eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This study focuses on flexibility provisions in the Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP) provision of NCLB. Specifically, it addresses REAP Flex, a program that allows rural districts additional control over how to spend portions of their federal funding. REAP Flex is part of a series of NCLB flexibility initiatives aimed at rural schools. The four primary findings of this study were: (1) Half of eligible districts participated in the REAP Flex program; (2) REAP Flex authority was most often used to provide additional funds for services under Title I, Part A. Districts also commonly used REAP Flex to focus on programs related to Title V, Part A (State Grants for Innovative Programs), and Title II, Part D (Educational Technology State Grants). The program funds most commonly used… Continue Reading →
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eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Over the last decade, policy and business leaders have come to know what parents have always known: teachers make the greatest difference to student achievement. With new statistical and analytical methods used by a wide range of researchers, evidence has been mounting that teacher quality can account for a large share of variance in student test scores. The evidence on the distribution of qualified and effective teachers is also clear–and the findings are not good. Teachers who have met the demanding standards of National Board Certification and those who have generated higher “value-added” student achievement gains are far less likely to teach economically disadvantaged and minority students. As a result, high-poverty schools are more likely to be beset with teaching vacancies in math and special education, and… Continue Reading →
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eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This paper describes New York’s progress in implementing a comprehensive and coherent approach to education reform from the time of application through June 30, 2011. In particular, this report highlights key accomplishments over the reporting period in the four reform areas: standards and assessments, data systems to support instruction, great teachers and leaders, and turning around lowest-achieving schools. Highlights of this report include: (1) The State Board of Regents adopted the Common Core State Standards for Math and ELA; made progress in developing and disseminating CCSS implementation resources–including conducting a statewide webinar with David Coleman and creating the EngageNY.org microsite; completed the design of its very successful statewide Network Team Summer Institute for approximately 500 educators (August 2011); continued its active engagement as a governing state for… Continue Reading →
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eric.ed.gov har udgivet: In all the elementary schools in the county, benchmark assessments were given six times a year in math and three times in reading; they were modeled after the questions anticipated on the Maryland School Assessment (MSA). Although results were sent to the school board, there were no cosmic consequences for the hourlong tests; they were supposed to be used by teachers to diagnose problems and adjust instruction. But at Tyler Heights Elementary School, benchmarks were seen as facsimiles of the MSA and treated with commensurate intensity. The first day of school was the last day the third-graders didn’t write a BCR–a “brief constructed response,” a paragraph-sized answer that’s required on the state test. Using Tyler Heights as an example, this article illustrates how standards and students suffer… Continue Reading →
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eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Competitions are used by many teachers at the grass roots level to develop the talents of their gifted students. Each year the top Math, Chemistry, and Physics Olympiad students are identified and assembled into national teams that compete against teams from around the world. This article summarizes findings from the American Olympiad study. Our investigators analyzed data from 345 adult Olympians and found that 52% earned doctorates, and these individuals pursued careers in technical areas that benefit the nation. So far these Olympians have published 8,629 publications, and many of the Olympians have assumed positions in universities or research institutions that contribute to the productivity of the United States. Their success supports competitions as a viable alternative for developing the talents of the gifted. (Contains 1 figure… Continue Reading →
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eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Studies have found substantial sorting of teachers across schools, with the schools with the highest proportions of poor, non-white, and low-scoring students having the least qualified teachers as measured by certification, exam performance, and inexperience (Lankford, Loeb and Wyckoff, 2002). Yet, there have been substantial changes in the educational policy landscape over the past five years. New laws, including the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), have changed requirements for teachers. Assessment-based accountability policies at the state-level have created standards and increased oversight of schools, especially those with low-achieving students. New routes into teaching, many with fewer requirements before teaching, have changed the cost for individuals to enter the teaching profession. These changes have affected teacher labor markets profoundly. In this paper the authors examine… Continue Reading →
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eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The research report reviewed here concludes that many initially high-achieving students are falling further and further behind over the course of their years in school. The report intends to raise the alarm and to advocate for improved programs for these students. It is, however, a false alarm due to biased methodology and misleading arguments. The report’s norm-referenced framework guarantees “losers” as well as “winners,” regardless of any true improvement made by the students. Also, the “regression to the mean” effect produces a false illusion of a tradeoff of over-progress by low achievers at the cost of under-progress for high achievers. Finally, its prescription for stronger school accountability for high-achieving students under NCLB does not follow research-based guidance on how to improve student learning. Other research, including that… Continue Reading →
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eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This report by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) is the first comprehensive effort to assess student achievement in public schools managed by Mosaica Education, Inc., one of the leading private management companies in education, marketing itself to charter boards and school districts since 1997. Schools examined in the report had been managed by Mosaica for at least two years, some for three or more years, to provide an analysis of trends. The first part of the evaluation compares student achievement between 11 charter schools managed by Mosaica during 2000-2001, to other schools in the state with the same grade levels and a comparable percentage of low-income students. The AFT study ranks each Mosaica school among the comparison schools based on the 2000-2001 average math and reading… Continue Reading →
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eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the size of high schools, their percentage of SED (socio-economic disadvantaged) students, and API (academic performance index) scores in California, and determine if teacher preparation is a contributing factor. The 2010 API scores and median income of all 52 counties, and the 2010 API scores and % SED of 1,089 high schools were tabulated and graphed to determine the strength of the correlation between the two different sets of data. Also, the percent proficient levels (in English) for all high school students by grade (9-11) and by socio-economic status from 2003 to 2010 were compared. Lastly, the number and percent of English and math teachers with the proper credentials are presented for analysis. Results indicate there… Continue Reading →
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eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Korean education certainly has its strong points as its fifteen year olds produce outstanding results in the area of mathematics and are the world’s most literate bunch. However, South Korean high schools are insufficiently preparing students for an often learner centered and creative system of education that often necessitates students to be self-motivated, at universities in and out of Korea. Nevertheless, Koreans often make the plea that Korean education is fine and sound at all levels. In essence, they argue that their education is world class and that their high schools are superb while citing PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) 2006 results to support their case. On the other hand, I would state exactly the opposite, for reasons which I have based on both experience and… Continue Reading →
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