to educators and policymakers. In addition to value-added statistics, we also calculated unadjusted descriptive statistics related to changes in student achievement over time--such the percentage of students at a given achievement level in an earlier year who reached the On-Track level in the current year--for districts classified as above or below average based on the value-added statistics. At all poverty levels, we found substantial differences in these statistics between districts identified as above and below average in the models. However, even in above-average districts, the great majority of Off-Track students were not reaching On-Track benchmarks for college and career readiness in English, mathematics, reading, and science. No group of high-poverty districts was able to catch up at least a third of their Off-Track students or more than 11% of their Far-Off-Track students in any subject. This is reason to pay increased attention to promising but sometimes underemphasized long-term strategies for improving student outcomes.
Evidence for Paper and Online ACT® Comparability: Spring 2014 and 2015 Mode Comparability Studies. ACT Research Report Series 2017-1
Author: Li, Dongmei
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: College Entrance Examinations,Computer Assisted Testing,Comparative Analysis,Test Format,Timed Tests,Multiple Choice Tests,Statistical Analysis,Raw Scores,Effect Size,Correlation,Item Response Theory,Factor Analysis,Reading Tests,Mathematics Tests,Generalizability Theory,Structural Equation Models

In preparation for online administration of the ACT® test, ACT conducted studies to examine the comparability of scores between online and paper administrations, including a timing study in fall 2013, a mode comparability study in spring 2014, and a second mode comparability study in spring 2015. This report presents major findings from these studies, focusing on the mode comparability studies.
Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge: 2015 Annual Performance Report. Colorado
Author: Department of Education (ED)
Date: 2016-06-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Educational Legislation,Federal Aid,Federal Legislation,Federal Programs,Early Childhood Education,State Programs,Educational Quality,Program Evaluation,Program Effectiveness,Access to Education,Program Validation,Child Development,Academic Standards,Educational Attainment,Health Promotion,Family School Relationship,Preschool Children,Preschool Teachers,Teacher Competencies,Credentials,Teacher Characteristics,School Readiness,Outcome Measures,Tables (Data)

This Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) annual performance report for the year 2015 describes Colorado's accomplishments, lessons learned, challenges, and strategies Colorado will implement to address those challenges. Guided by the vision of the Early Childhood Colorado Framework--the vision, goals, and priorities for a unified system across early learning, family support and parent education, and physical and social-emotional health--Colorado's public, private, and philanthropic sectors are highly invested in people, programs, and places that will increase access to high quality early learning experiences. Colorado shares the progress gained during year three. The state summarizes its: (1) accomplishments; (2) lessons learned; (3) challenges; and (4) strategies we will implement to address those challenges. [For &quot;Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge Year 2015 Progress Update,&quot; see ED583454.]
Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge: 2015 Annual Performance Report. Michigan
Author: Department of Education (ED)
Date: 2016-06-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Educational Legislation,Federal Legislation,Federal Aid,Federal Programs,Early Childhood Education,State Programs,Educational Quality,Program Evaluation,Program Effectiveness,Access to Education,Program Validation,Child Development,Academic Standards,Educational Assessment,Health Promotion,Family School Relationship,Preschool Children,Preschool Teachers,Teacher Competencies,Credentials,Teacher Characteristics,School Readiness,Outcome Measures,Tables (Data)

This Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) annual performance report for the year 2015 describes Michigan's accomplishments, lessons learned, challenges, and strategies Michigan will implement to address those challenges. Michigan was awarded $51,737,456 for the purposes of improving early learning and development in the state over a period of four years, beginning January 2014 and ending December 2017. The grant is focused on the improvement of early childhood systems through: increasing access to high-quality programs for children with high needs; implementing and coordinating an integrated system of programs; and evaluating and rating program quality. The Michigan Department of Education, Office of Great Start was identified as the lead agency for RTT-ELC implementation in the grant application. Michigan has prioritized its work into seven projects for improving early childhood outcomes for all children. These projects are designed to support the creation of a truly collaborative system of early learning and development--one that requires the collective efforts of policymakers, program directors, providers, and parents. The projects are as follows: (1) Grant Management and Governance; (2) Improving Quality through Increased Participation in Great Start to Quality; (3) Promotion of Physical and Social-Emotional Health; (4) Enhancing and Increasing Access to the Great Start to Quality System; (5) Improving the Early Learning and Development Workforce; (6) Measuring Outcomes for Children, Programs, and Educators; and (7) Increasing Family Engagement. [For &quot;Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge Year 2015 Progress Update,&quot; see ED583454.]
Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge: 2015 Annual Performance Report. Illinois
Author: Department of Education (ED)
Date: 2016-06-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Educational Legislation,Federal Legislation,Federal Aid,Federal Programs,Early Childhood Education,State Programs,Educational Quality,Program Evaluation,Program Effectiveness,Access to Education,Program Validation,Child Development,Academic Standards,Educational Assessment,Health Promotion,Family School Relationship,Preschool Children,Preschool Teachers,Teacher Competencies,Credentials,Teacher Characteristics,School Readiness,Outcome Measures,Tables (Data)

This Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) annual performance report for the year 2015 describes Illinois' accomplishments, lessons learned, challenges, and strategies Illinois will implement to address those challenges. Illinois' Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) grant initiatives reflect the State's three strategic reform priorities. In each of these areas, Illinois has accomplished a great deal in its third year of implementation. One of the key lessons learned in Illinois' third year of implementation is the critical importance of leadership and the need for continual development of new and emerging leaders. Key to successfully navigating these (and other) transitions has been the strength of vision and capacity for implementation of the extant teams within state government and partners in the private sector. The State and its partners have also worked diligently and deliberately to engage new leaders in RTT-ELC initiatives and other system-building strategies. Finally, Illinois' budget crisis presented challenges to the early childhood system and its RTT-ELC initiatives in 2015. Lack of a fully enacted budget, delayed payments, and changes to eligibility in the child care program have contributed to a sense of instability and uncertainty throughout state-funded programs, most notably within the child care and home visiting systems. Referred to throughout this report, the fiscal challenges in 2015 have strained families, programs, and communities. [For &quot;Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge Year 2015 Progress Update,&quot; see ED583454.]
Math in the Real World: Early Findings from a Study of the Dana Center Mathematics Pathways. Research Brief
Author: Rutschow, Elizabeth Zachry
Date: 2017-05-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Mathematics Instruction,Required Courses,College Students,College Preparation,College Readiness,Program Evaluation,Student Experience,Developmental Studies Programs,College Mathematics,Mathematics Skills,Statistics,Mathematical Logic,STEM Education,Statistical Analysis,Calculus,Observation,Interviews,Focus Groups,Academic Achievement,Teaching Methods,Alignment (Education),Student Records

Until recently, most colleges required students to pass a college-level algebra course in order to earn a degree. As many as 50 percent to 70 percent of community college students enter college unprepared to take these courses, and fewer than 20 percent of such students ever successfully complete a college-level math course; the rest are effectively blocked from achieving a college degree. In 2012, the Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin introduced the Dana Center Mathematics Pathways (DCMP, formerly known as the New Mathways Project), which aims to revise the structure, content, and pedagogy of developmental and college-level math classes in an effort to improve students' outcomes. In 2014, the Center for the Analysis of Postsecondary Readiness, with support from the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences, partnered with the Dana Center to launch a rigorous evaluation of the DCMP. Overall, the findings are encouraging; DCMP students are having qualitatively different classroom experiences from those of students in traditional developmental math courses and enrolling in and passing these courses at higher rates. However, work still needs to be done to ensure that all eligible students are correctly advised into these new pathways and that their math credits will transfer seamlessly to four-year college partners.
Early Findings from a National Survey of Developmental Education Practices. Research Brief
Author: Rutschow, Elizabeth Zachry
Date: 2018-02-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: National Surveys,Developmental Programs,Educational Practices,College Readiness,Outcome Measures,Instructional Innovation,Change Strategies,Remedial Programs

Judged to be academically underprepared, millions of students must take developmental education in college, and more than half never make it through or graduate. Experts argue that there are two main problems: Too many students are being placed unnecessarily into developmental courses, and the structure and traditional instructional practices in developmental education can pose barriers to student success. Educators are developing and implementing many innovations to address these issues, but little is known about the breadth and scale of reforms across the country. The Center for the Analysis of Postsecondary Readiness (CAPR), a partnership between MDRC and the Community College Research Center, is conducting research to examine these issues. This brief presents early findings from CAPR's nationally representative survey of nearly 1,000 open-access and nonselective postsecondary institutions.
Does Mailing a Post Card to Students Improve Response Rates? Issue Brief
Author: Moore, Raeal
Date: 2017-04-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: College Entrance Examinations,Online Surveys,Electronic Mail,Response Rates (Questionnaires),Visual Aids,Student Participation,Gender Differences,Pictorial Stimuli

