ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Connecticut Graduation Rates. A ConnCAN Issue Brief
Author: Alexander, Jennifer
Date: 2011-09-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Graduation Rate,Racial Differences,Educational Policy,State Policy,Educational Trends,School Districts,High School Graduates,Achievement Gap,College Readiness,African American Students,American Indian Students,Asian American Students,Hispanic American Students,Minority Group Students,White Students,Pacific Americans,Economic Impact,Dropouts,Gender Differences,Data Analysis,Alaska Natives

For the past five years, ConnCAN (Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now) has analyzed the state's graduation rates; this Issue Brief provides a more detailed examination of the latest data. In addition to relatively flat graduation rates across the board in Connecticut, the data reveal dramatic, persistent gaps by race. These numbers point to an urgent need for policy change to reverse these trends. By 2020, nearly one-third of Connecticut's population and nearly half of the youngest workers (25-29 year olds) will be non-white. If we fail to increase graduation rates significantly, especially for students of color, we risk seeing a continued increase in the proportion of children who are not prepared for success in our state--and we put our state's economic future in peril. As with previous years, the authors' analysis also reveals that Connecticut State Department of Education graduation rates are significantly higher than the rates reported in &quot;Education Week's Diplomas Count&quot; report. &quot;Education Week&quot; uses a more accurate cohort method to calculate these rates. Connecticut plans to use this method beginning with the class of 2009. The analyses in this report draw on data for the Class of 2008, which is the most recent data available from both the Connecticut State Department of Education and from &quot;Education Week's Diplomas Count&quot; report. Appended are: (1) Gaps Between Connecticut State Department of Education and &quot;Education Week&quot; Graduation Rates, by District; and (2) District Graduation Rates Over Time. (Contains 4 tables, 1 figure and 14 footnotes.)
The 2011 ConnCAN Annual Report: Until It's Done
Author: Greenberg-Ellis, Rebecca, Ed.
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Annual Reports,Public Education,Achievement Gap,Achievement Gains,Achievement Rating,Progress Monitoring,Educational Assessment,Educational Indicators,State Schools,Enrollment Rate,Educational Finance,Organizational Objectives,Advocacy,Change Strategies,Educational Change,Underachievement,Educational Improvement,Improvement Programs,Administrative Principles

This paper presents Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now's (ConnCAN's) annual report for 2011. For those who believe that Connecticut's public education system is in need of major repair, 2011 was a tough year. Despite the best efforts and bold intentions of ConnCAN and other like-minded individuals and organizations, the status quo ultimately prevailed. Connecticut has maintained its worst-in-the-nation achievement gap for years. And while the state has seen major increases in both education spending and the number of full-time public school employees since 2003, student enrollment and achievement have remained flat. An estimated 9,000 students in Connecticut's Class of 2011 did not graduate--nearly enough to fill UConn's Gampel Pavilion, home of the Huskies basketball teams. Connecticut has a serious problem on its hands, and it did not come close to fixing it in 2011. During its 2011 campaign, &quot;Get Smart Connecticut,&quot; ConnCAN produced and distributed valuable original research to Connecticut citizens, shored up legislative allies, and compelled the media to put a spotlight on Connecticut's broken public education system. Its goals were ambitious, and it pushed relentlessly for a breakthrough until the very last day of the legislative session. But in the end, as ConnCAN said to advocates in their final campaign report, &quot;we got bupkis.&quot; ConnCAN's only major win on behalf of Connecticut's students in 2011 was stopping a bill that would have severely jeopardized any chance of ever having rigorous teacher evaluations in Connecticut. (Contains 12 sources.) [For &quot;Good Does Not Equal Good Enough: 2010 ConnCAN Annual Report,&quot; see ED535276.]
Good Does Not Equal Good Enough: 2010 ConnCAN Annual Report
Author: Greenberg-Ellis, Rebecca, Ed.
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Annual Reports,Educational Legislation,Advocacy,Public Education,Agenda Setting,Educational Innovation,Educational Improvement,Improvement Programs,Private Financial Support,Fund Raising,Success,Organizational Objectives,State Programs,Educational Development,Classroom Environment,Institutional Mission,Institutional Characteristics,Educational Quality,Models,Educational Principles,Change Strategies,Educational Change,Achievement Gap,Minority Group Students

The Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now (ConnCAN) kicked off 2010 with its legislative campaign, &quot;Our Race to the Top.&quot; This campaign resulted in the passage of a slate of progressive education reform bills. During the summer months, it ran the &quot;Vote for Ed&quot; campaign, which put the issue of Connecticut's struggling public education system front and center in the governor's race. In the final months of the year, ConnCAN partnered with DonorsChoose.org on a giving project that raised thousands of dollars for innovative public school classrooms across the state. In this annual report, readers will find a recap of the significant progress ConnCAN made in 2010. [For &quot;We Will Not Rest: ConnCAN 2009 Annual Report,&quot; see ED535277.]
We Will Not Rest: ConnCAN 2009 Annual Report
Author: Silberstein, Adena, Ed.
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Annual Reports,Organizational Effectiveness,Organizational Objectives,Organizational Theories,Educational Research,Research and Development,Change Strategies,Educational Change,Strategic Planning,State Programs,State Standards,Educational Development,Academic Achievement,Educational Improvement,Improvement Programs,Charter Schools

This paper presents Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now's (ConnCAN's) annual report for 2009. Contents of this annual report include: (1) The Beginning; (2) Our Vision; (3) What We Do; (4) Getting Results; (5) Research--Action; (6) What's Next; (7) Take Action; and (8) The Organization. [For &quot;ConnCAN Annual Report 2008: Faces of Change,&quot; see ED535278.]
ConnCAN Annual Report 2008: Faces of Change
Author: Rutzick, Karen, Ed.
Date: 2008-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Annual Reports,Change Strategies,Educational Change,Public Schools,Institutional Mission,Advocacy,Educational Research,Academic Achievement,Board Candidates,Educational Finance,Educational Innovation,Accountability,Educational Assessment,Educational Indicators,Partnerships in Education,Educational Improvement,Improvement Programs,Achievement Gap,Minority Group Students

This paper presents Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now's (ConnCAN's) annual report for 2008. The pages of this report are filled with the &quot;Faces of Change&quot; in Connecticut education. These students, teachers, principals, community leaders, and parents are working in their own ways to fix Connecticut's public schools. Over the past four years, ConnCAN has established itself as a thought leader in the public debate over the future of Connecticut education. It is fighting for innovative public schools with breakthrough results like those achieved by Amistad Academy in New Haven, recruiting highly effective and energetic new teachers through programs like Teach for America, and creating transparency in schools to ensure that money flows where it is most needed. In the coming year ConnCAN will continue to focus on building up a movement of like-minded citizens across the state, united by the conviction that mobilizing public will is critical to make the bold change schools need. [For &quot;Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now 2006-2007 Annual Report,&quot; see ED535279.]
Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now. 2006-2007 Annual Report
Author: Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now (ConnCAN)
Date: 2007-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Achievement Gap,Nonprofit Organizations,Educational Change,Change Strategies,Consciousness Raising,Empowerment,Parent Participation,Public Schools,Poverty,Educational Quality,Access to Education,Urban Schools,Innovation,Graduation Rate,Teacher Competencies,Accountability,Social Justice

In January 2005, leaders from Connecticut's business, higher education and civic communities came together to create the Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now (ConnCAN): a nonprofit organization designed to be a catalyst for the fundamental changes needed to move Connecticut from having the largest to having the smallest achievement gap in the nation. This paper presents ConnCAN's annual report for 2006-2007.
Adolescent Literacy Programs: Costs of Implementation. Final Report from Carnegie Corporation of New York's Council on Advancing Adolescent Literacy
Author: Levin, Henry M.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Information Analyses
Subjects: Adolescents,Literacy,Costs,Program Implementation,Research Reports,Educational Change,Change Strategies,Literature Reviews,Effective Schools Research,Correlation,Educational Improvement,Improvement Programs,Educational Resources,Intervention,Telephone Surveys,Administrator Attitudes,Employee Attitudes,Program Attitudes,Teacher Attitudes,State Surveys,Reading Programs,Program Effectiveness

