ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
English Learner Education in Minnesota. Fall 2018 Report
Author: Minnesota Department of Education
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: English Language Learners,English (Second Language),Elementary Secondary Education,Educational Legislation,Federal Legislation,Cultural Pluralism,Student Diversity,Student Needs,Preschool Education,School Readiness,State Aid,Language Proficiency,Literacy,Educational Finance,Federal Aid,Language Usage,Refugees,Immigrants,Special Education,Standardized Tests,Academic Achievement,Migrant Education,State Legislation,Civil Rights Legislation,Court Litigation

The ability to communicate in multiple languages and navigate distinct cultural settings are significant assets that need to be understood and supported in schools. Minnesota values schools that strive to recognize and build on the linguistic and cultural resources of students and families. Recognizing and building on the strengths and resources of multilingual learners not only supports the continued development and exploration of their home languages and cultures, but also can create welcoming and supporting spaces in which students take academic risks and more fully engage in school and classroom communities. In 2014 the Learning English for Academic Proficiency and Success (LEAPS) Act became law, signaling a shift toward more inclusive education policies that honor multilingualism and cultural competency as assets. Another important recent development is the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) in the form of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). This required states to work with stakeholders to develop statewide identification and exit procedures and criteria for multilingual learners identified for English learner (EL) status. Systems should be in place to allow identification of eligible multilingual learners in Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) and School Readiness Plus programs for EL status. Students enrolled in these state funded programs can also generate additional EL funds that count against the seven-year funding cap on State EL Aid. With that in mind, the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) strongly recommends that all multilingual learners in early learning settings have structured opportunities to develop their home language and literacy along with English language and literacy. This report is intended for a number of audiences. It provides statutory and regulatory background information as well as Supreme Court cases pertaining to English learners. It describes MDE's support of LEAs in implementing effective language instruction educational programs to ensure ELs are able to reach their academic potential. Additionally, it reports information about state and federal funds available to support ELs in Minnesota.
Measuring Organizational Conditions for Improving Quality. Research Notes
Author: McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership at National Louis University
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Educational Quality,Educational Improvement,Early Childhood Education,Decision Making,Program Evaluation,Guidelines,Instructional Leadership,Leadership Effectiveness,Teacher Collaboration,Preschool Teachers,Educational Environment,Teaching Methods,Family Involvement,Parent Attitudes,Evaluation Methods,Reliability,Validity,Teacher Surveys,Parent Surveys,Teacher Attitudes,Classroom Environment,Scores,Factor Analysis

Leaders, policymakers, and systems developers seek to improve early childhood programs through data driven decision-making. Data can be useful for informing continuous quality improvement efforts at the classroom and program level and for creating support for workforce development at the system level. Early childhood program leaders use assessments to help them understand their programs' strengths and to draw attention to where supports are needed. The &quot;Early Education Essentials&quot; is a recently developed tool to examine program conditions that affect early childhood education instructional and emotional quality. It is patterned after the Five Essentials Framework, which is widely used to measure instructional supports in K-12 schools. The &quot;Early Education Essentials&quot; measures six dimensions of quality in early childhood programs: (1) Effective instructional leaders; (2) Collaborative teachers; (3) Supportive environment; (4) Ambitious instruction; (5) Involved families; and (6) Parent voice. A recently published validation study for the &quot;Early Education Essentials&quot; demonstrates that it is a valid and reliable instrument that can be used to assess early childhood programs to improve teaching and learning outcomes.
How Attitudes about Work Differ across Program Types and Staff Roles. Research Notes
Author: McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership at National Louis University
Date: 2018-05-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Work Attitudes,Employee Attitudes,Early Childhood Education,Early Childhood Teachers,Child Care,Child Care Occupations,Child Caregivers,Job Satisfaction

