ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Examining Item Functioning of Math Screening Measures for Grades 1-8 Students. Technical Report Number 08-04
Author: Liu, Kimy
Date: 2008-00-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Test Items,Test Format,Test Construction,Item Response Theory,Mathematics Tests,Screening Tests,Computation,Difficulty Level,Goodness of Fit,State Standards,Knowledge Level,Mathematics Skills,Vocabulary,Problem Solving

BRT Math Screening Measures focus on students' mathematics performance in grade-level standards for students in grades 1-8. A total of 24 test forms are available with three test forms per grade corresponding to fall, winter, and spring testing periods. Each form contains computation problems and application problems. BRT Math Screening Measures were administered to 6,500 students during the 2006-07 school year. The Rasch Model in Item Response Theory (IRT) is employed to estimate the item difficulties and fit statistics of the test items. We describe this process and then present results of item difficulty and item  functioning. (Contains 26 tables.)
The Development of K-8 Progress Monitoring Measures in Mathematics for Use with the 2% and General Education Populations: Grade 4. Technical Report # 09-03
Author: Alonzo, Julie
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Grade 4,General Education,Response to Intervention,Access to Education,Special Needs Students,Academic Accommodations (Disabilities),Special Education,Test Construction,Item Response Theory,Measures (Individuals),Test Items,Academic Standards,Elementary School Mathematics,Mathematics Tests,Mathematics Achievement,Pilot Projects,Benchmarking,Evaluation Methods,Computer Assisted Testing,Computer System Design,Internet,Item Banks,Data Analysis,Item Analysis

In this technical report, we describe the development and piloting of a series of mathematics progress monitoring measures intended for use with students in grades kindergarten through eighth grade. These measures, available as part of easyCBM[TM], an online progress monitoring assessment system, were developed in 2007 and 2008 and administered to approximately 2,800 students per grade from schools across the United States in November and December of 2008 using a common item design to allow all items to be estimated on the same scale within each grade level. We analyzed the results of the piloting using a one parameter logistic (1PL) Rasch analysis. Because the results of these analyses are quite lengthy, we present the results for each grade's analysis in its own technical report, all sharing a common abstract and introduction but unique methods, results, and discussion sections. (Contains 1 figure and 5 tables.)
High-Stakes Testing and Student Achievement: Problems for the No Child Left Behind Act. Appendices
Author: Nichols, Sharon L.
Date: 2005-09-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: High Stakes Tests,Standardized Tests,Academic Achievement,Federal Legislation,Educational Legislation,National Competency Tests,Accountability,Rewards,Sanctions,Worksheets,Data Collection,Correlation,Portfolios (Background Materials),News Media,Selection,Achievement Gains,African American Students,Hispanic American Students,White Students,Grade 4,Grade 8,Mathematics Achievement,Reading Achievement

This paper presents the appendices to the &quot;High-Stakes Testing and Student Achievement: Problems for the No Child Left Behind Act&quot; report. It contains the following appendices: (1) Example of Context for Assessing State-Level Stakes Sheet--Connecticut; (2) Example of Completed Rewards and Sanctions Worksheet--Connecticut; (3) Directions Given to Judges; (4) Data Collection Sheet; (5) Correlations and Scatter Plots--Threat Change and NAEP Gain; (6) Method for the Inclusion of Media in Portfolios; (7) Summary News Search: Massachusetts; (8) Summary of News Searches in Five Pilot States; and (9) Summary of New Search Rationale--Finalized System. (Contains 38 tables, 16 figures and 241 notes and references.) [For the full report, &quot;High-Stakes Testing and Student Achievement: Problems for the No Child Left Behind Act,&quot; see ED531184. For executive summary, &quot;High-Stakes Testing and Student Achievement: Problems for the No Child Left Behind Act. Executive Summary,&quot; see ED531535.]
The Development of K-8 Progress Monitoring Measures in Mathematics for Use with the 2% and General Education Populations: Grade 5. Technical Report # 09-01
Author: Lai, Cheng Fei
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Grade 5,General Education,Response to Intervention,Access to Education,Special Needs Students,Academic Accommodations (Disabilities),Special Education,Test Construction,Item Response Theory,Measures (Individuals),Test Items,Academic Standards,Elementary School Mathematics,Mathematics Tests,Mathematics Achievement,Pilot Projects,Benchmarking,Evaluation Methods,Computer Assisted Testing,Computer System Design,Internet,Item Banks,Data Analysis,Item Analysis

