ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Parent Academy: Evaluation Report and Executive Summary
Author: Husain, Fatima
Date: 2016-07-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Parent Education,Elementary School Students,English Instruction,Mathematics Instruction,Randomized Controlled Trials,Program Effectiveness,Urban Schools,Attendance,Incentives,Mathematics Achievement,Reading Achievement,Intervention,Foreign Countries,Pretests Posttests,Regression (Statistics),Interviews,Qualitative Research,Statistical Analysis

The Parent Academy was a series of classes for pupils' parents, designed to improve the English and mathematics attainment of pupils in Years 3 to 6 in English primary schools. Parents were offered the opportunity to participate in 12 Parent Academy classes, 6 on English and 6 on mathematics, delivered fortnightly by tutors with teaching qualifications and experience of teaching adults. The programme also included an educational family trip. The evaluation used a two-arm randomised controlled trial to test the efficacy of two versions of the intervention. In the first version, parents were incentivised to attend with a payment of £30 per session and in the second version they were not. Children of both groups of parents were compared with a similar group whose parents were not offered Parent Academy. Sixteen schools in two urban local authorities took part in the trial. A total of 2,593 children were involved. The project also included a process evaluation which assessed how the intervention was delivered and reported on its perceived benefits. The intervention was developed by the University of Chicago. It was not manualised and involved the development of a new adult learning course. The intervention and evaluation were funded by the Education Endowment Foundation and the KPMG Foundation. The trial took place between September 2014 and July 2015 with classes delivered between November 2014 and June 2015. Key conclusions include: (1) There is no evidence that offering free Parent Academy classes improved mathematics or reading outcomes for the children in the trial, even when parents were given a financial incentive to attend; (2) In general, parental attendance at sessions was very low. However, even when the evaluators took this into account they found no evidence that parental attendance improved pupil outcomes; (3) Offering financial incentives improved attendance at Parent Academy, suggesting this may be an effective way to engage and retain parents in interventions of this type; (4) In general, evaluation participants felt that attending Parent Academy gave parents the confidence and skills to engage more effectively with their children's learning; and (5) Staff reported that having a designated project lead in each school and using multiple methods to engage parents (rather than just written communication) were necessary for successful delivery. Schools need to consider these cost implications when deciding whether to adopt this intervention.
Perry Beeches Coaching Programme: Evaluation Report and Executive Summary
Author: Lord, Pippa
Date: 2015-07-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Reading Skills,Writing Skills,Coaching (Performance),Secondary School Students,Foreign Countries,Low Achievement,Program Evaluation,Program Effectiveness,Randomized Controlled Trials,Pretests Posttests,Observation,Interviews,Regression (Statistics),Student Characteristics,Spelling,Grammar,Intervention,Statistical Analysis

The Perry Beeches Coaching Programme aimed to improve the reading and writing skills of Year 7 pupils with low levels of attainment in four English secondary schools. Across the project, 16 coaches were employed to provide academic support to pupils who had not reached level 4c in English at the end of Key Stage 2. Originally it had been intended that pupils would only receive one to one support, and that all coaches would be graduates. However, in practice pupils received a range of targeted support that varied between schools and most, but not all, coaches were graduates. The programme built on a successful pilot in Perry Beeches Academy in Birmingham, and the school co-ordinated the project across participating schools. The approach was based on a one to one coaching programme used in Match Charter School in Boston, USA. This project sought to assess the impact of the programme on the academic outcomes of 186 students who were offered support during the 2013-2014 school year. The study was funded by the Education Endowment Foundation as one of 24 projects in a themed round on literacy catch-up at the primary--secondary transition. Projects funded within this round aimed to identify effective ways to support pupils not achieving level 4 in English at the end of Key Stage 2. Key conclusions include: (1) The programme had a positive impact on pupils' attainment in reading, spelling and grammar, equivalent to approximately five additional months' progress. The evaluation did not seek to prove that the approach would work in all schools, but did identify strong evidence of promise; (2) The programme had a similar effect for pupils eligible for free school meals as for their peers; (3) There was considerable variation in the way that the initiative was delivered across the four schools. Pupils received a mixture of one to one and small group support, but the frequency and duration of sessions ranged widely between schools and students. There was also variation in the training and supervision coaches received; (4) Coaches felt that pupils engaged well with the variety of sessions and that both one to one and small group work was beneficial. However, it was not possible to identify the precise contribution of one to one sessions and greater definition of the approach may be required were the approach to be trialled in a larger number of schools; and (5) The cost of the programme was high compared to other literacy catch-up approaches--including those delivered one to one--due to the salary costs of coaches and the intensity of support provided.
Lesson Study: Evaluation Report and Executive Summary
Author: Murphy, Richard
Date: 2017-11-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Teacher Improvement,Teacher Collaboration,Faculty Development,Foreign Countries,Teacher Effectiveness,Elementary School Teachers,Elementary School Students,Intervention,Program Effectiveness,Mathematics Achievement,Reading Achievement,Randomized Controlled Trials,Costs,Program Implementation,Fidelity,Teacher Attitudes,Statistical Analysis,Interviews,Observation,Teacher Surveys

