ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Objective Academic Achievement and Subjective Personal Well-Being
Author: McDonald, Betty
Date: 2012-03-09
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Academic Achievement,Well Being,Self Concept,Adolescents,High School Students,High Achievement,Low Achievement,Semi Structured Interviews,Academic Records,Observation,Foreign Countries

This paper examines the relationship between objective academic achievement (OAA) and subjective well-being (SWB). Using a sample of 515 adolescents from ten different high schools across a small country, semi-structured interviews, academic records and observations provided relevant data for the study. OAA was measured from examination results and SWB was measured using with permission Jackson's Personality Research Form (PRF)-Form E. Allowing for psychological factors, qualitative and quantitative results showed that high achievers felt better about themselves compared to their low achieving counterparts. Strategies for assisting low achievers are discussed. Further research unraveling how OAA impacts SWB could assist policy makers and curriculum planners in being more student focused. Successful implementation of teaching innovations like self assessment in the classroom requires that early attention be paid to potential sources of student resistance. It is hoped that this research would serve as a catalyst for further studies in this area. A bibliography is included. (Contains 3 tables.)
The Use and Ranking of Different English Language Learning Strategies by English Major Iranian Female University Level Learners
Author: Fazeli, Seyed Hossein
Date: 2012-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Learning Strategies,Metacognition,English (Second Language),Majors (Students),English Language Learners,Second Language Instruction,Second Language Learning,Second Language Programs,Females,Classification,Interest Inventories,Questionnaires,Language Tests,Cognitive Style,College Students,Foreign Countries,Use Studies

This study aims to rank types of English language learning strategies that are used by Iranian female university level learners of English language as a university major. The results show that except for the Metacognitive Strategies category, the mean score for each of the five categories fell in the range of medium strategy use.
Education Policies and Policy Making in Arizona: Report on a Survey of Education Policy Actors
Author: Lawton, Stephen B.
Date: 2011-02-05
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Core Curriculum,School Activities,Educational Testing,Educational Finance,School Organization,Instructional Materials,Educational Change,State Government,Educational Policy,Policy Analysis,Policy Formation,School Buildings,Educational Facilities,Governance,Student Evaluation,Professional Development,Structured Interviews,Administrator Attitudes,Influences,Stakeholders,Facilitators (Individuals)

This study provides an objective look at the education policies adopted by the State of Arizona since 2000, describes participants in the policy-making process, and identifies policy options for the future.  The framework of the study uses a typology of educational policies with seven categories: school building and facilities, curriculum material, school organization and governance, school program definition, student testing and assessment, school personnel training and certification, and school finance.  The policy-making process reflects the influence 17 groups of policy makers grouped into five categories: insiders, near circle, far circle, sometime players, and often forgotten players.  Data for this study were collected in the fall of 2010 using a structured interview schedule.  A purposive sample of 22 policy actors was identified by the actors' roles in policy groups and 14 individuals agreed to participate. Respondents represented the breadth of the political spectrum and 28% had experience in the executive branch of the state government, 14% in the legislative branch; 36% in education interest groups; and 21% in non-education interest groups. Legislators were perceived to be most influential and teacher and administrator associations the least. Policy options reflect the need for funding streams to support renewal of facilities, the implementation of the Common Core curriculum, and new accountability measures.  Tensions between state, federal, and local control are apparent.  To varying degrees, respondents support a more transparent state funding system, equity in the treatment of school districts and charter schools, and the possibility of some form of performance-based funding to encourage excellence.  Two appendixes present: (1) Approaches to Educational Policy Areas; and (2) Background characteristics of respondents (n = 14). (Contains 19 figures, 3 footnotes, and 3 tables.)
Hidden Perspectives Underlying Success or Failure Teaching with Clickers
Author: Beatty, Ian D.
Date: 2011-03-31
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Student Motivation,Student Behavior,Handheld Devices,Computer Interfaces,Teacher Attitudes,Secondary School Teachers,Faculty Development,Formative Evaluation,Educational Technology,Best Practices,Student Participation,Science Instruction,Science Teachers,Mathematics Teachers,Workshops,Metacognition,Discussion (Teaching Technique)

Through research and personal experience, we have found that the most crucial factors determining who succeeds with clicker-based teaching, who gives up, and who merely muddles along have far more to do with instructors' deeper attitudes, models, and professional thought habits than with which "best practices" they try or what support they receive. This paper summarizes the presentational components of a conference workshop exploring some of these hidden perspectives and how they underlie clicker use. A bibliography is included. (Contains 3 figures.)
Students' Academic Self-Perception. CEE DP 90
Author: Chevalier, Arnaud
Date: 2008-01-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Higher Education,Self Concept,College Freshmen,High School Students,Student Attitudes,Student Characteristics,Gender Differences,Social Differences,Racial Differences,Nonverbal Ability,Verbal Ability,Numeracy,Literacy,Expectation,Outcomes of Education,Foreign Countries

