ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Private School Choice: Accountability in State Tax Credit Scholarship Programs. Report to Congressional Requesters. GAO-19-664
Author: Nowicki, Jacqueline M.
Date: 2019-09-00
Type: Legal/Legislative/Regulatory Materials
Subjects: School Choice,Private Schools,Accountability,Tax Credits,Scholarships,State Programs,Elementary Secondary Education,Program Implementation,Standards,Financial Audits,Core Curriculum,Attendance,Organizations (Groups)

All tax credit scholarship (TCS) programs are state programs. States develop program policies and requirements, including establishing the roles and responsibilities of scholarship granting organizations (SGOs) and participating private schools. The President's fiscal year 2020 budget request included a proposal for federal tax credits for donations to state-authorized SGOs. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) was asked to review key characteristics related to accountability in state TCS programs that can fund K-12 educational expenses. This report examines (1) key requirements state TCS programs have chosen to establish for SGOs; (2) key requirements for private schools participating in state TCS programs; and (3) how selected states implement TCS programs and assess whether SGOs and participating private schools are following key state requirements. GAO identified key requirements states may choose to establish related to accountability for SGOs and schools based on relevant research and prior work. GAO also reviewed program documents from all 22 TCS programs to identify whether they had these key requirements as of school year 2018-2019 and then verified this information with state program officials. GAO did not conduct an independent review of state laws and regulations. GAO visited Arizona, Florida, and Pennsylvania, which have the largest TCS programs. In each of these states, GAO reviewed program documents and interviewed officials at state agencies and staff at selected SGOs and private schools (selected to provide variation in size and other characteristics).
Public Service Loan Forgiveness: Improving the Temporary Expanded Process Could Help Reduce Borrower Confusion. Report to Congressional Requesters. GAO-19-595
Author: Emrey-Arras, Melissa
Date: 2019-09-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Student Loan Programs,Loan Repayment,Federal Programs,Eligibility,Program Evaluation,Financial Aid Applicants,Access to Information,Information Dissemination,Web Sites

The Department of Education's (Education) process for obtaining Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness (TEPSLF) is not clear to borrowers. Established in 2007, the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program forgives federal student loans for borrowers who work for certain public service employers for at least 10 years while making 120 payments via eligible repayment plans, among other requirements. In 2018, Congress funded TEPSLF to help borrowers who faced barriers obtaining PSLF loan forgiveness because they were on repayment plans that were ineligible for PSLF. Congress also required Education to develop a simple method for borrowers to apply for TEPSLF. Education established a process for borrowers to initiate their TEPSLF requests via e-mail. The agency also required TESPLF applicants to submit a separate PSLF application before it would consider their TEPSLF request. Agency officials said they established this process to quickly implement TEPSLF and obtain the information needed to determine borrower eligibility. However, the process can be confusing for borrowers who do not understand why they must apply separately for PSLF--a program they are ineligible for--to be eligible for TEPSLF. This report examines: (1) the extent to which the process for obtaining TEPSLF is clear to borrowers; (2) what is known about loan forgiveness approvals and denials; and (3) the extent to which Education has conducted TEPSLF outreach. Based on the findings, GAO made four recommendations, including that Education integrate the TEPSLF request into the PSLF application, require all loan servicers to include TEPSLF information on their websites, and include TEPSLF information in its PSLF Online Help Tool. Education agreed with GAO's recommendations.
Private Student Loans: Clarification from CFPB Could Help Ensure More Consistent Opportunities and Treatment for Borrowers. Report to Congressional Committees. GAO-19-430
Author: Cackley, Alicia Puente
Date: 2019-05-00
Type: Legal/Legislative/Regulatory Materials
Subjects: Student Loan Programs,Private Financial Support,Loan Default,Loan Repayment,Risk,Credit (Finance)

The Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act enabled lenders to offer a rehabilitation program to private student loan borrowers who have a reported default on their credit report. The lender may remove the reported default from credit reports if the borrower meets certain conditions. Congress included a provision in statute for the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review the implementation and effects of these programs. This report examines (1) the factors affecting financial institutions' participation in private student loan rehabilitation programs, (2) the risks the programs may pose to financial institutions, and (3) the effects the programs may have on student loan borrowers' access to credit. GAO reviewed applicable statutes and agency guidance. GAO also asked a credit scoring firm to simulate the effect on borrowers' credit scores of removing student loan defaults. GAO also interviewed representatives of regulators, some of the largest private student loan lenders, other credit providers, credit bureaus, credit scoring firms, and industry and consumer advocacy organizations. GAO is making two recommendations, including that Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) provide written clarification to nonbank private student loan lenders on their authority to offer private student loan rehabilitation programs. CFPB does not plan to take action on this recommendation and stated that it was premature to take action on the second recommendation. GAO maintains that both recommendations are valid, as discussed in this report.
Accountability for Gifted and Talented Student Learning. Position Statement
Author: National Association for Gifted Children
Date: 2014-07-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Academically Gifted,Accountability,Academic Achievement,Socioeconomic Status,Racial Differences,Ethnicity,Evaluation Methods,Student Evaluation