In this technical report, we describe the development and piloting of a series of mathematics progress monitoring measures intended for use with students in grades kindergarten through eighth grade. These measures, available as part of easyCBM[TM], an online progress monitoring assessment system, were developed in 2007 and 2008 and administered to approximately 2,800 students per grade from schools across the United States in November and December of 2008 using a common item design to allow all items to be estimated on the same scale within each grade level. We analyzed the results of the piloting using a one parameter logistic (1PL) Rasch analysis. Because the results of these analyses are quite lengthy, we present the results for each grade's analysis in its own technical report, all sharing a common abstract and introduction but unique methods, results, and discussion sections. (Contains 1 figure and 5 tables.)
Performance-Based Scholarships: Emerging Findings from a National Demonstration. Policy Brief
Author: Patel, Reshma
Date: 2012-05-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Low Income Groups,At Risk Students,Disadvantaged Youth,Economic Factors,College Preparation,Academic Persistence,Incentives,Scholarships,Performance Factors,Academic Achievement,Benchmarking,Program Effectiveness,Outcomes of Education,Educational Attainment,College Credits,Grade Point Average,Student Characteristics

Low-income students are at particular risk of not persisting to earn a certificate or degree, often because of competing priorities, financial pressures, and inadequate preparation for college. One form of financial assistance designed explicitly to reward students' academic success is a performance-based scholarship, paid contingent on attaining academic benchmarks. MDRC's 2009 Opening Doors study of performance-based scholarships in Louisiana showed a positive effect on students' credit accumulation, grades, and persistence in college. In 2008, MDRC launched the Performance-Based Scholarship Demonstration, a study in six states that is testing whether different configurations of these scholarships in different locations and among different types of students would be equally effective in improving their outcomes. This brief summarizes findings in Louisiana, Ohio, New York, and New Mexico, which show modest but positive effects on important markers of academic progress. (Contains 2 figures, 1 table, and 11 notes.)
Building the Workforce Our Youngest Children Deserve. Social Policy Report. Volume 26, Number 1
Author: Rhodes, Holly
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Child Care,Early Childhood Education,Labor Force,Child Caregivers,Preschool Teachers,Educational Quality,Teacher Characteristics,Professional Development,Work Environment,Public Policy,Occupational Information,Recognition (Achievement),Integrated Activities

Adults who provide early care and education are critical for the healthy development and well-being of young children. Although many people in the early childhood care and education (ECCE) workforce are skilled and dedicated, their ability to provide high quality experiences for children is hampered by a lack of shared purpose and identity, insufficient or ineffective training, poor compensation and lack of institutional supports. In this report, we build on "The Early Childhood Care and Education Workforce: Challenges and Opportunities" (2012), a report of a workshop held by the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council with the goals of defining and describing the ECCE workforce, exploring workforce characteristics that affect children's development, and considering ways to build ECCE as a profession. One major theme in our discussion is the need for integration of the two policy streams represented by the terms "early education" and "child care." Both settings provide experiences that affect child development. Both can function well when the personnel are well-trained, sensitive, and skilled, and work in supportive conditions. One feature of an integrated ECCE system is a unifying definition of the profession, a goal that could be promoted by revision of the federal occupational definitions and fostering federal and state collaborations around data. Policies to promote integration also include developing common goals, administrative systems, quality standards, and professional development activities. Quality ECCE hinges on building an effective workforce through professional development that promotes the use of effective and evidence-based practices. Improved working conditions would include adequate compensation and opportunities for advancement and recognition. We identify two broad policy goals for public agencies at all levels of government and professional organizations within the field: using current funding streams to promote quality and building public will through communicating the importance of policies and programs that enhance early childhood development. (Contains 1 table, 1 figure and 3 footnotes.) [Commentaries from Robert C. Pianta, Dan Haggard, and Sue Russell are included. Commentaries are individually referenced.]
The Development of K-8 Progress Monitoring Measures in Mathematics for Use with the 2% and General Education Populations: Grade 3. Technical Report # 09-02
Author: Alonzo, Julie
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Grade 3,General Education,Response to Intervention,Access to Education,Special Needs Students,Academic Accommodations (Disabilities),Special Education,Test Construction,Item Response Theory,Measures (Individuals),Test Items,Academic Standards,Elementary School Mathematics,Mathematics Tests,Mathematics Achievement,Pilot Projects,Benchmarking,Evaluation Methods,Computer Assisted Testing,Computer System Design,Internet,Item Banks,Data Analysis,Item Analysis

In this technical report, we describe the development and piloting of a series of mathematics progress monitoring measures intended for use with students in grades kindergarten through eighth grade. These measures, available as part of easyCBM[TM], an online progress monitoring assessment system, were developed in 2007 and 2008 and administered to approximately 2,800 students per grade from schools across the United States in November and December of 2008 using a common item design to allow all items to be estimated on the same scale within each grade level. We analyzed the results of the piloting using a one parameter logistic (1PL) Rasch analysis. Because the results of these analyses are quite lengthy, we present the results for each grade's analysis in its own technical report, all sharing a common abstract and introduction but unique methods, results, and discussion sections. (Contains 1 figure and 5 tables.)
Project DIVIDE Instrument Development. Technical Report # 0810
Author: Ketterlin-Geller, Leanne
Date: 2008-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Test Construction,Diagnostic Tests,Cognitive Tests,Test Items,Mathematics,Arithmetic,Item Banks,Content Validity,Pilot Projects,Grade 5,Grade 6,Grade 7,Item Response Theory

