ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Quality Assurance and Improvement in Higher Education: The Role of the States
Author: Tandberg, David A.
Date: 2019-05-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Quality Assurance,Educational Quality,Educational Improvement,Higher Education,State Government,Government Role,Measurement,Information Sources,Data,Equal Education,Program Validation,Barriers

Higher education is facing a host of challenges, including external questions regarding its value and purpose. These questions cut to the core of the states' role in higher education. Traditionally, states have the responsibility to ensure that institutions of higher education are operating in the public interest and that the institutions are good stewards of their public resources. Central to this responsibility is the question of institutional and educational quality. Concerns regarding higher education quality and the states' role in quality assurance and improvement motivated the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) and the National Association of System Heads (NASH) to partner with Lumina Foundation to investigate current state and system practices and to work toward recommendations for future action. Using a variety of data sources, including two in-person convenings of relevant stakeholders, a survey of state higher education agencies and system offices, and qualitative interviews, the partners explored current quality assurance and improvement practices, challenges and limitations related to quality assurance and improvement at the state and system levels, and ideas for how current policies and practices might be improved. The findings revealed that approaches are varied and limited by a lack of consensus around what quality means in higher education and what the appropriate level and manner of state and system engagement regarding quality should be, and limited resources (staff, money, and technology). The authors recommend the following: (1) Arrive at widely agreed upon understandings of quality; (2) Develop a greater understanding among all relevant actors of the state's interest and role in educational quality; (3) Identify best practices in quality assurance; (4) Make program review and state authorization meaningful quality assurance processes; (5) Treat equity as a quality consideration; (6) Actively engage faculty and institutional leaders; (7) Invest in data, tools, and people; and (8) Open lines of communication and real partnership between members of the triad.
Evaluation of Support for Using Student Data to Inform Teachers&apos; Instruction. NCEE 2019-4008
Author: Gleason, Philip
Date: 2019-09-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Data Use,Instruction,Academic Achievement,Professional Development,Intervention,Program Effectiveness,Principals,Elementary School Teachers,Grade 4,Grade 5,Elementary School Students,Program Implementation

Most districts help teachers use data to improve student learning, often supporting this effort with federal funds. But many teachers feel unprepared to use student data to inform their instruction -- referred to as data-driven instruction (DDI) -- and there is little evidence of whether it improves student achievement. This report assesses an intensive approach to supporting teachers' use of student data to tailor their instruction. The report found that this specific approach to DDI did not improve students' achievement, perhaps because the approach did not change teachers' reported use of data or classroom practices. [For the executive summary, see ED598643. For the appendices, see ED598645. For the study highlights, see ED598648.]
Fiscal Crisis at UMass Boston: The True Story and the Scapegoating. How a UMass Central Office Error Triggered Financial Woes at the Boston Campus, and How the UMass President and Trustees Pinned the Blame on Boston Administrators. White Paper No. 196
Author: Sullivan, Gregory W.
Date: 2019-05-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: State Universities,Financial Exigency,Urban Universities,Educational Finance,College Administration,Budgeting,Financial Problems

UMass Boston has been a campus in turmoil for the past 20 months. Internal upheaval first became public in January 2017 when the UMass Board of Trustees (BoT) refused to extend Chancellor Keith Motley's contract. In March 2017 the trustees disclosed that the campus was facing a budget deficit of up to $30 million with just three months remaining in fiscal year 2017. In April of 2017, Chancellor Motley resigned, prompting students, alumni, and community leaders to rally on the State House steps demanding that officials reject his resignation. UMass Boston has struggled to right its financial and administrative ship amidst the continuing frustration of students and faculty. In May 2016, seven months before the financial crisis at UMass-Boston became public, Pioneer Institute published a three-part analysis entitled &quot;UMass at a Crossroads.&quot; The report identified many of the systemic financial problems that ultimately led to the UMass-Boston budget crisis, including unsustainable cost growth resulting from student enrollment expansion, facility expansion, rapid growth in self-funded research and development, a rising UMass Central Office budget, and unfunded deferred maintenance at campus facilities. Pioneer's report cited data from internal UMass documents and financial disclosures to Wall Street bond rating agencies and federal student lending agencies. Following a detailed review of records obtained from the UMass Comptroller's office and other publicly available sources, Pioneer Institute concludes that the UMass President and Board of Trustees (BoT) unfairly scapegoated former Chancellor Keith Motley and UMass Boston administrators for creating UMass Boston's $30 million fiscal crisis in 2017-2018 when the president and BoT themselves bore primary responsibility for creating the crisis as a result of their having approved a massive, accelerated capital expansion plan without assuring that capital reserves would be available to pay for it. This white paper provides an introduction, detailed summary of findings from that review, and recommendations for the future. [For &quot;UMass at a Crossroads Part 1: Is the UMass Enrollment Expansion Plan Sustainable? White Paper No. 145,&quot; see ED598651. For &quot;UMass at a Crossroads Part 2: Is UMass' Expansion Fiscally Sustainable? White Paper No. 146,&quot; see ED598659. For &quot;UMass at a Crossroads Part 3: UMass' Growing Dependency on Tuition and Fees and Strategic Recruitment of Out-Of-State Students. White Paper No. 147,&quot; see ED598661.]
Evaluation of Support for Using Student Data to Inform Teachers&apos; Instruction. Executive Summary. NCEE 2019-4009
Author: Gleason, Philip
Date: 2019-09-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Data Use,Instruction,Academic Achievement,Professional Development,Intervention,Program Effectiveness,Principals,Elementary School Teachers,Grade 4,Grade 5,Elementary School Students,Program Implementation