Nationally, results on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP; NCES, 2013) exams in mathematics and reading indicate no significant improvement over time in the percentage of students scoring at advanced levels in any age group. While progress is being made in raising the achievement of students in the lowest 10%, the achievement of students in the top 10% is languishing. Large gaps persist at the advanced level of achievement on NAEP and on state assessments between socio-economic and racial subgroups. The National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) promotes accountability systems that support the adequate measurement and reporting of the learning growth of gifted learners from all socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic backgrounds. These accountability systems must include assessments that measure above-grade level achievement equitably and accurately, which can be used to better match curriculum and instruction to gifted students' needs, design programs and services, and inform professional development for educational personnel.
Supporting the Changing Practices of Teaching in Business at Queens College, City University of New York. An Ithaka S+R Research Project. Local Report
Author: Mellone, James Tasato
Date: 2019-11-05
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Business Administration Education,Librarian Teacher Cooperation,College Faculty,Library Services,Teaching Methods,Academic Libraries,Learner Engagement,Career Readiness,Information Literacy,Library Instruction,Personnel Needs,Educational Resources,Educational Facilities

This investigation sheds light on the teaching practices of Queens College (QC) faculty in Business. It identifies the Business faculty's teaching support needs in order to develop ideas for improving Library services to them. This report is the result of research conducted under the guidance of Ithaka S+R, and in accordance with Office of Regulatory Compliance procedures at QC. Using a grounded theory approach to qualitative research, the investigators conducted in-person audio-recorded semi-structured interviews of seven full-time QC faculty who teach Business courses. Evidence derived from the transcribed interviews informed analysis of the current state of QC's Business teaching experience, covering the areas of teaching methods, curricular goals &amp; examinations, teaching tools, student outcomes &amp; challenges, and teaching sources. This report concludes that the Library can investigate support opportunities in six areas through further discussions within its department, with potential college partners, and with the Business faculty. (1) Events in Library spaces may foster Business student engagement and career readiness; (2) Instruction efforts can expand the Library teaching of Business-related information and skills; (3) Personnel knowledgeable to teach Business-related information and skills are needed; (4) Promotion efforts may be able to address student challenges; (5) Resources, new or improved, can be acquired for Business-related information content; and (6) Spaces can be extended for all kinds of teaching, and new spaces can be developed for data &amp; trading.
Social Emotional Health Survey-Secondary--2015 Edition
Author: Furlong, Michael J.
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Surveys,Psychometrics,Test Validity,Mental Health,Wellness,Self Efficacy,Self Concept,Persistence,School Role,Family Role,Peer Influence,Emotional Response,Self Control,Empathy,Psychological Patterns,Socioeconomic Status,Cultural Differences,Mental Disorders,Grades (Scholastic),Beliefs,Racial Differences,Ethnicity,Age Differences,Quality of Life,High School Students,Test Reliability,Screening Tests,School Districts,Secondary Education,Secondary School Students

This manual reports on the development and validation of the original Social Emotional Health Survey-Secondary (carried out between 2012 and 2017). We shared the first version of the SEHS-S because it had sufficient validation evidence based on research completed by 2015; hence, the form reported on in this manual is called the SEHS-S (2015) version. We want to convey to our colleagues that the original SEHS-S (2015) version has an impressive body of evidence supporting it core psychometric properties, structural validity, criterion, and predictive validity (see: www.covitalityucsb.info/research.html for a list of research studies). The SEHS-S (2015) has been used in scores of research projects and by schools in 13 U.S. states to support universal monitoring of students' complete mental wellness. Hence, the SEHS-S (2015) can be used with confidence for research and applied program continuity purposes.
A Definition of Giftedness That Guides Best Practice. Position Statement
Author: National Association for Gifted Children
Date: 2019-07-11
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Academically Gifted,Definitions,Best Practices,Talent Identification,Student Characteristics,Ethnic Groups,Disproportionate Representation,Socioeconomic Status,Gifted Education,Access to Education,Learning Disabilities,Academic Accommodations (Disabilities),Interpersonal Competence,Social Development,Emotional Development,Student Needs