In this technical report, we describe the development of cognitive diagnostic test items that form the basis of the diagnostic system for Project DIVIDE (Dynamic Instruction Via Individually Designed Environments). The construct underlying the diagnostic test is division of fractions. We include a description of the process we used to identify the cognitive attributes for division of fractions. We present the hierarchical association between attributes that lead up to mastery of the domain. Finally, we describe item writing procedures and evidence for technical adequacy of the resulting item bank. Appended are: (1) Biographies of Researchers and Consultants; (2) Attribute List; (3) Adjacency Matrix; and (4) Item/Person Map.
Promoting Equity, Tolerance, and Justice in Childhood. Social Policy Report. Volume 25, Number 4
Author: Killen, Melanie
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Ethnicity,Intervention,Children,Cognitive Development,Social Justice,Consciousness Raising,Social Bias,Social Discrimination,Cultural Influences,Social Status,Power Structure,Racial Bias,Gender Bias,Peer Relationship,Interpersonal Relationship,Adults,Social Cognition,Child Development,Socialization,Moral Values,Group Membership,Social Influences,Mental Health,World History,Personality Traits,Foreign Countries

Children around the world are affected by discrimination and social exclusion due to their age, race, ethnicity, gender, religion, indigenous background, or other statuses. When considering the negative consequences of discrimination and social exclusion on children's development and well-being, it is of paramount importance to examine the psychological origins of prejudice and discrimination in order to create effective intervention programs. Legal mandates are only one step towards the elimination of prejudice and discrimination; there is also a need for interventions to change social interactions and behavior. Surprisingly, such interventions are rarely informed by developmental theory and research. Taking an international perspective, this "Social Policy Report" describes a developmental framework on how children understand the cultural hierarchies, status, and power related to social groups as well as the social exchanges that contribute to both prejudice reduction and the promotion of equity and justice concepts. Hierarchies in the child's world reflect the organization of the peer culture, which often reflects categories of status from the adult world (e.g., based on race, ethnicity, and gender), but are manifested differently. Understanding these hierarchies provides an important window into how prejudice is formed and manifested in development. Effective interventions require understanding how it is that children experience discrimination as victims and also as perpetrators of exclusion, and how adults are powerful sources of both negative and positive influences. We identify relevant research findings on the positive and negative aspects of peer relationships, adult-child interactions, and changes in social cognitive development that bear on reducing prejudice and promoting concepts of equity and justice. Childhood, when attitudes are only just beginning to formulate and develop, is the time for implementing effective interventions designed to promote equity, tolerance, and justice. (Contains 2 tables.) [Commentaries from Richard W. Cole, Maykel Verkuyten, and Lonnie Sherrod are included. Commentaries are individually referenced.]
After Foster Care and Juvenile Justice: A Preview of the Youth Villages Transitional Living Evaluation. Policy Brief
Author: Muller-Ravett, Sara
Date: 2012-04-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Late Adolescents,Young Adults,Juvenile Justice,Foster Care,Program Effectiveness,Program Evaluation,Adolescent Development,Poverty,Educational Attainment,Employment Level,Housing,Policy Formation,Cognitive Restructuring,Behavior Modification,Independent Living,Health Services,Mental Health,Transitional Programs,Delivery Systems

Young people who are leaving the foster care and juvenile justice systems often experience a difficult transition to adulthood that is characterized by a number of troubling outcomes, including poverty, low levels of education and employment, and housing instability. While some services are available for these populations, there is little evidence about which services work best and for whom. This brief provides an overview of the Youth Villages Transitional Living Evaluation, one of the largest and most rigorous evaluations of services for youth who are leaving the foster care and juvenile justice systems. It summarizes the policy context for the evaluation, describes the characteristics of the early study sample, offers preliminary observations from the beginning of the study, and lays out a timeline for the next steps in the evaluation. The findings from this evaluation will be important for both policymakers and practitioners who wish to improve the future prospects of young people who are aging out of the foster care and juvenile justice systems. (Contains 1 table, 2 figures, and 14 notes.)
Exploring the Effects of Active Learning on Retaining Essential Concepts in Secondary and Junior High Classrooms
Author: Bachelor, Robin L.
Date: 2012-05-00
Type: Dissertations/Theses
Subjects: Active Learning,Retention (Psychology),Fundamental Concepts,Intervention,Instructional Effectiveness,Junior High School Students,High School Students,Teacher Surveys,Student Surveys,Secondary School Teachers,Teacher Researchers,Student Behavior,Learner Engagement

