ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Lifting the Massachusetts Cap on Charter Schools: Pro and Con. Issue Brief
Author: Eden, Max
Date: 2016-09-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Charter Schools,School Law,Public Schools,Politics of Education,Access to Education,Economically Disadvantaged,Enrollment,Expenditure per Student,Academic Achievement,Educational Benefits,Reading Achievement,Mathematics Achievement,Achievement Gains,Outcomes of Education,Scores,Advanced Placement,Success

Massachusetts passed its first charter school law in 1993. Since then, the cap on the number of these public schools has been raised several times: in 1997, 2000, and 2010. Today, the state educates 40,200 students in 78 charter schools, and 32,600 students are on wait lists. This November, Bay State residents will vote by referendum, via Ballot Question 2, on whether to again lift the state's charter cap--this time, by allowing up to 12 new schools to launch each year, with preference given to charters opening in low-performing school districts. This issue brief seeks to help inform the debate around Ballot Question 2 by evaluating the claims of charter proponents and opponents. This issue brief finds that: (1) While it is true that, under Chapter 70 of Massachusetts' general laws, funding follows students from traditional public district schools to public charter schools, student enrollment in charter schools also effectively increases per-pupil expenditures at district schools. In 2016, charter enrollment had the effect of increasing per-pupil spending in district schools by approximately $85 million statewide. Even as the net amount of state aid to Boston Public Schools decreased by $56 million from FY11 to FY15, the BPS budget actually grew by 23.4% during that time period due to increased local expenditures; (2) There is convincing evidence that charter schools have raised the performance of students in them. Multiple &quot;gold-standard&quot; studies have confirmed that enrollment in Boston charter schools has caused significant increases in students' reading and math proficiency. Boston charters also improve long-term outcomes, including a sharp boost in SAT scores, increased likelihood of AP course taking, and a substantial shift in enrollment from two- to four-year postsecondary institutions; and (3) There is little evidence that the performance of students in charter schools is dragging down the performance of the traditional local public schools. From 2011 to 2015, English and math scores increased in the 10 districts with the highest local share of charter enrollment. The percentage of students scoring &quot;advanced&quot; or &quot;proficient&quot; in English on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System increased by nearly 15 points, on average, in these 10 districts. In math, eight of the 10 districts saw a higher percentage of students scoring &quot;advanced&quot; or &quot;proficient,&quot; by nearly five points on average.
An Examination of the Movement of Educators within Iowa. Stated Briefly. REL 2017-194
Author: Podgursky, Michael
Date: 2016-11-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Labor Turnover,Public School Teachers,Principals,Assistant Principals,Faculty Mobility,Teaching Experience,Geographic Location,Academic Achievement,Institutional Characteristics,Economically Disadvantaged,Teacher Transfer,Special Education Teachers,Language Teachers,Urban Schools,Superintendents,Records (Forms),Teacher Characteristics,Elementary Secondary Education

This brief examines the mobility of public school teachers and principals (including assistant principals) in Iowa and presents annual and five-year mobility rates between 2006/07 and 2010/11. An average of 6.7 percent of teachers changed schools between consecutive years, and 18.9 percent changed schools within a five-year span. Teachers were more likely to move to another school if they were male, had less teaching experience, were in an urban school, or taught in a school with lower academic performance, fewer students, or more economically disadvantaged students. For principals the annual mobility rate averaged 9.2 percent, and the five-year mobility rate was 27.5 percent. Principals were more likely to move to another school if they had less experience or were in a school with fewer students. [To access &quot;An Examination of the Movement of Educators within and across Three Midwest Region States. REL 2017-185,&quot; see ED570453. For &quot;An Examination of the Movement of Educators within Minnesota. Stated Briefly. REL 2017-196,&quot; see ED570466. For &quot;An Examination of the Movement of Educators within Wisconsin. Stated Briefly. REL 2017-195,&quot; see ED570452.]
Beyond X's &amp; O's: Gender Bias and Coaches of Women's College Sports
Author: Sabo, Don
Date: 2016-06-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Gender Bias,College Athletics,Womens Athletics,Athletes,Athletic Coaches,Team Sports,Females,Gender Differences,Educational Legislation,Federal Legislation,Gender Discrimination,Sex Fairness,Intercollegiate Cooperation,Males,Reverse Discrimination,Job Security,Sexual Orientation,Social Bias,Homosexuality,Racial Factors,Ethnicity,Statistical Analysis,Evidence Based Practice,Online Surveys