The National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) believes it is essential to define giftedness in a way that both reflects best thinking in the field and moves beyond a focus on identification criteria to a deeper understanding of the complex nature of giftedness and the multi-faceted approach to services required to appropriately serve students with gifts and talents. In this position statement, NAGC provides a definition of giftedness which includes five key elements educators in all settings must address to ensure equitable identification and comprehensive services.
Differentiating Curriculum and Instruction for Gifted and Talented Students. Position Statement
Author: National Association for Gifted Children
Date: 2014-03-22
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Individualized Instruction,Academically Gifted,Curriculum Design,Educational Practices,Teaching Methods,Grouping (Instructional Purposes),Pacing,Student Evaluation

Most gifted children in the United States spend the majority of their school time in regular classroom settings, grouped with age peers who have a wide range of academic achievement and potential. This expansive range of needs in every classroom underscores the importance of assessing all students appropriately and providing differentiated curriculum and instruction that will promote their learning. Differentiation includes: (1) the design and/or selection of curriculum; (2) the selection and use of instructional practices, including grouping strategies, varied resources, and variations to the pacing of instruction; and (3) the assessment of learning, all of which rely on assessment evidence demonstrating learner differences. The National Association for Gifted Children maintains that at a minimum, schools must ensure that gifted children are provided with appropriately differentiated curriculum and instruction to support continuous growth in the regular classroom setting. However, differentiation must be viewed as an approach that is necessary but not sufficient to comprehensive service delivery for gifted learners (Hertberg-Davis, 2009). Differentiation within heterogeneous classrooms should not replace more intensive services for gifted learners that may be provided through resource support, full-class grouping models, or other approaches.
Career Pathways for Adult Learners in Chicago, Houston, and Miami: Final Report
Author: Prins, Esther
Date: 2018-05-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Adult Education,Adult Students,Career Development,Immigrants,Program Design,Program Implementation,Educational Practices,Educational Policy,Student Characteristics,Outcome Measures,Job Skills,Skill Development,Career Planning,Employment Services,Social Agencies,Coordination

The purpose of this study was to examine how adult education providers in Chicago, Houston, and Miami are designing and implementing career pathways (CP) programming, especially for adults who are immigrants or have barriers to employment and education. The researcher-practitioner partnership included the Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy at The Pennsylvania State University and three community partners serving as liaisons for each city: Chicago Citywide Literacy Coalition, Houston Center for Literacy, and Miami-Dade County Public Schools. The project included three research phases: (1) a survey of adult education providers (n=147); (2) focus groups with adult education providers (n=18); and (3) case studies of six programs (two per city). The report includes detailed findings from survey data regarding adult education and career pathways provision in each city (e.g., organizational type, funding sources, enrollment, types of classes and services, occupational sectors); coordination and planning across CP providers (e.g., opportunities for planning and coordination, perceived effectiveness); student characteristics and demographics; program design and delivery (e.g., partnerships, entry requirements, instructional approaches, support services); student outcomes (e.g., type of outcome measure). Findings from the qualitative data focus on program design and implementation (e.g., contextualized instruction, support services, access for lower-level students); practices and policies that shape CP programming (e.g., partnerships, measurement and data collection, policies); citywide CP coordination; and factors that contributed to success at one or more sites. The following are appended: data collection instruments and additional survey responses.
Online Learning, Offline Outcomes: Online Course-Taking and High School Student Performance
Author: Hart, Cassandra M. D.
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Electronic Learning,Online Courses,Academic Achievement,Outcomes of Education,High School Students,Graduation,Readiness,Repetition,Required Courses,Probability,English,Mathematics,Sciences,Social Studies,Course Selection (Students)

This article uses fixed effects models to estimate differences in contemporaneous and downstream academic outcomes for students who take courses virtually and face-to-face--both for initial attempts and for credit recovery. We find that while contemporaneous outcomes are positive for virtual students in both settings, downstream outcomes vary by attempt type. For first-time course takers, virtual course taking is associated with decreases in the likelihood of taking and passing follow-on courses and in graduation readiness (based on a proxy measure). For credit recovery students, virtual course taking is associated with an increased likelihood of taking and passing follow-on courses and being in line for graduation. Supplemental analyses suggest that selection on unobservables would have to be substantial to render these results null. [This article was published in &quot;AERA Open&quot; (EJ1210509).]
The College Students&apos; Perspective on What Makes an Educator Well-Qualified
Author: Asio, John Mark R.
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: College Students,Student Attitudes,College Faculty,Teacher Qualifications,Teacher Characteristics,Foreign Countries,Teaching Skills,Student Evaluation of Teacher Performance