This report describes a program for improving retention of essential concepts exhibited by junior high and high school students. The purpose of the study was to increase cognitive retention in order to increase student success. The target sample consisted of junior high students in the seventh grade and high school students in grades nine through twelve. One site was a metropolitan area while the second site was in a suburb of a metropolitan area. The problem of retention was documented through teacher observation journals, teacher surveys, and student surveys. Analysis of probable cause data revealed that students reported issues with retaining information. Teachers also reported that students had issues with retaining essential concepts. Individual teachers noted in their journals that some students could not recall information and remember essential concepts after the initial teaching phase. A review of curriculum revealed a need for interventions to improve cognitive retention. A review of solution strategies suggested by educational practitioners, combined with an analysis of the problem context, resulted in the selection of an umbrella intervention strategy: active learning methodology. The researchers developed lessons incorporating a variety of active learning techniques which were student centered. These interventions were implemented several times each week during 44 minute class periods for the junior high students and 52 minute class periods for the high school students. The interventions occurred during the fall semester, so that students could respond to the active learning techniques implemented by the teachers. After the implementation of active learning strategies, the teacher researchers concluded that a moderately positive change occurred concerning retention of essential concepts after teachers converted from traditional lecture methods. The teacher researchers reported that incorporating active learning techniques in their classrooms encouraged cooperation, improved student engagement, and decreased unwanted behaviors. This led the team to proclaim this intervention as successful for their given classroom settings. Two appendixes present: (1) Student Survey; and (2) Teacher Survey. (Contains 4 tables and 3 figures.
Model Selection for Equating Testlet-Based Tests in the NEAT Design: An Empirical Study
Author: He, Wei
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Test Items,Equated Scores,Models,Item Response Theory,Comparative Analysis,Reading Tests

For those tests solely composed of testlets, local item independency assumption tends to be violated. This study, by using empirical data from a large-scale state assessment program, was interested in investigates the effects of using different models on equating results under the non-equivalent group anchor-test (NEAT) design. Specifically, the primary purpose of this study was to apply the IRT true-score equating method to equating testlet-based tests using both testlet theory (TRT) model and bi-factor model. In addition, the equating results from using the TRT and bi-factor models were compared with those from using conventional dichotomous item response theory (IRT) models. The candidate models considered in this study included a series of conventional dichotomous IRT models, Testlet model, and bi-factor model. The results echoed with those in Lee et al. (2001) in that equating using models that can account for item dependency in general tend to yield closer equating relationship to the traditional equating methods than the conventional IRT models. Limitations and further studies were also discussed. (Contains 4 figures and 8 tables.)
Local Normative Data on easyCBM[R] Reading and Mathematics: Fall 2009. Technical Report # 0918
Author: Tindal, Gerald
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Research Reports,Benchmarking,Screening Tests,Measures (Individuals),Reading Difficulties,Mathematics Achievement,At Risk Students,Statistical Data,Curriculum Based Assessment,Measurement Techniques,Program Descriptions,Program Development,Psychometrics,Norm Referenced Tests,Testing Accommodations,Replication (Evaluation),Test Interpretation,Test Construction

We developed equivalent, alternate forms of easyCBM[R] in reading (n=20 forms) and mathematics (n=13 forms) with different skills reflective of the National Reading Panel (NRP) and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), respectively. We then took three forms to use as screening measures in the fall, winter, and spring so educators could identify students at risk of failure and establish benchmarks. In this report, we present normative data for fall 2009 on all measures in grades 1 through 8. These data reflect the results from several districts and are reported for all districts and disaggregated for each district. (Contains 1 table.)
Criterion-Related Evidence Using easyCBM[R] Reading Measures and Student Demographics to Predict State Test Performance in Grades 3-8. Technical Report # 0910
Author: Tindal, Gerald
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Evidence,Reading Fluency,Academic Achievement,Research Reports,Criterion Referenced Tests,Outcome Measures,Measurement Techniques,Demography,School Demography,Student Characteristics,State Standards,Performance Based Assessment,Predictive Measurement,Predictive Validity,Predictor Variables,Replication (Evaluation),Vocabulary Skills,Reading Comprehension,Multiple Choice Tests,Middle Schools,Elementary Schools,Test Construction,Program Descriptions,Program Development,Achievement Rating

In this technical report, data are presented on the predictive and concurrent relation between various student demographic variables (gender, race/ethnicity, special education status, Title 1 status, English language learning status, and economic disadvantage) and three reading easyCBMs (passage reading fluency, vocabulary, and multiple-choice comprehension) with a criterion measure of the Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (OAKS). The findings are replicated for two school districts and across three time periods. Consistently, a significant amount of the variance for the criterion measure is explained by the combination of variables, particularly from the three reading measures.