As part of their improvement efforts, schools have increasingly turned to the use of data to improve instruction. This is due in part to the increasing availability of student assessment data throughout the school year. The strategy of using assessment and other data to inform teachers' instruction is often called data-driven instruction (DDI). Under DDI, teachers analyze student data to better understand students' learning needs and to identify and improve instructional practices to address those needs. This executive summary describes a larger study that examined a DDI intervention that provided substantial training and support to school leaders &quot;and&quot; teachers to help teachers use data effectively to improve their instruction and increase student achievement. The summary describes how the study was conducted, the DDI intervention used, key findings, and concluding thoughts. [For the full report, see ED598641.]
Evaluation of Support for Using Student Data to Inform Teachers&apos; Instruction. Appendices. NCEE 2019-4008
Author: Gleason, Philip
Date: 2019-09-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Data Use,Instruction,Academic Achievement,Professional Development,Intervention,Program Effectiveness,Principals,Elementary School Teachers,Grade 4,Grade 5,Elementary School Students,Program Implementation

The three appendices in this publication accompany the full report, &quot;Evaluation of Support for Using Student Data to Inform Teachers' Instruction. NCEE 2019-4008&quot; (ED598641). They include: (1) Supplemental Information on Study Design, Data, and Methods; (2) Supplemental Findings on Implementation of the Data-Driven Instruction Intervention (Chapter III); and (3) Supplemental Findings on the Impacts of the Data-Driven Instruction Intervention (Chapter IV).
Teachers on the Market: A Typology of Teachers&apos; Philosophy, Mission, Vision, and Values. WCER Working Paper No. 2019-2
Author: Goff, Peter
Date: 2019-03-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Classification,Educational Philosophy,Correlation,Labor Market,Public Schools,Teacher Attitudes,Job Applicants,Specialists,Guides,Preferences,Social Values,Psychometrics,Teacher Selection,Institutional Mission,Institutional Characteristics,Elementary Secondary Education,Kindergarten,Teacher Characteristics,Information Systems,Networks,Academic Achievement,Content Analysis

This study develops, validates, and applies a typology of teachers using labor market data. We construct our typology by applying a correlated topic model to 17,000 personal statements teachers submitted as part of their applications to open positions in Wisconsin public schools. We identify seven types of teachers active on the labor market: Inclusivists, Idealists, Nurturers, Generalists, Classroom Experts, Guides, and External Experts. Using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, we explore trends within and among types as well as demographic relationships and labor market behaviors. This research provides novel insights into the philosophies, mission, vision, and values of teachers; links these characteristics to teachers' job market preferences; and provides a sound psychometric foundation for these measures of teacher type to be applied in subsequent research.
Problematizing College Internships: Exploring Issues with Access, Program Design, and Developmental Outcomes in Three U.S. Colleges. WCER Working Paper No. 2019-1
Author: Hora, Matthew T.
Date: 2019-03-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Undergraduate Students,Internship Programs,Access to Education,Program Design,Outcomes of Education,Equal Education,Experiential Learning,Student Development,Racial Differences,Barriers,Enrollment,Predictor Variables,Student Satisfaction,Full Time Students,Part Time Students,Student Participation,Student Characteristics

