ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Strengthening the Diversity and Quality of the Early Care and Education Workforce: Summary of the 2018 and 2019 Convenings. Research Report
Author: Sandstrom, Heather
Date: 2021-10-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Teacher Competencies,Faculty Development,Teacher Education,Educational Quality,Student Diversity,Racial Bias,Ethnicity,Student Needs,Barriers,Educational Policy,Preschool Education,Preschool Teachers,Teaching Conditions,Academic Degrees,Preschool Children,Disadvantaged Youth,Child Care,Access to Education,Higher Education,Federal Aid,Resource Allocation,Federal Legislation,Educational Legislation,Labor Legislation,Labor Force Development

In the years immediately preceding the COVID-19 pandemic, policymakers, researchers, and philanthropists recognized the pressing need to build and strengthen the early care and education (ECE) workforce. Evidence documenting the relationship between early childhood educator professional preparation and children's outcomes spurred a growing movement to professionalize the ECE workforce, to ensure early educators have the skills and knowledge needed to best support children's early learning. With support from the Foundation for Child Development, in 2018 and 2019, the Urban Institute and Child Trends organized and facilitated convenings on the topic of strengthening the ECE workforce to best meet all young children's needs. Convening participants discussed the issue of how the ECE workforce can best support the increasingly diverse population of young children by elevating discussions about racial equity, providing the ECE workforce with professional development to best support the range of children's developmental needs, unpacking and defining the term diversity, and making significant public investments in the ECE workforce. This report summarizes key points and recommendations raised during the convening.
Understanding the Attacks on Critical Race Theory
Author: López, Francesca
Date: 2021-09-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Critical Theory,Race,Politics of Education,Racial Bias,Racial Discrimination,Educational Legislation,State Legislation,Propaganda,Political Attitudes

Attacks on Critical Race Theory (CRT) have been in the news for over a year. Rallies have been organized, school board meetings disrupted, executive orders issued, and legislation introduced to remove or exclude CRT from school curriculum. Since early 2021, eight states have passed legislation that, broadly speaking, seeks to ban historical information and critical analysis related to race and racism in public school classrooms, and additional legislation is being considered. Advocates of these administrative and legislative actions argue that providing students with information on race and racism is un-American, divisive, and itself racist. This policy memo reviews the contemporary attacks against CRT, describes the political objectives of these attacks, explores historical examples of similar tactics, and provides resources on evidence-based strategies to counter the propaganda.
California State Special Education Funding System Study, Part 2: Findings, Implications, and Considerations for Improving Special Education Funding in California
Author: Doutre, Sara Menlove
Date: 2021-07-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Public Schools,Special Education,Educational Finance,Financial Support,Students with Disabilities,Resource Allocation,Student Needs,Costs,Individualized Education Programs,State Policy,Educational Policy,Disability Identification,Student Characteristics,Geographic Regions,Inclusion,Academic Achievement,Outcomes of Education,Funding Formulas,Expenditures,Governance,Accountability,Budgets,Disproportionate Representation,School Districts,Elementary Secondary Education,Early Intervention,State Aid

Each year, funds from federal, state, and local sources are directed to provide special education and related services to nearly 725,000 students with disabilities in California. To increase equitable outcomes for these students, who comprise nearly 12 percent of California's K-12 population, state-decision-makers agree that more research and evidence-based policy recommendations are needed to improve California's system for special education funding. To help inform state-level decision-making regarding the allocation, distribution, and spending expectations for state special education dollars, WestEd conducted a comprehensive descriptive review of the current funding system (Part 1) (ED616102). Part 2, detailed in this report, examines comprehensive amounts of statewide student-level data from the 2016/17, 2017/18, and 2018/19 school years. The independent, objective study leverages proven research methods in school finance that surface findings with implications for improving the state's special education funding system to respond to the needs of the state's growing population of students with disabilities. This multi-stage, quantitative study of California's state special education funding system culminates with findings and considerations for improvement that are presented according to the following priority areas: (1) Ensuring funds reach students with the greatest need; (2) Prioritizing appropriate early intervention and identification; and (3) Promoting inclusive planning, coordination, and practice.
Federal Student Aid&apos;s FY 2020-2024 Strategic Planning Process. ED-OIG/A20GA0002
Author: Office of Inspector General (ED)
Date: 2021-08-16
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Federal Aid,Student Financial Aid,Strategic Planning,Audits (Verification),Educational Indicators,Educational Planning,Higher Education,Federal Legislation,Educational Legislation,Compliance (Legal),Accountability,Program Implementation,Standards,Educational Objectives

