ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Navigating Middle Grades: Role of School Context in Students' Social Adaptation and Experiences
Author: Kim, Ha Yeon
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Grade 8,Longitudinal Studies,Surveys,Children,Factor Structure,Demography,Grouping (Instructional Purposes),Intervention,Middle School Students,Social Adjustment,Emotional Adjustment,Social Environment,Context Effect,School Role,Predictor Variables,Factor Analysis,Structural Equation Models

Informed by the current literature, this study examines social contexts across middle grade schools with different grade span configurations. In doing so, the authors aim to build understanding of where and how to target interventions in the middle grades to enhance maintenance of social-emotional adjustment and experiences from middle childhood to early adolescence. Specifically, utilizing a large national dataset--the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-1999 (ECLS-K)--the authors: (1) describe the factor structure of the middle grade school social context as reported by administrators and teachers; (2) examine variation in social context among middle grade schools with different grade span configurations (k-8 schools; 6-8 middle schools; 7-9 junior high schools), controlling for school demographic and structural characteristics; and (3) test the role of middle grade school social context in the associations between school grade span configuration and student social adaptation and experiences (school attachment, perceived peer support, peer academic values). Results showed this study identified school social context as a potentially critical avenue of intervention toward supporting students' social and academic development in the middle grades. Tables and figures are appended.
Motivational Predictors of Math Course Persistence
Author: Martinez, Marcela
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: High School Students,Student Motivation,Predictor Variables,Secondary School Mathematics,Course Selection (Students),Academic Persistence,Influences,Regression (Statistics)

Given the growing economic returns to education (Psacharopoulos &amp; Patrinos, 2004) and the overwhelmingly high educational expectations of American high school students (Domina et al., 2011; Goyette, 2008), one might expect nearly all U.S. high school students to take as many academic courses as they can. Consistent with this expectation, much research on inequalities in course completion focuses on structural inequalities in &quot;opportunities to learn&quot; (Catsambis, 1994; Oakes, 1990; Schneider et al., 1998; Stevenson et al., 1994). This research demonstrates that students' current and future math opportunities are unequal and linked to inequalities formed in the past. However, less attention has been given to the fact that nearly 40 percent of U.S. high school students opt out of one or more years of high school mathematics (authors computations ELS: 2002). This estimate is even grimmer when we include high school dropouts and exclude retaken math courses. For this reason, this study focuses on students' agency to choose (or not) to take four years of math while accounting for a web of influences such as social background, math track, prior performance, and state policies. Drawing upon youth academic motivation research, this paper investigates the factors that influence student decisions to complete four years of high school mathematics. Tables and figures are appended.
Meta-Analyzing a Complex Correlational Dataset: A Case Study Using Correlations That Measure the Relationship between Parental Involvement and Academic Achievement
Author: Polanin, Joshua R.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Meta Analysis,Correlation,Case Studies,Parent Participation,Academic Achievement,Data,Effect Size,Predictor Variables,Multivariate Analysis,Hierarchical Linear Modeling,Longitudinal Studies,Educational Research,Regression (Statistics),Literature Reviews

The purpose of this project is to demonstrate the practical methods developed to utilize a dataset consisting of both multivariate and multilevel effect size data. The context for this project is a large-scale meta-analytic review of the predictors of academic achievement. This project is guided by three primary research questions: (1) How do we meta-analyze the heterogeneous and complex, multivariate, multilevel, and longitudinal correlational literature on parental involvement and academic achievement?; (2) What are the associations between parental involvement and academic achievement, controlling for socioeconomic status and age?; and (3) Are there differential impacts on academic achievement as a function of the type of parental involvement (i.e., school-based versus home-based)? The research design of this project is a multilevel, multivariate meta-analysis. Researchers have collected over 700 primary studies that measured and reported longitudinal correlations of behavior, attitude, and school readiness predicting academic achievement. More than 150,000 bivariate correlations have been extracted. The population of interest, given that this project is a meta-analysis, is primary studies. Researchers searched and screened traditional and grey literature databases, including PsycInfo, ERIC, Digital Dissertations, as well as several conference websites, and national study repositories. Experts in this field were also contacted. The results of this analysis provide a synthesized correlation matrix. To account for differences across the effect sizes and studies, researchers use a meta-regression to control differences in attrition, age, and race. The results of this project are ongoing. Based on 1,559 longitudinal correlation estimates, the simple weighted-mean effect size is positive and moderate across all correlations. Tables and figures are appended.
Power Analysis to Detect the Effects of a Continuous Moderator in 2-Level Simple Cluster Random Assignment Experiments
Author: Dong, Nianbo
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Cluster Grouping,Randomized Controlled Trials,Statistical Analysis,Computation,Effect Size,Sample Size,Spreadsheets,Educational Research,Influences

