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Eric.ed.gov – To Track or Not to Track?

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Background: This paper was written for a graduate level action research course at Muskingum University, located in New Concord, OH. Purpose: The purpose of this research was to determine which method of instruction best serves ALL high school students. Is it more advantageous to track (“ability group”) students or not to track students in high school core classes (Math, Science, History, and English)? Setting: This study was conducted during the 2009-2010 school year. All subjects involved in this research are associated with Caldwell High School, located in Caldwell, OH. Caldwell is a small rural town located in Southeastern Ohio, which is part of the Appalachian region. The high school currently has approximately 180 students in attendance and 11 educators teaching the four core subject areas. Study Sample:… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Establishing a Strong Foundation: District and School Supports for Classroom Implementation of the MDC Framework

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has invested in the development and dissemination of high-quality formative assessment tools to support teachers’ incorporation of the Core Common State Standards (CCSS) into their classroom instruction. Lessons from the first generation of standards-based reforms suggest that intense attention to high quality instructional tasks, use of formative assessments embedded in those tasks, and professional development (PD) that attends to both content knowledge and instruction are essential considerations if teachers are to meet the demands of the CCSS. Experts from the Shell Centre have developed a set of formative assessment lessons (FALs) for high school mathematics teachers to facilitate CCSS-based student mathematics learning and provide teachers with feedback about student understanding and mastery. The tools are designed to target the “instructional core”… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Teacher Aide Training Program.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This document contains curriculum outlines and preliminary evaluation of the 4-week summer preservice Teacher Aide Workship to train 40 paraprofessionals to serve as classroom assistants, clerical assistants, or specialists (e.g., aides to work with speech handicapped) in elementary and secondary schools. Course objectives and content outlines are presented for 15 different curriculum areas: The School System (a review of state and local school organization and of educational vocabulary); Basic Skills in Elementary Science, Social Studies, Math, and Reading; Basic Skills in Secondary Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies; Library Skills; Audio Visual Instruction; Aide Routine; Professional Skills; Professional Techniques; and Clerical Skills. Following each outline is a brief course evaluation written by the instructor. Also included are selected evaluative comments by trainees, personal data on trainees,… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – The Skyline TEAMS Model: A Longitudinal Look at the Impacts of K-12 Engineering on Perception, Preparation and Persistence

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This paper describes the longitudinal impacts of a partnership between the University of Colorado Boulder’s K-12 Engineering Education initiative and the St. Vrain Valley School District. Together, university and high school educators created a replicable pre-college engineering model in a nine-school feeder system, which serves many Colorado students who are traditionally underrepresented in the engineering profession, and culminates with a high school STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) Academy whose graduates are motivated to thrive in engineering colleges. However, the following question, “Is this an effective model for increasing student STEM persistence and performance?” remains a driver for our investments as we refine the K-12 engineering program based on partner school feedback and quantitative and qualitative assessment results. Data show that our K-12 engineering program has positively… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Investigations of Stability in Junior High School Math and English Classes: The Texas Junior High School Study. Research and Development Report No. 77-3.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The stability of classroom behavior is examined from several perspectives: (1) the relative consistency of teacher behavior in two different sections of the same course taught concurrently; (2) the relative consistency of student behavior in math and English classes attended concurrently; and (3) differences in student and teacher behavior in math vs. English classes (to determine the effects of subject matter on teacher and student behavior). In general, stability coefficients obtained here were much higher than those expected on the basis of earlier research on stability in courses taught successively rather than concurrently. Even so, high inference ratings were more stable than low inference counts of discrete behaviors, and many behaviors did not occur often enough to allow stable measurement, despite intensive observation. The data are discussed… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Independence and Interdependence: An Analysis of Pre-Service Candidates’ Use of Focused Assignments on an Electronic Discussion Forum during the Initial Field Experience

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This article describes a case study using an electronic learning platform for creating an interactive learning community through asynchronous discussion to enhance the initial field experience of secondary math and English teacher candidates enrolled in Field Experience. We identified three problems with the field experience course–lack of structure, isolation of the candidates in the field, and passivity of the candidates. To address these problems, we established three goals–to create a way for candidates to structure their reflections in the field, to create a learning community of pre-professionals, and to foster independence and assertiveness in our candidates. With these goals in mind, focused assignments were developed and implemented in an interactive online discussion forum. The results of this study have two important implications for teacher preparation. First, the… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Year 3 of Implementing the Common Core State Standards: An Overview of States’ Progress and Challenges

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: States are in a crucial phase of implementing the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), which outline the knowledge and skills that students in grades kindergarten through 12 are expected to learn in mathematics and English language arts (ELA) to be prepared for college and careers. As of July 2013, 45 states and the District of Columbia have adopted these voluntary, state-developed standards in both subjects, and an additional state, Minnesota, has adopted the CCSS in ELA only. To learn more about states’ strategies, policies, and challenges in this third year of implementing the CCSS, the Center on Education Policy (CEP) at The George Washington University conducted a comprehensive survey of deputy superintendents of education or their designees in February through May of 2013. Forty states responded, including… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Teacher Perspectives as a Framework for Strengthening Teacher Education. Draft.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This presentation reports on the third phase of research associated with the Teacher as Decision Maker Program (TADMP), a graduate-level program for middle/secondary school certification at Indiana University. Seven teacher perspectives have emerged from the study of 86 individuals from the fields of science, English, foreign language, math, and social studies: (1) Scholar Psychologist; (2) Friendly Scholar; (3) Inculcator; (4) Facilitator of Thinking; (5) Friendly Pedagogue; (6) Empowerer, and (7) Nurturer. The latest research explores the utility of these teacher perspectives as a tool for strengthening self-reflection on teaching among TADMP students. The paper describes and analyzes the impact of four interventions based on the perspectives: (1) initial reflections; (2) choosing a center and gaining confidence; (3) reflecting back on perspectives and teaching; and (4) confirming and… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Testing the Test: A Study of PARCC Field Trials in Two School Districts. Policy Brief

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The potential use of computer-based assessments has raised concerns from educators, policymakers, and parents about information technology infrastructure in school districts and the preparation of staff and students to use new technologies for assessment purposes, and the potential impact of testing activities on core school functions, particularly teaching and learning. This case study documents lessons learned in the district- or school-wide administration of computer-based student assessments in the Burlington and Revere School Districts during the spring 2014 Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) field test. The case study focused on three research questions: (1) What was the preparation process for district- and school-wide implementation of an online student assessment, including decision making on scheduling, staffing, professional development, technology and hardware, and test materials… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Evaluation of the Effectiveness and Implementation of a Math Manipulatives Project.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This paper reports on a project to enrich high school algebra and geometry programs through the use of manipulatives. The evaluation design utilized qualitative and quantitative methodology to determine the effectiveness and impact of training with manipulatives on 40 high school teachers. The final evaluation was based on: (1) review of the program proposal; (2) participation in the planning process for the workshops with the project staff; (3) observation of the methodology of the trainers and provisions for participant involvement in each of the workshop sessions; (4) group discussion of classroom implementation strategies; (5) observation of the use of manipulatives in the participants’ classrooms; and (6) review of participants’ self-reports of student utilization and response to the manipulatives. The project was successful in addressing the stated objectives… Continue Reading