ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Automated versus Do-It-Yourself Methods for Causal Inference: Lessons Learned from a Data Analysis Competition
Author: Dorie, Vincent
Date: 2018-07-27
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Statistical Inference,Simulation,Causal Models,Research Methodology,Competition,Statistical Distributions,Observation,Computation,Mathematics

Statisticians have made great progress in creating methods that reduce our reliance on parametric assumptions. However this explosion in research has resulted in a breadth of inferential strategies that both create opportunities for more reliable inference as well as complicate the choices that an applied researcher has to make and defend. Relatedly, researchers advocating for new methods typically compare their method to at best 2 or 3 other causal inference strategies and test using simulations that may or may not be designed to equally tease out flaws in all the competing methods. The causal inference data analysis challenge, &quot;Is Your SATT Where It's At?&quot;, launched as part of the 2016 Atlantic Causal Inference Conference, sought to make progress with respect to both of these issues. The researchers creating the data testing grounds were distinct from the researchers submitting methods whose efficacy would be evaluated. Results from 30 competitors across the two versions of the competition (black box algorithms and do-it-yourself analyses) are presented along with post-hoc analyses that reveal information about the characteristics of causal inference strategies and settings that affect performance. The most consistent conclusion was that methods that flexibly model the response surface perform better overall than methods that fail to do so. Finally new methods are proposed that combine features of several of the top-performing submitted methods. [This paper will be published in &quot;Statistical Science.&quot;]
Does Including School Belonging Measures Enhance Complete Mental Health Screening in Schools?
Author: Moffa, Kathryn
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Mental Disorders,Screening Tests,School Health Services,Barriers,Access to Health Care,Student School Relationship,Adolescents,Mental Health,Stress Variables,Symptoms (Individual Disorders),High School Students,Well Being,Stress Management

Approximately one out of every three or four youths worldwide will meet the criteria for a formal mental health disorder in their lifetime (Costello, Mustillo, Keller, &amp; Angold, 2004). Considering that approximately half of all mental disorders have onset by 14 years of age (World Health Organization, 2014), it is important to be mindful of how to identify, treat, and prevent symptoms in early adolescence. Recognizing the barriers to accessing private mental health care (e.g., geographic location, cost, and stigma), and coupled with findings that most youths do not seek help when they experience psychosocial distress (Christina et al., 2000), schools are ideal locations in which to implement efforts to prevent and respond to youths' mental health needs (Manassis et al., 2010). This recommendation for school-based services is aligned with findings that many school associated negative developmental outcomes are linked with psychological distress, including difficulties with social relationships, lack of initiative with schoolwork, and low academic achievement (Fröjd et al., 2008). Robust research findings indicate that youths' feelings of school belonging (a) can mitigate negative developmental outcomes (Lester, Waters, &amp; Cross, 2013), (b) protect against psychological distress (Gratis, 2013; Pittman &amp; Richmond, 2007), and (c) are associated with a range of positive psychological and educational developmental outcomes (Allen &amp; Bowles, 2012). As such, it is possible that considering school belonging as part of schoolwide mental health screening could contribute unique information in support of prevention and intervention strategies to improve adolescents' mental health. Though previous research indicates that school belonging is positively associated with academic achievement (Furrer &amp; Skinner, 2003) and positive mental health indicators (Pittman &amp; Richmond, 2007; Vieno, Perkins, Smith, &amp; Santinello, 2005), the potential additive predictive effects of students' school belonging when included within a school-based, universal complete mental health screening framework has not yet been thoroughly investigated. [This paper was published in: K. Allen (Ed.) and C. Boyle (Ed.), &quot;Pathways to Belonging&quot; (p65-81). Leiden, Netherlands: Brill.]
I&apos;m Not Throwing Away My Shot: What Alexander Hamilton Can Tell Us about Standard Reading Interventions
Author: Al Otaiba, Stephanie
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Grade 4,Elementary School Students,Intervention,Pretests Posttests,Randomized Controlled Trials,Reading Comprehension,Reading Fluency,Scores,Vocabulary,Word Recognition