For intervention studies involving binary treatment variables, procedures for power analysis have been worked out and computerized estimation tools are generally available. The purpose of this study is to: (1) develop the statistical formulations for calculating statistical power, minimum detectable effect size (MDES) and its confidence interval, and minimum required sample size to detect the effects of a continuous moderator variable at level 1 or level 2 in two-level simple cluster random assignment designs; and (2) operatize these formulas in the enhanced version of PowerUp! to create spreadsheets for calculating MDES. This report only shows the preliminary results of the MDES for detecting a level-2 continuous moderator effect in two-level cluster randomized experiments. The formulas for statistical power and the minimum required sample sizes will be derived accordingly.
Recruiting Participants for Randomized Controlled Trials
Author: Gallagher, H. Alix
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Randomized Controlled Trials,Recruitment,Participation,Researchers,Educational Research,Elementary Schools,Secondary Schools,Secondary School Teachers,Research Design,Intervention

The objective of this study was to look across strategies used in a wide range of studies to build a framework for researchers to use in conceptualizing the recruitment process. This paper harvests lessons learned across 19 randomized controlled trials in K-12 school settings conducted by a leading research organization to identify strategies that have fostered successful recruitment efforts. The authors report on their experiences in recruiting teachers for random assignment experiments in public primary and secondary schools. While this collection of studies is a naturally occurring sample, it is still a useful sample due to its diversity. This study revealed that based on the experience, a well-detailed recruitment plan should clearly fit the research design, explain how the intervention will be packaged to reduce the burden on participants, describe the overall timeline, staffing and project management structure for the campaign, give examples of how messages will be communicated to potential recruits, discuss strategies for handling contingencies that emerge during the campaign, and be thoughtful about how applicants will be welcomed into the study and retained as participants.
Power Calculations for Binary Moderator in Cluster Randomized Trials
Author: Spybrook, Jessaca
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Cluster Grouping,Randomized Controlled Trials,Statistical Analysis,Computation,Effect Size,Sample Size,Educational Research,Program Evaluation,Influences

Cluster randomized trials (CRTs), or studies in which intact groups of individuals are randomly assigned to a condition, are becoming more common in the evaluation of educational programs, policies, and practices. The website for the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEE) reveals they have launched over 30 evaluation studies in the past decade, the majority of them utilizing a randomized trial. Clearly there are a large number of randomized trials of educational programs, policies, and practices either complete or currently in the field. The overarching goal of these randomized trials is generate rigorous evidence of whether or not a program works. In order to do this, studies must also be designed to detect moderator effects. The power to detect moderator effects at the student, cluster, or site level in CRTs has received much less attention in the literature than the power for the main effect of treatment. The purpose of this paper is to extend the work on power calculations for moderator effects to include moderator effects at any level for the following 4 types of CRTs: 2-level CRT, 3-level CRT, 3-level multi-site cluster randomized trial (MSCRT), and 4-level MSCRT. In addition to providing the calculations and R code to do the calculations, we start to develop intuition around the minimum detectable effect size for moderator effects using sample sizes from CRTs in the field of education. This paper represents the next step towards building the capacity of researchers to design CRTs that move beyond the main effect of treatment. Designing studies to detect not only whether or not an intervention works, but for whom or under what circumstances is critical. The results from this study suggest that in many cases, if a study is powered to detect a reasonable main effect of treatment and it has a reasonable number of individuals per cluster, then it will also be powered to detect an individual level moderator (although not shown in this proposal).
Kindergarten Black-White Test Score Gaps: Replicating and Updating Previous Findings with New National Data
Author: Quinn, David
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Kindergarten,Early Childhood Education,African American Students,White Students,Racial Differences,Achievement Gap,Scores,Tests,Replication (Evaluation),Longitudinal Studies,Surveys,Children,Socioeconomic Status,Mathematics Skills,Reading Skills,Executive Function,Short Term Memory

