ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
High School Science Fair and Research Integrity
Author: Grinnell, Frederick
Date: 2017-03-22
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: High School Students,Secondary School Science,Science Fairs,Competition,Student Research,Scientific Research,Integrity,Barriers,Ethics

Research misconduct has become an important matter of concern in the scientific community. The extent to which such behavior occurs early in science education has received little attention. In the current study, using the web-based data collection program REDCap, we obtained responses to an anonymous and voluntary survey about science fair from 65 high school students who recently competed in the Dallas Regional Science and Engineering Fair and from 237 STEM-track, post-high school students (undergraduates, 1st year medical students, and 1st year biomedical graduate students) doing research at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Of the post-high school students, 24% had competed in science fair during their high school education. Science fair experience was similar overall for the local cohort of Dallas regional students and the more diverse state/national cohort of post-high school students. Only one student out of 122 reported research misconduct, in his case making up the data. Unexpectedly, post-high school students who did not participate in science fair anticipated that carrying out science fair would be much more difficult than actually was the case, and 22% of the post-high school students anticipated that science fair participants would resort to research misconduct to overcome obstacles. No gender-based differences between students' science fair experiences or expectations were evident.
High School Science Fair: Student Opinions Regarding Whether Participation Should Be Required or Optional and Why
Author: Grinnell, Frederick
Date: 2018-08-10
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: High School Students,Secondary School Science,Science Fairs,Student Attitudes,Student Participation,Required Courses,Competition,Learner Engagement,Educational Benefits,Science Process Skills,Research Skills,Science Interests,Scientists,Scientific Research,Goal Orientation

The goal of our research is to identify strengths and weaknesses of high school level science fair and improvements that might enhance learning outcomes based on empirical assessment of student experiences. We use the web-based data collection program REDCap to implement anonymous and voluntary surveys about science fair experiences with two independent groups--high school students who recently competed in the Dallas Regional Science and Engineering Fair and post high school students (undergraduates, 1st year medical students, and 1st year biomedical graduate students) on STEM education tracks doing research at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Herein, we report quantitative and qualitative data showing student opinions about the value of science fair. Few students in any group thought that competitive science fair (C-SF) should be required. The most common reasons given for not requiring C-SF were no enjoyment and no interest in competing. On the other hand, student attitudes towards requiring non-competitive science fair (NC-SF) were nuanced and ranged as high as 91%, increasing with student maturation, science fair experience, and STEM track. The most common reasons given for requiring NC-SF were learning scientific thinking skills and research skills. Students opposed to requiring NC-SF most frequently mentioned no enjoyment and no interest in science. Several student comments critical of the fairness of science fair led us to determine possible differences in science fair experiences depending on whether or not students received help from scientists. Those who received help from scientists had an easier time getting their research idea, more access to articles in books and magazines, and less difficulty getting resources. We discuss the idea that two different types of science fairs--competitive science fair with a performance goal orientation and non-competitive science fair with a mastery goal orientation--might be required to promote the broad goal of educating all students about science and engineering.
Are GPAs an Inconsistent Measure of College Readiness across High Schools? Examining Assumptions about Grades versus Standardized Test Scores
Author: Allensworth, Elaine M.
Date: 2019-01-27
Type: Reports - Research-practitioner Partnerships
Subjects: Grade Point Average,High School Students,College Readiness,Scores,College Entrance Examinations,Correlation,College Graduates,Institutional Characteristics,Test Validity,Poverty,Student Characteristics,Academic Achievement,College Attendance,Teacher Expectations of Students

High school GPAs (HSGPAs) are often perceived to represent inconsistent levels of readiness for college across high schools, while test scores (e.g., ACT scores) are seen as comparable. This study tests those assumptions, examining variation across high schools of both HSGPAs and ACT scores as measures of academic readiness for college. We find students with the same HSGPA or the same ACT score graduate at very different rates based on which high school they attended. Yet, the relationship of HSGPAs with college graduation is strong and consistent, and larger than school effects. In contrast, the relationship of ACT scores with college graduation is weak, smaller than high school effects, and the slope of the relationship varies by high school.
Hidden Risk: Changes in GPA across the Transition to High School. Research Report
Author: Seeskin, Alex
Date: 2018-10-00
Type: Reports - Research-practitioner Partnerships
Subjects: Risk,Grade Point Average,College Preparation,College Freshmen,Educational Attainment,Grade 9,Educational Indicators,Public Schools,Attendance,Academic Achievement,Grade 8,Student Adjustment,Art Education,Physical Education,Health Education,Race,Ethnicity,Correlation,Credits,Graduation,Academic Failure

