ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Impact of a Neuroscience-Based Health Education Course on High School Students&apos; Health Knowledge, Beliefs, and Behaviors
Author: Babinski, Leslie M.
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Neurosciences,Health Education,High School Students,Health Behavior,Student Attitudes,Knowledge Level,Cognitive Processes,Beliefs,Instructional Effectiveness,Outcomes of Education

Purpose: The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the potential of an innovative high school neuroscience-based health course for implementation feasibility and impact on student outcomes. Methods: Thirteen teachers from two high schools participated in this quasi-experimental pilot study including 395 students (202 in the intervention classes and 193 in the comparison classes). Students completed pre/post online surveys assessing their knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors. Our analysis strategy for multi-item measures was to estimate the effects of the intervention on latent change scores in structural equation models (SEM). Results: Students in the neuroscience health classes showed a significant increase in neuroscience knowledge as compared to students in the comparison group (difference estimate in proportion correct metric, adjusted for covariates = 0.04; 95% CI [0.01, 0.06]). However, none of the other primary outcomes showed a significant difference between conditions. Teachers in the intervention group were observed implementing the neuroscience and health components more often than the self-regulation and growth mindset components. Students in the neuroscience group were more likely to mention the importance of caring for their brain and its link to health behaviors. Conclusions: Findings demonstrate that information about the link between health behaviors and brain functioning can be successfully integrated into a high school health education course, although effects on student health beliefs and behaviors were not observed. Additional development work should focus on clarifying the theoretical mechanisms of change, integrating the neuroscience content with self-regulation and growth mindset, and providing additional professional development for teachers.
Teacher Implementation of College- and Career-Readiness Standards: Links among Policy, Instruction, Challenges, and Resources
Author: Edgerton, Adam K.
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teacher Attitudes,Program Implementation,College Readiness,Career Readiness,State Policy,Mathematics Teachers,English Teachers,English Language Learners,Students with Disabilities,Rural Urban Differences,Instructional Program Divisions,Elementary Secondary Education,Educational Legislation,Federal Legislation,Common Core State Standards,Special Education Teachers,Educational Resources,Faculty Development,Alignment (Education),School Districts,Preschool Education,Suburban Schools,Educational Environment,Predictor Variables,Course Content,Teaching Methods

Using state-representative teacher surveys in three states--Texas, Ohio, and Kentucky--we examine teachers' implementation of college- and career-readiness (CCR) standards. What do teachers report about the specificity, authority, consistency, power, and stability of their standards environment? How does their policy environment predict standards-emphasized instruction? Do these relationships differ for those who teach different subjects (math and English Language Arts [ELA]), different grades (elementary or high school), different populations (English Language Learners [ELLs], students with disabilities [SWDs]), and in different areas (rural, urban, or suburban)? We found elementary math teachers taught significantly more standards-emphasized content than elementary ELA teachers, whereas secondary ELA teachers taught significantly more standards-emphasized content than secondary math teachers. Teachers of SWDs and rural teachers taught significantly less of the emphasized content. In all three states, we found greater buy-in (authority) predicted increased emphasized content coverage among ELA teachers but not among math teachers. [This article was published in &quot;AERA Open&quot; (EJ1210488).]
An Ecobehavioral Analysis of Child Academic Engagement: Implications for Preschool Children Not Responding to Instructional Intervention
Author: Greenwood, Charles R.
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Preschool Children,Individualized Education Programs,Literacy,Probability,Child Behavior,Learner Engagement,Emergent Literacy,Early Intervention,Decision Making,Response to Intervention,Behavioral Science Research,Preschool Teachers,Observation,Context Effect,Teacher Behavior,Incidence

A gap exists in the information needed to make intervention decisions with preschool children who are unresponsive to instructional intervention. &quot;Multi-Tiered System of Supports/Response to Intervention&quot; (MTSS/RTI) progress monitoring is helpful in indicating when an intervention change is needed but provides little information on what to change. Ecobehavioral observation data may provide this support through information on a child's academic and other behaviors, given the opportunity to learn. We sought to investigate this hypothesis and develop benchmarks for decision making. Teachers (N = 39) and two representative age-cohorts of preschool children (N = 117, 51% boys) were observed using an ecobehavioral, momentary time sample observation system (the &quot;Code for Interactive Recording of Children's Learning Environments&quot; [CIRCLE]). Results provided insights into the content and amount of academic instruction children received, the responsiveness of children to instruction, and how context/teacher and child behaviors relationships were moderated by children's level of &quot;Get Ready to Read&quot; (GRTR) literacy and Individualized Education Plan (IEP) status risk. Implications are discussed. [This article was published in &quot;Topics in Early Childhood Special Education&quot; (EJ1166779).]
Lessons Learned from the Learning Academy: Optimizing Transition Supports for Young Adults with Autism. Research to Practice. Issue No. 58
Author: Shepard, John
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Transitional Programs,Autism,Pervasive Developmental Disorders,Late Adolescents,Young Adults,Job Skills,College Readiness,Career Readiness,Program Effectiveness,Self Concept,Knowledge Level,Educational Environment,Aptitude,Interests,Skill Development

