ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Workforce Results Matter: &quot;The Critical Role of Employment Outcome Data in Improving Transparency of Postsecondary Education and Training&quot;
Author: Harmon, Tim
Date: 2014-04-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Outcomes of Education,Postsecondary Education,Employment Level,Employment Qualifications,Paying for College,Costs,Educational Quality,College Choice,Low Income Groups,First Generation College Students,Wages,Salaries,Student Attitudes,College Students,College Attendance,Parent Attitudes,Secondary School Students,Role of Education,Labor Market,Labor Force Development,Community Colleges

At a time of sustained unemployment and sluggish job growth, students and policymakers are increasingly asking tough questions about postsecondary education and training outcomes. Do graduates find jobs? What are they paid? What will they earn in the future? Despite growing national interest in this information, good answers are not widely available for many programs. As college costs have soared in recent years, &quot;unmet financial need&quot; (the share of college costs not covered by financial aid or what the family is expected to contribute) has also climbed sharply. Rising costs and increased student debt, combined with a weak economy, make college a riskier investment than in the past. Students and families can reduce that risk by gauging the quality of institutions and programs and choosing carefully among fields of study. Armed with better information about post-graduation outcomes, low-income and first-generation students and their families are more likely to consider the full range of programs and institutions that can help them succeed. This paper focuses on the need for better information about post-graduation outcomes of postsecondary education and training, with a particular focus on workforce results. Workforce results include employment-related outcomes, such as post-graduation employment rates and earnings levels. Survey research and other evidence reviewed below shows that consumers are keenly interested in these outcomes. This paper suggests the types of employment measures and data that would help meet this demand for better information and describes recent progress by states in producing more comprehensive and consistent information about labor market results. Federal and state policymakers are grappling with the best ways to improve employment data and incorporate metrics into higher education policy. Developing a fair, accurate method for measuring and presenting workforce results should be a top priority for institutions and policymakers at all levels of government. [For the companion report &quot;Transparency and Accountability: 'Implementing a Postsecondary Institution Rating System That Empowers Students While Avoiding Unintended Consequences'&quot;, see ED561779.]
Do Pre-Service Elementary School Teachers Still Have Mathematics Anxiety? Some Factors and Correlates
Author: Çatlioglu, Hakan
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Preservice Teachers,Elementary School Teachers,Correlation,Mathematics Anxiety,Student Surveys,Student Attitudes,Statistical Analysis,Gender Differences,Instructional Program Divisions,Rating Scales,Student Characteristics,Family Characteristics,Mathematics Achievement,Likert Scales

This study aims to provide new evidence from Turkish pre-service elementary school (PES) teachers and to identify some correlations and factors associated with mathematics anxiety (MA). 480 Turkish PES teachers participated in this study. Data was collected using a &quot;Personal Information Form,&quot; &quot;Mathematics Anxiety Scale,&quot; and &quot;Mathematics Attitude Scale.&quot; Data was analyzed using the SPSS 17.0 statistics program. It was revealed that the MA level of the participants was low, and the difference based on gender was not significant. Cross-sectional comparison indicated that freshmen were more inclined to have MA than the seniors. Based on self-reported perceptions, we found that there were significant differences related to mathematics. There was a tendency for participants with negative attitudes towards mathematics and low achievers to possess higher levels of MA. It was also found that there was a significant correlation among mathematics anxiety, mathematics achievement, and mathematics attitudes. This study will provide some guidance for the revision of course requirements and teaching strategies, and promotes collaboration between mathematics educators and counselors.
Investigation of Eighth-Grade Students' Understanding of the Slope of the Linear Function
Author: Birgin, Osman
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Middle School Students,Grade 8,Secondary School Mathematics,Mathematics Education,Mathematical Concepts,Questionnaires,Semi Structured Interviews,Statistical Analysis,Algebra,Misconceptions,Public Schools,Mathematics Instruction,Comprehension,Mathematics Skills,Accuracy,Scores,Qualitative Research