This nationwide online survey, the largest of its kind to-date, was designed to generate facts and analysis of the workplace experiences and views of both female and male coaches of intercollegiate women's sports. This research is unique in that it is the first to assess male coaches of women's teams and make comparisons with female coaches. The data-driven research confirms there is systemic gender bias; it's not sporadic or limited to a few institutions. Key findings include: (1) Bias is associated with gender of the coach, not the gender of the team. Many women coaches perceive gender bias, fewer of their male counterparts recognize it; (2) Most women coaches believe it is easier for men to secure high level jobs, salary increases, promotions, and multi-year contracts. 4 out of 5 women coaches think it is easier for men to get top-level coaching jobs; (3) Many women fear unfair treatment, retaliation and loss of their jobs if they express Title IX concerns; and (4) More women are less willing to voice their opinions outside of the athletic department and are less involved in decision-making inside the athletic department. Based on the findings, there are policy recommendations at the conclusion of the report meant to help coaches, athletic administrators and academic administrators better utilize college sports as an institutional vehicle for equitable participation and opportunity. The policy recommendations are also aimed at college presidents and chancellors, without whose support and leadership, the creation of meaningful change in the women's sports workplace is likely to be impeded. Methods and data analyses are appended. [Additional funding provided by the May Foundation, Sandy Vivas, and the Vivas Family.]
Evaluating and Supporting Principals. Building a Stronger Principalship: Volume 4
Author: Anderson, Leslie M.
Date: 2016-01-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Principals,Instructional Leadership,School Districts,Standards,Administrator Education,Personnel Selection,Job Placement,Administrator Evaluation,Program Evaluation,National Programs,Urban Schools,Program Implementation,Elementary Secondary Education,Qualitative Research,Semi Structured Interviews,Professional Development,Mentors,Focus Groups,Surveys

This is the fourth report from an evaluation of the Principal Pipeline Initiative (PPI). This report addresses the implementation of principal evaluation and related support as of 2015, viewing implementation in the context of districts' aims, constraints, and capacity. Principal evaluation is part of the Wallace Principal Pipeline Initiative design, intended both as a means of assessing novice principals' performance against clear standards and as a roadmap for tailoring professional development and one-on-one support to identified areas of need. Although educator evaluation has been a prominent topic on the policy scene for many years, there is still much to learn about how educator evaluation systems are designed and implemented. This report provides insights into the strategies and capacities that districts developed to evaluate and support their school leaders. Data for this report were collected from late 2011 through spring 2015 by conducting interviews with district administrators, focus groups of novice principals, surveys of novice principals, and reviews of district documents. More details about methods can be found in the body of the report. The following is appended: Survey Administration, Weighting, and Analyses. [For Volume 1 in this series, see ED555867; for Volume 2, see ED555868; for Volume 3, see ED555869; and for Volume 5, see ED570472.]
The Principal Pipeline Initiative in Action. Building a Stronger Principalship: Volume 5
Author: Turnbull, Brenda J.
Date: 2016-10-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Principals,Instructional Leadership,School Districts,Standards,Administrator Education,Personnel Selection,Job Placement,Administrator Evaluation,Program Evaluation,National Programs,Urban Schools,Program Implementation,Elementary Secondary Education,Qualitative Research,Semi Structured Interviews,Professional Development,Mentors,Focus Groups,Surveys,Beginning Principals,Assistant Principals

This is the fifth report from an evaluation of the Principal Pipeline Initiative (PPI), in which six large urban school districts have received support for strengthening novice principals' capabilities through specific strategies. Data for the evaluation were collected from late 2011 through spring 2015, using interviews with district administrators, surveys and focus groups of novice principals, and reviews of district documents. Details about study methods appear in the body of this report. This culminating report summarizes findings about implementation of the four PPI components across the six districts, as of spring 2015 when all components were expected to be up and running. The report details the implementation approaches, accomplishments, and challenges of participating districts; identifies factors that helped or impeded their progress; highlights lessons learned; and presents implications for policymakers and other districts. An evaluation report about the effects of the PPI on student achievement is scheduled for publication in 2018. This study of the initiative's implementation was designed to draw lessons about the process and early results of the work done in districts with varying histories in different states and regions. Intended audiences for the report include other school districts that might embark on similar approaches and policymakers who might support such efforts. The following are appended: (1) Survey Administration, Weighting, and Analyses; and (2) An Exploratory Comparative Analysis. [For Volume 1 in this series, see ED555867; for Volume 2, see ED555868; for Volume 3, see ED555869; and for Volume 4, see ED570471.]
Issues 2016: Will Free Tuition Increase the Number of College Graduates? Issue Brief
Author: Eden, Max
Date: 2016-09-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Tuition,College Students,Public Colleges,Budgets,Taxes,College Graduates,Educational Attainment,Foreign Countries,Educational Finance,Enrollment Trends,Federal Aid,Low Income Groups,Cross Cultural Studies,Barriers