The attitudes of those who work in human service fields are critical to the outcomes of the people they serve. Research suggests that factors such as overwork, poor interpersonal relationships with colleagues, dissatisfaction with pay, lack of employee involvement in decision making, and low levels of support from management contribute to negative workplace attitudes and lead to high turnover. In early childhood education, relationships between teachers and children are affected when teachers experience workplace stress. The Center for the Study of Child Care Employment found that insufficient teaching supports and inadequate compensation lead to poor program quality and high turnover. To better understand the conditions that affect attitudes about the workplace, the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership at National Louis University examined data from child care center staff and administrators who completed the Early Childhood Work Environment Survey (ECWES). Analysis of the survey responses revealed that overall, child care employees were more positive than negative in their attitudes about their workplace. Nearly two-thirds of the respondents put extra effort into their work, took pride in their center, and were very committed to working there. However, only 25% of the respondents felt it would be difficult to find a job as good as the one where they were currently working. Additionally, about 15% of the respondents often thought of quitting. Less than 10% of child care employees felt trapped in their jobs, struggled with being committed to their center, felt they were just putting in time, or would not care about the center if they left. Findings from this study suggest that a majority of child care center staff have positive work attitudes and plan to continue working at their current place of employment. However, there is a small portion of employees who have serious negative attitudes including feeling trapped in their jobs, lack of commitment to the center, or are &quot;just putting in their time.&quot; This study identifies the potential challenge of maintaining positive work attitudes in larger centers. However, the small magnitude of effects in these group comparisons indicate that further study is advised to confirm group differences.
Special Education Assistive Technology. Report to the Legislature
Author: Minnesota Department of Education
Date: 2018-01-22
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Assistive Technology,Students with Disabilities,Student Needs,Individualized Education Programs,Individualized Family Service Plans,Barriers,School Districts,Knowledge Level,School Personnel,Time,Costs,Financial Support,Technological Advancement,Purchasing,Disabilities,Educational Legislation,Equal Education,Federal Legislation,Special Education

Assistive technology (AT), as defined in Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 2004 (34 CFR sections 300.5 and 300.6), consists of devices and accompanying services that support a student with an IEP or IFSP. AT includes devices ranging from a low-tech pencil with a grip to a high-tech voice-activated computer. AT services assess needs and support the use of the device, i.e., evaluation, purchasing, maintaining, coordination, and training. When students have an Individual Education Program (IEP) or Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP), student planning teams are required to consider whether AT devices or services are needed to meet student goals and objectives. If AT is needed, the school district is required to provide the AT devices or services. This report found that both parents and school districts face similar challenges when determining the best AT for students. Even though the challenges are similar, parents and school districts experience them differently. This report examines the current state of AT in Minnesota's school districts and includes recommendations to support the ability of parents and school districts to support their students. One of the challenges identified in the report is the lack of a common understanding of the definition of AT. Without a common understanding, it is difficult for parents and school districts to engage in a thorough and productive AT conversation. This report expands on these common themes: (1) staff knowledge and time; (2) access to AT resources; (3) AT funding and cost; and (4) technology changes and knowledge of new applications.
Spring 2015 Digital Devices Comparability Research Study
Author: Steedle, Jeffrey
Date: 2016-02-19
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Computer Assisted Testing,Difficulty Level,Test Items,Scores,Mathematics Tests,Reading Tests,Grade 5,Grade 7,Grade 3,Grade 9,Handheld Devices,Item Response Theory,Performance Based Assessment,Comparative Analysis,Elementary School Students,Middle School Students,High School Students,Achievement Tests

The first operational administration of the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) took place during the 2014-2015 school year. In addition to the traditional paper-and-pencil format, the assessments were available for administration on a variety of electronic devices, including desktop computers, laptop computers, and tablets. This report describes a study of the comparability of PARCC assessments administered on tablets and non-tablet devices, such as notebook and desktop computers. The goal of this study was to investigate whether assessment tasks were of similar difficulty on tablets and non-tablet devices, whether the psychometric properties of test scores were similar when comparing testing on tablets and non-tablet devices, and whether overall test performance was similar for students testing on tablets and non-tablet devices. This study examined performance on eight PARCC assessments: grade 5 mathematics, grade 7 mathematics, Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, grade 3 English language arts/literacy (ELA/L), grade 7 ELA/L, and grade 9 ELA/L. Any student who took one of the study forms on a tablet or non-tablet device in spring 2015 was eligible for inclusion in this study. Students were matched on demographic variables to create samples that would be comparable, thereby providing an unbiased comparison of performance on tablet and non-tablet devices. Overall, this study revealed consistent evidence of comparability between testing on tablets and non-tablet devices.
Student Advising: An Evidence-Based Practice
Author: Surr, Wendy
Date: 2019-09-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Academic Advising,Evidence Based Practice,School Counselors,School Counseling,High Schools,College Readiness,Career Readiness,Educational Legislation,Federal Legislation,Counseling Techniques,Social Capital,Counseling Effectiveness