The Learning Academy (TLA) at the University of South Florida is a 30-week transition program for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) between the ages of 18 and 25. The program provides services, supports, and experiential opportunities, with the aim of enhancing skills that will prepare students to succeed in the workplace and postsecondary education settings. The Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) at the University for Massachusetts Boston conducted a one-year evaluation of TLA to explore its essential programmatic elements, and the ways in which the experience influenced student transformation. The evaluation included a thorough observation of program structure, curriculum, daily practices, and history, as well as detailed interviews with TLA staff, students, parents, mentors, and external collaborators. The purpose of this brief is to share the lessons learned from TLA to inspire similar programs and other transition professionals striving to optimize transition outcomes for students with ASD. Findings from ICI's evaluation showed that student transformation was influenced by three core programmatic elements: (1) Developing knowledge and self-awareness; (2) Having opportunities to practice knowledge gained in the classroom; and (3) Engaging in an environment of safety and support. [This report was co-authored by ThinkWork! at the Institute for Community Inclusion at UMass Boston. Funding for this project was provided by The Learning Academy (TLA) at the University of South Florida.]
The Effect of Inhibiting Hand Gestures on Mathematical Reasoning
Author: Walkington, Candace
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Nonverbal Communication,Mathematical Logic,Problem Solving,Geometry,Inhibition,College Students,Validity,Speech Communication

Gestures are associated with powerful forms of mathematical understanding. However, determining the causative role of gestures has been more elusive. In the present study, we inhibit students' gestures by restraining their hands, and examine how this impacts their problem-solving when presented with geometric conjectures to prove. We find no effect for gesture inhibition across a variety of measures. [This paper was published in: &quot;ICLS 2018 Proceedings,&quot; p1591-1592. ISLS.]
Collaborative Gesture as a Case of Distributed Mathematical Cognition
Author: Walkington, Candace
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Subjects: Nonverbal Communication,Mathematical Logic,Cognitive Processes,Geometry,Cooperation,Simulation,Validity,Preservice Teachers,Teachers,Methods Courses,Mathematics Instruction,Video Games

Gestures have been shown to play a key role in mathematical reasoning and be an indicator that mathematical reasoning is &quot;embodied&quot; -- inexorably linked to action, perception, and the physical body. Theories of extended cognition accentuate looking beyond the body and mind of an individual, thus here we examine how gestural embodied actions become distributed over multiple learners confronting mathematical tasks. We identify several ways in which gesture can be used collaboratively and explore patterns in how collaborative gestures seem to arise in a learning environment involving a motion capture game for geometry. Learners use collaborative gestures to extend mathematical ideas over multiple bodies as they explore, refine, and extend each other's reasoning. [This paper was published in: &quot;ICLS 2018 Proceedings,&quot; p552-559. ISLS.]
Last Night&apos;s Sleep in Relation to Academic Achievement and Neurocognitive Testing Performance in Adolescents with and without ADHD
Author: Cusick, Caroline N.
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Sleep,Academic Achievement,Standardized Tests,Cognitive Tests,Adolescents,Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder,Cognitive Processes,Cognitive Ability,Short Term Memory,Reading Processes,Reading Achievement,Mathematics Achievement,Performance,Achievement Tests,Middle School Students,Grade 8

