0

Eric.ed.gov – Locating Differential Effectiveness of a STEM Initiative through Exploration of Moderators

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: In randomized control trials, such as the one the authors conducted in Alabama, moderators are potentially an important source of variation in treatment effects. Whether moderators used in the RCT’s analysis are pre-existing characteristics of students, their teachers, or the school or other organizational context, they can point toward differences in the way the program (treatment) is implemented, the way teachers interact with different kinds of students when implementing the program, or how effects are operating at levels in the organization above the level where the differences were measured. The authors appreciate Cronbach’s (1975) metaphor of the “hall of mirrors” to point to the endless possibilities for higher-order interactions complicating the explanation of what was found. But the goal of this paper is to illustrate a disciplined… Continue Reading

0

Eric.ed.gov – 2012 Preschool Pilot Study of PBS KIDS Transmedia Mathematics Content: A Report to the CPB-PBS “Ready to Learn Initiative”

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The 2012 Preschool Pilot Study of PBS KIDS Transmedia Mathematics Content (Preschool Pilot) is an important part of the authors’ multiyear “Ready To Learn” (RTL) summative evaluation initiative. Through this initiative funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), it was the responsibility of the Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), and SRI International (SRI) to document and, whenever possible, to measure the impact of transmedia mathematics and literacy resources on learning for children from low-income families across a variety of settings: early childhood classrooms, community settings, and home. In this phase of the evaluation, the authors explored the potential of using technology (interactive whiteboards and laptops) and transmedia resources (digital videos and interactive games)–specifically games developed using the CPB-PBS RTL Mathematics framework,… Continue Reading

0

tandfonline.com – Exploring the Impact of a Community School Reform Initiative on the Literacy Achievement of Middle Level English Language Learners

tandfonline.com har udgivet en rapport under søgningen “Teacher Education Mathematics”: Abstract Abstract Inequitable learning opportunities are a leading contributor to the persistent literacy achievement gaps evident between historically marginalized students and their more affluent peers. This study investigated the impact of a community school reform effort in an urban middle school. The community school initiative focused on meeting the complex academic and non-academic needs of newcomer (i.e., immigrant and refugee) students and families. The researchers compared the community school students to a propensity score-matched group and found that the community school students significantly outperformed the comparison group in English language arts (ELA) from Grade 6 to 8 and had significantly fewer course failures in Grade 8. Results of this study also indicate the promising contributions community school wrap-around services lend… Continue Reading

0

Eric.ed.gov – Enacting Common Core Instruction: How Intermediate Unit 13 Leveraged Its Position as an Educational Service Agency to Implement and Scale the LDC Initiative

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Funded by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC) and Math Design Collaborative (MDC) offer a set of instructional and formative assessment tools in literacy and math, which were developed to help educators better prepare all students to meet the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and succeed beyond high school. Following three years of extensive data collection in LDC study sites throughout the country, Research for Action (RFA) has produced three case studies to illustrate how the LDC and MDC tools have been adopted in different settings and contexts, and which approaches and supports have contributed to the successful adoption and use of the tools. The case studies provide a set of “road maps” for other sites that will be adopting or scaling… Continue Reading

0

Eric.ed.gov – The Aftermath of Accelerating Algebra: Evidence from a District Policy Initiative. Working Paper 69

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: In 2002/03, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools initiated a broad program of accelerating entry into algebra coursework. The proportion of moderately-performing students taking 8th grade algebra increased from less than half to nearly 90%, then reverted to baseline levels, in the span of just six age cohorts. We use this policy-induced variation to infer the impact of accelerated entry into algebra on student performance in math courses as students progress through high school. Students affected by the acceleration initiative scored significantly lower on end-of-course tests in Algebra I, and were either no more likely or significantly less likely to pass standard follow-up courses, Geometry and Algebra II, on a college-preparatory timetable. We also find that the district assigned teachers with weaker qualifications to Algebra I classes in the first… Continue Reading