There is growing recognition of the importance of advising support for ensuring student postsecondary success--especially for disadvantaged students. This resource provides an overview of the extensive theoretical and empirical research base on student advising and confirms that there is promising evidence that advising can benefit students. Numerous studies reviewed for this resource also suggest that the nature, timing, and intensity of advising matters. Yet few of these studies have used research designs that satisfy the rigorous evidence criteria required by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Future research, using more rigorous designs, is needed to refine our understanding of the merits of different advising approaches, and to increase the rigor of the evidence base supporting this important practice. [Great Lakes Comprehensive Center at American Institutes for Research assisted in producing this report.]
PARCC Cognitive Complexity: Analysis 1, 2, and 3 Results
Author: Ferrara, Steve
Date: 2015-07-27
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Cognitive Processes,Difficulty Level,Test Items,Mathematics Tests,Language Tests,Achievement Tests,Usability,Test Construction,Regression (Statistics),Coding,Common Core State Standards,Elementary Secondary Education

We report results from the following three analyses of PARCC [Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers] cognitive complexity measures, based on 2014 field test item and task development and field test data. We conducted classification and regression tree analyses using 2014 PARCC field test data to do the following: (1) Predict item difficulty and discrimination for samples of PARCC ELA and mathematics items and tasks and evaluate the interpretability and usability of the results for assembling operational test forms; (2) Evaluate the explanatory power of the four ELA and five mathematics cognitive complexity sources and propose final explanatory models; and (3) Demonstrate how regression tree results can be used to assemble operational test forms In addition, we surveyed cognitive complexity coders at Pearson to capture their insights and recommendations for PARCC on the cognitive complexity framework, training of complexity coders, the coding process and decision making, and future considerations for cognitive complexity. We also conducted a focus groups with ELA/literacy and mathematics coders to examine more closely responses to selected survey questions.
Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975-2018. Volume I, Secondary School Students
Author: Miech, Richard A.
Date: 2019-06-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Substance Abuse,Drug Abuse,High School Students,Grade 8,Grade 10,High School Seniors,Grade 12,At Risk Persons,Health Behavior,Risk,Student Attitudes,Beliefs,Social Influences,Incidence,Trend Analysis,Narcotics,Marijuana,Drinking,Drug Therapy,Drug Use,Gender Differences,Geographic Regions,College Bound Students,Population Distribution,Parent Background,Educational Attainment,Racial Differences,Ethnicity,Peer Influence,Family Influence,Adolescents,Middle School Students,Public Schools,Private Schools,Alcohol Abuse,Inhalants,Smoking

Substance use is a leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality; it is in large part why, among 17 high-income nations, people in the U.S. have the highest probability of dying by age 50. Substance use is also an important contributor to many social ills including child and spousal abuse, violence more generally, theft, suicide, and more; and it typically is initiated during adolescence. It warrants our sustained attention. Monitoring the Future (MTF) is designed to give such attention to substance use among the nation's youth and adults. It is an investigator-initiated study that originated with, and is conducted by, a team of research professors at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research. Since its onset in 1975, MTF has been funded continuously by the National Institute on Drug Abuse--one of the National Institutes of Health--under a series of peer-reviewed, competitive research grants. The MTF annual monograph series has been a primary vehicle for disseminating MTF's epidemiological findings. The current monograph presents the results of the 44th survey of drug use and related attitudes and beliefs among U.S. high school seniors and 28th such survey of 8th and 10th grade students.
Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975-2018. Volume II, College Students &amp; Adults Ages 19-60
Author: Schulenberg, John E.
Date: 2019-07-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Substance Abuse,Drug Abuse,At Risk Persons,Health Behavior,Risk,Student Attitudes,Beliefs,Social Influences,Incidence,Trend Analysis,Narcotics,Marijuana,Drinking,Drug Therapy,Drug Use,Gender Differences,Geographic Regions,College Bound Students,Population Distribution,Parent Background,Educational Attainment,Racial Differences,Ethnicity,Peer Influence,Family Influence,Adolescents,College Students,Adults,Age Differences,Behavior Change,Attitude Change,High School Students,Grade 8,Grade 10,Grade 12,High School Seniors