There is a large gap in higher education attainment between different groups of society, especially along gender, class and ethnic dimensions. Reducing these gaps in attainment has been at the forefront of policy makers, not only in this country but also in most advanced economy with policies ranging from financial support to positive discrimination. However, policies can only be effective if the reasons behind these gaps are understood. This research explores another reason why individuals from specific group do not invest in higher education. The authors postulate that they may have misbelieves in their own ability and under estimate their chance of success.  To test this hypothesis the authors rely on two datasets. The first is the 2003 PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) which surveyed 15 year old, and administered a comprehensive test in mathematics. The second dataset is based on an online survey of first year students in two British universities. The authors find that males overestimate their own performance in math and English, as well as their position in the score distribution. Relative to students with the most favourable background, working class students under-estimate their performance in math and white students under-estimate their relative position in both math and English. The gender and class gaps are especially large in numeracy, at around 20% of the average score. Self-perception also correlates with educational confidence in general but the effect is small. The effect of self-perception on the decision to participate in higher education does not seem to work through its effect on risk aversion and the returns to higher education, because self-perception is only weakly correlated with these factors. Policies that raise academic self-confidence in schools are, unsurprisingly, likely to raise participation rates but are unlikely to close participation gaps unless targeted only at underrepresented groups. This is not to suggest that students should be praised whatever their results but on the contrary, trained to develop objective views about their own ability. (Contains 7 tables, 3 figures and 23 footnotes.)
Intergenerational Mobility and Assortative Mating: Effects of an Educational Reform. CEE DP 91
Author: Holmlund, Helena
Date: 2008-11-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Educational Change,Compulsory Education,Track System (Education),Generational Differences,Mobility,Income,Interpersonal Relationship,Models

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the effects of the Swedish compulsory school reform on intergenerational mobility, and to assess the extent to which the effect operates through assortative mating. A better understanding of the mechanisms underlying intergenerational mobility is important for the design of educational policies. In particular, if ability sorting has quantitatively large effects on mating patterns, then individuals might take this as evidence of the importance of sorting of individuals on different characteristics in general. Holding the age of ability tracking constant, the organization of schools, that is, how pupils are sorted within the school, may influence intergenerational mobility in itself. The author uses a unique set of data compiled from Swedish administrative records that links generations and siblings, and that contains detailed earnings-histories for all individuals. The author's main finding is that the reform led to sizeable increases in intergenerational income mobility, i.e., it reduced the intergenerational income elasticities between children and parents. The evidence concerning the impact on assortative mating is not as clear, however. The analysis shows that the reform reduced marital sorting for only for men, not for women, but this did not translate into higher mobility when taking partner's income into account. The paper unfolds as follows: section 2 presents previous literature, section 3 describes the Swedish educational reform, section 4 presents a simple model of intergenerational mobility and assortative mating, and also the empirical specification, section 5 focuses on the data and section 6 presents the results. Finally, section 7 offers conclusions. Appended are: (1) The Educational Reform-Coding and Quantitative Development; and (2) Additional Tables. (Contains 1 figure, 11 tables and 30 footnotes.)
Review of "Weighted Student Formula Yearbook 2009"
Author: Baker, Bruce
Date: 2009-05-13
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Evidence,Urban Schools,Research Reports,Change Strategies,Educational Change,Criticism,Evaluation Methods,Research Methodology,Evaluation Problems,Research Problems,Statistical Bias,Inferences,Empowerment,Benchmarking,Validity,Educational Policy,Educational Practices,Program Effectiveness,Educational Assessment,Educational Indicators,Annual Reports