A successful freshman year of high school lays the foundation for the path to college: ninth-grade grades are powerful indicators of high school graduation, college access, and college degree attainment. However, the transition from eighth to ninth grade is a time when students' academic performance often declines. This report explores how Chicago Public Schools (CPS) students' grades declined during the transition to high school in more detail, and it considers how both eighth- and ninth-grade grades have changed since the original report was written. It examines GPA declines in arts and PE/health grades in addition to grades in the core subject areas, and it breaks down these declines by race/ethnicity, gender, and eighth-grade achievement and looks at how these patterns vary across schools. It also explores the relationships between failures in ninth-grade core and non-core courses, credit accumulation, and high school graduation. The report concludes by providing implications for high schools of the patterns in course performance and their relationship to high school graduation. This report is organized into the following chapters: (1) Changes in Core GPA between the Eighth and Ninth Grades; (2) Non-Core GPA Declines across the Transition; (3) Course Failure and High School Graduation; and (4) Implications. [This report was produced with the The To&amp;Through Project and additional support was provided by the Consortium Investor Council.]
Early Education Essentials: Illustrations of Strong Organizational Practices in Programs Poised for Improvement. Research Report
Author: Pacchiano, Debra M.
Date: 2018-12-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Early Childhood Education,Educational Practices,Educational Improvement,Educational Quality,Teacher Surveys,Parent Surveys,Teacher Effectiveness,Outcomes of Education,Teacher Characteristics,Teacher Collaboration,Teacher Improvement,Parent Participation,Parent School Relationship,Preschool Children,Student Adjustment

Extensive evidence demonstrates that high-quality early childhood education (ECE) positively impacts the learning trajectories of children. Yet many early childhood programs struggle to implement high-quality programming, failing to sufficiently advance children's early learning. A growing body of research demonstrates that strong organizational conditions are necessary to lift stagnant levels of quality in ECE settings. The Early Education Essentials measurement system, including teacher/staff and parent surveys and data-use and improvement tools, is now available nationwide for use in early childhood school- and community-based settings. The new research in Early Education Essentials: Illustrations of Strong Organizational Practices in Programs Poised for Improvement provides valuable qualitative descriptions of strong organizational environments and how they empowered leaders, teachers, and families to aspire to and realize higher-quality practices and better outcomes for young children. Key Findings: (1) Internal organizational conditions greatly affect what teachers do, what parents do, and how staff and families feel about the school/center. These actions in turn impact the quality of teaching and learning, and ultimately the outcomes children achieve; (2) Program leaders can bring coherency to the purpose and focus of ECE programs and minimize fragmented and task-based approaches. In strongly organized programs, leaders achieved coherency and quality by focusing on teachers' practice and working collaboratively with teachers, staff, and families; and (3) Policymakers seeking to retain staff and ensure high-quality programming within ECE schools/centers can prioritize policies that promote these essential organizational structures and practices over other program standards, which have not been linked to staff commitment, higher-quality teaching, or outcomes. [Co-written with Stacy B. Ehrlich and Amanda G. Stein.] [For &quot;Early Education Essentials: Illustrations of Strong Organizational Practices in Programs Poised for Improvement. Snapshot,&quot; see ED612724.]
The Higher Education Act (HEA): A Primer. CRS Report R43351, Version 17. Updated
Author: Hegji, Alexandra
Date: 2018-10-24
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Educational Legislation,Federal Legislation,Higher Education,Federal Aid,Student Financial Aid,Educational Quality,Teacher Effectiveness,Teacher Education,Tribally Controlled Education,Black Colleges,Grants,Educational Finance,Minority Group Students,Student Loan Programs,Need Analysis (Student Financial Aid),Disabilities,Endowment Funds

The Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA; P.L. 89-329), as amended, authorizes a broad array of federal student aid programs that assist students and their families with financing the cost of a postsecondary education, as well as programs that provide federal support to postsecondary institutions of higher education (IHEs). Programs authorized by the HEA provide support for higher education in several ways, including providing support to students in financing a postsecondary education, with additional support and services given to less-advantaged students; providing support to students pursing international education and certain graduate and professional degrees; and providing support to IHEs in improving their capacity and ability to offer postsecondary education programs. This report provides a brief overview of the major provisions of the HEA, organized by title and part. Appendix A of this report provides detailed appropriations figures for HEA programs, from FY2015 through FY2018. Appendix B gives a brief overview of the General Education Provisions Act, which applies to the majority of federal education programs administered by ED, including those programs authorized by the HEA. Finally, Appendix C provides information related to the eight comprehensive reauthorizations that the HEA has undergone. Other CRS reports provide more detailed discussions and analyses of the major HEA provisions.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part C: Early Intervention for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities. CRS Report R43631, Version 10. Updated
Author: Dragoo, Kyrie E.
Date: 2018-07-30
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Disabilities,Educational Legislation,Equal Education,Federal Legislation,Early Intervention,Infants,Toddlers,Special Education,State Aid,Grants,Preschool Children,Preschool Education,Program Implementation,Prereferral Intervention,Referral,Individualized Family Service Plans,Parent Rights,Arbitration,Eligibility,Grievance Procedures,Educational Finance,Funding Formulas,Resource Allocation,Expenditures

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a statute that authorizes grant programs that support special education services. Under the IDEA, a series of conditions are attached to the receipt of grant funds. These conditions aim to provide certain educational and procedural guarantees for students with disabilities and their families. The IDEA is primarily thought of as the nation's special education law, and Part B, which focuses on providing special education and related services to children with disabilities between the ages of 3 and 21 years old, is the largest part of the IDEA both in terms of populations served and funding level. However, the IDEA covers more than special education. The IDEA consists of four parts. Part A contains the general provisions, including the purposes of the act and definitions. The aforementioned largest part, Part B, contains provisions relating to the education of school aged children (the grants-to-states program) and the state grants program for preschool children with disabilities (Section 619). Part C, the focus of this report, authorizes state grants for programs serving infants and toddlers with disabilities. Finally, Part D contains the requirements for various national activities designed to improve the education of children with disabilities. Appendix A provides a more detailed summary of each of the four parts. Part C (Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, P.L. 108-446) authorizes a formula grant program for infants and toddlers with disabilities (ages birth through two) and their families. A general purpose of these grants is to aid states in developing and implementing &quot;a statewide, comprehensive, coordinated, multidisciplinary, interagency system that provides early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families.&quot;
H.R. 4508, the PROSPER Act: Proposed Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. CRS Report R45115, Version 3. Updated
Author: Hegji, Alexandra
Date: 2018-02-22
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Higher Education,Educational Legislation,Federal Legislation,Federal Aid,Student Financial Aid,Eligibility,Educational Quality,Accountability,Student Rights,School Safety,Sexual Abuse,Grants,International Programs,Federal Programs,Student Loan Programs,Public Administration,Public Agencies,Agency Role,Church Related Colleges,College Students

The Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA; P.L. 89-329, as amended) authorizes programs and activities that make federal financial assistance available to individuals who are pursuing a postsecondary education and to institutions of higher education (IHEs). It also authorizes a number of other activities and functions related to postsecondary education. The HEA was last comprehensively reauthorized by the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA; P.L. 110-315). The HEOA extended the authorization of the appropriation of funds for most HEA programs through FY2014, while the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) provided an extension of that authority for an additional year, through FY2015. Many HEA programs have continued beyond FY2015 with funding provided under a variety of appropriations legislation and continuing resolutions. This report focuses on changes H.R. 4508 would make to the HEA's programs. It begins with an overview identifying and discussing a number of key themes in H.R. 4508. This discussion highlights major changes proposed in the bill. It may be sufficient to meet the needs of readers seeking a general understanding of the primary proposals included in H.R. 4508. The next section of the report examines in more detail the major features of H.R. 4508 and how they relate to current law. The Appendix contains two tables that present information on the proposed authorization of appropriations or budget authority for new programs and for programs currently specified in the HEA and related laws (e.g., the Education of the Deaf Act). The report focuses on the larger changes proposed in H.R. 4508.
Reauthorization of the Perkins Act in the 115th Congress: The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act. CRS Report R45446, Version 2. Updated
Author: Granovskiy, Boris
Date: 2018-12-21
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Educational Legislation,Federal Legislation,Technical Education,Vocational Education,Educational Finance,Federal Aid,Resource Allocation,Funding Formulas,Accountability,Needs Assessment