The objective of this audit was to determine the extent to which the U.S. Department of Education (Department) had processes for ensuring that Federal Student Aid's (FSA) fiscal year (FY) 2020-2024 strategic goals, objectives, and related performance indicators were effective. The audit covered FSA's strategic planning and related activities from March 2019 through issuance of FSA's final &quot;Federal Student Aid, Fiscal Year 2020 Through 2024 Strategic Plan&quot; (FY 2020-2024 Strategic Plan) in December 2020. It also included FSA's activities for obtaining feedback from internal and external stakeholders. This report describes the methodology and findings. Recommendations based on the findings, FSA's response to the report, and OIG's response to FSA are then provided. [For the &quot;Federal Student Aid Fiscal Year 2020 through 2024 Strategic Plan,&quot; see ED616143.]
Rescuing Math and Science from Critical Race Theory&apos;s Racial Discrimination. Issue Brief No. 5201
Author: Butcher, Jonathan
Date: 2021-07-13
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Elementary Secondary Education,Racial Bias,Critical Theory,Race,United States History,History Instruction,Civics,Mathematics Education,Science Education,Racial Discrimination,Science Curriculum,Mathematics Curriculum,Public Education

Despite claims to the contrary, K-12 educators are applying the racial prejudice of critical race theory (CRT) to school lessons. In recent months, parents and policymakers around the country have objected to CRT's mischaracterization of American history in the academic subjects of history and civics. Critical race theorists, however, have also applied the theory's racially biased principles to math and science. Some educators have redesigned math and science curricula to incorporate CRT's racially discriminatory ideas to these technical subjects, replacing a focus on mastery of mathematical and scientific processes with racial bias. Parents, educators, and policymakers should reject racial prejudice in every subject, and educators and policymakers should prohibit any instructional material from requiring children to affirm, believe, or practice racial discrimination in their schoolwork.
Understanding Teacher Recruitment and Retention in Duval County: A Special Report from the Jacksonville Public Education Fund
Author: Jacksonville Public Education Fund (JPEF)
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Public Schools,Teacher Recruitment,Teacher Persistence,Labor Turnover,School Districts,Teacher Transfer,Costs,Equal Education,Disproportionate Representation,At Risk Students,Minority Group Students,Low Income Students,Accountability,Educational Quality,School Effectiveness,Diversity (Faculty),Student Diversity,Principals,Teachers,Professional Development,Inclusion,School Culture,School Based Management,Racial Differences,Ethnicity,Poverty,Wages

Trends across the United States, Florida and Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) indicate that over the last decade, not only are teachers leaving the profession much sooner than in previous years, but there were also fewer teachers entering the profession. The Duval Schools teacher retention rate for the district is approximately 84%. However, this study by the Jacksonville Public Education Fund found that at the school level, teacher retention rates are closer to 75%, driven largely by transfers within the district. Beyond financial costs, teacher attrition can create inequities for students most in need of support and exacerbate gaps in opportunity these students already experience. Study findings indicate that teacher attrition does not affect all Duval schools equally. Schools serving larger proportions of students from low-income backgrounds and students of color are more likely to experience teacher turnover. Further, schools with lower school grades according to the state's accountability system tended to have less experienced teaching staff compared to schools with higher grades. Additionally, the teacher workforce in Duval County Public Schools is less diverse than the student body. The study concludes with three recommendations: (1) diversification of the principal and teacher workforce; (2) professional learning for principals and teachers to promote inclusive school climate and culture; and (3) school-based leadership opportunities that include appropriate compensation.
Flattening the College Curve: Lessons Learned from Foster Care to Improve Postsecondary Participation for All Youth. Report No. 107A
Author: Lalonde, Trent
Date: 2020-09-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Foster Care,Barriers,Postsecondary Education,Access to Education,At Risk Students,College Admission,Academic Persistence,COVID-19,Pandemics,Elementary Secondary Education,Trauma,Hunger,Housing,College Readiness,Paying for College,Equal Education,Transitional Programs,Independent Living,Social Development,Emotional Development,Student Mobility,Academic Achievement,Violence,Student Behavior,Discipline,Student Financial Aid,Online Courses,Mathematics Achievement,College Applicants,Student Needs,Institutional Characteristics,Apprenticeships,Two Year Colleges,Intervention,High School Students,Student Diversity