This article summarizes findings from a two-year randomized control trial, focusing on a subset of 194 fourth graders with reading comprehension scores at or below the 15th percentile. Students in the treatment condition received an average of 94 daily 30-min sessions of small group intervention implemented with fidelity by well-trained research staff. Standardized measures of word identification, vocabulary, and comprehension, and an oral reading fluency measure were administered pre- and post-testing. Results indicated no statistically significant differences between students in the treatment or business-as-usual conditions; effect sizes for comprehension were small (0.14 and 0.19); a quantile regression, however, revealed slightly larger effect sizes for students at the 0.25 to 0.50 quantiles. The effect sizes for word identification, fluency, and vocabulary were less than 0.05. We discuss implications of the study, as well as limitations and directions for future research. We conclude with recommendations for intensifying interventions. [This paper was published in &quot;Learning Disabilities Research &amp; Practice&quot; v33 n3 p156-167 2018 (EJ1187548).]
General Education Teachers&apos; Natural Rates of Praise: A Preliminary Investigation
Author: Floress, Margaret T.
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: General Education,Elementary School Teachers,Classroom Techniques,Positive Reinforcement,Student Behavior,Positive Behavior Supports,Incidence

Many studies have demonstrated that when teachers are trained to increase their use of praise, student misbehavior improves; however, few studies have examined teachers' natural use of praise and no study has examined the relation between teachers' natural use of praise and classroom behavior. The purpose of the current study was to examine general education teachers' natural use of praise in elementary classrooms. One hundred forty direct behavioral observation hours were used to collect praise rates and student behavior across 28 general education classrooms (kindergarten to fifth grade). Across all grade levels, results suggest that teachers' use of praise was low (grade-level mean rates ranging from 0.38 per minute in the fourth grade to 0.75 per minute in kindergarten) and teachers used general praise more frequently than behavior-specific praise (BSP). A significant, negative relation was found between off-task behavior and BSP (r = -0.37, p = 0.05), indicating that teachers who used more BSP tended to have less off-task behavior in their classrooms. Implications for training teachers to increase their use of BSP as a universal strategy are discussed. [This article was published in &quot;Behavioral Disorders&quot; (EJ1185394).]
Doubling Graduation Rates in a New State: Two-Year Findings from the ASAP Ohio Demonstration. Policy Brief
Author: Sommo, Colleen
Date: 2018-12-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Graduation Rate,Community Colleges,Two Year College Students,Low Income Students,Academic Achievement,Acceleration (Education),Associate Degrees,Demonstration Programs,Outcomes of Education,Program Evaluation,Program Implementation,Costs,College Programs

While the United States has made strides in increasing college access among low-income students, college completion has remained low. Graduation rates are particularly low at the nation's community colleges, which enroll a disproportionate percentage of low-income and nontraditional college students. Seeking to address this problem, in 2014 three community colleges in Ohio -- Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, Cuyahoga Community College, and Lorain County Community College -- undertook a new strategy to help more of their lowest-performing students succeed academically. The highly successful Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) developed by the City University of New York (CUNY) provided a model. ASAP is a comprehensive program that provides students with up to three years of financial and academic support and other support services to address multiple barriers to student success, with the goal of helping more students graduate within three years. This brief presents two-year impact, implementation, and cost findings for the pooled, full study sample in the ASAP Ohio demonstration. The findings show that students in the program group clearly outperformed the control group with respect to persistence in school, credit accumulation, and graduation. Graduation rates more than doubled: 19 percent of the program group earned a degree or credential after two years compared with 8 percent of the control group. The brief also presents some findings from analyses of the programs' implementation and costs. [This report was written with Sean Blake and Erick Alonzo.]
A Comment on School Safety and Mental Wellness, Including Covitality
Author: Furlong, Michael J.
Date: 2018-11-21
Type: Opinion Papers
Subjects: School Safety,Well Being,Wellness,Mental Health,High School Students,Educational Environment,Stress Variables,Violence,Student Attitudes,Victims,Coping