This volume presents new 2018 findings from the U.S. national Monitoring the Future (MTF) follow-up study concerning substance use among the nation's college students and adults from ages 19 through 60. The authors report 2018 prevalence estimates on numerous illicit and licit substances, examine how substance use differs across this age span, and show how substance use and related behaviors and attitudes have changed over the past four decades. MTF, now in its 45th year, is a research program conducted at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research under a series of investigator-initiated, competing research grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse--one of the National Institutes of Health. The integrated MTF study comprises several ongoing series of annual surveys of nationally representative samples of 8th and 10th grade students (begun in 1991), 12th grade students (begun in 1975), and high school graduates followed into adulthood (begun in 1976). The authors report the results of the repeated cross-sectional surveys of all high school graduating classes since 1976 as they follow them into their adult years. Segments of the general adult population represented in these follow-up surveys include: (1) U.S. college students; (2) their age-peers who are not attending college, sometimes called the &quot;forgotten half&quot;; (3) all young adult high school graduates of modal ages 19 to 30 (or 19-28 for trend estimates), to whom the authors refer to as the &quot;young adult&quot; sample; and (4) high school graduates at the specific later modal ages of 35, 40, 45, 50, and 55. This volume emphasizes historical and developmental changes in substance use and related attitudes and beliefs occurring at these age strata.
Findings from the Quality of Test Administration Investigations: PARCC Field Test
Author: Sinclair, Andrea
Date: 2015-02-17
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Standardized Tests,College Readiness,Career Readiness,Test Validity,Training,Instructional Materials,Testing,Computer Assisted Testing,Guides,Formative Evaluation,Competence,Examiners

The overall purpose of the research studies described in this report was to investigate the quality of the administration of the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) field test during the spring of 2014. These research studies were conducted for the purpose of formative evaluation. Findings from these studies are being used to identify threats to the validity of PARCC test administration so that those threats can be addressed and reconciled prior to operational test administration. Throughout this report threats are identified, suggestions for ameliorating those threats are provided, and actions that have been implemented, or are being implemented, by PARCC to address those threats are provided. The actions that PARCC is taking to address the threats come from the &quot;PARCC Field Test: Lessons Learned&quot; report (see ED599018).
Emotional Design for Digital Games for Learning: The Affective Quality of Expression, Color, Shape, and Dimensionality of Game Characters
Author: Plass, Jan L.
Date: 2019-02-20
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Educational Games,Game Based Learning,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Adults,Adolescents,Emotional Response,Visual Stimuli,Color,Affective Behavior,Spatial Ability,Geometric Concepts

What is the affective quality of specific design features of game characters? The Integrative Model of Emotion in Game-based Learning (EmoGBL) describes common mechanisms of how emotion and learning processes interact to foster specific learning outcomes. In the present paper, we asked how color, shape, expression, and dimensionality of game characters induce emotions in digital games for learning. We investigated learners' perception of the affective quality of these four different visual design features for adults and adolescents using a forced choice paradigm (studies 1-3) as well as the PANAS-X and qualitative measures (study 4). Participants were shown a series of game characters and were asked to report their emotional response. Results show the relative contribution of the four visual attributes on players' perception of affective quality, with the visual design features of expression and dimensionality having the strongest effect, color a medium-sized effect, and shape a small to medium-sized effect. [This is the online version of an article published in &quot;Learning and Instruction.&quot;]
A Commentary on Construct Validity When Using Operational Virtual Learning Environment Data in Effectiveness Studies
Author: Huggins-Manley, A. Corinne
Date: 2019-06-17
Type: Opinion Papers
Subjects: Virtual Classrooms,Construct Validity,Data,Educational Research

Virtual learning environments (VLE) are increasingly used at-scale in educational contexts to facilitate teaching and promote learning, and the data they produce can be used for educational research purposes. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Technology has repeatedly emphasized the importance of using evidence to validate claims from VLE-based educational research. Although VLE data can provide some affordances for conducting educational research, we argue that many challenges can arise with respect to providing evidence for construct validity. The objective of this commentary is to encourage educational researchers using operational, at-scale VLE data to align their data and intended constructs to a theoretical framework of construct validity threats in order to develop a comprehensive set of actionable solutions. We use examples from our research project as a demonstration resource for performing such an alignment. [This is the in press version of an article published in the &quot;Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness.&quot;]