ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Transforming Urban Education: Implications for State Policymakers
Author: Lefkowits, Laura
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: State Officials,Urban Education,Educational Policy,Educational Administration,School Community Relationship,School Community Programs,Service Learning,Educational Objectives,Educational Change,Partnerships in Education,Career Readiness,College Readiness,State Policy

What if, in 2020, a new generation of leaders ends the war in Iraq and turns its attention to pressing domestic issues eventually resulting in a healthier economy and renewed investments in the urban core? What if, in 2020, having tried and failed at the beginning of the 21st century to improve urban education with prescriptive, high stakes accountablity measures, policymakers turn to alternative solutions once considered anathema within the public arena? What if, in 2020, the widespread availability of free Wi-Fi and other innovative technologies reinforced by federal and state policies encourage grassroots solutions fueling local ingenuity and productivity? What if, in 2020, states' inability to provide sustainable funding for urban districts combines with the global economic crisis, environmental disasters, and a prolonged war in the Middle East to dramatically diminish available school resources? A group of stakeholders from eight Ohio urban districts tackled these questions. This brief explains the context and process for this work and discusses the implications for state-level policymakers interested in supporting such a transformation of urban education as envisioned by this group in Ohio. Suggested are possible approaches policymakers could take to implement these recommendations and prepare not only to survive but to thrive in the challenging and uncertain times ahead. (Contains 33 endnotes.)
Focusing on the Basics in Beat-the-Odds Schools. Policy Brief
Author: Lefkowits, Laura
Date: 2006-07-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Academic Achievement,School Turnaround,Effective Schools Research,Organizational Change,Educational Environment,Educational Policy,Educational Improvement,Educational Change,Change Strategies,Leadership Role,Instructional Effectiveness,Organizational Culture,Leadership Effectiveness,Theory Practice Relationship,Disadvantaged Schools

Researchers at Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) recently completed a study of &quot;beat-the-odds&quot; schools--high-needs schools that demonstrated atypically high student achievement. This policy brief draws from the report of the study&apos;s findings, &quot;High-Needs Schools--What Does It Take to Beat the Odds?&quot; (ED486626). The study focused on four key components identified as broadly contributing to school success and examined how the components interact to contribute to success in high-needs schools. The four key components are: (1) Leadership: Leading organizational change, providing instructional guidance, and establishing shared mission and goals; (2) Professional Community: Teachers collaborating, receiving professional development, and being encouraged to have influence in school matters; (3) School Environment: Parents involved meaningfully, the school culture focused on academic achievement, a safe and orderly climate, and attention to assessment and monitoring; and (4) Instruction: Individualized learning, structured instruction with feedback to meet student needs, and challenging opportunities to learn. &quot;McREL Insights: Schools that &apos;Beat the Odds&apos;&quot; and McREL&apos;s &quot;High-Performing, High-Needs Schools Resource Guide&quot; are two resources that McREL has prepared to help further the application of this important research in the field. This brief extends this work and offers guidance to local school board members and other policy makers who seek to support their district&apos;s school improvement efforts by providing effective policy derived from research-based evidence. These policy suggestions can become part of a system-wide effort to improve student achievement.
Our Kids: A McREL Report Prepared for Stupski Foundation&apos;s Learning System
Author: Germeroth, Carrie
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Urban Education,Disadvantaged Youth,Minority Group Children,At Risk Persons,Cognitive Development,School Readiness,Academic Achievement,Interpersonal Competence,Emotional Intelligence,Achievement Gap,Early Childhood Education,Social Environment,Caregiver Child Relationship,Child Rearing,Executive Function,Scaffolding (Teaching Technique),Intervention,Educational Research,Parent Education,Self Management,Child Care,Preschool Education,Educational Change,Literature Reviews

This document is one of eight reports prepared to support the development of a new learning system, a development effort that is the first step in a major initiative undertaken by the Stupski Foundation. This document synthesizes recent research and theoretical literature on the special learning needs of urban, underserved students, whom are referred to as &quot;our kids.&quot; The report identifies six ways to address their needs: (1) Provide executive function interventions; (2) Invest in the research and design of brain-based early childhood interventions; (3) Integrate the evidence-based components of effective early care centers into all early childhood programs; (4) Scaffold self-regulation in early childhood; (5) Support parent scaffolding of children&apos;s self-regulation skills; and (6) Adopt and scale-up effective parent support programs. The literature review method is appended. (Contains 5 tables, 4 figures, and 2 footnotes.) [A list of references that were reviewed but not cited in this report are included.]
How Did States in the Central Region Evaluate Supplemental Educational Services in 2007?
Author: Barley, Zoe
Date: 2009-02-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Data Collection,Evaluation Criteria,Evaluation Methods,State Policy,Performance Contracts,Performance Technology,Supplementary Education,Program Evaluation,Program Administration,Performance Factors,Participant Satisfaction