This study aimed to investigate eighth-grade students' difficulties and misconceptions and their performance of translation between the different representation modes related to the slope of linear functions. The participants were 115 Turkish eighth-grade students in a city in the eastern part of the Black Sea region of Turkey. Data was collected with an instrument consisting of seven written questions and a semi-structured interview protocol conducted with six students. Students' responses to questions were categorized and scored. Quantitative data was analyzed using the SPSS 17.0 statistical packet program with cross tables and one-way ANOVA. Qualitative data obtained from interviews was analyzed using descriptive analytical techniques. It was found that students' performance in articulating the slope of the linear function using its algebraic representation form was higher than their performance in using transformation between graphical and algebraic representation forms. It was also determined that some of them had difficulties and misunderstood linear function equations, graphs, and slopes and could not comprehend the connection between slope and the x-and y-intercepts. (Contains 4 tables and 3 figures.)
Education Tax Credits: Refundability Critical to Making Credits Helpful to Low-Income Students and Families
Author: Saunders, Katherine
Date: 2015-04-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Tax Credits,Low Income Groups,Student Financial Aid,Federal Aid,Paying for College,Socioeconomic Status,Higher Education,Access to Education,Federal Legislation,Finance Reform,Tuition,Fees,Eligibility,College Students

Half of all non-loan federal student aid is now offered as tax benefits for educational costs in the form of credits, deductions, and college savings accounts. These benefits help students and families offset the costs of their postsecondary education with tax savings. Yet, as explained in the 2013 report, &quot;Reforming Student Aid: How to Simplify Tax Aid and Use Performance Metrics to Improve College Choices and Completion,&quot; under current law, the benefits of these tax incentives overwhelmingly go to students from higher-income families who are already most likely to attend higher education institutions. Moreover, the multiple overlapping tax benefits for higher education add to the complexity of the tax code, and can result in taxpayers not claiming the benefits for which they are eligible. In both the initial report, and a follow-up report from &quot;The Reimagining Aid Design and Delivery (RADD) Consortium for Higher Education Tax Reform,&quot; a set of changes is recommended, that would both simplify the package of education tax benefits and increase the extent to which they assist students in low- and moderate-income families. With the increased need to make college more affordable for low-income students and their families, policymakers are rightfully paying attention to this issue. In the previous Congress, Representatives Diane Black (R-TN) and Danny K. Davis (D-IL) introduced H.R. 3393, the Student and Family Tax Simplification Act, which combined several tax provisions into an enhanced American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC). President Obama's proposed budget for 2016, released in February, contains a proposal that builds on this bill. And in March, Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) introduced H.R. 1260, The American Opportunity Tax Credit Act of 2015 and Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) introduced S. 699, The American Opportunity Tax Credit Permanence and Consolidation Act of 2015 that takes the current AOTC one step further by increasing and expanding current eligibility limits. While all of these proposals are designed to make the AOTC permanent, to simplify the tax code by consolidating benefits, and to increase the extent to which students and their families who do not have federal income tax liability can benefit, they vary in the details. This brief explains the tax provisions that would be affected by these proposals, compares them all, and examines how different types of students would be affected under each proposal.
Testing Trends: Considerations for Choosing and Using Assessments
Author: Woods, Julie Rowland
Date: 2015-11-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Student Evaluation,Tests,Evaluation Methods,Test Selection,Geographic Location,State Standards,Consortia,College Entrance Examinations,Planning,Test Results,High Stakes Tests,Scores,Time,Information Dissemination,Federal Legislation

While federal law requires students to be tested in math, English-language arts and science in particular grades, states are still struggling to mount the resources and expertise necessary to fully implement college and career readiness standards, let alone new assessments aligned to these higher standards. New assessments are not only more demanding of students but also come with new administrative, technological and scoring challenges. Policymakers, caught between testing and accountability requirements and their constituents' concerns, are seeking new ways to meet the needs of all stakeholders. The key questions faced by education leaders are: (1) Which assessments should we choose? and (2) How do we use those assessments? To aid education leaders and policymakers in answering these questions, this report highlights how other states have addressed these questions and their attendant issues.
The State of the State University: Critical Facts about the University of North Carolina System. Pope Center Series on Higher Education
Author: Robinson, Jenna Ashley
Date: 2013-08-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Universities,State Colleges,Educational History,Enrollment Trends,Tuition,College Admission,Graduation Rate,Student Financial Aid,Debt (Financial),Teacher Student Ratio,Administrators,College Faculty,Teacher Salaries,State Aid,Costs,College Entrance Examinations,Scores

To understand and evaluate a university's effectiveness requires a lot of information. But rarely is that information brought together in one place. This report compiles publicly available data about the University of North Carolina system. It illustrates key characteristics of the 16 campuses and how they have changed over the past decade. This information will be useful for students and parents, the public, policy-makers, university administrators, and faculty. This report shows, through graphs and tables, the University of North Carolina system's enrollment growth, tuition history, admissions data, and graduation rates. It provides information on student aid, student debt, the ratio of faculty to students, and the ratio of administrators to faculty. It includes facts about faculty salaries, state appropriations, and state subsidy of instruction costs. The Pope Center publishes this paper as part of their continuing effort to spur transparency in higher education.
The State of Charter School Authorizing 2013: Sixth Annual Report on NACSA's Authorizer Survey
Author: National Association of Charter School Authorizers
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Charter Schools,Educational Administration,School Surveys,National Surveys,Educational Quality,Accountability,Contracts

