ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
2014-2015 State of the States in Gifted Education: Policy and Practice Data
Author: National Association for Gifted Children
Date: 2015-11-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Academically Gifted,Gifted Education,Outcomes of Education,Elementary Secondary Education,Talent Identification,State Departments of Education,Educational Finance,Accountability,Definitions,Faculty Development,Educational Policy,Educational Practices,Educational Trends,State Legislation,Teacher Certification,Acceleration (Education)

As our country's need for highly skilled professionals in every field continues to grow, the &quot;2014-2015 State of the States in Gifted Education&quot; report provides a glimpse into a system where many high ability and high-achieving learners must fend for themselves, leaving success to chance. While there are individual areas of progress, the nation has yet to comprehensively address the educational needs of top learners in PK-12 schools. This report contains ten key areas that provide a better understanding of the degree of support individual states offered to gifted and talented education for the school year 2014-2015: (1) State Education Agencies; (2) Funding for Gifted and Talented Education; (3) Mandates to Identify and Serve Gifted Students; (4) Accountability; (5) Definition of Giftedness; (6) Identification of Gifted and Talented students; (7) Programs and Services for Gifted Students; (8) Staffing and Personnel Preparation; (9) Related Policies and Practices; and (10) New Developments, Concerns, and Future Directions. The data collected for and represented in this report reflect the policies, practices, and their resulting effects for the estimated three million academically gifted and talented U. S. students in grades PreK-12. Forty-two states including the District of Columbia (referred to collectively as &quot;states&quot;) responded to the 2014-2015 State of the States in Gifted Education survey. The survey featured a combination of closed-response questions to facilitate efficiency of response, as well as open-ended questions that allowed responders to provide specific, detailed information on gifted policies, programs, services, practices, and the agencies coordinating them. As observed in past analyses, several key themes emerged from high rates of state responses to items regarding decentralized decision-making and accountability, limited service options, the importance of professional development, the influence of federal education law, and funding issues. The information in this report is intended to help gifted education supporters advocate for an appropriate education for it's most capable students, resulting in increased data collection, strong state policies, increased teacher training, and other critical resources.
Proposed Methodology for Defining Learning Gains. Research Brief. Volume 1905
Author: Gonzalez Hernandez, Vanessa
Date: 2020-04-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Achievement Gains,Socioeconomic Status,English Language Learners,Definitions,Scores,Academic Achievement,Accountability,State Standards,Reading Achievement,Mathematics Achievement,Language Arts,Economically Disadvantaged,Grade 3,Grade 4,Grade 5,Grade 6,Grade 7,Grade 8,Grade 9

This report examines one component of the current school accountability system--learning gains. We find that learning gain percentages are affected by a variety of factors including starting achievement level, socioeconomic status, and English language learner status when the current definition of learning gains is used. Hence, we propose a new methodology for defining learning gains in terms of scale score increase targets. Under this new definition, students who are behind their peers in academic achievement will be required to demonstrate higher scale increases to meet the target for learning gains. We find that the proposed definition of learning gains reduces the variability in percentages of students making such gains depending on their initial achievement results. In addition, it reduces the gap between the learning gain percentages for certain accountability subgroups.
College Planning Support: The Role of Counselors and Parents in the Wake of COVID-19
Author: Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL)
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: COVID-19,Pandemics,Parent Role,Counselor Role,High School Students,College Bound Students,Parent Attitudes,College Choice,Athletes,College Athletics,Parent Participation

Parents and high school counselors play a tremendously influential role during a student's college search. But how has that support changed during the COVID-19 crisis? This white paper from RNL looks at new survey results of parents and counselors to show how the current crisis has altered their expectations and behaviors toward the college search process. Inside this paper, you'll find research and insights on: (1) the ability of high school counselors to work with prospective college students during the COVID-19 crisis; (2) how the pandemic has influenced the thinking of parents as they help their children search for a college; and (3) the impact on high school student athletes looking to compete at the collegiate level. [Research for this report was co-sponsored by High School Counselor Connect, CampusESP, Cappex, and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).]
Using iReady AP2 Results to Make ESOL Exit Decisions. Research Brief. Volume 1906
Author: Tirado, Andrea
Date: 2020-04-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: English (Second Language),English Language Learners,Models,Decision Making,Language Proficiency,State Standards,Elementary Secondary Education,Reading Achievement,Cutting Scores,Predictor Variables,Student Evaluation,Evaluation Methods