In state needs assessment meetings held in late June 2008, the leadership of two Central Region state departments of education, South Dakota and Missouri, asked Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Central to determine how the states in the region evaluate their supplemental educational service (SES) providers. Specifically, these SEA staff requested more information about Central Region states' data collection processes, examples of instruments in use, and information on state SES contacts' perceptions of their evaluation processes, including issues that have emerged and/or problems that have been solved. In response to this regional request, REL Central reviewed the federal guidance provided to states on monitoring SES providers and developed the following research questions: (1) What criteria do states have for provider performance; how do they assess provider performance; and what policies do they have for terminating a provider? (2) What systems do Central Region states use to gather information with which to evaluate their providers? and (3) What do state contacts report about their experience with the state's evaluation of providers? States are required to develop standards for monitoring and evaluating providers. Only one state, South Dakota, has standards in place. The others rely on criteria that are found in the provider application, which defines the role and expectations of the provider. Typically, adherence to the provider contract becomes a substitute for criteria in evaluating provider performance. South Dakota is the only state with a provider termination policy. The study found that the seven Central Region states include varying numbers of approved providers, eligible schools, and eligible students, which influences the scope and scale of their provider evaluations. State contacts were primarily concerned that their states did not have sufficient staffing to adequately monitor and evaluate the providers, but suggested specific aspects of evaluation and monitoring that they believed worked well in their states. Six of the states (all but Nebraska, which has an evaluation process in place but did not identify any schools qualified to receive SES in 2007) have made or are making changes to better evaluate the performance and impact of their SES providers. Two appendixes present: (1) Protocol for State Contact Interviews; and (2) Summary of Data Collected in Central Region States during the 2007-2008 School Year. (Contains 8 footnotes and 4 tables.)
Human Capital Development in Education: Challenges and Policy Options
Author: Best, Jane R.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Human Capital,Educational Improvement,Educational Change,Change Strategies,Personnel Policy,Educational Policy,State Action,Administrator Education,Teacher Education Programs,Teacher Persistence,Teacher Recruitment,Improvement Programs,Performance Factors,Teacher Effectiveness,Leadership Effectiveness,Alternative Teacher Certification

Increasing student achievement and narrowing the achievement gap are challenges that states and districts continue to confront as they strive to develop talent that will contribute to our nation's economy. Some strategies to produce authentic improvement in learning are not entirely a mystery. A preponderance of research in recent years provides strong evidence that the best way to improve achievement is having an effective teacher in every classroom and an effective leader in every school (Leithwood, Louis, Anderson, &amp; Wahlstrom, 2004). Therefore, the development of human capital--the talents, competencies, and knowledge of teachers and school leaders--has drawn increasing attention in the education community. As researchers and policymakers strive to better understand how to attract and retain highly skilled teachers and leaders and bridge the gap between the under-performing American school system and the more effective system of our global competitors, investing in a thoughtful human capital strategy is critical. To provide guidance to states and districts as they develop such strategies, this brief highlights three main dimensions of the human capital &quot;pipeline&quot;--the preparation, recruitment, and retention of highly talented and effective school teachers and leaders--and policy options to consider for each. Policy options are presented in question form in tables in each section, followed by examples of exemplary efforts some states have made. Recommendations appear at the end of the document.
Pedagogy: A McREL Report Prepared for Stupski Foundation&apos;s Learning System
Author: Englert, Kerry
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Minority Group Students,Instructional Effectiveness,Individualized Instruction,Student Employment,Technology Uses in Education,Learner Engagement,Difficulty Level,Educational Environment,Culturally Relevant Education,Critical Thinking,Student Evaluation,Instructional Leadership,Student Role,Intervention,Formative Evaluation,Classroom Techniques,Literature Reviews

This document is one of eight reports prepared to support the development of a new learning system, a development effort that is the first step in a major initiative undertaken by the Stupski Foundation. This report synthesizes recent research and theoretical literature on effective pedagogy for the Stupski Foundation&apos;s 2009 initiative of supporting urban students of color. To improve the quality of instruction for these students, the report identifies four options: (1) Support teachers with differentiated instruction and culturally relevant pedagogy; (2) Implement a pedagogical program that gives students a central voice in the classroom; (3) Use technology to engage students and enhance pedagogy; and (4) Guide teachers in creating academically rigorous and positive classroom learning environments for students. The literature review method is appended. (Contains 2 tables, 2 figures, and 3 footnotes.) [A list of references that were reviewed but not cited in this report are included.]
Remove Limits to Learning with Systematic Vocabulary Instruction
Author: Stone, Bj
Date: 2008-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Vocabulary,Vocabulary Development,Program Development,Program Implementation,Educational Research,Classroom Techniques,Academic Achievement,Academic Standards,Educational Strategies,Student Evaluation,Cloze Procedure,Instructional Materials,Instructional Effectiveness,Cues,Teaching Methods