Lesson Study is a popular approach to teacher professional development used widely in Japan. It involves a small group of teachers co-planning a series of lessons based on a shared learning goal for the pupils, with one teacher leading the co-constructed lesson and their colleagues invited to observe pupil learning in the lesson. The team then develop their practice further, based on feedback. Some of the features of Lesson Study have been adopted, in a variety of formats, in the U.K. A team at Edge Hill University developed a Lesson Study programme combined with a Talk for Learning content focus, which involved a team of three teachers collaborating to plan, teach, (informally) observe and analyse the impact of teaching on pupil response and progress. Each teacher identified two 'case pupils' in their own class who appeared to be underachieving, and the observation focused on these pupils. The aim of the intervention was to raise pupil attainment by improving teacher effectiveness. This evaluation tested the impact of a particular version of the Edge Hill programme on pupils' Key Stage 2 (KS2) outcomes. Three teachers from each participating school attended five training sessions from September 2013 to July 2015. Each term, they completed one Lesson Study cycle where one of the team taught three co-planned 'research' lessons while the others observed pupil learning, interviewed the case pupils after each research lesson, and met with the teacher to review their practice. Each year, at least one Lesson Study cycle focused on literacy, and at least one on maths; at least one cycle focused on a Year 4 class and one on a Year 5 class. The programme was evaluated using a randomised controlled trial of schools in the South West, East Midlands, and North West. Teachers in 181 schools (teaching 12,747 pupils) took part. The primary outcome was a combination of KS2 maths and reading test scores for pupils who were in Years 4 and 5 in the first year of the trial. The process evaluation involved observation of teacher training, analysis of surveys, school visits, and interviews with participating teachers and senior leaders. Methods, impact evaluation, process evaluation, and findings are discussed herein.
Oracy Curriculum, Culture and Assessment Toolkit: Evaluation Report and Executive Summary
Author: Maxwell, Bronwen
Date: 2015-06-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Speech Communication,Speech Skills,Secondary School Students,Secondary School Teachers,English Teachers,Qualitative Research,Observation,Interviews,Focus Groups,Video Technology,Randomized Controlled Trials,Intelligence Tests,Formative Evaluation,Program Evaluation,Program Effectiveness,Grammar,Vocabulary,Interdisciplinary Approach,Comparative Analysis,Statistical Analysis,Intervention

This report evaluates a developmental project designed by School 21 and the University of Cambridge to improve Year 7 students' oracy skills. The project involved developing an Oracy Skills Framework, which sets out the physical, linguistic, cognitive, and social-emotional oracy skills required by students for education and life. Other components which were informed by this framework are: (1) a dedicated Year 7 oracy curriculum comprising weekly oracy lessons; (2) oracy in every lesson; (3) building a whole school oracy culture; and (4) an Oracy Assessment Toolkit. These components were piloted and further developed with Year 7 students within School 21 from September 2013 to July 2014. During the final stages of the project the components were brought together to create an 'Oracy Curriculum, Culture and Assessment Toolkit' that can be adopted by other schools and a website was created, Voice 21 (http://voice21.org/), containing guidance and resources for schools using the Toolkit. This report focuses on an evaluation of: (1) The approaches and materials which formed the Oracy Curriculum, Culture and Assessment Toolkit, including an indicative impact finding on the impact on Year 7 pupils in School 21; and (2) What further development of the Oracy Curriculum, Culture and Assessment Toolkit is needed and would enable a more robust evaluation of its impact.
Philosophy for Children: Evaluation Report and Executive Summary
Author: Gorard, Stephen
Date: 2015-07-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Elementary School Students,Group Discussion,Dialogs (Language),Teaching Methods,Discussion (Teaching Technique),Academic Achievement,Reading Achievement,Mathematics Achievement,Writing Achievement,Program Effectiveness,Program Evaluation,Randomized Controlled Trials,Comparative Analysis,Student Characteristics,Low Income Groups,At Risk Students,Standardized Tests,Scores,Foreign Countries,Observation,Interviews,Intervention