Drawing upon an ongoing school mental health survey being conducted in California, this article examines associations between high school students' mental wellness, including covitality (as measured with the Social Emotional Health Survey--Secondary), and school safety perceptions and experiences. Student self-reports reveal a strong positive association between psychosocial wellness and feeling safe and secure at school. Proactive efforts by educators to foster students' thriving well-being could also have the benefit of improving school climate and safety.
Mentoring through the Transitions: Voices on the Verge
Author: Crowe, Mary L., Ed.
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Books
Subjects: STEM Education,Transitional Programs,Mentors,High School Students,Two Year College Students,Undergraduate Students,Community Colleges,Inclusion,Educational Environment

&quot;Mentoring through the Transitions: Voices on the Verge&quot; highlights the individuals, programs, and institutions succeeding in assisting STEM students through critical junctures such as high school to college, community college to four-year institution, and four-year institution to graduate school and beyond. It features the authentic voices of those who have participated or built inclusive, supportive environments for all. Titles included in this book: (1) Introduction (Mary L. Crowe and Bessie Guerrant); (2) Career Mentoring: Everyone Wins (Amy L. Chang); (3) A Society's Role in Changing the Climate (C. Brooke Bruthers); (4) College Is an Option for Me (Michelle Carnicle); (5) Mentoring Is Fun (Jena Lipham); (6) Wind-STEP Is Everything (James Cotter); (7) A Greater Level of Balance (Esther Goldthwaite); (8) It Is Not About the 10-Page Lit Review (Niccole Villa Cerveny); (9) Climate in the Classroom (Nicola Plowes); (10) Students Are an Asset (Thomas B. Higgins); (11) Mentors for Classroom Roles (Michael Newsom); (12) I Am Your Insider (Chryssa Michelle Maloney); (13) The Light at the End of the Tunnel (Angelica Rose Galvan); (14) A World of Gray Possibilities (Kendell M. Pawelec); (15) Solving the Maze (Joshua McCausland); (16) Revamping a Course to Change the Climate (Miriam Segura-Totten); (17) Celebrating the Process (Anastasia Lin); (18) The Language of the Universe (Joseph L. Graves Jr.); (19) Curiosity Opens Doors (Monica Gerber); (20) A Student Changed My Approach (Crystal Scott); (21) This Class Is an Oasis (Louise Temple); (22) Students Helping Students (Lauren Dorn); (23) The Golden Ticket (Shelly Brown-Jeffy); (24) My STEM Family (Jarvia Meggett); (25) Chutes and Ladders (Claudia Benitez-Nelson); (26) The Value of Building Personal Relationships (Paul L. Beasley); (27) Freedom and Responsibility (Aisha N. Conwell); (28) Personal Responsibility (James N. MacLeod); (29) Sometimes Structures Are Not Enough (Bessie Guerrant); and (30) It Is Not Rocket Science (Sandra Gregerman). [Book published by the Council on Undergraduate Research. Abstract modified to meet ERIC guidelines.]
CHAMPPS: Filling the Preschool Curriculum Gap
Author: Aronson-Ensign, Katherine
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Preschool Children,Psychomotor Skills,Physical Activity Level,School Readiness,Disabilities,Physical Activities,Guidelines,Preschool Education