Vocabulary is a pivotal component of a student&apos;s background knowledge, and the research indicates that vocabulary instruction can be an effective means for increasing it. This booklet describes the positive outcomes that result when a school- or district-wide vocabulary program is strategically developed and intentionally implemented. The information and resources contained herein will set the stage for you to create and implement a systematic approach to vocabulary instruction and can serve as further impetus for learning more about how vocabulary instruction becomes and essential part of classroom instruction. The booklet includes three sections: (1) Section One is a brief overview of research on vocabulary development, including a rationale for helping students develop a rich vocabulary; (2) Section Two details four research-based principles for vocabulary development; and (3) Section Three provides strategies for translating research on vocabulary instruction into classroom practice. (Contains 5 figures.)
ICCS 2009 User Guide for the International Database. Supplement 2: National Adaptations of International Questionnaires
Author: Brese, Falk
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Tests/Questionnaires
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Civics,Citizenship Education,Databases,Questionnaires,Student Surveys,Teacher Surveys,School Surveys

This supplement describes national adaptations made to the international version of the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) 2009 questionnaires. This information provides users with a guide to evaluate the availability of internationally comparable data for use in secondary analyses involving the ICCS 2009 questionnaire variables.
Questionnaire adaptations include questions that countries were required to adapt, questions that were not administered, and questions that countries modified to suit their national context. National adaptations are presented in six sections corresponding to the ICCS 2009 questionnaire types: (1) School Questionnaire; (2) Teacher Questionnaire; (3) Student Questionnaire; and (4) European Module Questionnaire; (5) Latin American Module Questionnaire; and (6) Asian Module Questionnaire. For each question that was adapted, a national entry is included if the version of the question
administered in a country was different from the international version. For each question, the following is provided: (1) Question number; (2) Question stem and response options; (3) Variable name(s); and (4) National adaptation, listed by country. [For the &quot;ICCS 2009 Technical Report,&quot; see ED544622.]
ICCS 2009 User Guide for the International Database. Supplement 3: Variables Derived from the Survey Data
Author: Brese, Falk
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Reports - General
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Civics,Citizenship Education,Academic Achievement,Databases,Questionnaires,Achievement Tests,Student Surveys,Teacher Surveys,School Surveys

This supplement contains documentation on all the derived variables contained in the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) 2009 data files that are based on survey variables. These variables were used to report data in the ICCS 2009 international reports, and are made available as part of the ICCS 2009 International Database to be used
in secondary analyses. This supplement has seven sections corresponding to each survey instrument from which reporting variables are derived: (1) School Questionnaire; (2) Teacher Questionnaire; (3) Student Achievement Booklets; (4) Student Questionnaire; (5) European Module Questionnaire; (6) Latin American Module Questionnaire; and (7) Asian Module Questionnaire. Each section lists first the indices and then the scales derived from survey variables in the order of the variables that were used to derive the variable as they appear in the instruments. The following information is provided for each derived variable: (1) Variable Name: The name of the derived variable; (2) Description: A description of the variable content; (3) Procedure: A procedural description of how the derived variable was computed; and (4) Source: Source variables used to derive scale or index. [For the &quot;ICCS 2009 Technical Report,&quot; see ED544622.]
ICCS 2009 User Guide for the International Database. Supplement 5: ICCS 2009 Released Items
Author: Brese, Falk
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Tests/Questionnaires
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Civics,Citizenship Education,Academic Achievement,Databases,Test Items,Achievement Tests,Multiple Choice Tests