A substantial body of evidence has shown large academic test score gaps between black and white students in early childhood. These gaps remain, and probably grow, as students progress through school. Many researchers have sought to explain these persistent test score gaps, and particularly, to understand the role of students' socio-economic status (SES) in the formation of these gaps. Using data from the nationally representative Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-1999, Fryer and Levitt (2004), found large math and reading gaps at school entry, but a small number of SES-related variables explained all of the black-white reading gap and most of the math gap (with a standardized gap of 0.10 remaining). The recent release of data from the National Center for Education Statistics' (NCES) ECLS-K: 2011 provides an opportunity to test whether Fryer and Levitt's results replicate in a new nationally representative sample over a decade after the first ECLS-K. Additionally, unlike the ECLS-K: 1999, the ECLS-K: 2011 administered executive functioning assessments. Data from the ECLS-K: 2011 was used to update the picture of black-white test score gaps and gap trends over kindergarten, and to determine whether patterns found in the earlier ECLS-K: 1999 replicate. Questions guiding this project include: (1) Do measures of socioeconomic status explain black-white math and reading test score gaps in the fall and spring of kindergarten?; and (2) Do measures of executive functioning show the same patterns of results as measures of math and reading skills? Three separate assessments provided data: two subject area assessments (math and reading), and one executive functioning assessment testing working memory. These assessments were administered one-on-one by trained child assessors in the fall of kindergarten, and in the spring. The results for working memory show a somewhat different pattern than for math and reading, however, the SES variables explain somewhat less of the black-white gap, and the gap does not change substantially over the school year. The differing pattern of results for math and reading compared to executive functioning is consistent with the hypothesis that gap estimates are sensitive to the measure used, and are affected by whether the material on the assessments is learned mostly inside or outside school. The math and reading gaps, which represent knowledge learned in school, grow from fall to spring, while the unadjusted executive functioning gap, which does not measure curricular objectives, does not grow from fall to spring. Tables are appended.
Freshman Year Financial Aid Nudges: An Experiment to Increase Financial Aid Renewal and Sophomore Year Persistence
Author: Castleman, Benjamin L.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: College Freshmen,Student Financial Aid,Academic Persistence,Financial Aid Applicants,Synchronous Communication,Telecommunications,Cues,Program Effectiveness,Intervention

While considerable effort has been invested to increase FAFSA completion among high school seniors, there has been much less investment to ensure that college freshmen re-apply for financial aid. Text messaging is a promising approach to inform students of important stages in the financial aid re-application process and to connect them to professional assistance when they need help. Building on a previous experiment, this paper examines and investigates the impact of financial aid-related prompts on whether college freshman re-apply for aid and persist into sophomore year. This study provides rigorous, experimental evidence on the impact of freshman-year financial aid text reminders on students' college persistence. The experimental sample includes students who were assigned to the summer 2012 text messaging treatment group and who were enrolled in college in Fall 2012. 774 students met these conditions. Researchers randomly assigned 387 students to receive the freshman year financial aid text messaging intervention and 384 students to the control group. By virtue of using a randomized control trial design to select which students would receive the financial aid texts, researchers are able to employ straightforward regression analyses to isolate the causal effect of the messaging campaign on students' college attainment. Preliminary data indicates a substantial response from students to the financial aid nudges. These findings are relevant both to ongoing policy efforts to increase college success and completion among low-income students and, more generally, to efforts to harness technology to improve students' educational outcomes. Figures are appended.
Mindfulness Promotes Educators' Efficacy in the Classroom
Author: Abenavoli, Rachel M.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Metacognition,Teacher Effectiveness,Classroom Techniques,Stress Variables,Well Being,Learner Engagement,Behavior Problems,Classroom Environment,Prosocial Behavior,Models,Interpersonal Competence,Teaching Methods,Middle School Students,Regression (Statistics),Teacher Burnout,Mental Health,Prediction,Attitude Change,Teacher Attitudes,Quasiexperimental Design,Longitudinal Studies

Teachers are responsible for delivering academic instruction, facilitating student learning and engagement, and managing classroom behavior. Stress may interfere with performance in the classroom, however (Tsouloupas, Carson, Matthews, Grawitch, &amp; Barber, 2010), and recent studies suggest that stress is quite common among today's educators. In light of these trends and their potential for negatively impacting students' learning, it is critical to identify factors that support educators' health, wellbeing, and effectiveness. The Prosocial Classroom Model (Jennings &amp; Greenberg, 2009) suggests that mindfulness and other aspects of social-emotional competence may lead to more effective classroom management and protect educators from experiencing a &quot;burnout cascade&quot; of deteriorating classroom climate, student misbehavior, and emotional exhaustion. Mindfulness has been defined as &quot;paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally&quot; (Kabat- Zinn, 1994, p. 4), and mindfulness training for adults has been linked with reductions in stress and improvements in wellbeing (Ospina et al., 2007). Emerging evidence from intervention studies suggests that mindfulness training is associated with improvements in teachers' classroom behavior (e.g., Flook, Goldberg, Pinger, Bonus, &amp; Davidson, 2013; Jennings, Frank, Snowberg, Coccia, &amp; Greenberg, 2013). In a central Pennsylvania middle school setting, the authors examined how educators' mindfulness at the beginning of the school year predicted change in educators' self-reported efficacy with respect to student engagement, classroom management, and instructional practices from fall to spring of the school year. Two tables are appended.
Mainstreaming Remedial Mathematics Students in Introductory Statistics: Results Using a Randomized Controlled Trial
Author: Logue, Alexandra W.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Mainstreaming,Remedial Mathematics,Introductory Courses,Statistics,Test Results,Scores,Randomized Controlled Trials,Community Colleges,College Students,Algebra,Workshops,Student Improvement,Predictor Variables,Outcomes of Education,Educational Experiments

