ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
MentorLinks: Advancing Technological Education, 2008-2010
Author: Hause, Ellen M., Ed.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Credentials,Information Technology,Educational Opportunities,Experiential Learning,Technical Education,Biotechnology,Curriculum Development,Paraprofessional Personnel,College Programs,Technical Assistance,Community Colleges,STEM Education,Networks,Mentors,Professional Development,Grants,Program Implementation,Geographic Information Systems,Energy,School Business Relationship,Labor Force Development

MentorLinks, part of the Advancing Technological Education program supported by the National Science Foundation and administered by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), provides technical assistance and networking opportunities to improve community college programs that prepare technicians in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The program works with community colleges to establish connections for new ideas and relationships through networking opportunities at program meetings and national conferences, and to gain insight on building, improving, and sustaining new and existing programs. MentorLinks features professional development opportunities for community colleges, with a special emphasis on mentoring. Through a national grant competition, AACC selected nine community colleges and nine mentors working in diverse areas of technician education to participate in a two-year grant project beginning in October 2008. MentorLinks pairs community colleges seeking help with program development with an experienced mentor in their discipline. Mentors have strong credentials and extensive experience in planning and implementing advanced technology programs. Each college receives a total of $15,000 in direct funding for program development, and additional monies for travel support to attend national project meetings and conferences. The nine MentorLinks projects, which represent a diverse range of technical education, are developing new or strengthening existing programs in (1) biotechnology; (2) geospatial technology; (3) construction technology; (4) information technology; (5) welding technology; (6) energy efficiency and assessment; (7) renewable energy and (8) laboratory science technician training. With their mentors, these colleges work to develop curriculum, implement changes in ongoing programs to be more responsive to industry and employer needs, provide professional development programs for faculty and staff, recruit students, offer experiential learning opportunities to students, engage local industry and employers more closely with the colleges, increase recognition and program support among college administrators, and leverage additional funding. Their efforts, in just the first year of the program, have resulted in the creation of new courses, degrees, certificates, departments, industry partnerships, and workforce development programs. (Contains 6 web resources.)
Improving Student Learning Outcomes with Service Learning
Author: Prentice, Mary
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Learner Engagement,Majors (Students),College Faculty,Community Colleges,Grants,Service Learning,Focus Groups,Outcomes of Education,Statistical Analysis,Qualitative Research,Surveys,College Students,Career Choice,Program Descriptions

In 2006 the Learn and Serve America program of the Corporation for National and Community Service awarded a three-year grant to the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). Selected through a national competition, thirteen colleges participated in AACC's "Community Colleges Broadening Horizons through Service Learning" grant project. AACC measured learning outcomes attainment for students at the "Horizons" grantee colleges. To investigate the relationship between service learning participation and academic learning, AACC used both quantitative and qualitative methodologies as evaluation tools for its 2006-2009 "Horizons" grant project. AACC developed two quantitative instruments (one addressing students, one addressing faculty) after reviewing the institutional learning outcomes of multiple higher education institutions across the nation. To further explore how service learning affected student learning, AACC conducted five student focus groups and three faculty focus groups during spring 2009. In this study, student learning was assessed in relation to service learning participation through an end-of-course survey. Enhancement of learning was detected in the community college students who participated in service learning, either as a course option or a requirement. Additionally, the voices of community college faculty and students in this study validate the benefits of the service learning pedagogy as an active, engaged method of learning skills and knowledge that will be important beyond graduation. Through this study's results, those community college faculty and students who have experienced service learning appear to affirm that service learning is a key strategy for student engagement and a valuable learning tool for students across disciplines and academic majors, while at the same time providing these students with experiences that dissolve the classroom walls and help launch them more solidly into their careers of choice. (Contains 3 figures and 14 web resources.)
The Plus 50 Initiative Evaluation: Initiative Impact
Author: American Association of Community Colleges
Date: 2012-01-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Community Colleges,Exhibits,Evaluation,Two Year Colleges,Higher Education,Older Adults,Adult Students,Adult Learning,Career Development