Many preschool teachers may be aware of the need to support motor skills and physical activity for their students but they are not sure how to actually achieve this goal. Often preschoolers' only motor time includes recess or a short movement with music activity during circle time, with limited or no structured motor curriculum. This article highlights &quot;CHildren in Action: Motor Program for PreschoolerS&quot; (&quot;CHAMPPS&quot;), a structured preschool motor program that utilizes UDL embedded lessons to support school readiness (e.g., social, language, motor, pre-academics) and elevated physical activity levels for children. First, we discuss the importance of structured motor programs for preschoolers with and without disabilities. Second, we describe how CHAMPPS is responsive to national guidelines regarding motor play. Third, the components of CHAMPPS are described.
Capitalizing on Appraisal Processes to Improve Stress Responses
Author: Jamieson, Jeremy P.
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Stress Variables,Stress Management,Arousal Patterns,Coping,Symptoms (Individual Disorders),Psychophysiology,Cognitive Processes,Emotional Response,Academic Achievement,Behavior Modification,Cognitive Restructuring,Anxiety Disorders

Regulating affective responses to acute stress has the potential to improve health, performance, and well-being outcomes. Using the biopsychosocial (BPS) model of challenge and threat as an organizing framework, we review how appraisals inform affective responses and highlight research that demonstrates how appraisals can be used as regulatory tools. &quot;Arousal reappraisal,&quot; specifically, instructs individuals on the adaptive benefits of stress arousal so that arousal is conceptualized as a coping resource. By reframing the meaning of signs of arousal that accompany stress (e.g., racing heart), it is possible to break the link between stressful situations, and malignant physiological responses and experiences of negative affect. Applications of arousal reappraisal for academic contexts and clinical science, and directions for future research are discussed. [This is the online version of an article published in &quot;Emotion Review&quot;.]
Schools as Moderators of Genetic Associations with Life Course Attainments: Evidence from the WLS and Add Health
Author: Trejo, Sam
Date: 2018-08-02
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Genetics,Educational Attainment,Employment,Secondary Schools,Institutional Characteristics,Postsecondary Education,Socioeconomic Status,Educational Environment,Adolescents,Longitudinal Studies

Genetic variants identified in genome-wide association studies of educational attainment have been linked with a range of positive life course development outcomes. However, it remains unclear whether school environments may moderate these genetic associations. We analyze data from two biosocial surveys that contain both genetic data and follow students from secondary school through mid- to late life. We test if the magnitudes of the associations with educational and occupational attainments varied across the secondary schools that participants attended or with characteristics of those schools. Although we find little evidence that genetic associations with educational and occupational attainment varied across schools or with school characteristics, genetic associations with any postsecondary education and college completion were moderated by school-level socioeconomic status. Along similar lines, we observe substantial between-school variation in the average level of educational attainment students achieved for a fixed genotype. These findings emphasize the importance of social context in the interpretation of genetic associations. Specifically, our results suggest that though existing measures of individual genetic endowment have a linear relationship with years of schooling that is relatively consistent across school environments, school context is crucial in connecting an individual's genotype to his or her likelihood of crossing meaningful educational thresholds.
Numeracy and Preventive Health Care Service Utilization among Middle Aged and Older Adults in the U.S.
Author: Yamashita, Takashi
Date: 2018-05-07
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Numeracy,Mathematics Skills,Prevention,Health Services,Access to Health Care,Health Promotion,Adults,Older Adults,Dental Health,Vision,Immunization Programs,Screening Tests,Literacy,Health Behavior