Objectives/Background: Objectives were to (1) examine previous night's sleep in relation to next day performance on standardized academic achievement and neurocognitive assessments in adolescents, and (2) explore whether previous night's sleep is differentially associated with testing performance for adolescents with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Participants/Methods: Participants were 300 adolescents (ages 12-14 years; 55% male). Approximately half (53.6%) were diagnosed with ADHD. Adolescents provided ratings of their previous night's sleep quality, sleep duration, and number of night wakings and were administered standardized tests of processing speed and working memory, as well as word reading, numerical operations, and math fluency academic achievement. Results: In analyses controlling for sex, race, medication use, time of testing, and ADHD group status, more night wakings the previous night were associated with significantly lower numerical operations and math fluency achievement scores and marginally lower working memory scores. Previous night's sleep was not associated with processing speed or reading achievement. ADHD status did not moderate sleep in relation to academic/neurocognitive performance. Participants reporting =2 night wakings the previous night had slightly over half a standard deviation lower scores on average compared to participants reporting 0 night wakings. Conclusions: This preliminary study suggests that previous night's wakings are associated with poorer mathematics performance the next day, regardless of ADHD status. This may be due to the detrimental effect of interrupted and fragmented sleep on attention and executive control. These findings have implications for clinicians and educators when considering contextual factors that may impact academic and neurocognitive testing performance. [This paper was published in &quot;Sleep Medicine&quot; v52 p75-79 2018.]
When Complexity Is Your Friend: Modeling the Complex Problem Space of Vocabulary
Author: Goodwin, Amanda P.
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Factor Analysis,Correlation,Language Tests,Standardized Tests,Literacy,Semantics,Syntax,Word Frequency,Vocabulary Skills,Computer Assisted Testing

The history of vocabulary research has specified a rich and complex construct, resulting in calls for vocabulary research, assessment, and instruction to take into account the complex problem space of vocabulary. At the intersection of vocabulary theory and assessment modeling, this paper suggests a suite of modeling techniques that model the complex structures present in vocabulary data in ways that can build an understanding of vocabulary development and its links to instruction. In particular, we highlight models that can help researchers and practitioners identify and understand construct-relevant and construct-irrelevant aspects of assessing vocabulary knowledge. Drawing on examples from recent research and from our own three-year project to develop a standardized measure of language and vocabulary, we present four types of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) models: single-factor, correlated-traits, bi-factor, and tri-factor models. We highlight how each of these approaches offers particular insights into the complex problem space of assessing vocabulary in ways that can inform vocabulary assessment, theory, research, and instruction. Examples include identifying construct-relevant general or specific factors like skills or different aspects of word knowledge that could link to instruction while at the same time preventing an overly-narrow focus on construct-irrelevant factors like task-specific or word-specific demands. Implications for theory, research, and practice are discussed. [This article was published in &quot;Education Sciences&quot; (EJ1201002).]
Adult Competencies and Employment Outcomes among Older Workers in the U.S.: An Analysis of the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies
Author: Yamashita, Takashi
Date: 2018-08-01
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Older Workers,Job Skills,Employment Patterns,International Assessment,Literacy,Labor Force,Retirement

A growing segment of the U.S. workforce -- older workers -- face challenges such as a greater chance of being unemployed for a longer period of time than younger workers and skill obsolescence in contemporary societies. In an age of fast-paced economic and technological change, ongoing investment in human capital in the form of skill training represents a potential strategy for improving older workers' employment prospects. However, empirical evidence is lacking on the relationship between basic skill competencies and employment outcomes for older workers in general. This study analyzed nationally representative data of adults aged 45-65 (n = 2,169) from the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). Literacy skills were used as the main measure of competencies. Results from multinomial logistic regression identified statistically significant positive associations between literacy skills and employment among older workers. Implications for research, policy, and practice are discussed. [This paper was published in &quot;Adult Education Quarterly&quot; v68 n3 p235-250 Aug 2018 (EJ1184844).]
The Effectiveness of a Life Skills Training Based on the Response to Intervention Model on Improving Functional Communication Skills in Children with Autism
Author: Saad, Mourad Ali Eissa
Date: 2018-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Program Effectiveness,Daily Living Skills,Training,Response to Intervention,Communication Skills,Children,Autism,Special Schools,Pervasive Developmental Disorders

The purpose of this study was the effectiveness of a life skills training based on the response to intervention model on improving functional communication skills in children with autism. Participants were ten children between the ages of seven and nine who attended a school for children with developmental disabilities (Tarbya Fekrya). Each child also had the following characteristics: (a) meet the full criteria for autism according to The Scale for Screening Autism Disorder (Eissa Saad 2008) (b) functional verbal communication, (c) able to read and comprehend words, and (d) ability to follow directions. A pre-post design was used to examine the effectiveness of a life skills training based on the response to intervention model on improving functional communication skills in children with autism. Z Value result for the differences in post- test mean rank scores between experimental and control groups in functional communication. The table shows that (Z) value was (-2.121). This value is significant at the level (0.01) in the favour of experimental group. The (Z) value in table 2 was (-2.003) which is significant at the level (0.01). This indicates that use of life skills training based on the response to intervention model had a positive effect on verbal communication in children with autism.
Investing in Freshmen: Providing Preventive Support to 9th Graders
Author: McGrath Kato, Mimi
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Grade 9,High School Freshmen,Student Needs,Prevention,Positive Behavior Supports,Skill Development,Educational Environment,Expectation,Behavior Problems,Positive Reinforcement,Classroom Environment,Classroom Techniques,Educational Practices,Data Use,Teamwork,Leadership