Philosophy for Children (P4C) is an approach to teaching in which students participate in group dialogues focused on philosophical issues. Dialogues are prompted by a stimulus (for example, a story or a video) and are based around a concept such as 'truth,' 'fairness' or 'bullying.' The aim of P4C is to help children become more willing and able to ask questions, construct arguments, and engage in reasoned discussion. The primary goal of this evaluation was to assess whether a year of P4C instruction for pupils in Years 4 and 5 would lead to higher academic attainment in terms of maths, reading, and writing. The project also assessed whether P4C instruction had an impact on Cognitive Abilities Test results. The evaluation ran from January to December 2013. Teachers were trained in P4C by the Society for the Advancement of Philosophical Enquiry and Reflection in Education (SAPERE). On average, pupils received one period of P4C per week, although this varied across schools. A total of 48 schools across a wide range of English geographies participated. While these schools were in many ways diverse, as a whole they had above-average levels of disadvantaged pupils. The project was delivered by SAPERE, funded by the Education Endowment Foundation, and independently evaluated by a team at Durham University. Key conclusions include: (1) There is evidence that P4C had a positive impact on Key Stage 2 attainment. Overall, pupils using the approach made approximately two additional months' progress in reading and maths; (2) Results suggest that P4C had the biggest positive impact on Key Stage 2 results among disadvantaged pupils (those eligible for free school meals); (3) Analyses of the Cognitive Abilities Test (a different outcome measure not explicitly focused on attainment) found a smaller positive impact. Moreover, in terms of this outcome it appears that disadvantaged students reaped fewer benefits from P4C than other pupils. It is unclear from the evaluation why there are these differences between the two outcomes; (4) Teachers reported that the overall success of the intervention depended on incorporating P4C into the timetable on a regular basis. Otherwise there was a risk that the programme would be crowded out; and (5) Teachers and pupils generally reported that P4C had a positive influence on the wider outcomes such as pupils' confidence to speak, listening skills, and self-esteem. These and other broader outcomes are the focus of a separate evaluation by the University of Durham.
Extended Piano Techniques and Teaching in Music Education Departments
Author: Akbulut Demirci, Sirin
Date: 2015-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Music Education,Music Techniques,Musical Instruments,College Students,Student Attitudes,Semi Structured Interviews,Observation,Outcomes of Education,Scores,Statistical Analysis

The article is composed of the results of the study carried out within the scope of the project entitled &quot;Extended Piano Techniques and Teaching in Music Education Departments.&quot; Within the scope of the project, 16 students taking education at Music Education Department, Uludag University, learned six pieces composed for the project via benefiting from extended techniques and methodically during three semesters and their progress was evaluated via using the statistical data on the observation forms prepared beforehand. Moreover, in the end of the practice, with semi-structured questions, six students were interviewed and the contribution of the project to the students was investigated. The aim of the project is to investigate into the attitudes of the students towards teaching modern piano techniques at Education Faculty, Fine Arts Education Department, Music Education Division and their contribution to their success levels. As a result of the statistical data, when measurements made in the first and last weeks via using observation forms are taken into consideration, it can be stated that the first work developed target behaviors greatly during the five-week education process. It was observed that while the second, third, and fourth works had moderate level of effects on the development of target behaviors, the fifth and the sixth works had lower effects when compared to other works. According to the answers which six students gave to the semi-structured interview questions, all the students found the project positive in terms of its having them acquire a different perspective and five students found it positive in terms of its developing their information. A student stated that the allotted time was not sufficient, and another one found it unnecessarily detailed and stated a negative opinion. The originality of the study comes from the fact that these techniques in piano were new for the students at education faculties and applied for the first time.
Early Intervention for Preschoolers at Risk for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Preschool First Step to Success
Author: Feil, Edward G.
Date: 2016-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Early Intervention,Preschool Children,Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder,Comorbidity,Interpersonal Competence,Parent Attitudes,Effect Size,At Risk Persons,Behavior Patterns,Prevention,Outcomes of Education,Program Evaluation,Teacher Attitudes,Rating Scales,Randomized Controlled Trials,Statistical Analysis