Internships for college students are widely promoted as a &quot;high-impact&quot; practice, yet the academic literature is limited by terminological imprecision, lack of data on intern demographics, and insufficient attention to the impacts of program format on student academic and developmental outcomes. In this mixed-methods study we analyze survey (n=1,129) and focus group (n=57) data from students in three diverse U.S. colleges by using inductive thematic analysis, chi-square, and hierarchical linear modeling to document intern characteristics, access-related problems, program structure, and impacts on student outcomes. Results indicate that internship participation varied significantly by race, institution, enrollment status, and academic program, and that 64% of students who did not take an internship had desired to do so but could not due to scheduling conflicts with work, insufficient pay, and lack of placements in their disciplines. Students also reported high degrees of supervisor support, supervisor mentoring, and relationship between internships and academic programs--all program features that were significant predictors of students' satisfaction with internships and perceived value for their career development. Based on these results, we propose a processual model for studying internships, and we discuss implications for career advisors, faculty, and postsecondary leaders. Specifically, we urge employers, colleges and universities to ensure equitable access to internships for all students, to screen employer hosts for mentoring quality and capacity, and to recognize internships can be simultaneously a positive transformative experience for students and a vehicle for reproducing inequality.
Evaluation of Support for Using Student Data to Inform Teachers&apos; Instruction. Study Highlights. NCEE 2019-4008
Author: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (ED)
Date: 2019-09-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Data Use,Instruction,Academic Achievement,Professional Development,Intervention,Program Effectiveness,Principals,Elementary School Teachers,Elementary School Students

Most districts help teachers use data to improve student learning, often supporting this effort with federal funds. But many teachers feel unprepared to use student data to inform their instruction -- referred to as data-driven instruction (DDI) -- and there is little evidence of whether it improves student achievement. One hundred and two elementary schools were recruited to participate in a study to better understand the potential of providing support for DDI. Half of the schools were randomly assigned to receive funding for a data coach of their choosing as well as intensive professional development for coaches and school leaders on helping teachers use student data to inform their instruction. All of the schools selected for the extra support hired data coaches, and most of the coaches and school leaders attended the professional development and met regularly with teachers. However, it was also not uncommon for teachers in schools which did not receive the extra support to engage in data-related activities or work with a data coach. Comparing the classroom instruction and student achievement in schools that received the extra support versus those that did not provides evidence on the effectiveness of this specific approach to providing support for DDI. This one-page summary presents key findings from the larger report, &quot;Evaluation of Support for Using Student Data to Inform Teachers' Instruction. NCEE 2019-4008&quot; (ED598641).
Will Mentoring a Student Teacher Harm My Evaluation Scores? Effects of Serving as a Cooperating Teacher on Evaluation Metrics
Author: Ronfeldt, Matthew
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Mentors,Student Teachers,Student Teacher Evaluation,Scores,Cooperating Teachers,Student Teaching,Achievement Gains,Instructional Effectiveness,Evaluation Methods,Preservice Teacher Education

Growing evidence suggests that preservice candidates receive better coaching and are more instructionally effective when they are mentored by more instructionally effective cooperating teachers (CTs). Yet, teacher education program leaders indicate it can be difficult to recruit instructionally effective teachers to serve as CTs, in part because teachers worry that serving may negatively impact district evaluation scores. Using a unique dataset on over 4,500 CTs, we compare evaluation scores during years these teachers served as CTs to years they did not. In years they served as CTs, teachers had significantly better observation ratings and somewhat better achievement gains, though not always at significant levels. These results suggest that concerns over lowered evaluations should not prevent teachers from serving as CTs. [This is the online version of an article published in &quot;American Educational Research Journal.&quot;]
The Wisconsin Learning-Centered Teacher Evaluation Study: Informing Policy and Practice. WCER Working Paper No. 2019-6
Author: Kimball, Steven
Date: 2019-08-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Student Centered Learning,Teacher Evaluation,School Districts,Elementary Schools,Middle Schools,High Schools,Teacher Attitudes,Administrator Attitudes,Teacher Effectiveness,Student Educational Objectives,Instructional Improvement,Coaching (Performance),Feedback (Response),Statewide Planning,Teacher Collaboration,Trust (Psychology)

