ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Partnerships for College Readiness. College Readiness Indicator Systems
Author: Lee, Jaein
Date: 2013-11-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: College Readiness,Partnerships in Education,School Districts,State Standards,Academic Standards,Educational Indicators,Higher Education,Graduation,Information Dissemination

In recent years, the education spotlight in the United States has shifted from high school graduation to postsecondary success, along with the recognition that to thrive in today's economy requires more than just a high school diploma. Also, while prior research has focused on after-school and higher-education collaborations with districts, there has been less written about collaborations that are specifically focused on college readiness. As states begin to implement the Common Core State Standards, there will be a greater need for collaboration between districts and their partners to support students, especially as many school districts are simultaneously facing a time of increased budget austerity. This study provides useful examples from the College Readiness Indicator Systems (CRIS) network for districts and cities considering greater collaboration around data and indicators related to college readiness.
Educator Effectiveness Series: Assessing School Climate. Q&amp;A with Jonathan Cohen, Ph.D. REL Mid-Atlantic Webinar
Author: Cohen, Jonathan
Date: 2015-05-07
Type: Opinion Papers
Subjects: Educational Environment,School Culture,Evaluation Methods,Measurement Techniques,Readiness,Planning,Surveys,Attitude Measures,Community Involvement,Data Collection,Scoring Rubrics,Student Records,Student Behavior,Test Construction,Design,Student Diversity,Poverty,Administrator Role,Coaching (Performance),Beginning Teachers,Teacher Role,Learner Engagement,Academic Achievement,Financial Support

The REL Mid-Atlantic Webinar discussed the elements in a positive school climate and shared different methods for assessing school data, including the Comprehensive School Climate Inventory. The Q&amp;A presented in this document address the questions participants had for Dr. Cohen following the webinar. The webinar recording and PowerPoint presentation are also available online. Links are provided in the document.
Assisting Students Struggling with Mathematics: Response to Intervention (RtI) for Elementary and Middle Schools. Q&amp;A with Ben Clarke Ph.D and Paul Riccomini, Ph.D. REL Mid-Atlantic Event
Author: Clarke, Ben
Date: 2013-03-22
Type: Opinion Papers
Subjects: Response to Intervention,Mathematics Instruction,Elementary School Students,Middle School Students

This REL Mid-Atlantic Event focused on effective strategies for screening, instruction, and differentiation of instruction as part of math RtI implementation. The Q&amp;A presented in this document address the questions participants had for Dr. Clarke and Dr. Riccomini following the event. Dr. Clarke's and Dr. Riccomini's PowerPoint presentations are also available. The links to the PowerPoint note sheets are provided in the document.
Supercharging Student Success: Policy Levers for Helping Paraprofessionals Have a Positive Influence in the Classroom. Policy Snapshot
Author: Goe, Laura
Date: 2014-09-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Paraprofessional School Personnel,Elementary Secondary Education,Educational Research,Role,Teaching Methods,Placement,Disabilities,Special Needs Students,Personnel Selection,Qualifications,Orientation,Professional Development,Special Education Teachers,Teacher Competencies,Staff Development,Recognition (Achievement),Rewards,Career Development,Educational Policy

With nearly a million paraprofessionals working in elementary and secondary schools (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2013), ensuring they are well prepared and supported is essential to their and their students' success. Paraprofessionals work closely with classroom teachers to support students from special populations and are typically supervised by a general or special educator. Because paraprofessionals often work with students who have a disability, are falling behind in critical skills, or are English language learners, it is important that they have the instructional and management skills needed to support these special populations. In addition, because of the widespread implementation of new college- and career-ready standards, paraprofessionals may require additional support to help students learn more rigorous content in new ways. When properly prepared and supported, paraprofessionals can be valuable, if not essential, members of the school community and can offer multiple benefits to students, teachers, and parents. In this Policy Snapshot, the authors summarize existing research about the instructional contributions of paraprofessionals to student learning and behavioral outcomes, as well as their noninstructional contributions. They also identify important state policy considerations for preparation, supervision, professional development, and career development for paraprofessionals and for teachers working with paraprofessionals. This Policy Snapshot provides information that governors, state legislatures, state boards of education, and state education agencies may wish to consider when designing and implementing policies related to paraprofessionals. To help states make informed policy decisions, the authors also include practical examples of paraprofessional programs and policies as well as other resources.
An Interim Report on Pennsylvania's Framework for Leadership: Frequently Asked Questions
Author: Bing-ru, Teh
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Instructional Leadership,Principals,Administrator Effectiveness,Rating Scales,Models,Academic Achievement,Correlation,Scores,Administrator Evaluation,Reliability,Regression (Statistics),Validity