This study evaluated the efficacy of the Preschool First Step (PFS) to Success early intervention for children at risk for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). PFS is a targeted intervention for children 3-5 years old with externalizing behavior problems and addresses secondary prevention goals and objectives. As part of a larger multisite, randomized controlled trial, the efficacy of the PFS program was evaluated on a subsample of 45 children who also had elevated comorbid ADHD symptoms as rated by parents and teachers. The PFS program was found to produce significantly higher social skills, and significantly fewer behavior problems across a variety of teacher- and parent-reported measures at postintervention. Effect sizes for teacher-reported effects were large across a variety of social competency indicators, including those specific to ADHD. Effect sizes for parent-reported social skills and problem behaviors were medium. Although not specifically designed for preschoolers at risk for comorbid ADHD, this generic behavioral intervention appeared to be successful for this population. Implications and limitations of the study are discussed. [This paper was published in &quot;Behavioral Disorders,&quot; (EJ1096007).]
Magic Breakfast: Evaluation Report and Executive Summary
Author: Crawford, Claire
Date: 2016-11-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Elementary Schools,Elementary School Students,Breakfast Programs,Intervention,Program Effectiveness,Randomized Controlled Trials,Clubs,Reading Achievement,Mathematics Achievement,Program Evaluation,Achievement Gains,Student Behavior,Teacher Surveys,Foreign Countries,Hunger,Student Records,Student Surveys,Pretests Posttests,Student Characteristics,Institutional Characteristics,Statistical Analysis

The Magic Breakfast project provided 106 schools with support and resources to offer a free, universal, before-school breakfast club, including to all Year 2 and Year 6 pupils. The aim of the project was to improve attainment outcomes by increasing the number of children who ate a healthy breakfast. The schools in the project were schools in England with a relatively high proportion of disadvantaged pupils. The project ran between September 2014 and July 2015. Schools were provided with free food, support from a Magic Breakfast school change leader, and a £300 grant towards up-front costs. The intervention itself was delivered by school staff and volunteers. The impact of the project was evaluated using a randomised controlled trial involving around 8,600 pupils. The process evaluation involved qualitative research with four case study schools. The project was jointly funded by the Department for Education and the Education Endowment Foundation and delivered by the charity Magic Breakfast. Key conclusions included: (1) Year 2 children in breakfast club schools experienced around two months' additional progress compared to Year 2 children in the other schools in the trial; (2) For Year 6 children in breakfast club schools, results for the main outcomes, reading and maths, were positive but could have occurred by chance. However, on other measures of writing and English they experienced around two months' progress compared to the other Year 6 children. These positive results would be unlikely to occur by chance; (3) The findings suggest that it is not just eating breakfast that delivers improvements, but attending a breakfast club; (4) Pupil behaviour, as measured by a teacher survey, improved in breakfast club schools; and (5) Activities thought to increase take-up of the breakfast provision included promoting it to parents and encouraging all children to attend while sensitively targeting pupils most likely to benefit.
MathsFlip: Flipped Learning. Evaluation Report and Executive Summary
Author: Rudd, Peter
Date: 2017-11-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Mathematics Instruction,Mathematics Achievement,Homework,Video Technology,Teaching Methods,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Randomized Controlled Trials,Comparative Analysis,Elementary School Students,Standardized Tests,Scores,Program Evaluation,Program Effectiveness,Interviews,Observation,Teacher Attitudes,Student Attitudes,Focus Groups,Teacher Surveys,Elementary School Teachers,Intervention,Qualitative Research,Online Surveys,Statistical Analysis

The MathsFlip intervention aimed to improve the attainment of pupils in Years 5 and 6. The programme, developed by Shireland Collegiate Academy, used a 'flipped learning' approach involving pupils learning core content online, outside of class time, and then participating in activities in class to reinforce their learning. The programme used an online learning environment which provided teachers and pupils with resources for learning mathematics outside the classroom, allowed collaborative communication between colleagues and pupils, and provided information to teachers on pupils' progress prior to planning and teaching a lesson. Staff from Shireland trained Year 5 teachers from 12 primary schools in the West Midlands over two days and provided some ongoing support. The project was a randomised controlled trial involving 24 schools: 12 schools received the intervention from April 2014 until April 2015 using MathsFlip to deliver lessons at the start of a new maths topic for the cohort of pupils in Year 5; 12 schools acted as control schools delivering maths lessons in the usual way. Impact was measured using pupils' Key Stage 2 (KS2) maths scores in summer 2015. The process evaluation involved lesson observations and collecting teachers' and pupils' perceptions of the programme through interviews with staff, focus groups, and online teacher surveys. Among the key findings were: (1) Children in MathsFlip schools made the equivalent of one additional months' progress in maths, on average, compared to children in comparison schools; (2) The impact on maths was slightly higher for children eligible for free school meals ('FSM pupils') than for all children in the trial; and (3) The majority of teachers in the trial were very positive about the flipped learning approach and the technical and professional support they received from Shireland staff.