Many educators and researchers have proposed reforms for dealing with the ongoing adolescent literacy crisis. Progress in strengthening young people's literacy now depends on schools a) choosing appropriate programs and b) implementing them consistently and effectively. Yet the history of school reform is littered with reforms that were adopted and quickly abandoned for not answering students' needs. Time and resources routinely go to waste as schools and school districts recycle through reform after reform showing little long-term progress. Often, schools adopt reforms in a mechanical fashion, as if a perfunctory acceptance of the reform and its training requirements were sufficient to routinely yield educational success. But without appropriate leadership, resources, and commitment to succeed, any such effort is bound to fail. This paper reviews the literature on implementation of educational reforms, then examines differences in implementation and costs among a sample of schools that have each adopted one of three well-known (READ 180, Questioning the Author, and Reading Apprenticeship) reforms, concluding with a few recommendations--simple procedures that the authors believe will improve schools' chances for achieving positive results with literacy reform. (Contains 3 tables and 14 endnotes.) [For related reports, see "Time to Act: An Agenda for Advancing Adolescent Literacy for College and Career Success. Final Report from Carnegie Corporation of New York's Council on Advancing Adolescent Literacy" (ED535318); "Measure for Measure: A Critical Consumers' Guide to Reading Comprehension Assessments for Adolescents. Final Report from Carnegie Corporation of New York's Council on Advancing Adolescent Literacy" (ED535299); "Adolescent Literacy and Textbooks: An Annotated Bibliography. Final Report from Carnegie Corporation of New York's Council on Advancing Adolescent Literacy" (ED535323); "Reading in the Disciplines: The Challenges of Adolescent Literacy. Final Report from Carnegie Corporation of New York's Council on Advancing Adolescent Literacy" (ED535297); and "Adolescent Literacy Development in Out-of-School Time: A Practitioner's Guide. Final Report from Carnegie Corporation of New York's Council on Advancing Adolescent Literacy" (ED535304).]
Changes in Family Literacy Funding and Welfare Policy: Consequences for Pennsylvania Family Literacy Programs. Research Brief #5
Author: Prins, Esther
Date: 2008-10-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: State Standards,Geographic Location,Student Recruitment,Family Literacy,Welfare Recipients,Welfare Services,Financial Support,Public Policy,Budgets,Federal Aid,State Aid,State Legislation,Focus Groups,Interviews,Early Intervention,Dual Enrollment,Educational Finance

Due to federal budget cuts in 2005-06, 11 family literacy programs in Pennsylvania switched from federal Even Start to state (Act 143) funding. Simultaneously, state welfare requirements stipulated that in most circumstances adult education is not an allowable work activity for welfare recipients over age 20. This study examined how these policy changes affected 10 Pennsylvania family literacy programs. The study reveals that the combination of these policy changes, coupled with the need to meet state standards, created distinctive challenges for programs, especially in student recruitment. Secondly, the effects of the policies were mediated by factors such as program size, structure, and geographic location, local infrastructure (e.g., transportation), and program participants' characteristics. Thirdly, the Act 143 and welfare policies had numerous, unintended ripple effects, affecting multiple programmatic areas and transcending the boundaries of government agencies. Fourthly, the findings show that the effects of policy changes are diverse and contradictory, simultaneously opening some opportunities while foreclosing others. Finally, the study illustrates the creative, resourceful ways that family literacy professionals respond to shifting policies.
Measure for Measure: A Critical Consumers' Guide to Reading Comprehension Assessments for Adolescents. Final Report from Carnegie Corporation of New York's Council on Advancing Adolescent Literacy
Author: Morsy, Leila
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Guides - Non-Classroom
Subjects: Reading Comprehension,Reading Tests,Evaluation Methods,Adolescents,Guides,Evidence,Evaluation Research,Item Analysis,Robustness (Statistics),Screening Tests,Diagnostic Tests,Resource Materials,Research Methodology,Test Content,Evaluation Needs,Measurement Objectives,Test Format

