ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Measuring Readiness for Change in Early Care and Education. OPRE Research Brief 2019-63
Author: Halle, Tamara
Date: 2019-08-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Early Childhood Education,Readiness,Child Care,Measurement,Psychometrics,Measurement Techniques,Educational Quality,Educational Improvement,Individual Characteristics,Institutional Characteristics,Stress Variables,Beliefs,Attitudes,Social Influences,Change,Professional Development,Participation,Leadership

Researchers and policymakers in the early care and education (ECE) field are interested in understanding the factors that contribute to successful quality improvement (QI) initiatives in ECE settings. They also want to learn about factors leading to improved outcomes for children and families through successful QI initiatives. The purpose of this brief is to provide a framework for understanding readiness within the ECE field and to share examples of how ECE researchers are currently attempting to capture the dimensions of readiness--and factors that support readiness--using different data collection methods and standardized measurement tools. The authors identified measures of readiness being used in ECE research and evaluation through a series of discussions with ECE researchers and evaluators who are working on various QI projects in states and nationally. The authors also identified measures of readiness through follow-up online literature searches. The review of measures highlights several insights about the current state of readiness measures used in ECE studies of quality improvement initiatives: (1) Although the definition of readiness is composed of two components (willingness and capacity), the authors found only one measure that captures both elements; (2) Eight readiness measures have been developed explicitly for use in early care and education settings and with the ECE workforce; (3) Several readiness measures have been adapted from other fields. The psychometric properties of any new or modified readiness measures should be assessed within the ECE context; and (4) There appear to be fuzzy boundaries between direct measures of readiness and factors associated with readiness (collectively referred to in this brief as factors affecting readiness). More work is needed both conceptually and empirically to distinguish readiness from other related constructs.
Competencies of Infant and Toddler Teachers and Caregivers: A Review of the Literature. OPRE Report 2019-94
Author: Caronongan, Pia
Date: 2019-10-00
Type: Information Analyses
Subjects: Preschool Teachers,Child Caregivers,Teacher Competencies,Caregiver Attitudes,Parenting Skills,Knowledge Level,Child Care Centers,Family Environment,Outcomes of Education

Although the first three years of a child's life are a distinct developmental period, little information is available about the specific knowledge, skills, and other attributes (that is, competencies) that are essential to the practice of teaching and caring for infants and toddlers (I/T) and are needed to support optimal development. Identifying the competencies essential to a given profession may help to provide a common language and lens for assessing job performance and provide a clear structure for professional growth and development. The goal of this review was to examine what is known about the links between I/T teacher or caregiver competencies and outcomes in several areas (child, family, teacher/caregiver, classroom, and/or program). Specifically, the authors aimed to answer the following research questions: (1) What competencies of I/T teachers and caregivers have been examined in the literature?; (2) What does evidence say about associations between I/T teacher and caregiver competencies and child, family, teacher/caregiver, classroom, and/or program outcomes?; and (3) Where are the gaps in the knowledge base pertaining to connections between I/T teacher/caregiver competencies and outcomes? This review suggests that the knowledge base pertaining specifically to links between I/T teacher or caregiver competencies and outcomes is currently limited in scope. Although many studies focus on describing competencies, the literature search yielded only 30 studies conducted in the United States in or after 2008 that examined associations between I/T teacher or caregiver competencies and outcomes. Although there is variation in the competencies and outcomes addressed in the studies reviewed, there are several gaps in the recent knowledge base pertaining to connections between teacher/caregiver competencies and outcomes: (1) The available research specific to I/T teachers and caregivers in group settings does not yet fully support the content included in existing competency frameworks targeted to this population; and (2) Much of the existing literature simultaneously examines the contributions of multiple competencies within a particular domain (e.g., a combination of knowledge, skills, or other attributes that support children's socioemotional development) to outcomes.
Scholarly Communication and Peer Review: Moving towards Utopia. Research &amp; Occasional Paper Series: CSHE.4.19
Author: King, C. Judson
Date: 2019-07-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Scholarship,Communication (Thought Transfer),Peer Evaluation,Access to Information,Faculty Publishing,Electronic Publishing,Electronic Libraries,Faculty Evaluation,Research Universities,Copyrights,Organizational Change