This report summarizes findings of a comprehensive national survey that covers authorizer adoption of Essential Practices, as well as important context about the evolution of the authorizing profession itself. There are some gratifying results, with near-unanimous adoption of such key practices as requiring financial audits of schools and performance contracts between authorizers and schools. The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) extensive evaluation work discloses, for example, that there can be wide variation in the quality of contracts executed by one authorizer versus another. It's clear, though, that this report presents a strong argument for capacity and scale: NACSA's survey sample includes nearly all large authorizers active during the 2012-2013 school year. Large authorizers, who oversee approximately 66% of the charter school student population, have increasingly implemented more of NACSA's Essential Practices, whether considered cross-sectionally for each year or longitudinally for authorizers that responded both years. Conversely, the 2013 results indicate that it is more difficult for small authorizers to establish a full range of professional practices. Authorizers located within traditional education systems (local and state education agencies) seem to have a harder time adopting strong authorizer practices than those located in other types of organizations. Independent chartering boards, the statewide agencies created solely to approve and oversee charter schools, score highest among all types of authorizers across a number of categories, suggesting that their tight focus on charter school quality provides a strong incentive for honing their own skills. That is one reason NACSA has fought to establish such agencies and has helped defend them when threatened by legal and political attacks.
Considerations When Including Students with Disabilities in Test Security Policies. NCEO Policy Directions. Number 23
Author: Lazarus, Sheryl
Date: 2015-02-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Disabilities,Prevention,Student Needs,Examiners,Testing,Testing Accommodations,Policy,Alternative Assessment,Information Security

Sound test security policies and procedures are needed to ensure test security and confidentiality, and to help prevent cheating. In this era when cheating on tests draws regular media attention, there is a need for thoughtful consideration of the ways in which possible test security measures may affect accessibility for some students with disabilities. Test security needs to be balanced with the access needs of some students with disabilities. Test security policies and procedures should address issues specific to students with disabilities, their access needs, and the alternate assessments that some take. This report discusses considerations when including students with disabilities in test security policies.
Strengthening the &quot;Work&quot; in Federal Work-Study: Improving Access to Financial Aid and Career-Related Work Experience for Low-Income and Post-Traditional Students
Author: Kenefick, Elizabeth
Date: 2015-01-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Low Income Groups,Work Study Programs,Federal Programs,College Students,Student Financial Aid,Nontraditional Students,Paying for College,Career Development,Barriers,Grants,State Aid,Federal Aid,School Community Relationship,Job Placement

Low-income students must increasingly rely on work and loans to meet the high costs of college. Too often, though, the jobs they take are not in their field of study, which can impair the potential for career exploration and improved employment outcomes in the future. Despite the need to combine work and school in a meaningful way, only a limited number of students have been able to finance a portion of their education through one of the nation's oldest forms of financial assistance and largest subsidized work programs: the Federal Work-Study (FWS) program. This brief aims to highlight the key challenges of the FWS program at meeting the needs of low-income and post-traditional students and provide initial recommendations to reform the program. In particular it focuses on the challenges and reforms to providing career-focused placements. The following are appended: &quot;Matching Formula Requirements&quot; and &quot;List of Institutions Interviewed.&quot;
Benefits Access for College Completion: Innovative Approaches to Meet the Financial Needs of Low-Income Students
Author: Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), Center for Postsecondary and Economic Success
Date: 2014-11-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Graduation,Low Income Groups,Access to Education,Student Financial Aid,Paying for College,College Students,Costs

Benefits Access for College Completion (BACC) was designed to help colleges develop new policies that increase low-income students' access to public benefits, easing their financial burden to allow them to finish school and earn postsecondary credentials. Colleges participating in BACC have developed and institutionalized scalable, sustainable organizational and funding policies and practices that connect low-income students to an array of public benefits. This brief reports on some of those strategies.
TANF Education and Training: Nebraska's Employment First
Author: Mohan, Lavanya
Date: 2014-02-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Welfare Services,Welfare Recipients,State Programs,Adult Education,Postsecondary Education,Federal Legislation,State Legislation,Job Training,Barriers,Transitional Programs,Employment