This study used a randomized controlled trial to determine whether students, assessed by their community colleges as needing an elementary algebra (remedial) mathematics course, could instead succeed at least as well in a college-level, credit-bearing introductory statistics course with extra support (a weekly workshop). Researchers randomly assigned one-third of the participants to one of three types of courses: traditional elementary algebra; traditional elementary algebra plus a weekly workshop; or college-level, credit-bearing, introductory statistics plus a weekly workshop. The experiment was conducted at three urban CUNY community colleges: Borough of Manhattan Community College; Hostos Community College; and LaGuardia Community College. There were 721 participants combined across the three colleges. Their mean age was 21.1 years (SD = 5.5), and 54% of them were female. Researchers collected the final grades for each participant in the experiment, as well as their high school records and assessment test scores. Adding a weekly workshop to a traditional remedial elementary algebra course seemed to improve students' performance above the usual (low) pass rate. However, students in college-level introductory statistics with a weekly workshop passed at an even higher rate. Students with relatively high placement test scores and grades in high school, and students who registered for their classes relatively early, were particularly likely to pass the statistics course. A table is appended.
Improving Congolese Children's Early Math and Reading Ability: Preliminary Results from a Cluster Randomized Trial in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Author: Starkey, Leighann
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Mathematics Skills,Reading Skills,Randomized Controlled Trials,Literacy,Numeracy,Elementary School Students,Skill Development,Developing Nations,Low Income Groups,Program Effectiveness,Equal Education,Educational Quality,Grade 2,Grade 3,Grade 4,Program Evaluation,Academic Achievement,Social Development,Emotional Development,Curriculum,Faculty Development

Mastering basic numeracy and literacy skills is one of the most fundamental goals of education. However, it is estimated that 250 million primary-school-age children lack basic reading, writing and math skills (UN, 2013). Children living in war and poverty stricken countries are among the least likely to attain those basic goals. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has set out to improve basic literacy--and to a lesser extent, basic numeracy--skills for 100 million children in low-income countries by 2015. USAID hopes to accomplish this through the development of innovative teaching techniques and learning materials, maximizing time spent on instruction, and strengthening household, community, and school partnerships. The present study is part of an impact evaluation of one such effort in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The purpose of the study is to describe and discuss results from a cluster randomized trial of the &quot;Opportunities for Equitable Access to Quality Basic Education&quot; (OPEQ) program, using a sample of 8,879 second-, third-, and fourth-grade students in the province of Katanga. OPEQ was developed by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) with funding from USAID, to better the quality of teaching and learning processes and enhance children and youth's academic and socio-emotional outcomes in the DRC. Three tables are appended.
Is Performance on the SAT® Related to College Retention? Research Report No. 2009-7
Author: Mattern, Krista D.
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: College Entrance Examinations,Scores,College Students,Correlation,Gender Differences,Ethnic Groups,Racial Differences,Family Income,Parent Background,Educational Attainment,Institutional Characteristics,Socioeconomic Status,Academic Persistence,Questionnaires

This study examines the relationship between scores on the SAT and retention to the second year of college using student level data from the freshman class of 2006 at 106 four-year institutions. Results indicate that the SAT predicts second-year retention, with 95.5 percent of high performers returning but only 63.8 percent of low performers. While retention rates do vary by subgroups (i.e., gender, ethnicity, parental income, and highest parental education) and institutional characteristics (i.e., control, selectivity, size), these differences are moderated when SAT performance and other indicators of academic preparation are considered. Three appendices are included: (1) Retention Rates Within Student and Institutional Characteristics by SAT Score Band; (2) Retention Rates by Two Institutional Characteristics; and (3) Retention Rates by Student Characteristics by Institutional Characteristics.