Movement to fully open-access electronic scholarly publication has been hampered by the conflicting interests of universities, private publishers, researchers themselves, and those who fund research. The situation interacts strongly with traditions regarding peer review and the ways in which researchers establish stature within their fields. Progress to date has led to seemingly awkward and probably transient systems of dual publication or dual publication status, including green, gold, and hybrid open access. There are also efforts to establish pay-to-publish as the standard model to replace pay-to-read. The ultimate situation should be immediate open-access electronic posting of results of all research, with pre-posting peer reviews solicited by the author rather than a journal editor, following any institutional policies regarding the type and amount of pre-publication peer review. There could then also be publications and/or web sites that harvest among posted articles selectively for further attention and may be fee-based, but open-access would be the primary and recognized form of publication. There are several things that research universities can do to encourage this transition. One is to provide or arrange for services to facilitate preparation and posting of articles and books in open-access repositories. Another is to make the contents of repositories readily discoverable in searches. The provost should be a central actor toward these ends, since faculty matters, the library, institutional publishing services, and often computing typically report to the provost. A provost can encourage policies for reviews of faculty members that do not consider pre-publication peer reviews and measures of journal quality and which instead give more attention to cumulative and integrated accomplishments than to individual papers. Shared governance provides useful ways of working with the faculty to promote recognition of the value of online, open-access publication. Engaging the interests and support of the most intellectually respected and senior faculty members can be particularly helpful.
The Origins and Continued Centrality of the Liberal Arts. Research &amp; Occasional Paper Series: CSHE.5.2019
Author: Fallon, Daniel
Date: 2019-07-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Liberal Arts,Higher Education,Universities,Educational Change,Educational History

Driven by a shift in the political economy towards knowledge and information, and by the emergence of mass higher education, the historic central value of the liberal arts to the contemporary university is endangered. This essay presents an analysis of the current status of the university and asserts the value of the liberal arts to the covenant that sustains it. A history of the origin of the contemporary university, along with its dependence upon the liberal arts, is outlined. Finally, a definition of the liberal arts for the contemporary university is proposed, along with suggestions for models that could incorporate it. The argument concludes with a plea for anchoring university life in commitment to a modern understanding of the value of the liberal arts for faculty, students, and society.
Enhancing STEM in P-3 Education. Policy Guide
Author: Zinth, Jennifer
Date: 2020-01-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: STEM Education,Primary Education,Preschool Education,Developmentally Appropriate Practices,Learner Engagement,Executive Function,21st Century Skills,Interdisciplinary Approach,Equal Education,Access to Education,Student Diversity,Information Dissemination,State Standards,Statewide Planning,Teacher Education,Teacher Competencies,Principals,Leadership Responsibility,Professional Development,Curriculum Development,Teaching Methods,Evaluation Methods

States have often introduced programs supporting science, technology, engineering and math in the secondary grades. Yet the evidence of STEM's positive impact on young children's development makes a compelling case for engaging learners in pre-K through third grade in consistent, authentic and high-quality STEM experiences. High-quality P-3 STEM learning need not -- and should not -- be viewed as an add-on to an already crowded set of learning objectives. Instead, states can integrate early STEM opportunities to advance developmentally appropriate practice and young learners' growth in literacy and numeracy, executive function and 21st century skills. This Policy Guide, informed by experts in early education and STEM fields, identifies policies and actions a state can adopt to bring STEM opportunities to the early grades.
Computer-Based Math Remediation: Evidence from Technology-Centered Instruction in Two-Year and Four-Year Colleges. A CAPR Working Paper
Author: Boatman, Angela
Date: 2019-11-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Computer Assisted Instruction,Educational Technology,Remedial Mathematics,Two Year Colleges,Colleges,Two Year College Students,College Students,Public Colleges,Program Effectiveness,Teaching Methods,Mathematics Achievement,Academic Persistence,Graduation Rate,Conventional Instruction,Lecture Method,Gender Differences,Age Differences,Scores,College Entrance Examinations