This Research Brief describes a model developed as an alternative method for making ESOL exit decisions in 2019-2020. Given the cancellation of the 2019-2020 Statewide student assessment, FSA ELA results which are used as one of the two major components for making ESOL exit decisions will not be available, and an alternative method is needed. This Research Brief describes the development of such a method and assesses its potential effect. The results show that the model can be used for making ESOL exit decisions in 2019-2020 and that these decisions would be conservative: it is unlikely that a student would be exited from ESOL prematurely by using the proposed model.
Student Achievement Growth in Early Elementary Grades and the Persistence of the Achievement Gap. Research Brief. Volume 1909
Author: Tirado, Andrea
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Achievement Gains,Primary Education,Elementary School Students,Achievement Gap,At Risk Students,Poverty,English Language Learners,Students with Disabilities,Minority Group Students,Student Characteristics,Reading Achievement,Mathematics Achievement,Disadvantaged Youth,African American Students,Hispanic American Students,Kindergarten,Grade 1,Grade 2,Grade 3

This study found that as early as the beginning of kindergarten and before any formal schooling began for most students, the achievement gap already existed. It was mostly related to students' poverty, ELL status, and SWD status, as well as to schools' having larger proportions of economically disadvantaged students. Students from poor families (as measured by the FRL eligibility), English language learners, and students with disabilities were academically substantially behind their demographically similar peers in both reading and mathematics. Students enrolling in schools with a higher concentration of FRL students were also behind their demographically similar students attending schools with smaller poverty rates; that was true for both academic subjects. Minority students were behind their demographically similar peers in mathematics, but not in reading. During the first four academic years reading and mathematics learning occurred at equitable rates across all Elementary and K-8 schools. On the other hand, learning rates were related to student characteristics. ELL and Formerly ELL students showed substantially greater learning rates in both reading and mathematics than their demographically similar peers leading to a reduction in an achievement gap between ELL and non-ELL students. On the other hand, economically disadvantaged students and students with disabilities demonstrated substantially smaller annual learning rates in both academic disciplines than their peers leading to an increase in achievement gaps. Minority students demonstrated smaller annual rates of academic growth: Black/African American students -- in both reading and mathematics, while Hispanic students -- in reading but not in mathematics. Again, these smaller rates of academic growth only exacerbated achievement gaps.
Driving Awareness, Inclusion, and Integration for Racial Equity in Postsecondary Education
Author: Meehan, Kasey
Date: 2020-03-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Postsecondary Education,Equal Education,Minority Group Students,Racial Bias,Ethnicity,Inclusion,Educational Innovation,Higher Education,Cultural Influences,Leadership,Advocacy,State Agencies,Consciousness Raising,Achievement Gap,African American Students,White Students,Hispanic American Students,American Indian Students,Educational Policy,Educational Practices,Data Collection,Data Use

To support state efforts to close postsecondary attainment equity gaps for students of color, Research for Action (RFA) developed a framework that describes three drivers behind efforts to place racial equity at the center of postsecondary policymaking and practice: awareness, inclusion, and integration. The framework is adapted from Equity in the Center's Race Equity Cycle and is informed by Research for Action's examination of the three states in the first cohort of the Lumina Foundation's Talent, Innovation, and Equity (TIE) states -- Colorado, Tennessee, and Oregon. This report highlights four important factors that affect how state higher education agencies worked to advance racial equity: (1) data availability and use; (2) culture at the system or state agency; (3) state leadership; and (4) statewide advocacy environment. This report provides recommendations for how state agencies can drive awareness, inclusion, and integration across each factor. Recommendations are informed by data on the best practices and lessons learned from the implementation of each state's TIE initiative. While each TIE state developed their own strategies for advancing equity and closing racial attainment gaps, the primary pillars of the work were similar -- state-level awareness, coalition-building, and institutional engagement. The first in a series, this report examines state-level strategies for closing racial equity gaps. The next two reports in this series will explore lessons learned in advancing racial equity through statewide coalition-building and investments in institutional efforts.
State Agencies and Systems of Higher Education Leading for Equity
Author: Pearson, Denise
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: State Agencies,Higher Education,Equal Education,State Policy,Educational Policy,Position Papers,Strategic Planning,Educational Change

Leaders of state agencies and systems of higher education (SHEEOs) are in unique positions to expand higher education's positive impact on the human condition through an intentional and systematic focus on educational equity. The opportunities and challenges are noteworthy, and the authors of this paper sought to identify these. It is also the goal of this paper to provide SHEEOs and their staffs with information to support their efforts to ensure positive postsecondary outcomes for all students in their respective states, regardless of race or ethnicity. In essence, this is the fundamental aim of equity in higher education. It's instructive to mention that an important impetus for this paper --States Leading for Equity--is the consistent focus on equity-oriented proposals and sessions at SHEEO's annual policy conferences.
Colorado Concurrent Enrollment Return on Investment and Cost Model
Author: Reichardt, Robert
Date: 2020-09-29
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Dual Enrollment,Outcomes of Education,Costs,Models,State Programs,Higher Education,Educational Finance,Income,Taxes,Federal Programs,Economic Factors,Academic Persistence,Graduation Rate,High Schools