Objectives: Determine whether a specific numeracy skill cut-point(s) reflects an empirical threshold in the context of preventive health service utilization, and identify associations between numeracy and preventive health services utilization among middle-aged and older adults in the United States. Methods: A nationally representative sample (n = 2,989) of adults 45-years and older from the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) was analyzed. Binary logistic regression was used to examine the utilization of dental checkup, vision screening, influenza vaccination, and osteoporosis screening, using multiple numeracy level classifications. Results: A dichotomous classification of numeracy skill levels (low vs. moderate to high proficiency) was associated with dental checkup utilization, but vision screening, influenza vaccination, and osteoporosis screening. Conclusions: Middle-aged and older adults with sufficient numeracy skills are more likely to have had a dental check up in the past 12-months. Findings suggest that numeracy may be more relevant for long-term vs. short-term risk assessment in determining preventive health care service utilization. Clinical Implications: Two-level numeracy categories are recommended in preventive health contexts. Numeracy proficiency-sensitive risk communication by health care providers and education programs may enhance awareness of preventive health care and promote the utilization of specific preventive health service utilization among older adults. [This is the online version of an article published in &quot;Clinical Gerontologist.&quot;]
Adding It Up: How the Florida College and Career Readiness Initiative Impacted Developmental Education
Author: Mokher, Christine
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Career Readiness,College Readiness,Regression (Statistics),High School Students,Comparative Analysis,Outcomes of Education,Academic Achievement,Achievement Tests,Standardized Tests,State Standards,State Policy,Statistical Significance,Statistical Analysis

The Florida College and Career Readiness Initiative (FCCRI) was a statewide policy requiring college readiness testing and participation in college readiness courses for high school students. We used regression discontinuity to compare outcomes for students scoring just above and below test score cutoffs for assignment to FCCRI. We also examined impacts for students from a wider range of academic performance by using a before-after regression analysis to compare outcomes for targeted students before and after their schools implemented the FCCRI. The FCCRI increased the likelihood of enrolling in nondevelopmental courses for some targeted students, although results differ by academic performance. However, smaller differences in the likelihood of passing nondevelopmental courses suggest that some students were not prepared for these courses. [This paper was published in &quot;Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis&quot; v40 n2 p219-242 2018 (EJ1178836).]
Ready for What? Confusion around College and Career Readiness
Author: Mokher, Christine G.
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: College Readiness,Career Readiness,High School Students,Grade 11,Community Colleges,Student Placement,Low Achievement,State Standards,Teacher Attitudes,Teacher Role,Vocational Education

States and districts across the country have experimented with various college and career readiness initiatives designed to help students complete the postsecondary education they need to succeed in the labor market. Yet how do teachers view their students' likely college capabilities following these efforts? Can the reforms help work-bound students who are unlikely to attend college? Or are there other strategies that educators and school leaders could use to better support these students? We examine these questions using the case of Florida, which is one of the pioneering states to implement a comprehensive, statewide alignment reform geared towards improving college and career readiness. The Florida College and Career Readiness Initiative (FCCRI) required high schools to administer the statewide community college placement test to mid-performing students in their junior year, and those scoring below college-ready were required to take a senior-year &quot;college readiness and success&quot; (CRS) course. We conducted a statewide survey of 225 teachers of CRS courses to learn more about the effectiveness of the reform according to those on the front-line tasked with implementing it. The findings provide insight from Florida's experience that may inform other states about where the reform is most effective, which students are poorly served, and how they might be better helped. [This paper was published in &quot;Phi Delta Kappan&quot; v100 n4 p40-43 2018 (EJ1197908).]
Who Teaches the Teachers? A RCT of Peer-to-Peer Observation and Feedback in 181 Schools. CEP Discussion Paper No. 1565
Author: Murphy, Richard
Date: 2018-08-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Teacher Evaluation,Peer Evaluation,Observation,Feedback (Response),Elementary School Teachers,Foreign Countries,Program Effectiveness,Academic Achievement,Teacher Influence,Faculty Development

It is well established that teachers are the most important in-school factor in determining student outcomes. However, to date there is scant robust quantitative research demonstrating that teacher training programs can have lasting impacts on student test scores. To address this gap, we conduct and evaluate a teacher peer-to-peer observation and feedback program under Randomized Control Trial (RCT) conditions. Half of 181 volunteer primary schools in England were randomly selected to participate in the two year program. We find that students of treated teachers perform no better on national tests a year after the program ended. The absence of external observers and incentives in our program may explain the contrast of these results with the small body of work which shows a positive influence of teacher observation and feedback on pupil outcomes. [Support for this research was provided by the German Science Foundation.]