The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), with funding from The Atlantic Philanthropies, created the Plus 50 Initiative (2008-2012). This initiative was designed to build the capacity of community colleges nationwide to develop programming that engages the plus 50 learner. This report contains: (1) An overview of the Plus 50 Initiative; (2) Information about the impact that the Plus 50 Initiative has had on students, community colleges, and the field; and (3) A discussion of what's next for Plus 50, and how the program continues to impact the field. Appended are: (1) Methods; and (2) Plus 50 Grantees, by Program Track. (Contains 11 exhibits.)
Reclaiming the American Dream: Community Colleges and the Nation’s Future. A Report from the 21st-Century Commission on the Future of Community Colleges
Author: American Association of Community Colleges
Date: 2012-04-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Credentials,Accountability,Democratic Values,Community Colleges,College Presidents,Expertise,Two Year Colleges,Higher Education,College Faculty,College Students,Academic Achievement,Educational Attainment,Partnerships in Education,Achievement Gap,Educational Experience,Outcomes of Education,Educational Practices

In the summer of 2011, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) launched a new 21st-Century Initiative. The overall goal of the initiative is to educate an additional 5 million students with degrees, certificates, or other credentials by 2020. Grounded in the enduring commitment of community colleges to improving the lives of students through opportunity and excellence, the initiative, which enjoyed the support of the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation, the Kresge Foundation, ACT, and the Educational Testing Service, unfolded in two phases. In Phase 1, a listening tour, AACC staff gathered information from across the nation on student access, institutional accountability, budget constraints, big ideas for the future, and what AACC can do for its members. During that activity, AACC staff heard from more than 1,300 stakeholders in 10 regions of the country--students, college faculty and staff, administrators, trustees, state policymakers, and college presidents and chancellors. The 21st-Century Commission on the Future of Community Colleges represents Phase 2 of the AACC effort. The Commission was handed an imposing charge. Recognizing that emerging challenges require unprecedented vision, ingenuity, courage, and focus from community colleges, the Commission was asked both to safeguard the fundamental mission of the community college--ensuring that millions of diverse and often underserved students attain a high-quality college education--and to challenge community colleges to imagine a new future for themselves, to ensure the success of our students, our institutions, and our nation. In this investigation, everything was to be put on the table, including the issues of the nation's prosperity and its global competitiveness, community college student success and completion rates, equity of access and outcomes across student groups, public accountability for institutional performance and student success, and effectiveness and efficiency in preparing students for real jobs paying family-supporting wages. This report, &quot;Reclaiming the American Dream,&quot; is the culmination of that effort. Appended are: (1) Members of the 21st-Century Commission on the Future of Community Colleges; (2) Experts Who Presented to the Commission; (3) Overview of the Listening Tour; and (4) List of 21st-Century Commission Working Briefs. (Contains 3 figures, 7 tables and 25 source notes.)
Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning: A Review of State-Level Policy and Practice, 2006
Author: Watson, John
Date: 2006-10-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Educational Policy,State Policy,Policy Analysis,State Programs,Governance,Educational Legislation,Educational Finance,Educational Practices,Accountability,Program Descriptions,Profiles,Teaching Methods,Glossaries,Educational Resources,Elementary Secondary Education,Charter Schools,Teacher Education,Academic Achievement,Models,Dual Enrollment,State Surveys,Interviews,Virtual Classrooms,Electronic Learning,Educational Technology,Online Courses,Computer Assisted Instruction,Internet,Synchronous Communication,Asynchronous Communication,Blended Learning,Distance Education,State Agencies,National Surveys

This report is the third in a series of annual reports looking at the state of online education across the country. The goal of "Keeping Pace" is to be a useful document for policymakers and practitioners, and as such it takes a journalistic approach to research and writing instead of an academic approach. This report has two goals: first, to add to the body of knowledge about online education policy and make recommendations for advances; and second, to serve as a reference source for information about programs and policies across the country. With these twin goals in mind, the report starts with sections exploring key issues such as funding, teaching, and accountability, including analysis and recommendations. The second part of the report includes information on programs and policies across the country, broken down by regions and states. Profiles are provided for over 80% of states; for the remaining states, insufficient information did not warrant a profile. Although presented first, the key issues section of the document builds on the state profiles in the second section. The state profiles contain most of the footnotes and references to source documents. Appended are: (1) Glossary of online learning terms; and (2) Online learning policy resources. (Contains 84 footnotes.) [Additional funding for this paper was provided by the Illinois Virtual High School.]
Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning: An Annual Review of Policy and Practice, 2011
Author: Watson, John
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Electronic Learning,Schools,Elementary Secondary Education,State Policy,Educational Policy,Profiles,Educational Quality,Accountability,Educational Research,Educational Planning,Institutional Characteristics,Reports,Access to Education,Supplementary Education,Barriers,Enrollment,Blended Learning,School Districts,Consortia,Colleges,State Schools,Costs,Educational Finance,Financial Support,Student Characteristics,Preservice Teacher Education,Accreditation (Institutions),Online Courses,Graduation Requirements,Armed Forces