A new study analyzed data from the 2012/13 pilot of the Framework for Leadership (FFL), Pennsylvania's tool for evaluating the leadership practices of principals and assistant principals. Based on the FFL scores of 336 principals and 69 assistant principals evaluated by their supervisors in the 2012/13 school year, this interim report found that school leaders' scores from different categories of practices produced consistent assessments of their effectiveness. However, most scores were high, regardless of whether the school leaders made large or small estimated contributions to student achievement growth. These findings suggest that the FFL is based on a coherent definition of leadership quality, but more evidence is needed on whether this tool can distinguish effective school leaders from ineffective ones. This document presents frequently asked questions relating to the report on the following topics: (1) Purpose of the study; (2) Key findings and lessons from the study; (3) Study design, participants, and stakeholders; and (4) Future steps. The full report, &quot;Measuring school leaders' effectiveness: An interim report from a multiyear pilot of Pennsylvania's Framework for Leadership,&quot; is available at http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/projects/project.asp?projectID=343. [To view the full report in ERIC, see ED550494.]
Social and Emotional Skills for Life and Career: Policy Levers That Focus on the Whole Child. Policy Snapshot
Author: Yoder, Nick
Date: 2015-03-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Social Development,Emotional Development,Educational Legislation,Federal Legislation,Educational Research,Standards,Teacher Education,Administrator Education,State Policy,Board of Education Policy,Educational Environment,Accountability,School Districts,Elementary Secondary Education,Faculty Development

Although Employers and colleges want candidates who are motivated and adaptable, are able to work well in teams and communicate effectively, have a strong work ethic, have solid interpersonal skills, and are strategic in their planning skills. Schools need to place a greater emphasis on social and emotional skills for students to prepare them for work and for life. In this policy snapshot, we summarize existing research about the effects of education on students' social and emotional skills and identify important state and district policy considerations for initiating and integrating social and emotional learning, as well as for preparing and developing teachers and administrators to focus on the whole child. The brief includes examples from various states and districts, including the following: (1) Anchorage School District (Alaska); (2) Austin Independent School District (Texas); (3) California's Core Districts; (4) Illinois; (5) Kansas; (6) New York; (7) Pennsylvania; and (8) West Virginia.
Virtual Task-Based Situated Language-Learning with &quot;Second Life&quot;: Developing EFL Pragmatic Writing and Technological Self-Efficacy
Author: Abdallah, Mahmoud M. S.
Date: 2015-07-00
Type: Tests/Questionnaires
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Task Analysis,Computer Simulation,Social Systems,Internet,Writing Skills,Writing Improvement,Instructional Effectiveness,Electronic Learning,Writing Tests,Pretests Posttests,Self Efficacy,Instructional Design,Pragmatics,Control Groups,Experimental Groups,Semi Structured Interviews

This paper reports on an experimental research study that aimed at investigating the effectiveness of employing a virtual task-based situated language learning (TBSLL) environment mediated by Second Life (SL) in developing EFL student teachers' pragmatic writing skills and their technological self-efficacy. To reach this goal, a control-only experimental research design was employed to compare between participants' performance in two groups: a control group (n = 10) exposed to a traditional lecture-based writing course; and an experimental (SL) group selected purposively (n = 10) and exposed to the virtual SL situated language learning environment (online sessions). Procedures were guided by a &quot;five-stage instructional-technological design framework&quot; suggested by the researchers, which involved those stages: (1) analysis, (2) design, (3) production, (4) experimentation, and (5) use &amp; development. Measurement tools included: (a) Pragmatic Writing Skills Post-Test; (b) Academic Self-Efficacy Scale; and (c) E-portfolio for formative assessment. Results indicated the effectiveness of the virtual task-based situated language environment in developing participants' pragmatic writing skills in English, and that SL participants' technological self-efficacy was significantly higher than that of the control group participants. The paper presents recommendations and suggestions for improving English language learning (ELL)--especially writing--through using virtual situated environments in general, and SL in particular. The following are appended: (1) Pragmatic Writing Test (Examiner's Manual and Students' Version); (2) Technological Self-Efficacy Scale; and (3) E-Portfolio: A Reflective Diary Template.
What Do Effective District Leaders Do? Strategies for Evaluating District Leadership. Policy Snapshot
Author: Hornung, Katie
Date: 2014-05-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Leadership Effectiveness,Administrator Effectiveness,Instructional Leadership,Superintendents,Professional Associations,Teacher Evaluation,Administrator Evaluation,State Standards,Academic Standards,State Policy,Legislators,State Boards of Education,State Departments of Education,School Districts,Communication Skills,Decision Making,Stakeholders