Although millions of dollars and weeks of instructional time are spent nationally on testing students, educators often have little information on how to choose appropriate assessments of adolescent reading for informing instruction. This guide is designed to meet that need, by drawing together evidence about nine of the most commonly-used, commercially-available reading comprehension assessments and providing a critical view into the strengths and weaknesses of each. In so doing, the authors focus on the utility of assessments for the purposes of screening groups of students to identify those who struggle and diagnosing the specific needs of students who struggle. Motivated primarily by the many questions that the authors receive from principals, literacy coaches, and district curriculum leaders about diagnostic assessment for students in grades four through twelve, this guide aims to provide those decision-makers with the tools they need to make informed decisions. Note on Methodology is appended. (Contains 11 tables and 7 endnotes.) [For related reports, see "Adolescent Literacy Programs: Costs of Implementation. Final Report from Carnegie Corporation of New York's Council on Advancing Adolescent Literacy" (ED535296); "Time to Act: An Agenda for Advancing Adolescent Literacy for College and Career Success. Final Report from Carnegie Corporation of New York's Council on Advancing Adolescent Literacy" (ED535318); "Adolescent Literacy and Textbooks: An Annotated Bibliography. Final Report from Carnegie Corporation of New York's Council on Advancing Adolescent Literacy" (ED535323); "Reading in the Disciplines: The Challenges of Adolescent Literacy. Final Report from Carnegie Corporation of New York's Council on Advancing Adolescent Literacy" (ED535297); and "Adolescent Literacy Development in Out-of-School Time: A Practitioner's Guide. Final Report from Carnegie Corporation of New York's Council on Advancing Adolescent Literacy" (ED535304).]
Educational and Mothering Discourses and Learner Goals: Mexican Immigrant Women Enacting Agency in a Family Literacy Program. Research Brief #8
Author: Toso, Blaire Willson
Date: 2012-01-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Females,Immigrants,Literacy Education,Family Literacy,Mexican Americans,Parent Participation,Parent School Relationship,Discourse Analysis,Mothers,Parenting Styles,Academic Aspiration,Social Status,Self Concept,Parenting Skills,Cultural Differences,Academic Achievement

Family literacy programs promote certain ideas about literacy and parenting. This study examined how Mexican immigrant women in a family literacy program used mainstream ideas, or discourses, of mothering and parent involvement in education to pursue their own personal and academic goals. The findings revealed that women were at times faced with the dilemma of choosing between Mexican ideas about mothering and those embedded in the family literacy program. However, they also used family literacy discourses to justify their educational pursuits, gain power and prestige in their nuclear and extended families, work toward more equitable gender relationships in the home, set goals, expand their identity, and participate in mainstream society. Furthermore, participation in family literacy classes helped to support their children's academic success. Lastly, participants combined U.S. and Mexican discourses to reflect their ideas of good mothering and demonstrate their mothering abilities.
Moving towards Participatory Adult Education: Involving Family Literacy Students in Meaningful Leadership Experiences. Research Brief #4
Author: Toso, Blaire Willson
Date: 2008-10-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Outcomes of Education,Program Effectiveness,Literacy Education,Adult Learning,Adult Students,Adult Educators,Family Literacy,Student Leadership,Participative Decision Making,Student Participation,Adult Basic Education,Parent Participation