This is the eighth annual &quot;Keeping Pace&quot; report. When the authors look back on 2011 from some future year, it may be clear in retrospect that 2011 was the year that online and blended learning went digital, transcending their distance-learning or computer-based instruction origins and taking root in classrooms and schools across the country. As they have researched and written this year's &quot;Keeping Pace,&quot; the authors have found that four themes appear repeatedly, across states and across policies. These themes provide a lens to interpret the landscape: (1) Innovators sometimes overlook the benefits, and challenges, of &quot;traditional&quot; online learning; (2) Many states have created or allowed some online and blended learning opportunities, but no state has yet created or allowed a full range of online learning options for students. In many states, students still have few options; (3) Developing an online or blended program requires a high level of investment to be successful or a willingness to work with an experienced partner; and (4) State must invest in planning for data tracking, transparency, and accountability measures to ensure that online and blended learning provide opportunities and positive outcomes. Methodology is appended. (Contains 10 figures, 16 tables, and 361 footnotes.) [Additional funding for this paper was provided by Connections Education, LearningMate, National Repository of Online Courses, Santa Cruz County Office of Education, and VLN Partners. For &quot;Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning: An Annual Review of Policy and Practice, 2010,&quot; see ED535910.]
Coaching in Early Education Classrooms Serving Children with Autism: A Pilot Study
Author: Wilson, Kaitlyn P.
Date: 2012-04-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Early Intervention,Autism,Early Childhood Education,Coaching (Performance),Young Children,Teamwork,Interpersonal Communication,Comparative Analysis,Program Effectiveness,Communication Skills,Play,Pervasive Developmental Disorders,Social Development,Self Contained Classrooms

Coaching is gaining attention as a promising professional development approach in early education. However, in practice, many adult educators continue to rely on methods with inconsistent effectiveness, such as one-time trainings and workshops. In addition, there is limited evidence supporting the use of specific coaching models in early education. This article describes the development and pilot study of a coaching model developed to support early education teams in implementation of the supplemental intervention for preschoolers with autism, Advancing Social-communication and Play (ASAP). Two early education teams were assigned to each of the following groups: those who received ASAP training, those who received ASAP training and coaching, and a control group that received no support related to the intervention. Through descriptive analysis of qualitative and quantitative data, preliminary results of this pilot study suggest the coaching model impacted teams' collaborative practices and adherence to key elements of the intervention approach. Implications and practical applications are outlined for early education professionals and researchers who may implement coaching to support intervention efforts for students with autism. (Contains 1 figure and 3 tables.) [This article was published in: &quot;Early Childhood Education Journal&quot; 40(2), 97-105. (Online publication date: November 2011; Publication Date: April 2012).]
Brain-Based Teaching: Does It Really Work?
Author: Calhoun, Christie F.
Date: 2012-04-15
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Advanced Students,Teaching Methods,Brain,Learning Processes,Cognitive Processes,Brain Hemisphere Functions

In an effort to keep up with today's advanced students, methods and strategies used in modern classrooms are ever-changing. In this manuscript, one method is discussed. Whole brain teaching has recently come to the forefront of education research. How does the brain affect learning? How can teachers ensure that students are actively engaged in the learning process? Does whole brain teaching really help students learn? Increasing research has indicated that involving all parts of the brain in the learning process does, in fact, increase student achievement. Implications of brain based teaching, strategies for determining the primary hemisphere preferred by learners, methods for implementing brain based teaching, and research findings of studies are addressed in this manuscript.
Third Grade Literacy Policies: Identification, Intervention, Retention
Author: Rose, Stephanie
Date: 2012-03-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Early Reading,Reading Skills,Reading Comprehension,Grade 3,Reading Improvement,Reading Achievement,State Policy,Educational Policy,Identification,Reading Difficulties,Scoring,Grade Repetition,Economic Impact,Intervention,Knowledge Level,Foreign Countries,Comparative Education