Purpose of this study is to provide an estimate of concurrent enrollment (CE) costs and return on investment (ROI) in Colorado. This report is part of a larger U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences (IES) funded grant to develop a college access and success research partnership (R305H170049). This study is of Colorado statewide CE programs created by House Bill 09-1319 and detailed in the CE Programs Act (C.R.S. §22-35-101 et seq.). The cost model describes a process creating a statewide estimate of CE economic costs using the ingredients method and flow of money to institutions of higher education (IHEs) to support CE. The financial returns model used the estimated impact of CE from a separate impact study to estimate the increases from CE participation in individual income, state and federal taxes, and the savings to some state and federal programs (Buckley, Pendergast, Klopfenstein, 2020). The cost model estimated the statewide economic cost of CE in 2016-17 was about $32 million for districts and $8 million for IHE. The IHE revenue that is explicitly targeted to pay for CE are Colorado Opportunity Fund payments estimated to be about $17 million, $36 million in tuition, and about $1 million in payments from districts for instructional services. IHE's then paid IHE about $26 million for instruction services by district personnel. The impact study estimated CE increased college matriculation and post-secondary completion for a sample of CE students. This sample was created to support a rigorous evaluation and had above average reading scores. The returns estimate for a similar group of 16,965 CE students would see an increase in post-secondary completers of 4,094 students. These completers generate an estimated lifetime increase in income of $2,890 million, state government taxes and savings of $274 million, and federal taxes and savings of $472 million. The lifetime ROI for the returns sample for Colorado (which made the CE investment) is estimated to be over 600%. This indicates that CE is a good investment for Colorado. [The report was produced by Augenblick, Palaich and Associates.]
What Impact Does the Presence of School Police Have on School Safety? Police in Pennsylvania Schools Series
Author: Research for Action
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Reports - Research-practitioner Partnerships
Subjects: Police,School Safety,Program Effectiveness,Crime Prevention,Violence,Weapons,Crime,Suspension,Expulsion,Minority Group Students,Students with Disabilities,Disproportionate Representation,Teacher Attitudes,Student Attitudes,Elementary Secondary Education

Concerns for student safety are a commonly cited reason for the presence of police in schools. But as the nation grapples with the appropriate roles and responsibilities of police more broadly, the time is right to shine a light on what we know about the effects of police in schools. This brief summarizes the research related to this question. This brief is part one of three in the &quot;Police in Pennsylvania Schools&quot; series, designed to inform conversations for Pennsylvania policymakers, school leaders, and other stakeholders. [For &quot;School Policing in Pennsylvania: Prevalence and Disparities. Police in Pennsylvania Schools Series,&quot; see ED608042.]
School Policing in Pennsylvania: Prevalence and Disparities. Police in Pennsylvania Schools Series
Author: Research for Action
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Reports - Research-practitioner Partnerships
Subjects: Police,School Safety,Minority Group Students,Students with Disabilities,Disproportionate Representation,Racial Differences,Social Differences,Gender Differences,Low Income Students,African American Students,Hispanic American Students,Crime,Expenditures,School Security,Security Personnel,White Students,High Schools,Middle Schools,Elementary Schools,Referral

In this brief, Research for Action examines the prevalence of school policing in Pennsylvania schools. While data on police presence is limited, this brief is able to examine: (1) race/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in school police staffing and spending; (2) race/ethnic disparities in referrals to law enforcement and school-based arrests by gender, grade, and special education status; and (3) changes over time in Pennsylvania's school police staffing and school-based referrals and arrests. This brief is part two of three in the &quot;Police in Pennsylvania Schools&quot; series, designed to inform conversations for Pennsylvania policymakers, school leaders, and other stakeholders. [For &quot;What Impact Does the Presence of School Police Have on School Safety? Police in Pennsylvania Schools Series,&quot; see ED608041.]
Teacher Use of Digital Tools: Results of a Survey of District Teachers in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Scranton and Neshaminy
Author: Research for Action
Date: 2020-09-00
Type: Reports - Research-practitioner Partnerships
Subjects: Technology Uses in Education,Teacher Surveys,School Closing,COVID-19,Pandemics,Instructional Development,Teaching Methods,Learner Engagement,Student Evaluation,Electronic Learning,Distance Education,Instructional Effectiveness,Computer Mediated Communication,Videoconferencing,Integrated Learning Systems,English Language Learners,Individualized Education Programs,Faculty Development,Elementary Secondary Education