A random sample of students who took the ACT test in either April or June of 2016 were invited to participate in an online survey via an email invitation (N = 35,0471). To study whether mailing post card invitations to students improves response rates, a portion of these test-takers were randomly assigned to be sent a post card. In addition, students who were sent a post card were randomly assigned to either receive one that pictured a female student or one that pictured a male student. All post cards described the research study and provided the student with the survey link. All groups received similar invitation via email. Three research questions were investigated: (1) Does sending a post card to students' improve response rates; (2) Does the picture on the post card have an impact on response rates; and (3) Does the picture on the post card have a differential impact on response rates based on the gender of the survey respondent? This is part of a larger study (N = 58,559) seeking to understand the impact that financial incentives and post card invitations had on response rates. Only the effects of post card invitations are provided in this report. Students were randomly assigned to receive either the post card or the incentive, but not both.
Does Opting into a Search Service Provide Benefits to Students? ACT Working Paper 2017-3
Author: Moore, Joann L.
Date: 2017-07-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: College Students,Marketing,Student Recruitment,Decision Making,Inferences,Hypothesis Testing,Information Dissemination,College Choice,Probability,Search Strategies,Census Figures,College Freshmen,High School Graduates,College Entrance Examinations,High School Students,Regression (Statistics),Student Characteristics,Scores

Recent research suggests that the use of student search services is an effective part of a college's student marketing and recruitment strategy. What is not clear, however, is whether participating in a search service is an effective part of a student's college search strategy. To address this question, we exploit a recent change in the choice architecture that structures students' decision to participate in ACT's Educational Opportunity Service (EOS) in order to make a causal inference about the benefit to the student of opting into a search service. We hypothesized that students who had opted into EOS unintentionally sent scores to more colleges than students who opted out. Indeed, we found that unintentional opt-in was associated with an 8% increase in the odds of sending scores to any colleges, and for students who sent scores, unintentional EOS opt-in was associated with a 1.1 increase in the number of colleges to which scores were sent. Results of this study support the hypothesis that EOS opt-in may indeed be an effective part of a student's college search strategy.
Validity Evidence for STEM Interest Identification. Technical Brief
Author: Crouse, Jill
Date: 2017-06-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: STEM Education,High School Students,Student Characteristics,Validity,College Entrance Examinations,College Students,Student Records,Classification,Student Interests,Majors (Students)

In 2014, ACT developed a method to identify high school students who had an interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)-related fields. By using ACT data elements, this method provided two different types of STEM interest: Expressed and measured. Based on these STEM interest types, students can be assigned to one of four STEM interest groups: Expressed and measured, expressed-only, measured-only, or an interest in non-STEM majors. This brief summarizes the results of a study that assessed the validity of this approach.
How Should Colleges Treat Multiple Admissions Test Scores? ACT Working Paper 2017-4
Author: Mattern, Krista
Date: 2017-05-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: College Entrance Examinations,Grade Point Average,College Freshmen,Correlation,Scores,Scoring,Evaluation Methods,Comparative Analysis,Prediction,Student Records,Institutional Characteristics,Geographic Regions,Student Characteristics,Statistical Analysis

The percentage of students retaking college admissions tests is rising (Harmston &amp; Crouse, 2016). Researchers and college admissions offices currently use a variety of methods for summarizing these multiple scores. Testing companies, interested in validity evidence like correlations with college first-year grade-point averages (FYGPA), often use the most recent test score available (Allen, 2013; Mattern &amp; Patterson, 2014). In contrast, institutions report using a variety of composite scoring methods for applicants with multiple test records, including averaging and taking the maximum subtest score across test occasions (&quot;superscoring&quot;). We compare four scoring methods (average, highest, last, and superscoring) on two criteria. First, we compare correlations between scores from each scoring method and FYGPA. We find them similar (?? ˜ 0.40). Second, we compare scores from each scoring method based on whether they differentially predict FYGPA across the number of testing occasions (retakes). We find that retakes account for additional variance beyond standardized achievement and positively predict FYGPA across all scoring methods. We also find that superscoring minimizes this differential prediction--although it may seem that superscoring should inflate scores across retakes, this inflation is &quot;true&quot; to the extent that it accounts for the positive effects of retaking for predicting FYGPA. Future research should identity what factors, such as academic motivation and socioeconomic status, are related to retesting and consider how these should be considered in college admissions.
Understanding &quot;Gulino&quot;: A Legal Perspective. ACT Working Paper 2017-2
Author: Croft, Michelle
Date: 2017-04-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Court Litigation,Teacher Certification,Tests,Scores,Legal Responsibility,Teacher Evaluation,State Legislation,Civil Rights Legislation,Federal Legislation,Racial Discrimination,Gender Discrimination,Social Discrimination,Ethnicity,Employers,Public Schools,Minority Group Teachers,Standardized Tests