This document contains released items used in the ICCS 2009 main survey. Seven clusters of items were used in the study in a rotated booklet design with three clusters per test booklet. Clusters 1 and 7 comprise the released item set. Cluster 1 comprises items that were newly developed for ICCS 2009 and Cluster 7 is drawn from previously secure trend items from the Civic Education Study (CIVED) in 1999. The CIVED 1999 items contributed to the
ICCS 2009 civic knowledge scale and were also used as the basis for reporting differences in performance between CIVED 1999 and ICCS 2009 for relevant countries on the civic content knowledge scale. For further details see the &quot;ICCS 2009 International Report&quot; (ED520018). The released items are presented following the summary item information. The items are
presented in the same order as they appeared in the clusters. Each item is presented on a separate page with summary information for that item. [For the &quot;ICCS 2009 Technical Report,&quot; see ED544622.]
Identifying Differences between Two Groups of High-Needs High Schools
Author: Englert, Kerry
Date: 2008-06-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: High Schools,Teacher Attitudes,Institutional Mission,Goal Orientation,Teacher Collaboration,Evaluation Methods,Quality Control,Parent Participation,Educational Environment,School Safety,Teacher Influence,Disadvantaged Youth,Poverty,Institutional Characteristics,High Achievement,Low Achievement,Effect Size,Classroom Environment,Student Behavior,School Policy,Discipline,Professional Autonomy,Student Evaluation,Academic Achievement,Minority Group Students,Limited English Speaking,Urban Schools,Rural Schools,Leadership Responsibility,Teacher Participation,Participative Decision Making,Principals,Achievement Tests,Performance Factors,Scores

This study examined differences in nine factors between a group of the highest-performing needs high schools (HPHN) and a group of the lowest performing high-needs (LPHN) high schools using teacher responses from a national dataset. The factors are: (1) shared mission and goals; (2) professional development; (3)  collaboration among teachers (4) assessment and monitoring; (5) parent involvement; (6) safe climate; (7) orderly climate; (8) support for teacher influence at the school level; and (9) support for teacher influence at the classroom level. High needs high schools were schools with greater than 50% of their students eligible for free or reduced price lunch. Meaningful and statistically significant differences in seven of the nine factors suggest that teachers' perceptions of these factors in highest-performing high schools differ from teachers' perceptions in lowest performing high schools. These differences were identified through a descriptive analysis. The factors with significant differences, however, do suggest areas for further research. Appended are: (1) Identification of School Level Factors for the Study; (2) Item Map of SASS Questions to Constructs; (3) Descriptive Comparisons of HPHN vs. LPHN; (4) Analyses; and (5) Sampling Methodology. (Contains 19 tables, 2 boxes, and 14 footnotes.)
ICCS 2009 Technical Report
Author: Schulz, Wolfram, Ed.
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Reports - General
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Civics,Citizenship Education,Cognitive Tests,Questionnaires,Test Construction,Regional Characteristics,Translation,Sampling,Research Administration,Quality Assurance,Data Collection,Databases,Scaling,Test Items,Student Surveys,Teacher Surveys,School Surveys,Media Adaptation,Psychometrics,Statistical Analysis,Tables (Data)

This report is structured so as to provide technical detail about each aspect of International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS). The overview is followed by a series of chapters that provide detail about different aspects of ICCS. Chapters, 2, 3, 4, and 5 are concerned with the instruments. Chapter 2 provides information about the development and properties of the ICCS cognitive test. Chapter 3 details the development and properties of the ICCS international questionnaires. These include the international student questionnaire, the teacher questionnaire, and the school questionnaire, as well as the national contexts survey. Chapter 4 is concerned with the development of the ICCS regional instruments: the European test and questionnaire, the Latin American test and questionnaire, and the Asian questionnaire. Chapter 5 describes the procedures used to translate and adapt ICCS instruments. Chapters 6 and 7 are concerned with aspects of sampling. Chapter 6 details the sampling design and implementation and Chapter 7 documents the weighting procedures that were used to ensure the results from ICCS represented the defined populations in each country. Chapters 8, 9, and 10 focus on the survey implementation. Chapter 8 details the field operation procedures and the process of preparation of data files. Chapter 9 documents the quality control protocols and procedures that were used in the ICCS data collection. Chapter 10 provides an account of data management in ICCS and the creation of the ICCS database. Chapters 11, 12, and 13 describe the psychometric and statistical analyses used in ICCS. Chapter 11 reports on the scaling procedures for the ICCS cognitive test and how responses to the test items were used to construct scores on the ICCS civic knowledge scale. Chapter 12 describes the methods used to form scales from the ICCS questionnaire items, while Chapter 13 details how the ICCS results were reported and gives an account of the conventions adopted for the construction of tables. The following are appended: (1) Organizations and individuals involved in ICCS; (2) Characteristics of national samples; (3) Descriptions for cognitive test items and allocations to proficiency levels; and (4) Tables with coding information. (Contains 132 tables and 44 figures. Individual chapters contain references and footnotes. The appendices contain additional tables.) [The following people contributed to writing this report: John Ainley, Falk Brese, Julian Fraillon, Tim Friedman, Michael Jung, David Kerr, Bruno Losito, Barbara Malak, Wolfram Schulz,
Caroline Vandenplas, Alana Yu, and Olaf Zuehlke. See ED544615, for the ICCS 2009 User Guide for the International Database.]