The new "Weighted Student Formula Yearbook 2009" from the Reason Foundation provides a simple framework for touting the successes of states and urban school districts that grant greater fiscal autonomy to schools. The report defines the Weighted Student Formula (WSF) reform extremely broadly, presenting a variety of reforms under the WSF umbrella. Accordingly, when the report concludes that WSF is successful and should be widely replicated, it is difficult to sort through the claims and recommendations. Moreover, the approach and recommendations lack critical inquiry, thought, or empirical analysis. Perhaps most disturbing is the fact that in a third of the specific districts presented in the report, the evidence of success provided predates the implementation of the reforms, and the Reason press release makes the outright claim that past improvements are somehow a function of yet-to-be-implemented reforms. While the report does provide some reasonable recommendations, they are overshadowed by others. Overall, the policy guidance provided by the Reason report is reckless and irresponsible. Reforms Investigated and Evidence of Success are appended. (Contains 1 figure, 1 table and 23 notes.)
Review of &quot;Charter Schools in Eight States: Effects on Achievement, Attainment, Integration and Competition&quot;
Author: Briggs, Derek C.
Date: 2009-05-27
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Evidence,Charter Schools,Academic Achievement,School Effectiveness,Competition,Research Methodology,Public Schools,African American Students,Comparative Analysis,Educational Attainment,Racial Integration,Admission (School),Enrollment,Statistical Analysis,Graduation Rate,Educational Research,Ethnicity,Scores,Transfer Students,Outcomes of Education,Virtual Classrooms,High School Students,Student Characteristics,Mathematics Achievement,Reading Achievement

&quot;Charter Schools in Eight States&quot; uses longitudinal data from eight states to evaluate the effects of charter schools on achievement, attainment, integration, and competition. The findings are mixed. &quot;Achievement&quot;: The study examines seven jurisdictions and finds insignificant effects on reading and math performance in five, and small negative effects in two others. &quot;Attainment&quot;: In the two jurisdictions with data, the study finds positive effects for charter high schools' rates of graduation and college matriculation. &quot;Integration&quot;: The study finds no evidence that charter schools are skimming high-achieving students away from public schools, or that charter schools lead to increased racial/ethnic stratification, but these findings should be regarded as equivocal because the supporting analyses use highly aggregated data. &quot;Competition&quot;: The study finds no evidence that the average student achievement at public schools either increases or decreases in response to entry of charter schools to the educational &quot;marketplace.&quot; On the whole, the methods used in this report are exemplary. The authors describe their statistical analyses in a transparent manner that makes it possible for readers to form their own opinions about the strength of the argument being advanced. The review does raise questions about all four of the report's sections, particularly stressing some weaknesses in the data and analyses regarding the integration and competition findings. Overall, however, the report makes an important contribution to the empirical literature on charter school effectiveness. (Contains 14 notes.) [This paper reviews the following document: &quot;Charter Schools in Eight States: Effects on Achievement, Attainment, Integration, and Competition&quot; (ED504520).]
Review of &quot;Everyone Wins: How Charter Schools Benefit All New York City Public School Students&quot;
Author: McEwan, Patrick J.
Date: 2009-11-17
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Charter Schools,Academic Achievement,Mathematics Tests,Competition,Statistical Analysis,Public Schools,Urban Schools,Language Arts,Language Tests,Scores,Statistical Significance,Longitudinal Studies,Predictor Variables

The report examines whether increasing competition from charter schools has a causal effect on the achievement of public school students in New York City, using a three-year longitudinal database of student test scores. As a measure of competition, it considers the percentage of students who left a public school for a charter school in the prior year. The statistical analysis suggests that increasing competition has no statistically significant impact on math test scores, but that it has small positive effects on language scores. The report does not conclusively demonstrate that the results are explained by increasing competitive pressure on public school administrators; they may also be explained by shifting peer quality or declining short-run class sizes in public schools. (Contains 8 notes.) [This paper reviews the following document: &quot;Everyone Wins: How Charter Schools Benefit All New York City Public School Students. Civic Report No. 60&quot; (ED509529).]
Review of "The Effect of Milwaukee's Parental Choice Program on Student Achievement in Milwaukee Public Schools"
Author: Camilli, Gregory
Date: 2009-05-18
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Public Schools,School Choice,Academic Achievement,Competition,Educational Vouchers,Achievement Gains,Achievement Rating,Educational Assessment,Educational Indicators,Measurement Objectives,Measurement Techniques,Comparative Analysis,Comparative Testing,Research Reports,Predictor Variables,Validity,Educational Policy,Educational Practices,Statistical Analysis