&quot;Gulino v. New York State Department of Education&quot; is a class action lawsuit that involves a teacher certification examination in New York. The case spanned over two decades and three iterations of the exam. The case is unique as the plaintiffs were already teaching in classrooms when they were required to sit for a new certification exam. Despite the unique nature of the case, it is a useful case study to examine what factors the court uses in evaluating employment assessments where there is a disparate impact (i.e., one racial/ethnic group consistently scores lower than another group). This paper will first discuss the legal criteria used by courts in evaluating challenges to employment assessments, then describe the &quot;Gulino&quot; case and its resulting opinions.
The Importance of Behavioral Skills and Navigation Factors for Education and Work Success. ACT Insights in Education and Work Series
Author: Elchert, Daniel M.
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Tests/Questionnaires
Subjects: Interpersonal Competence,Student Behavior,Reliability,Cooperation,Student Interests,Goal Orientation,Skill Development,Holistic Approach,Academic Ability,Academic Achievement,Career Development,Elementary School Teachers,Secondary School Teachers,College Faculty,Teacher Attitudes,Employer Attitudes,Success,College Readiness,Career Readiness,Surveys,Navigation,Academic Persistence,Integrity,Self Control,College Entrance Examinations

Over the past decade, there has been greater recognition by educators, employers, and policymakers of the importance of behavioral skills and navigation factors (e.g., dependability, cooperation, interests, and goals) for education and career success. A growing body of research shows that these factors contribute to diverse positive outcomes in both education and workforce settings. In addition, recent legislation (Every Student Succeeds Act, 2015) provides states with the flexibility to include a non-academic indicator (in conjunction with traditional academic achievement indicators) when measuring K-12 student progress and success, calling attention to the role of non-academic factors in contributing to educational outcomes. These factors are also important to employers. Surveys of employers indicate an increased need for employees with a range of behavioral and navigation skills that influence work outcomes. Recognizing the significance of behavioral skills and navigation factors, ACT recently advanced the ACT Holistic Framework, a more holistic approach to preparing people for success throughout their education and work journeys. This comprehensive, research-based framework includes core academic skills, cross-cutting capabilities, behavioral skills, and navigation factors across critical transitions that are considered essential for achieving education and career success. This report focuses on behavioral skills and navigation factors (drawn from the ACT Holistic Framework) that elementary, middle, and high school teachers, college instructors, and workforce supervisors consider important for success. The following four topics are discussed: (1) the behavioral skills and navigation factors featured in the ACT Holistic Framework; (2) a brief description of the 2016 ACT survey of college and career readiness expectations, by which data were collected on the factors considered integral to success in education and work; (3) survey results from educators and workforce supervisors, along with the potential implications of these findings; and (4) recommendations that translate the importance attributed to behavioral skills and navigation factors into actions for policymakers, educators, and employers.
National Alliance for Public Charter Schools 2017 Annual Report: I Am the Future
Author: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Annual Reports,Charter Schools,State Legislation,Institutional Mission,Research Needs,Institutional Advancement,Change Agents,Recognition (Achievement),Educational Improvement,Improvement Programs,Conferences (Gatherings),Private Financial Support,Change Strategies,Elementary Secondary Education

This 2017 annual report shares many of the accomplishments achieved by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools for the year. 2017 saw improvements to state charter school laws, groundbreaking research projects, and the creation of a new legal action fund that will help to defend and expand access to charter schools. This 2017 Annual Report from the National Alliance documents what was achieved on behalf of students throughout this impressive year. The National Alliance looks forward to reaching even greater milestones in 2018. [For the report from the previous year, &quot;National Alliance for Public Charter Schools 2016 Annual Report,&quot; see ED581575.]