The educators of the 21st century have a great task ahead. In today's world, the educators are expected to have a great deal of professional and personal qualities, and extraordinary skills. This descriptive-correlational study aimed to determine perceptions of college students on a well-qualified educator. The study included 123 selected college students from different colleges in Central Luzon, Philippines using a convenience sampling technique. As data collection tool, a questionnaire prepared by the researcher team was used. Some of the findings of the study include: (1) the respondents answered agree on the context of professional and personal qualities that a teacher should have; (2) while in terms of the skills exhibited by an educator, it got an answer to Very Satisfactory. We also found significant differences in professional qualities, learning and innovation skills and life and career skills when grouped according to the respondent's profile. There was low-to-moderate evidence of the relationship that existed between the qualities and skills of an educator. The results further confirmed the relationship through regression analysis and found that communication skills affect the qualities of an educator. Based on the results, we discussed and recommended practical suggestions on professional, personal and skills improvements of an educator.
Post-9/11 GI Bill: Veterans Affected by School Closures. Testimony before the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, Committee on Veterans&apos; Affairs, House of Representatives. GAO-19-553T
Author: Emrey-Arras, Melissa
Date: 2019-06-19
Type: Legal/Legislative/Regulatory Materials
Subjects: Veterans,Veterans Education,Federal Legislation,School Closing,Federal Programs,Tuition,Outcomes of Education,Federal Aid,Fees,Grants,Student Financial Aid,Higher Education

The Post-9/11 GI Bill is the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA's) largest educational program. It provides payments for eligible veterans to cover tuition and fees, housing and other costs while they pursue a higher education. However, for some veterans this pursuit is interrupted when the school they attend unexpectedly closes. This testimony addresses: (1) the distribution of Post-9/11 GI Bill tuition and fee payments among schools; (2) outcomes of students at schools that receive the most Post-9/11 GI Bill payments; and (3) how school closures can affect student veterans. To address these topics, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reviewed VA data on Post-9/11 GI Bill tuition and fee payments to schools for fiscal year 2017, the most recent school-level data available. GAO analyzed student outcome measures for these schools using Department of Education data reported for school year 2017-2018. GAO also reviewed its prior reports issued between 2013 and 2017 on school closures, credit transfers, and related challenges faced by student veterans. The Post-9/11 GI Bill has provided valuable education benefits to millions of veterans who attend a wide range of schools. However, when schools abruptly shut their doors, it can leave student veterans--who already face unique challenges in an academic environment--without a clear path to continuing their education and can force taxpayers to cover the cost of restoring their benefits and discharged student loans. As the number of school closures has increased in recent years, the risks and challenges associated with such closures are particularly salient for student veterans, their families, and the federal government.
Small Business Administration: Preliminary Observations on Efforts to Foster Entrepreneurship with Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Testimony before the Subcommittee on Investigations, Oversight, and Regulations, Committee on Small Business, House of Representatives. GAO-19-515T
Author: Ortiz, Anna Maria
Date: 2019-04-00
Type: Legal/Legislative/Regulatory Materials
Subjects: Black Colleges,Small Businesses,Entrepreneurship,Business Administration Education,Public Agencies,Capacity Building,Planning,School Business Relationship,Federal Programs,Federal Government,Government Role,College Students,Training,Partnerships in Education

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) play an important and unique role in the higher education system and in their local and regional economies. Small Business Administration (SBA) works with many colleges and universities to provide entrepreneurial training and counseling on campuses. SBA is also part of a long-standing White House Initiative to expand the capacity of HBCUs, including their ability to participate in federal programs. However, little is known about the extent to which SBA has worked with the 101 HBCUs to foster entrepreneurship among students and others. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) reviewed recent executive orders related to enhancing HBCU capacities; agency documents, including SBA's 2018 agency plan for supporting HBCUs; and statutes and regulations for key programs and activities. GAO also interviewed SBA headquarters and selected district officials based on criteria including (1) the number of HBCUs in the state, and (2) agreements, if any, between HBCUs and SBA. GAO also interviewed six HBCUs based on their relationship with SBA.