According to a new study of Milwaukee public schools, student achievement has benefited from voucher-based school competition. A novel method, using geocoding, was proposed for measuring the degree of competition within the city of Milwaukee and, in turn, for determining whether such competition has increased or decreased the achievement of public school students. Though a more traditional measurement of competition was eventually used in lieu of geocoding, the authors of the study determined that the overall effect of competition on student outcomes was positive over the seven-year span for which data were available. Specifically, it was argued that increased school choice improves the academic performance of students in traditional public schools who are voucher eligible by means of system-wide competitive pressures. Based on a review of several key issues--including statistical modeling and control, effect size interpretation, the role of explanation in causal inference, and the validity of reported conclusions--the practical effect of competition through vouchers appears to be small, if not negligible. It is also suggested that a number of methodological issues would benefit from greater clarity. (Contains 12 notes.) [This paper reviews the following report: "The Effect of Milwaukee's Parental Choice Program on Student Achievement in Milwaukee Public Schools. SCDP Comprehensive Longitudinal Evaluation of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program. Report #11" (ED530091).]
The Effect of Milwaukee's Parental Choice Program on Student Achievement in Milwaukee Public Schools. SCDP Comprehensive Longitudinal Evaluation of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program. Report #11
Author: Greene, Jay P.
Date: 2009-03-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Measurement Techniques,Outcome Measures,Competition,Commercialization,Evaluation Methods,Predictor Variables,Achievement Tests,Language Arts,Public Schools,School Choice,Academic Achievement,Private Schools,Program Effectiveness,High School Students,Educational Vouchers,Longitudinal Studies,Comparative Analysis,Statistical Analysis,Program Evaluation,Urban Schools,Low Income Groups,Educational Finance,Mathematics Achievement,Reading Achievement,Elementary School Students,Educational Policy,Student Characteristics

This paper examines evidence on the &quot;systemic effects&quot; of expanding school choice in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Milwaukee is home to one of the nation's largest and longest-running school choice programs. If there are systemic effects from expanding school choice we should be able to see them in Milwaukee. This paper also introduces a novel method for analyzing systemic effects. Taking full advantage of student-level data, we develop a new measure of those effects based on the extent of voucher options that each student has each year. The idea behind this measure is that school systems face greater competitive pressure to serve students well when students have more options to leave. This type of measure might be useful for future analyses of systemic effects. Using this new approach, we find that students fare better academically when they have more options from Milwaukee's voucher program. The effects are modest in magnitude, but they are robust to multiple specifications of the model. (Contains 8 tables and 6 footnotes.) [For the EPIC review of this report, &quot;Review of &quot;The Effect of Milwaukee's Parental Choice Program on Student Achievement in Milwaukee Public Schools&quot;&quot;, see ED530090.]
Review of "When Private Schools Take Public Dollars: What's the Place of Accountability in School Voucher Programs?"
Author: House, Ernest R.
Date: 2009-04-14
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Expertise,Private Education,Private Schools,Standardized Tests,Accountability,Educational Vouchers,Public Education,Educational Finance,Testing,Educational Indicators,Program Evaluation,School Choice,Surveys,Validity

The Fordham Institute conducted a survey of experts who are advocates of private education, soliciting opinions about how private schools accepting public monies, such as from voucher programs, should be held accountable. The experts were in agreement that private schools should not accept regulation of their day-to-day operations, but disagreed among themselves whether to accept top-down standardized testing accountability. The Fordham researchers proposed a compromise position in which the more the private schools rely on public money, the more the schools should be subject to the same requirements as public schools. The Fordham study is a reasonable inquiry into the difficult area of private/public education ventures. Although the study does not arrive at a definitive position, it raises important issues about accountability in both private and public education. (Contains 2 notes.) [This paper reviews the following report: "When Private Schools Take Public Dollars: What's the Place of Accountability in School Voucher Programs?" (ED504651).]
Review of &quot;The Fiscal Impact of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program: 2009 Update&quot;
Author: Belfield, Clive
Date: 2009-04-29
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Funding Formulas,School Choice,Demonstration Programs,Program Effectiveness,Educational Vouchers,Educational Finance,Economic Impact,Cost Effectiveness,Audits (Verification),Research Reports,Evaluation Problems,Research Problems,Validity,Educational Policy,Educational Practices,Statistical Bias,Evidence,Inferences,Program Evaluation,Educational Resources,Attendance

A report from the School Choice Demonstration Project examines issues concerning the funding formula used for the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP). It finds that the program generates a net saving to taxpayers in Wisconsin but imposes a significant fiscal burden on taxpayers in Milwaukee. However, these findings depend significantly on how many students would have attended public school if the voucher option were not available, as well as on the actual resource requirements for those new voucher users. The report ignores the second assumption. It considers the first, although its key findings about the existence and magnitude of any savings and burdens are nonetheless dependent on that assumption. The issues raised by this report highlight some ways in which voucher policies are complex to design and implement and must be carefully evaluated on both efficiency and equity grounds. (Contains 14 notes.) [This paper reviews the following report: &quot;The Fiscal Impact of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program: 2009 Update. SCDP Milwaukee Evaluation Report #7&quot; (ED508637).]