Students not reading proficiently by the end of 3rd grade are four times more likely than proficient readers to drop out of high school. This fact and other recent research on the importance of early literacy skills have culminated in an intense focus on improving 3rd-grade reading proficiency. The challenges of improving literacy are, in turn, causing more state leaders to confront the difficult question: &quot;Should students who do not have the requisite knowledge and reading skills to succeed in the next grade be retained? The growing number of state initiatives aimed at addressing 3rd-grade reading proficiency includes three elements: (1) Early identification of reading difficulties; (2) Interventions that occur as close to the point of need as possible; and (3) Retention. In this paper, the authors address the strategy that is causing the most angst across the states: retention. They also stress the importance of and need for early identification and intervention strategies. To illustrate, they describe the experiences of both Florida and New York City. Finally, they outline strategies to help ensure that a far greater number of young readers leave the early grades at a proficient level of knowledge and skills. Appended are: (1) Florida's &quot;Good Cause&quot; Exemptions for students scoring below a 2 on the FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test); and (2) Percentage of students in OECD countries reporting that they have repeated a grade at least once in primary, lower secondary or upper secondary school. (Contains 27 endnotes.) [This paper was supported in part by Pre-K Now. For the summary report, &quot;Third Grade Reading Policies,&quot; see ED535948.]
Accountability Issues to Watch under NCLB Waivers
Author: Kober, Nancy
Date: 2012-10-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: State Standards,Accountability,Public Education,Elementary Secondary Education,Federal Legislation,Educational Improvement,Academic Standards,Educational Legislation,Educational Assessment,Academic Achievement,Compliance (Legal),Educational Objectives,Goal Orientation,Federal Programs,Educational Indicators,Low Achievement,Intervention,Access to Information,Disclosure,Elementary School Students,Secondary School Students

In September 2011, the Obama Administration invited states to apply for waivers of key requirements of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The Administration's waiver initiative offers states the flexibility to move away from the flawed provisions of NCLB, including several significant requirements intended to hold schools accountable for raising student achievement. The waivers also give states a chance to design new accountability systems that incorporate the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and common assessments being developed with the leadership and cooperation of many states. As of September 1, 2012, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) had approved waiver applications from 33 states and D.C. These waivers will remain in effect through 2013-14, and states will have to request an extension for future years. This report highlights issues to watch over the next few years as states with waivers implement new accountability systems. For each of the issues discussed in this report, the authors have tried to consider the implications for public education systems, teachers, and students. The discussion must be speculative because the new systems are just getting underway, and key details have yet to be determined in some states.
What Impact Will NCLB Waivers Have on the Consistency, Complexity and Transparency of State Accountability Systems?
Author: Riddle, Wayne
Date: 2012-10-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Academic Achievement,Accountability,Elementary Secondary Education,Federal Legislation,Standards,Comparative Analysis

In September 2011, the Obama Administration initiated a program to grant states waivers of several significant requirements of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). This initiative grew out of a concern that &quot;in its implementation, No Child Left Behind had some serious flaws that are hurting our children instead of helping them,&quot; as President Obama noted in a speech announcing the waivers (The White House, 2011). The provisions that can be waived include several requirements of NCLB intended to hold schools accountable for raising student achievement. To receive NCLB waivers, states must apply to the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and must meet various requirements not currently in federal law. These new requirements relate to adopting college- and career-ready standards and assessments, developing differentiated accountability systems, implementing teacher and principal evaluation systems that factor in growth in student achievement, and reducing administrative burden. This report compares the new accountability provisions in the waiver states with those in the NCLB statute. Examples from select waiver states are included to illustrate how these new provisions will work within some specific statewide accountability systems. The report focuses on the complexity, transparency, and consistency across states of the new accountability systems in the waiver states, both on their own terms and in comparison with the NCLB statutory requirements. (Contains 4 footnotes.)