To increase the number of graduates, a growing number of pundits and politicians favor providing free tuition for students attending public colleges and universities. This proposal is flawed. Affordability is not the main obstacle to getting a degree. There is also a risk that a tuition-free system for public institutions would leave them solely dependent on taxpayer dollars. If public budgets fail to keep pace with the increased demand and rising costs, colleges will be forced to limit the number of students they can accept, or sacrifice the quality of instruction, or both. Heightened competition for spaces could crowd out lower-income students from higher-quality public institutions. Key Findings are: (1) International comparisons render as dubious the assumption that free tuition in the U.S. would lead to higher numbers of college graduates. Within the G-7, the four countries that charge college tuition have higher education attainment rates (Japan, 59%; Canada, 58%; United Kingdom, 48%; United States, 46%) than those that don't (France, 44%; Germany, 28%; Italy, 24%); (2) Low tuition price caps forced colleges in England to ration the available spaces. When the caps were lifted, institutions raised tuition fees by 87% between 2006 and 2012--yet college enrollment grew by 20%, and applicants from the most disadvantaged backgrounds grew by 53%. By contrast, when Scotland eliminated tuition fees in 2007, low-income enrollment rates grew only one-tenth as quickly as in England; and (3) In the U.S. federal grants already make tuition free, on average, for low-income students at community colleges. Yet just one-third of students from the bottom quartile of the income distribution who started at a community college in 2003 had finished a degree or certificate by 2009.
Community Colleges: Multiple Missions, Diverse Student Bodies, and a Range of Policy Solutions
Author: Baime, David
Date: 2016-08-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Community Colleges,Institutional Mission,Educational Objectives,Educational Finance,Student Financial Aid,Paying for College,Partnerships in Education,Academic Achievement,Tuition,State Aid,Tuition Grants,Student Costs,Student Loan Programs,Barriers,Transfer Students,Developmental Studies Programs

The national commitment to increasing postsecondary educational attainment, combined with growing economic anxiety, has made community colleges the focus of many federal and state policy initiatives. There is good reason for this: by virtue of their nature and reach, community colleges--public institutions of higher education that predominantly award associate degrees and sometimes bachelor's degrees--are indispensable to meeting national goals for educational attainment as well as for the development of a productive workforce. But no national system of community colleges exists, and national policies to improve opportunity and success at community colleges should reflect their diversity of students, programs, missions, and funding structures. In this report, the authors focus on key variables that differentiate community colleges, and they elaborate on their significance for students. They first describe the range of missions and programs across institutions in this sector and explore differences in their student bodies. They then focus on student financing and national policies designed to address both affordability and broader concerns about student success. Finally, the authors discuss how some community colleges, frequently in partnership with states and other stakeholders, are effectively working on a student success agenda.
Does Attendance in Early Education Predict Attendance in Elementary School? An Analysis of DCPS's Early Education Program. Research Report
Author: Dubay, Lisa
Date: 2016-06-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Early Childhood Education,Correlation,Enrollment,Attendance Patterns,Truancy,Early Intervention,At Risk Students,Kindergarten,Grade 1,Grade 2,Student Characteristics,Urban Schools,Student Records

Enrollment in early childhood education programs can be an important stepping stone to higher educational achievement, particularly for low-income children. However, children cannot succeed in these programs unless they are present. The Early Childhood Education Division (ECED) in the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) has identified school attendance patterns and absenteeism as areas in need of improvement for meeting school-readiness goals. This focus is consistent with the overall goal, outlined in the DCPS Capital Commitment Strategic Plan for 2017, of increasing investments that will improve in-seat attendance and reduce tardiness and truancy throughout the school system. In the past, the DCPS has contracted with the Urban Institute to identify patterns of absenteeism across DCPS's Title I school-based Head Start programs. This information has been used to inform DCPS's efforts to reduce absenteeism in early childhood programs and to achieve its school-readiness goals. This report examines the extent to which attendance patterns in DCPS's Title I school-based Head Start programs predict attendance in kindergarten through second grade. In addition, the report identifies the characteristics of children who are most likely to remain chronically absent or become chronically absent over time. The results from this report should inform the ECED and DCPS about the risk factors for staying chronically absent over time and identify potential areas to target interventions. A supplementary table is appended.
Investigating the Impact of Explicit Collocation Instruction on ESL Learners' Writing Ability
Author: Adhami-O'Brian, Soolmaz
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,English (Second Language),Control Groups,Experimental Groups,Phrase Structure,Writing Skills,Statistical Analysis,Pretests Posttests,Gender Differences,Writing Tests,Teaching Methods,College Students