Major teacher evaluation changes have occurred across the nation during the past decade. Pressed by federal education initiatives and encouraged by research on promising teacher evaluation practices, states and school districts have implemented evaluation systems using new measures of educator practice and student learning. A growing body of research has examined teacher evaluation policies and related impacts. Relatively less research focuses on the roles of principals, teachers, coaches, and peers. Wisconsin adopted a system for educator evaluation that includes common measures, similar training requirements, and an emphasis on educator growth and development. The evaluation of the Wisconsin Educator Effectiveness System has provided informative state, district and school reports on teacher and principal perceptions of the system. There is much to learn, however, about how schools are carrying out evaluation practices to support educator improvement. This report presents findings from the Learning-Centered Evaluation Study carried out during the 2017-2018 school year. We examine school-level educator effectiveness practices and outcomes within Wisconsin districts focusing evaluation efforts on educator improvement rather than accountability. The report provides background on the system development in Wisconsin, summarizes our study design, and presents findings on learning-centered practices and observations on how evaluation affects teaching. The report includes a policy response from the study sponsor and thoughts on future studies. [The study is part of the evaluation and research agenda of the Wisconsin Educator Effectiveness Research Partnership.]
Less than Four Domains: Creating an Overall Composite Score as an Indicator of English Language Proficiency for English Learners with 504 or Individualized Education Plans. WCER Working Paper No. 2019-3
Author: Porter, Tameka
Date: 2019-05-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Accountability,English Language Learners,Guidelines,Scores,Language Proficiency,Individualized Education Programs,Models,Educational Indicators,Academic Achievement,Language Tests,Standard Setting,Elementary Secondary Education,Federal Legislation,Second Language Programs

The authors illustrate models and procedures that can be applied to calculate overall composite scores in order to identify an indicator of English language proficiency, based on composite scores for English learners with 504 or individualized education plans who are missing one or more domain scores on the Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State for English Language Learners assessment for state monitoring, achievement, and accountability determinations. As a technical reference, the appendix includes tables and statistical programming code used to compute the different methods. The analyses and results provide clear and concise frameworks for approaching accountability criteria and decisions.
Inequality and Opportunity in a Perfect Storm of Graduate Student Debt. WCER Working Paper No. 2018-9
Author: Pyne, Jaymes
Date: 2018-08-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: College Graduates,Debt (Financial),Student Loan Programs,Undergraduate Students,Graduate Students,Social Stratification,Economically Disadvantaged,Academic Aspiration,Barriers,Socioeconomic Background,Gender Differences,Low Income Students,African American Students,Racial Differences,Social Class

Recent efforts to understand aggregate student loan debt have shifted the focus away from undergraduate borrowing and toward dramatically rising debt among graduate and professional students. We suggest educational debt plays a key role in social stratification by either deterring bachelor's degree holders from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds from pursuing lucrative careers through advanced degree programs or imposing a high cost for entry. We speculate that the ongoing personal financing of advanced degrees, changes to funding in higher education, and increasing returns to and demand for post-baccalaureate degrees have created a perfect storm for those seeking degrees beyond college. We find that aggregate increases in borrowing among advanced degree students between 1996 and 2016 can be explained in part by increasing enrollment rates, particularly among master's degree students, and large, secular increases in graduate and professional students' undergraduate and graduate borrowing. In contrast to undergraduate debt alone, the burden of educational debt among graduate borrowers appears to have fallen on students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and historically underserved students of color more so than their more advantaged counterparts and on women more so than men. However, we also find that median advanced degree wage premia over those of bachelor's degree holders are substantial for many who graduate with advanced degrees, but are particularly high for African American and low-SES graduates, complicating simple conclusions about the stratification of debt at the post-graduate level.
Collaborating in Context: Relational Trust and Collaborative Structures at Eight Wisconsin Elementary Schools. WCER Working Paper No. 2019-7
Author: Miesner, H. Rose
Date: 2019-09-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Elementary Schools,Trust (Psychology),Teacher Collaboration,Elementary School Teachers,Teacher Participation,Student Attitudes,Teacher Administrator Relationship

Teacher collaboration is a key factor in improving instructional quality and promoting student achievement. Though research attests to the importance of school contextual elements for the work of teachers, few studies investigate how these factors interact to enable or constrain collaboration. This study examines teacher perspectives on collaborative practices by analyzing observations and interviews of teachers and other staff at eight Wisconsin elementary schools. It finds that structures for collaboration shape teacher participation in collaborative practices. The authors distinguish among three structures of collaboration--requisite, optional, and informal--and explore how relational trust among teachers and between teachers and their administrators and colleagues affects collaboration. They find that teachers who attested to the presence of relational trust within their schools collaborated with colleagues, regardless of formalized times to do so. Conversely, teachers who described a lack of relational trust opted against collaborating with grade-level colleagues, despite, in some instances, having access to collaborative planning time. Instructional approaches influenced collaborative structures and relational trust, as some teaching formats fostered contact between practitioners while others separated teachers. The study concludes by discussing the implications of the findings for extant and future research regarding collaboration in context.