0

Eric.ed.gov – A Final Case Study of SCALE Activities at California State University, Northridge: How Institutional Context Influenced a K-20 STEM Education Change Initiative. WCER Working Paper No. 2009-5

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This qualitative case study reports on processes and outcomes of the National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded System-Wide Change for All Learners and Educators (SCALE) project at the California State University, Northridge (CSUN). It addresses a critical challenge in studying systemic reform in complex organizations: the lack of methodologies that incorporate technical, social, cultural, and cognitive elements. Guiding questions include (a) how the institutional context influenced the project, (b) whether project activities affected science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) instruction, interdisciplinary collaboration on preservice programs, and inter-institutional collaboration on in-service programs, and (c) if and how change initiatives are accepted and incorporated. In-depth interviews (N = 34), relevant documents, and observation data were collected in 2006 and 2007. Findings identified several factors that supported and several that inhibited achievement… Continue Reading

0

Eric.ed.gov – Evaluating Phase II of a New York City-Wide STEM Initiative Using Propensity Score Methods: A Replication Study

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Recently, the authors have been exploring the use of propensity score methods for developing evidence of program impact. Specifically, they have been developing evidence (after one year of implementation) of the effects of the Math Science Partnership in New York City (“MSPinNYC2”) on high school students’ achievement–both in terms of course grades and scores on end-ofcourse tests in two key Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines: Integrated Algebra and Living Environment. Using an evidence-based approach which relies on propensity score matching, the authors asked if the program in its early stages is making a difference in students’ academic achievement and college readiness. The “MSPinNYC2” program restructures early high school STEM courses to include 6-8 Teaching Assistant Scholars (TAS) who, along with the teachers, facilitate in-classroom group… Continue Reading

0

Eric.ed.gov – The STEM Initiative: Constraints and Challenges

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: There is considerable national interest in STEM initiatives, but yet there is little discussion concerning what STEM means in terms of a curriculum concept to be applied to school programming. This article focuses on STEM as a curriculum concept. First, STEM programming is discussed in terms of separate subjects, correlated and broad fields curriculum models. The issue of subject structure is examined. A distinction also is made between the four STEM subjects in terms of formal and applicative uses of knowledge. Second, some practical programming issues are discussed. These include the almost exclusive focus on science and math to the exclusion of technology and engineering; the challenge of serving multiple student populations; and the issue of what to do with the “T” in STEM. A concluding section… Continue Reading

0

Eric.ed.gov – Assessment of the Florida College and Career Readiness Initiative: Year 2 Report

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The Florida College and Career Readiness Initiative is a statewide policy that mandates college placement testing of 11th-graders who meet high school graduation criteria but are unlikely to meet college readiness criteria. Students who score below college-ready on the Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (PERT) are required to take math and English/language arts college readiness and success courses in 12th grade. This report discusses qualitative feedback from students, teachers, district administrators, and college faculty and staff from the 2013/14 school year. It examines how educators perceive the effectiveness of the initiative and barriers to implementation, what the grade 12 courses look like in practice, how K-12 and postsecondary institutions collaborate around the initiative, what types of promising practices Florida’s state colleges use to prepare students for college and… Continue Reading

0

Eric.ed.gov – Assessment of the Florida College and Career Readiness Initiative: Year 2 Report, Executive Summary

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The Florida College and Career Readiness Initiative (FCCRI) is a statewide program designed to assess the college readiness of high school students in 11th grade, and for those assessed as not college-ready, to provide instruction in the 12th grade that will lead to their college success. The assessment used is the Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (PERT), which includes math and reading/writing components. This report describes feedback CNA Corporation obtained during the 2013/14 school year about the strengths and weaknesses of the FCCRI and ways to increase its effectiveness, particularly as it relates to improving those 12th grade college readiness and success (CRS) courses. This feedback was obtained through a survey of 109 CRS course teachers in 89 schools and 33 districts; site visits to six school districts,… Continue Reading