Under a hybrid emporium instructional model, students primarily learn content and skills at their own pace through a computer-based platform; during class time, faculty serve more as tutors facilitating individual learning rather than as traditional lecturers. This study evaluates the adoption of this technology-centered instructional model in developmental math courses at public two- and four-year colleges in Tennessee. Using nine years of student enrollment and transcript data (2006-07 to 2015-16) provided by the Tennessee Board of Regents, this paper examines the effects of technology-centered instruction in developmental math courses on students' course pass rates, persistence rates, and completion rates, compared to students' outcomes in traditional lecture-based developmental math courses. While much of the prior research on the effects of technology-centered instruction has applied to students from a wide range of academic backgrounds, the primary objective of this paper is to discern whether technology-centered instruction is helpful (or harmful) for students who are academically underprepared for college. Using a difference-in-differences analytic model to exploit variations in institutions' timelines in adopting the hybrid emporium model, I find that, for community college students, being assigned to a technology-centered developmental math course led to lower pass rates in their first college-level math course, fewer cumulative credits earned over time, and a lower likelihood of earning an associate degree within six years, as compared to students assigned to traditional developmental math courses. At four-year colleges, the adoption of this new instructional model resulted in a higher percentage of students passing their developmental math courses and thus spending fewer terms in developmental math. However, the pass rates of these students in their first college-level math courses were lower than those of students who were assigned to traditional developmental math courses. The magnitude of the effects varied by gender, age, and ACT math score.
Introducing the Native Culture &amp; Language in the Classroom Observation (NCLCO). OPRE Report 2019-85
Author: Administration for Children and Families (DHHS), Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE)
Date: 2019-11-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: American Indian Education,American Indians,Alaska Natives,Early Intervention,Tribes,Culturally Relevant Education,Language Usage,Test Construction,Instructional Materials,American Indian Culture,Early Childhood Education

The American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey 2015 (AI/AN FACES 2015) is the first national descriptive study of children and families enrolled in Head Start programs operated by federally recognized tribes. AI/AN FACES 2015 was informed by a workgroup comprised of Region XI Head Start directors, researchers from universities and Mathematica Policy Research (which conducted the study), and federal officials from the Administration for Children and Families. The workgroup members, in particular the Region XI Head Start directors, urged that the study capture the cultural experiences in the classroom in addition to using more common measures of classroom experiences. An observational measure of culture and language in Native classrooms did not exist, so the study team collaborated with workgroup members to develop an observational measure of Native culture and language in the classroom. The Native Culture &amp; Language in the Classroom Observation (NCLCO) records the types of culturally significant materials that surround children in Region XI Head Start classrooms and can capture information on materials' use. The workgroup provided suggestions and feedback on types of items to include in the NCLCO, as well as examples of each item type listed in the final measure. [Written by the AI/AN FACES 2015 Workgroup.]
Are U.S. HEIs Meeting the Needs of International Students? Report 11
Author: Skinner, Makala
Date: 2019-11-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Colleges,Higher Education,College Students,Foreign Students,Student Needs,Interpersonal Relationship,Identification (Psychology),Acculturation,Language Usage,Religion,Student Experience,College Environment,Leisure Time,Housing,Transportation,Food,Student Satisfaction,College Role,Student Attitudes,Immigration,Academic Support Services,Expectation,Geographic Regions,Racial Discrimination

Amid increased global competition for student enrollments and decreased international student interest in the U.S., Stateside HEIs [higher education institutions] are beginning to grasp the importance of international student experiences on their campuses. In the face of such pressures, some institutions are recognizing how current international students can potentially be their greatest asset: If the students have positive experiences, they can be effective brand ambassadors. To provide insight into international student experiences, WES [World Education Services] Research conducted a survey of 1,921 current students and recent graduates and consulted with 24 current students through an online focus group. The resulting report, based on data collected in 2019, provides an overview of student perceptions regarding: (1) Relationships with fellow students, faculty, and administrative staff; (2) Issues of identity and acculturation, including language and religion; (3) Daily life on and off campus, including housing, student activities, transportation, food, and more; and (4) Overall satisfaction with their experience at their institution and in the U.S. The report also includes recommendations for how institutions can better serve international students.
Who Is Succeeding in the Canadian Labour Market? Predictors of Career Success for Skilled Immigrants
Author: World Education Services (WES)
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Predictor Variables,Immigrants,Skilled Workers,Careers,Success,Individual Characteristics,Educational Attainment,Work Experience,Employees,Employment Level,Barriers,Job Satisfaction,Employment Qualifications,Employment Services,Foreign Countries,Age Differences,Gender Differences,Place of Residence,Occupations