The present study was conducted to explore the impact of explicit collocation instruction on the ESL learners' writing ability. Furthermore, this study was an attempt to find if there is any significant difference between male and female learners on their use of collocations in writing tasks. In so doing, 63 advanced English as a Second Language (ESL) learners (35 male and 28 female) who were studying English at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte were conveniently sampled. At first, all participants received a writing pretest; then, they were divided into two groups randomly, experimental group and control group. The experimental group received explicit collocation instruction in writing class for seven sessions, while control group was taught using conventional techniques for writing. Finally, both groups received another writing posttest. Data were collected numerically and statistical analysis was used to show the difference between the two groups at the end of the study. The obtained data were analyzed using independent samples t-test procedures. The results indicated that collocation instruction has impact on writing ability of learners. In addition, it was found that no significant difference between male and female learners in their use of collocations in writing tasks could be seen.
Embarking on College and Career: Interim Evaluation of Urban Alliance. Research Report
Author: Theodos, Brett
Date: 2016-05-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Program Evaluation,Youth Programs,At Risk Students,High School Students,Urban Youth,Internship Programs,Randomized Controlled Trials,College Readiness,Access to Education,Career Readiness,College Bound Students,College Attendance,Program Effectiveness,Barriers,Work Experience,On the Job Training,Career Exploration,Job Training,Mentors,Caseworker Approach,Data Analysis,Student Characteristics,Demography,Persistence,Student Attrition,Academic Achievement,Outcomes of Education,Education Work Relationship,Wages,Regression (Statistics),Gender Differences,Cohort Analysis,Intervention,Surveys,Interviews

Urban Alliance serves at-risk youth through its high school internship program, which provides training, mentoring, and work experience to high school seniors from distressed communities. The program aims to help youth move on to higher education or employment after graduation. The Urban Institute is conducting a six-year, randomized controlled trial evaluation of Urban Alliance's high school internship program. This report presents findings on participating youth in Washington, DC, and Baltimore during the 2011-12 and 2012-13 program years; it shows how the program affected these youth in early adulthood, including their college attendance and job preparation. The following are appended: (1) Survey Methodology; (2) Differential Attrition; (3) Full Sample and Subgroup Impact Tables; and (4) Survey Instrument. [Additional support was provided by the World Bank Group's Community Outreach Program.]
Strengthening Policies for Foster Youth Postsecondary Attainment. Special Report
Author: Sarubbi, Molly
Date: 2016-10-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Foster Care,Youth,Postsecondary Education,Educational Attainment,Barriers,Public Policy,State Policy,Student Financial Aid,State Aid,Adoption,Federal Programs,Educational Vouchers,Federal Legislation

Postsecondary education in the United States has historically been the bedrock of individual social mobility and collective economic growth. Toward that end, policies at the state and federal levels have for decades sought to expand the reach of postsecondary education so as to provide individuals and communities with pathways to prosperity. Although progress has been far slower than is optimal, a greater percentage of individuals residing in the United States have completed or participated in postsecondary education than at any other time in the nation's history. As of 2015, 69 percent of high school graduates had participated in or completed some postsecondary education. Despite the relative success of public policies supporting the expansion of postsecondary participation, inequities remain. These inequities unnecessarily limit the ability of individuals to benefit from postsecondary enrollment and completion and can create additional obstacles for individuals already facing significant barriers to social mobility. Such is the case for youth within the foster care system, a population confronted by a labyrinth of state and federal public policies that can often fall short of their intent to support postsecondary enrollment and completion. This policy report provides an overview of the challenges youth who are in foster care, have been adopted, or have aged out of the foster care system confront when pursuing a postsecondary credential, including those barriers caused--often unintentionally--by public policies. Specifically, the report focuses on the treatment of these youth by state financial aid programs and offers potential remedies that state policy leaders may pursue as part of holistic efforts to support reducing inequities for this population and promoting their collective upward social mobility. Given the autonomy states have in adopting policies and responding to federal initiatives intended to support foster youth, state policymakers can create tangible educational pathways for foster care youth.