Freshman year has been identified as a very important year in high school. It has been shown more than any other year to determine whether a student will complete high school or drop out. Schools who examine grade-level data on a regular basis often find that freshmen students receive the most office discipline referrals and most failing grades, and also struggle with attendance. This chapter will discuss three key areas within the PBIS framework that, when amplified for 9th graders, provide the additional support needed during this transition year: increased teaching of school wide expectations, increased use of acknowledgement systems, and increased consistency of classroom systems. The implementation of additional practices are also described, including: developing freshmen-specific leadership and data based decision making systems, identifying and teaching a specific set of needed knowledge and skills for 9th graders, and utilizing upperclassmen for universal supports. [This paper was published in: K. B. Flannery, P. Hershfeldt, &amp; J. Freeman (Eds.), &quot;Lessons learned on implementation of PBIS in high schools: Current trends and future directions.&quot;]
Factors Predicting Sustained Implementation of a Universal Behavior Support Framework
Author: McIntosh, Kent
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Predictor Variables,Program Implementation,Positive Behavior Supports,Fidelity,Intervention,Sustainability,Evidence Based Practice,Structural Equation Models,School Districts

In this 3-year prospective study, we tested the extent to which school-, practice-, and district-level variables predicted sustained implementation for schools in various stages of implementation of school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SWPBIS) Tier 1 (universal) systems. Staff from 860 schools in 14 U.S. states completed a research-validated measure of factors associated with sustained implementation of school interventions during Year 1 of this study. Analyses included multi-group structural equation modeling of school and district implementation fidelity data. Results indicated that adequate implementation fidelity and better Team Use of Data for decision making in Study Year 1 were the strongest predictors of sustained implementation in Year 3. In addition, the number of other schools in the district adopting SWPBIS was a similarly strong predictor. A critical mass of schools implementing was also predictive, especially for schools earlier in implementation. School characteristics were not predictive, except for grade levels served, which was an inconsistent predictor by stage. [This paper was published in &quot;Educational Researcher&quot; v47 n5 p307-316 2018 (EJ1185017).]
When Analogies Harm: The Effects of Analogies on Metacomprehension
Author: Wiley, Jennifer
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Logical Thinking,Metacognition,Reading Comprehension,Accuracy,Content Area Reading,Science Education,Reading Tests,Reading Strategies,Cues,Evaluative Thinking,College Students

The main goal of the present research was to test whether the presence of analogies would affect the relative accuracy of metacognitive judgments about learning from expository science texts, and whether any effect would depend on the type of cues that readers used as the basis for their judgments of comprehension. In a series of experiments, students read texts that either contained or did not contain analogies; were asked to judge how well they understood each text; took comprehension tests for each topic; and were asked to self-report the basis for their judgments. Relative metacomprehension accuracy was computed as the intra-individual correlation between judgments and test performance. Results showed that the presence of analogies can lead to poor relative metacomprehension accuracy for students who fail to use situation-model-based cues to judge their understanding of text. [This paper was published in &quot;Learning &amp; Instruction&quot; v55 p113-123 2018.]
A New Person-Fit Statistic for the Lognormal Model for Response Times
Author: Sinharay, Sandip
Date: 2018-08-10
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Reaction Time,Educational Testing,Psychological Testing,Models,Goodness of Fit,Statistics,Simulation,Statistical Distributions

Response-time models are of increasing interest in educational and psychological testing. This paper focuses on the lognormal model for response times (van der Linden, 2006), which is one of the most popular response-time models, and suggests a simple person-fit statistic for the model. The distribution of the statistic under the null hypothesis of no misfit is proved to be a chi-squared distribution. A simulation study and a real data example demonstrate the usefulness of the suggested statistic. [This paper was published in &quot;Journal of Educational Measurement&quot; v55 n4 p457-476 2018 (EJ1198338).]