WES [World Education Services] conducted a survey-based study to examine predictors of skilled immigrants' career success. The authors examined the demographic characteristics of skilled immigrants as well as their experience and education, and studied how these factors affect their labour market outcomes. This report looked at: (1) Demographic characteristics, prior education, sector, years of experience, education level, and more; and (2) The extent to which employed respondents are doing work that is broadly commensurate with their previous education and experience. The report also includes the implications of these findings and identifies evidence gaps that require further research. [Ilene Hyman and Michelle Goldberg contributed to the data analysis, synthesis, and writing of this report.]
Early Efficacy of Multitiered Dual Language Instruction: Promoting Preschoolers&apos; Spanish and English Oral Language
Author: Spencer, Trina D.
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Preschool Children,Spanish Speaking,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Program Effectiveness,Oral Language,Language Skills,Vocabulary,Receptive Language,Expressive Language,Listening Comprehension,Preschool Education,Intervention,Language of Instruction,Bilingual Education,Early Intervention,Story Reading,Recall (Psychology),Grammar

The purpose of this cluster randomized group study was to investigate the effect of multitiered, dual language instruction on children's oral language skills, including vocabulary, narrative retell, receptive and expressive language, and listening comprehension. Participants were 3-5 year old children (n = 81) who were learning English and whose home language was Spanish. Across the school year, classroom teachers in the treatment group delivered large group lessons in English to the whole class twice per week. For a Tier 2 intervention, teachers delivered small group lessons four days a week, alternating the language of intervention daily (Spanish, then English). Group post-test differences were statistically significant with moderate to large effect sizes favoring the treatment group on all English proximal measures and on three of the four Spanish proximal measures. Treatment group advantages were observed on Spanish and English norm-referenced standardized measures of language (except vocabulary), and a distal measure of language comprehension. [This paper was published in &quot;AERA Open&quot; v6 n1 p1-16 Jan-Mar 2020.]
Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH) 2019 Annual Report. Publication No. STA 20-244
Author: Pennsylvania State University, Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH)
Date: 2020-01-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: School Counseling,College Students,Mental Health,Access to Health Care,School Health Services,Health Needs,Guidance Centers,Counseling Effectiveness,Counseling Services,Student Needs,Enrollment,School Size,Suicide,Trauma,Violence,Substance Abuse,Depression (Psychology),Anxiety,Stress Variables,Eating Disorders,Psychological Patterns,Family Environment,Interpersonal Relationship

The 2019 Annual Report summarizes data contributed to the Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH) during the 2018-2019 academic year, beginning July 1, 2018 and ending on June 30, 2019. De-identified data were contributed by 163 college and university counseling centers, describing 207,818 unique college students seeking mental health treatment, 4,059 clinicians, and 1,580,951 appointments. The following are key findings and implications contained in this year's report: (1) To better measure comparable staff levels and related impacts across counseling centers nationally, CCMH developed the Clinical Load Index (CLI) during the 2018-2019 year with support from the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors (AUCCCD) and International Accreditation of Counseling Services (IACS). The CLI provides each counseling center with a standardized and comparable score that can be thought of as &quot;clients per standardized counselor&quot; (per year) or the &quot;standardized caseload&quot; for the counseling center; and (2) Findings demonstrated that higher CLI scores are associated with the following: (1) Institutions with larger enrollments and counseling centers that serve more unique students; (2) The provision of significantly lower treatment dosages (fewer appointments with more days between appointments); and (3) Significantly less improvement in depression, anxiety, and general distress by students receiving treatment. [Additional support for this research comes from the collaborative efforts of approximately 600 university and college counseling centers and the Penn State University Counseling and Psychological Services. For the 2018 report, see ED592771.]
2020 Teacher Prep Review: Program Performance in Early Reading Instruction
Author: Drake, Graham
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Teacher Education Programs,Reading Instruction,Program Evaluation,Undergraduate Study,Graduate Study,Teaching Methods,Alternative Teacher Certification,Teacher Effectiveness,Program Improvement,Phonological Awareness,Reading Fluency,Phonics,Vocabulary Development,Reading Comprehension,Educational Quality,Knowledge Base for Teaching,National Competency Tests

New data and analysis from the National Council on Teacher Quality finds significant progress on the science of reading instruction in teacher preparation. For the first time since NCTQ began publishing program ratings in its 2013 Teacher Prep Review, the number of programs in the nation to embrace reading science has crossed the halfway mark, with 51 percent of 1,000 evaluated traditional elementary teacher preparation programs across the country now earning an A or B grade for their coverage of the key components of the science of reading--up from just 35 percent seven years ago. [A list of &quot;Teacher Prep Review&quot; sponsors can be found on page 2 of the PDF.]