Three out of four jobs now require education or training beyond high school, yet some students face formidable barriers to attending college. Disruptions to K-12 education, trauma, loss, food insecurity, and housing instability are known impediments to the educational success of youth who have been in foster care. These types of challenges may well be felt by more youth in the general population as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. Youth formerly in foster care can be a magnifier for the challenges higher education now faces even more broadly. If we can &quot;flatten the college curve&quot; for youth in foster care, we can apply similar strategies and policies to solve postsecondary access and persistence challenges for many of our most vulnerable students and intentionally broaden the focus on equitable access to postsecondary education to groups of students with unique and complex life circumstances. This report offers in-depth information on postsecondary matriculation and persistence rates for students formerly in foster care as a means to inform and improve policies and practices for the benefit of all youth.
Preparing Students for Life beyond the Classroom: Spotlighting Success in North Dakota -- The Benefits of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in Two Rural School Districts. Serving the Whole Person
Author: Caparas, Ruthie
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Holistic Approach,Social Emotional Learning,School Districts,Success,Best Practices,Case Studies,Educational Strategies,Educational Benefits,Rural Schools

When schools and school systems adopt a &quot;whole-person approach to learning,&quot; educators see improved student attendance and engagement, improved student connectedness, better social and emotional health, and improved academic outcomes. In addition to gaining academic knowledge, students are able to graduate with the essential social and emotional skills needed to succeed in college and the workforce. To support statewide adoption of social-emotional learning (SEL) and other whole-person strategies, the National Center of Social and Emotional Learning and School Safety at WestEd worked with the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction and North Dakota Regional Education Association to identify districts that had been experiencing success with using whole-person practices. Using a mixed-method research approach, two districts rose to the top as &quot;SEL exemplars&quot;: Wilton School District and Richland #44 School District. This case study explores each district's successful strategies and some of the benefits they have offered to the district's students, staff, and communities -- beyond the evident student performance data. [This publication was produced with the North Dakota Regional Education Association.]
School Life: Official Organ of the United States Department of the Interior, Office of Education. Volume XVII. September, 1931-June, 1932
Author: Boutwell, William Dow, Ed.
Date: 1932-00-00
Type: Historical Materials
Subjects: Educational Legislation,Federal Legislation,Education,Foreign Countries,Educational Theories,Intellectual Disciplines,Books,Organizations (Groups),Citizenship

This document contains the September 1931 through June 1932 issues of &quot;School Life,&quot; a monthly publication of the U.S. Department of the Interior Office of Education. The journal issues cover a variety of topics across education sectors, legislation before Congress, foreign schools and education systems, education association activities, education in disciplines, education theory, citizenship and public affairs, and new education books. A volume XVII index is included.
Sequence-to-Sequence Models for Automated Text Simplification
Author: Botarleanu, Robert-Mihai
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Subjects: Natural Language Processing,Writing Skills,Difficulty Level,Reading Comprehension,Second Language Learning,Automation,Models,Computational Linguistics,Translation

A key writing skill is the capability to clearly convey desired meaning using available linguistic knowledge. Consequently, writers must select from a large array of idioms, vocabulary terms that are semantically equivalent, and discourse features that simultaneously reflect content and allow readers to grasp meaning. In many cases, a simplified version of a text is needed to ensure comprehension on the part of a targeted audience (e.g., second language learners). To address this need, we propose an automated method to simplify texts based on paraphrasing. Specifically, we explore the potential for a deep learning model, previously used for machine translation, to learn a simplified version of the English language within the context of short phrases. The best model, based on an Universal Transformer architecture, achieved a BLEU score of 66.01. We also evaluated this model's capability to perform similar transformation to texts that were simplified by human experts at different levels. [This work was also supported by a grant from the Romanian National Authority for Scientific Research and Innovation. This paper was published in: I. I. Bittencourt, et al (Eds.), &quot;Proceedings of the 21st International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Education&quot; (AIED 2020). Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence (LNAI, Vol. 12164, pp.31-36). Springer, Cham.]
Federal Student Aid&apos;s Total and Permanent Disability Discharge Process. ED-OIG/A02Q0006
Author: Office of Inspector General (ED)
Date: 2020-06-18
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Federal Aid,Student Financial Aid,Federal Programs,Audits (Verification),Students with Disabilities,Loan Repayment,Financial Aid Applicants,Documentation,Databases,Recordkeeping,Eligibility

The objective of this audit was to determine whether Federal Student Aid (FSA) ensured that: (1) its total and permanent disability (TPD) discharge process operated in accordance with Federal program requirements; and (2) accurate information on student loan discharges was entered into FSA's system of records. The audit covered TPD accounts that had processing activity from July 1, 2013, through March 3, 2017. The audit includes follow-up discussions with FSA and received additional documentation from FSA through December 2019. The audit found, based on the review of samples of approved and rejected TPD discharge applications, that FSA appropriately approved and rejected the applications. It was determined that FSA applied appropriate criteria to approve and reject individual TPD discharge applications in accordance with Federal program requirements. It was also found that Nelnet generally serviced those TPD accounts throughout the TPD discharge process in accordance with Federal program requirements. In addition, based on the review of FSA's processes and samples of TPD discharge applications, it was determined that FSA ensured that accurate information on student loan discharges was entered into the TPD databases.
Federal Student Aid&apos;s Oversight of Schools&apos; Compliance with Satisfactory Academic Progress Regulations. ED-OIG/A04S0012
Author: Office of Inspector General (ED)
Date: 2019-07-17
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Federal Aid,Student Financial Aid,Audits (Verification),Compliance (Legal),Academic Achievement,Eligibility,Educational Legislation,Federal Legislation,Higher Education,Legal Problems,Federal Programs