When schools in Pennsylvania and across the nation were suddenly shuttered in March due to COVID-19, teachers were faced with an enormous challenge: how to effectively teach and engage their students remotely when the vast majority had never done so before. In order to meet this challenge, teachers turned to an array of digital tools-such as Zoom, Google Classroom, and others-to plan and deliver instruction, engage students, and assess their progress. But how effective were these tools? Research for Action conducted a survey to find out. The survey reached public school teachers to gauge their opinions about on-line teaching tools. Survey responses revealed that: (1) More than 80% of teachers said that online tools are effective with most students; (2) Digital teaching tools were most useful for instructional planning and delivery, but were less effective for assessing student learning and keeping students engaged; (3) Notably, fewer teachers said digital tools were effective for teaching students with special needs and those who are dual-language learners than for general education students; (4) Over 80% of teachers report that they would continue to use on-line tools, whether teaching remotely or in-person; and (5) Teachers felt strongly that they need professional development to continue to teach effectively using these tools.
Reopening of Schools in the 2020-2021 School Year: Teacher Survey Results. Research Brief. Volume 1908
Author: Tirado, Andrea
Date: 2020-06-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Public Schools,School Districts,COVID-19,Pandemics,School Closing,Online Courses,Distance Education,Conventional Instruction,Blended Learning,School Schedules,Prevention,Health Promotion,Hygiene,Student Needs,Instructional Program Divisions,Preschool Education,Elementary Secondary Education,Teacher Attitudes,Parent Teacher Cooperation,Teacher Characteristics,Technological Literacy,Teacher Competencies,Barriers,Team Teaching

Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) began the development and planning of various models for the reopening of schools in 2020-2021 following school closures and distance learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Reopening of Schools Teacher Survey was developed and distributed to MDCPS instructional personnel. The survey asked various questions regarding the respondents' preferences and attitudes toward the reopening of schools. A total of 18,622 respondents completed the survey out of the 19,250 instructional personnel who were sent the invitation to participate. Results from the survey indicate that the majority of respondents have no impediments for returning to work either virtually or physically. Overall, the survey showed teachers' willingness to get back to work and their inclination toward a physical or combination of physical and virtual delivery of instruction. Differences in preference for returning to work were found when examining this preference by grade level grouping. Survey respondents in the Elementary, K-8, and Other grade level groupings believe students would benefit the most from attending school all days of the week in shifts should the school buildings reopen. On the other hand, those in Middle and Senior High school grade level grouping believe students would benefit the most from attending on alternate days. Most teachers agreed with a series of preventative measures M-DCPS is considering for physical attendance including temperature checks, washing hands, wearing face masks, and one-way movement in school buildings; less support was found for eating meals in classrooms. The Reopening of Schools Teacher Survey gathered valuable input needed by M-DCPS leadership. It provides a better understanding of the teachers' opinions and feedback regarding the reopening of the schools that can be utilized in the planning for the 2020-2021 school year.
Towards Fair Educational Data Mining: A Case Study on Detecting At-Risk Students
Author: Hu, Qian
Date: 2020-07-00
Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Subjects: Artificial Intelligence,Bias,Learning Analytics,Statistical Analysis,Models,Prediction,At Risk Students,Classification,Mathematics

Over the past decade, machine learning has become an integral part of educational technologies. With more and more applications such as students' performance prediction, course recommendation, dropout prediction and knowledge tracing relying upon machine learning models, there is increasing evidence and concerns about bias and unfairness of these models. Unfair models can lead to inequitable outcomes for some groups of students and negatively impact their learning. We show by real-world examples that educational data has embedded bias that leads to biased student modeling, which urges the development of fairness formalizations and fair algorithms for educational applications. Several formalizations of fairness have been proposed that can be classified into two types: (i) group fairness and (ii) individual fairness. Group fairness guarantees that groups are treated fairly as a whole, which might not be fair to some individuals. Thus individual fairness has been proposed to make sure fairness is achieved on individual level. In this work, we focus on developing an individually fair model for identifying students at-risk of underperforming. We propose a model which is based on the idea that the prediction for a student (identifying at-risk students) should not be influenced by his/her sensitive attributes. The proposed model is shown to effectively remove bias from these predictions and hence, making them useful in aiding all students. [For the full proceedings, see ED607784.]