The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins Act) is the primary federal law aimed at developing and supporting career and technical education (CTE) programs at the secondary and postsecondary educational levels. Prior to the 115th Congress, the Perkins Act had most recently been reauthorized in 2006 by the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins IV; P.L. 109-270). On July 31, 2018, President Trump signed into law the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V; P.L. 115-224), which comprehensively reauthorized the Perkins Act. Perkins V is the most recent in a series of acts that have reauthorized the main federal law authorizing support for the development of CTE programs aimed at students in secondary and postsecondary education. This report provides an overview of the primary differences between provisions in place under Perkins IV and those enacted in Perkins V. Table 1 compares provisions in Perkins IV with new or revised provisions in Perkins V. It also contains a section that highlights selected definitions that are significantly revised or are introduced in Perkins V. Table A-1 depicts the authorizations of appropriations for programs authorized under the Perkins Act as amended by Perkins V.
Through the Labor Market Looking Glass: An Inquiry into Principal-Teacher Race Congruence. WCER Working Paper No. 2018-13
Author: Goff, Peter
Date: 2018-10-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Principals,Minority Group Teachers,Whites,Race,Racial Bias,Labor Market,Teacher Administrator Relationship,Faculty Mobility,Job Applicants,Teacher Selection,Career Change,Job Satisfaction,Employment Patterns,Predictor Variables,Racial Differences

Representative bureaucracy suggests that supervisors are representative of their employees based, in part, on shared values and identity. In education, we often observe representative asymmetries among school principals and the teaching faculty, particularly by race. This study explores the ways in which race congruence (or incongruence) between teachers and principals relates to key labor market behaviors, in particular, job searching, changing, applying, and hiring. Using an unprecedented and large-scale vacancy-application database coupled with administrative staffing records in Wisconsin, this study demonstrates that representative bureaucracy based on race operates at the stages of job searching and applying. The congruence effect is only notable for Minoritized teachers at the hiring stage, while White teachers show a greater effect when changing positions. Comparing the differences in marginal probabilities by racial combinations, we conclude race congruence effects are greatest for Minoritized teachers.
Examination of Identification and Placement Decisions Made for K-12 English Learners. WCER Working Paper No. 2018-12
Author: Kim, Ahyoung Alicia
Date: 2018-10-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Identification,Student Placement,Decision Making,English Language Learners,Elementary School Students,Secondary School Students,Second Language Instruction,Language Tests,Language Proficiency,Scores,English Teachers,Screening Tests

High-stakes decisions are often made for English learners in the K-12 context based on their performance on English language proficiency assessments. Although states and districts provide guidelines for making such decisions, little is known regarding how educators actually make decisions at the district and school levels. Understanding these decisions is important as they often have significant consequences. In addition, evidence regarding the decisions is necessary to support validity claims made regarding the use of the assessments. This study examines how K-12 educators identify and place English learners in language instruction educational programs. These educators serve ELs in different capacities, including district coordinators, instructional coaches, administrators, teachers, and counselors. Participants were sampled from 35 U.S. states, using stratified random sampling. A total of 476 educators (207 district-level and 269 school-level educators) completed an online survey on EL identification and placement. Findings reveal information regarding (1) educators who make decisions about English learner identification and placement, (2) instruments and information sources used for decision making, and (3) educators' perceived appropriateness of the decisions. Results provide practical implications for improving the English learner identification and placement decision at the district and school levels.
A Cyberinfrastructure for Design-Based Research: A Collaborative Design Project Proposal. WCER Working Paper No. 2018-14
Author: Derry, Sharon J.
Date: 2018-12-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Educational Research,Internet,Cooperation,Research Methodology,Research Problems,Information Transfer

Like numerous others before us, we argue that the educational research community would be well served by a mutually created cyberinfrastructure that encourages and supports engagement by multiple design-based researchers in working toward answers to important theory-driven research questions, moving our field toward a &quot;bigger science&quot; approach. We reach out to members of the educational research community to join with members of other relevant fields, such as computer science, to design, build, support and participate in a mutually established cyberinfrastructure and user community to support design-based research. We seed the discussion by offering a concrete initial proposal to illustrate the possibility of implementing this idea. [For the companion report, &quot;Product Discovery Report for a Visual Data Management System. WCER Working Paper No. 2018-15,&quot; see ED593637.]