Although adult educators espouse values such as inclusion and ownership, adult learners seldom play a substantive role in programmatic decision making. This collaborative research project explored family literacy participants' experiences in their program's parent advisory council (PAC). The study shows that involvement in the PAC enhanced program effectiveness, increased learners' investment in the program, and fostered capacities that learners transferred to personal, educational, and social domains. However, learners had little or no influence over some programmatic areas. In sum, giving learners a meaningful say in programmatic and curricular matters can prepare them to exercise more control over decisions in their lives and communities. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the benefits and challenges of student leadership in adult basic and literacy education, insights that can assist teachers and administrators in creating programs of, by, and for adult learners. (Contains 1 endnote.)
Parenting for Literacy Development and Educational Success: An Examination of the Parent Education Profile. Research Brief #3
Author: Prins, Esther
Date: 2008-05-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Literacy Education,Reading Instruction,Child Rearing,Parenting Styles,Parent Participation,Parent Education,Parent Attitudes,Parent School Relationship,Family Environment,Parent Role,Cultural Pluralism,Program Evaluation,Discourse Analysis,Social Attitudes,Evaluation Methods

The Parent Education Profile (PEP) is an instrument that rates parents' support for children's literacy development. This study examined how the PEP portrays the ideal parent, its assumptions about parenting and education, and the values and ideals it promotes. In sum, many aspects of the PEP evaluate parents by the mainstream (White, middle-class) parenting style. To support this model the PEP uses the language of scientific research, yet presents no information about reliability or validity. The PEP tends to assume that a single set of parenting practices best supports children's literacy development, without fully considering cultural and economic differences. It also implies that parents, particularly mothers, are mainly responsible for children's academic success. In order to follow some of the PEP practices, parents need access to resources often unavailable to poor families; yet, the PEP does not seem to encourage recognition of mitigating circumstances (e.g., poverty) that might lower parents' ratings. Finally, while the PEP encourages staff to ask for parents' perspectives, it gives parents little say in assessing themselves. In conclusion, caution and cultural sensitivity are needed when using instruments that prescribe, monitor, and rate parental support for education and literacy. (Contains 1 table and 2 endnotes.)
The Importance of Social Interaction and Support for Women Learners: Evidence from Family Literacy Programs. Research Brief #2
Author: Prins, Esther
Date: 2008-05-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Females,Adult Education,Literacy Education,Family Literacy,Poverty,Interaction,Womens Education,Social Influences,Social Support Groups,Recreational Activities,Interpersonal Relationship,Teacher Student Relationship,Well Being

Although many women value and benefit from social interaction in adult education and family literacy, these social dimensions are often treated as tangential or inconsequential. Utilizing data from two studies of family literacy programs in Pennsylvania, this study examined how family literacy programs provide a supportive social space for women in poverty. The authors found that many learners had limited social support and social ties with people outside their program and few opportunities for recreation. As such, family literacy programs fulfilled important social functions by enabling women to leave the house, enjoy social contact and support, engage in informal counseling, pursue self-discovery and development, and establish supportive relationships with teachers. In sum, adult education and family literacy programs play an important role in helping women in poverty receive social support and, in turn, enhance their psychosocial well-being. (Contains 3 endnotes.)
African American Men, Identity, and Participation in Adult Basic Education and Literacy Programs. Research Brief #6
Author: Drayton, Brendaly
Date: 2011-01-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Adult Basic Education,Literacy Education,African Americans,Stereotypes,Males,Public Education,Graduation Rate,Participation,Social Bias,Identification (Psychology),Social Influences,United States History,Racial Bias,Gender Issues,Culturally Relevant Education

Although the national graduation rate for African American males is only 47% (Schott Foundation for Public Education, 2010), few studies have explored their experiences in adult basic and literacy education (ABEL) programs. This study draws on prior research to explore the relationship between literacy and identity and its potential for illuminating African American men's participation in ABEL Programs. The findings indicate that negative early schooling experiences and the social and historical context in which African American men live shape how they perceive and engage with literacy. Non-participation and inconsistent attendance in ABEL programs do not necessarily indicate that these men do not want to learn; rather, they may signify resistance to an alienating environment. In addition, literacy is viewed in light of its benefit to their current circumstances, not as an inherent value. Consequently, understanding African American men's daily lived experiences can challenge negative stereotypes and provide opportunities for learning. (Contains 1 endnote.)