Nebraska's Employment First (EF) program allows parents who receive TANF cash assistance to pursue education and training that improves their ability to secure employment and long-term economic success. A parent must negotiate and sign an Employment First contract, facilitated by a case worker, between the participating parent and the state of Nebraska. The caseworker assists the parents to meet their goals by providing information about the job market, specific careers and wages; addressing barriers to employment; and providing support in seeking child care and transportation assistance. Although EF participants may be approved to attend any education or training program that helps them accomplish their goals, participants who are interested in college are encouraged to attend public community colleges where tuition and fees are more affordable than private schools. EF participants are also encouraged to join the TRIO program, a service offered by some public colleges and universities that provides support services to students with significant barriers to attend and complete college. This brief is one in a series that profiles promising approaches to supporting education and training programs under TANF.
Singapore Math®. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report. Updated December 2015
Author: What Works Clearinghouse (ED)
Date: 2015-12-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Mathematics Curriculum,Research,Design,Textbooks,Program Effectiveness,Elementary School Mathematics

This report on &quot;Singapore Math®&quot; updates the 2009 WWC review of the curriculum to include seven new studies. Despite the additional research, no studies meet WWC design standards and therefore, no conclusions can be made about the effectiveness of &quot;Singapore Math®.&quot; [For the 2009 report, &quot;Singapore Math,&quot; see ED505064.]
Strategies to Reduce Racially Disparate Outcomes in Child Welfare: A National Scan
Author: Miller, Oronde
Date: 2015-03-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: African Americans,American Indians,Hispanic Americans,Child Welfare,Social Bias,Racial Bias,Minority Group Children,Disproportionate Representation,Social Justice,Surveys,Interviews,Intervention,State Legislation,Labor Force Development,Capacity Building

This report documents the efforts underway in 12 states and localities to tackle the enduring problem of African American, Native American, and Latino families faring worse than others being served by the child welfare systems. The publication, produced by Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) as part of the work of the Alliance for Racial Equity in Child Welfare, updates a similar &quot;national scan&quot; produced nearly a decade ago covering the promising practices to address racial disproportionality in child welfare. In many states and localities across the country, there are proportionately more children of color who are referred to child- and family-serving institutions; they have longer stays in foster care, and are more likely to be placed in congregate care placements. Moreover, youth of color typically face even more challenges as they age out of child welfare systems. All of this work is done within the context of federal, state, and local efforts to improve outcomes for all children and families involved with child welfare systems. However, as attention to the disparate outcomes achieved for African American, Native American, and in some places Latino children and youth has grown, state and county systems have turned to innovative uses of legislative mandates and data analysis to spark more work to more fully understand and eliminate disparities, drive decision-making and system improvements, and to pinpoint exactly where the problems are occurring. In addition, states are deepening their training, workforce development, and capacity-building activities so that frontline workers possess a greater understanding of these issues. States are also taking on new partners--from schools to judges to pastors--to hasten the pace of eliminating disparities. Engagement with tribal governments has improved as have community-engagement efforts to bridge gaps in understanding between families and child- and family-serving systems. The publication highlights efforts underway in Connecticut; Idaho; Illinois; Iowa; Kentucky; Michigan; Minnesota state and Ramsey County in Minnesota; New York; Oregon; Allegheny County, Pennsylvania; Texas; and Utah. The following are appended: (1) Public Systems, Professionals and Other Institutions Involved in Child Welfare-Related Racial Equity Efforts; and (2) Summary Table of Features of State and Local Efforts to Reduce Racial Disproportionality and Disparities in Child Welfare.
Suspending in School Suspension?: Is ISS a Valid Means of Disciplinary Action to Reduce Negative Student Behaviors?
Author: Rahynes, Leron M.
Date: 2015-11-24
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Middle School Students,Grade 6,Grade 7,Grade 8,Student Behavior,Behavior Problems,Males,Program Effectiveness,Suspension,Recidivism,Statistical Analysis,Validity,Reliability

This paper explored whether or not In School Suspensions (ISS) is effective in reducing student behavioral problems. Research was conducted with 6-8th grade students in a rural middle school in the upstate of South Carolina for the purposes of determining if ISS, in its current design a viable and effective method to reduce negative student behaviors. The study concluded that it was not an effective method for reduction of negative student behaviors and that an overwhelming majority of students assigned ISS throughout the 2014-2015 school year could be demographically profiled as male 7th grade students receiving a regular education curriculum. This study provides valuable information, perspective, and an eye opening picture into one of the most commonly used forms of discipline in middle and high schools across the nation. The approved research proposal is appended.