In the wake of the Common Core State Standards and teacher evaluation reform, school leaders increasingly look to district leaders for support, coaching, and leadership. District leaders--superintendents, assistant or area superintendents, specialists, principal supervisors, and school business administrators--can hold varying and multiple roles in the district. Reform of district leader evaluations has lagged behind that of teachers and principals, but creating evaluations that accurately reflect district leader responsibilities is of critical importance. Reform of district leader evaluations is an emerging issue, and the research and policy base needed to inform this effort is limited. That said, more organizations, including the National School Boards Association and the American Association of School Administrators, are increasingly investing resources to think more deeply about district evaluation, and new resources and research may be forthcoming. In addition, the strategies used and the lessons learned from states and districts that have already begun this work, as well as teacher and principal evaluation reform, can help inform states and districts that are just beginning to engage in this area of reform.This Policy Snapshot explores district leadership evaluation in the context of state policy and provide information that governors, state legislatures, state boards of education, and state education agencies may wish to consider when designing and implementing evaluation systems for superintendents and other district leaders. This brief is divided into two sections: (1) Defining effective district leadership: What do effective district leaders do?; and (2) Setting evaluation policies for district leaders: What strategies can states use? This brief highlights existing evaluation policies as examples to illustrate the strategies in practice. the authors offer these examples to inform state's policy and legislative deliberation, but they do not endorse any of the programs featured.
Building Momentum: The Condition of Progress toward College Readiness. A Profile of 2013 ACT Explore®- and ACT Plan®-Tested Students
Author: ACT, Inc.
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: College Readiness,Middle School Students,Progress Monitoring,Benchmarking,Scores,Educational Policy,Educational Practices,Program Implementation,High School Students,Grade 8,Grade 10,Curriculum Based Assessment,Educational Attainment,College Entrance Examinations,Case Studies,Longitudinal Studies,Statistical Data,Race,Ethnicity,Expectation,Alignment (Education),Educational Quality,Access to Education

Since 1959, ACT has collected and reported data on students' academic readiness for college. As a trusted, nonprofit leader in research on college and career readiness, ACT is committed to continuing efforts to provide data and information to help solve the daunting problems faced by our nation. This report is part of a series of reports that looks at the progress toward college readiness made by middle school students and students at the midpoint of high school who took ACT Explore and ACT Plan. The data in these reports can help inform and guide efforts to improve college and career readiness for the next generation of students. In determining a student's progress toward college readiness, these reports help answer the following questions: (1) What percentage of students meet the ACT Explore and ACT Plan College Readiness Benchmarks in each subject area?; (2) How many students are exposed to ACT Explore and ACT Plan?; (3) How have ACT Explore and ACT Plan scores changed over a five-year period?; and (4) What policies and practices can states and schools implement to improve the college readiness of students? This report contains three parts: (1) The cross-sectional portion of the report presents the results of eighth-grade students who took ACT Explore and tenth-grade students who took ACT Plan during the 2012-13 school year; (2) The longitudinal section of the report presents the results of a cohort of students who graduated from high school in 2013 and took ACT Explore during eighth grade in 2008-09, ACT Plan during tenth grade in 2010-11, and the ACT test during eleventh or twelfth grade in 2011-12 or 2012-13; and (3) Policy and Practice Recommendations for Increasing Readiness recommends policies and practices states and schools can adopt to improve students' college readiness. This report includes notes on ACT College Readiness Benchmarks. [For &quot;Building Momentum: The Condition of Progress toward College Readiness. A Profile of 2012 ACT Explore®- and ACT Plan®-Tested Students&quot; (2014), see ED558027.]
Alternative Routes to Teaching: What Do We Know about Effective Policies? Policy Snapshot
Author: Goe, Laura
Date: 2014-01-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Alternative Teacher Certification,Educational Policy,Teacher Education,Academic Achievement,Teacher Recruitment,Teacher Persistence,Policy Formation,Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Personnel Selection,Mentors,Partnerships in Education,Teacher Evaluation,Teacher Effectiveness,Quality Assurance