The objectives of this audit were to determine: (1) whether Federal Student Aid (FSA) ensured completion of corrective actions in response to audit and program review findings related to satisfactory academic progress (SAP); and (2) what actions FSA has taken to assist schools with compliance with SAP requirements. The audit covered compliance audits and program reviews for which FSA either issued a final determination letter or screened the audit report and confirmed it as complete from October 1, 2015, through September 30, 2017, and FSA's actions to assist schools with SAP compliance during that same period. The audit reviewed samples consisting of 27 compliance audits (15 deficient audits and 12 non-deficient audits) and 21 program reviews, all with at least one SAP finding, to determine whether FSA ensured these schools completed the required corrective actions. FSA documentation was reviewed and FSA staff were interviewed to determine the actions FSA has taken to assist schools with compliance with SAP requirements. The audit found that FSA did not always ensure schools completed corrective actions related to the SAP findings identified in compliance audits and program reviews. This occurred because FSA's Program Compliance office did not always perform the required resolution activities or address all SAP-related findings in the final determination letters. FSA's failure to resolve SAP-related findings could result in: (1) schools with repeated SAP findings; (2) ineligible students receiving Title IV program funds; (3) noncompliant schools continuing to participate in Title IV programs; or (4) FSA not establishing liabilities payable from schools that disbursed Title IV program funds to students who did not meet SAP requirements.
IDRA Newsletter. Volume 48, No. 5
Author: Goodman, Christie L., Ed.
Date: 2021-05-00
Type: Collected Works - Serial
Subjects: State Legislation,Equal Education,Culturally Relevant Education,Minority Group Students,Social Justice,Racial Bias,Elementary Secondary Education,Ethnic Studies,Student Needs,History Instruction,United States History,Ethnicity,Asian Americans,Hispanic Americans,African Americans,American Indians,Educational Environment,Minority Group Teachers

The &quot;IDRA Newsletter&quot; serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children across the United States. The focus of this issue is &quot;Culturally Sustaining Schools.&quot; Contents include: (1) Texas HB 3979 Will Hurt Students by Curtailing Schools' Equity Efforts (Altheria Caldera); (2) Culturally Sustaining Instruction Requires Culturally Sustaining Leadership (Paula N. Johnson); (3) Anti-Racist Schooling for All Students of Color (Bricio Vasquez &amp; Altheria Caldera); (4) Visions and Provisions--Planning for K-12 Ethnic Studies Implementation (Irene Gómez); and (5) What the Term &quot;Culturally Sustaining Practices&quot; Means for Education in Today's Classrooms (Altheria Caldera).
IDRA Newsletter. Volume 48, No. 6, June-July 2021
Author: Goodman, Christie L., Ed.
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Collected Works - Serial
Subjects: Bilingual Students,State Legislation,English Language Learners,Special Education,Social Problems,Educational Policy,Court Litigation,Student Rights,Federal Legislation,Undocumented Immigrants,LGBTQ People,Discipline,Freedom of Speech,Access to Computers,Educational Technology,COVID-19,Pandemics,Public Education,Access to Health Care,Mental Health,Advocacy,Barriers,Family Involvement,Student Participation,College Preparation,Access to Education,Postsecondary Education,Class Size,Preschool Education,Elementary Secondary Education

The &quot;IDRA Newsletter&quot; serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children across the United States. The focus of this issue is &quot;Education Policy.&quot; Contents include: (1) Exciting Advances for Emergent Bilingual Students in Texas (Araceli García); (2) Politicizing Education Hurts Texas Students (Ana Ramón); (3) Federal Education Policy News -- What Educators Need to Know (Morgan Craven); (4) Texas Legislature Takes Some Steps Toward Addressing the Digital Divide (Thomas Marshall); (5) Student Health and Engagement Response to COVID-19 in Texas (Christina Quintanilla-Muñoz); (6) Family and Student Advocacy Persisted During the Texas Legislative Session Despite Structural Barriers (Aurelio M. Montemayor); and (7) Most Opportunities Missed to Expand College Preparation and Access in Texas (Altheria Caldera).