Creating a pipeline of great teachers for all schools and students in each state is a crucial policy goal. Strengthening teacher pipelines requires states to examine multiple policy areas, including certification requirements, educator evaluation, compensation and career ladders, educator environment (e.g., working conditions), and the range of pathways that teachers take to enter the profession. This Policy Snapshot from the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders (GTL Center), brings into focus one policy area that governors, state legislatures, and state education agencies consider when weighing options for strengthening teacher pipelines: alternative routes to teaching. To help inform state-level deliberations regarding this topic, current research was reviewed and synthesized and a policy scan to examine common practices across states was conducted. The results are summarized in the following sections: (1) Outcomes: Do Preparation Pathways Matter for Student Achievement and Teacher Recruitment and Retention?; and (2) Research-to-Policy: Strategies for Setting Effective Policy for Alternative Routes. Sections include short spotlights on existing alternative pathways policies, which were selected because they provide examples of several of the characteristics and strategies described in the accompanying section. Further information about the research and common practices discussed, as well a detailed overview of state policies on alternative certification, are available from the GTL Center upon request.
Building Momentum: The Condition of Progress toward College Readiness. A Profile of 2012 ACT Explore®- And ACT Plan®-Tested Students
Author: ACT, Inc.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: College Readiness,Profiles,Student Characteristics,Academic Achievement,Middle School Students,High School Students,Benchmarking,Access to Education,Scores,Achievement Gains,Longitudinal Studies,State Policy,School Policy,Educational Policy,Educational Practices,Educational Improvement,Educational Attainment,Ethnicity,Racial Distribution

ACT has collected and reported data on students' academic readiness for college since 1959. As a trusted nonprofit leader in research on college and career readiness, ACT is committed to continuing our efforts to provide data and information to help solve the daunting problems faced by our nation. ACT is designing research and data to provide insights not only on academic achievement, but also on student behavior and goals. The insights provided in this series of reports help individuals better prepare for success throughout their lives, from Kindergarten through Career. These new efforts will broaden and extend ACT's core mission: helping people achieve education and career success. This report provides a look at the progress toward college readiness made by middle school students and students at the midpoint of high school who took ACT Explore® and ACT Plan® during the 2011-12 school year. In determining a student's progress toward college readiness, these reports help answer the following questions: (1) What percentage of students meet the ACT Explore and ACT Plan College Readiness Benchmarks in each subject area?; (2) How many students are exposed to ACT Explore and ACT Plan?; (3) How have ACT Explore and ACT Plan scores changed over a five-year period?; and (4) What policies and practices can states and schools implement to improve the college readiness of students? This report includes notes on ACT College Readiness Benchmarks.
A Framework for Coherence: College and Career Readiness Standards, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, and Educator Effectiveness. Special Issues Brief
Author: Hayes, Lindsey
Date: 2015-02-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: College Readiness,Career Readiness,Academic Standards,Teacher Effectiveness,Response to Intervention,Behavior Modification,At Risk Students,Educational Change,Educational Quality,Alignment (Education),Professional Development

Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), such as Response to Intervention (RTI) and Positive Behavioral Supports (PBIS), are crucial to early identification of learning and behavioral challenges and timely intervention for students at risk for poor learning outcomes. When aligned and coherently implemented with other key education reforms, such as college and career readiness standards and educator effectiveness systems, Multi-tiered systems of support have the potential to create lasting and meaningful changes to instruction and to provide support for at-risk learners. Unfortunately, these three critical instructional reforms initiatives often are implemented in isolation from each other. This lack of coherence across the initiatives sends teachers and instructional leaders mixed messages about instructional practices, especially those aimed at supporting at-risk learners. For example, teachers may struggle to connect what is needed in a Response to Intervention (RTI) plan and what is expected for students in new standards. In this Special Issues Brief, we outline a framework for coherence that supports states in connecting these three initiatives by capitalizing on their shared goal: improving instructional quality to enhance educational outcomes for students. Our framework suggests three distinct opportunities to strengthen coherence and alignment across the initiatives: (1) Create a shared focus: College and career readiness standards are an opportunity for state education agencies, educators, and education stakeholders to create a shared focus on instruction that helps all students, including those at risk for poor learning outcomes, to achieve college and career readiness; (2) Create better instructional supports for students: MTSS offers an instructional framework that creates opportunities for students to access college and career readiness instruction through tiers of services and supports that vary in intensity; and (3) Create better professional learning supports for teachers: Educator effectiveness systems that provide targeted feedback on standards-based, multi-tiered instruction create opportunities for professional learning and continuous instructional improvement that drive student growth.