PROGRAMS FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH: An Inventory of Existing Technology
Ω In a new working paper, Andrew Saultz of Michigan State University, inventories the current landscape of technology programs available for middle school math. This inventory shows that a wide variety of schools use technology to teach middle school mathematics. However, research on these programs is limited. While a few of the programs have participated in randomly controlled trials, the vast majority has not been evaluated for effectiveness. What is clear is that a number of options currently exist for policymakers and educators looking to incorporate technology into the teachin... more »
Football findings suggest concussions caused by series of hits
Ω A two-year study of high school football players suggests that concussions are likely caused by many hits over time and not from a single blow to the head, as commonly believed. Purdue University researchers have studied football players for two seasons at Jefferson High School in Lafayette, Ind., where 21 players completed the study the first season and 24 the second season, including 16 repeating players. Helmet-sensor impact data from each player were compared with brain-imaging scans and cognitive tests performed before, during and after each season. "The most important impl... more »
Effects of High School Course-Taking on Secondary and Postsecondary Success
Ω Using panel data from a census of public school students in the state of Florida, the authors of this study examine the associations between students’ high school course-taking in various subjects and their 10th-grade test scores, high school graduation, entry into postsecondary institutions, and postsecondary performance. The authors use propensity score matching (based on 8thgrade test scores, other student characteristics, and school effects) within groups of students matched on the composition of the students’ course-taking in other subjects to estimate the differences in ou... more »
Charter School Closure Rates Dropped in 2010-2011 School Year
Ω A report released by the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) indicates charter school closures have declined over the past three years. These findings are shared in 2011 State of Charter School Authorizing: Fourth Annual Report on NACSA’s Authorizer Survey. In 2010-2011, 6.2 percent of charter schools that were reviewed for renewal were closed, down from 8.8 percent in 2009-2010 and 12.6 percent in 2008-2009. This decline could reflect numerous factors, including state laws influencing charter oversight, an improvement in the quality of charters, changes in... more »
Assessing the Value of BMI Screening and Surveillance in Schools
Ω The value of routine body mass index (BMI) screening in schools has been a topic of ongoing controversy. An expert Roundtable Discussion in the current issue of Childhood Obesity, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., debates the pros and cons of routine BMI screening in the school setting, discusses the most recent data, and explores when and for what purpose BMI screening results should be shared with parents and the potential benefits. The Roundtable is available online. Patricia B. Crawford, DrPH, RD, Adjunct Professor, University of California, Berkele... more »
Impoverished schools, parent education key factors in student weight
Ω Attending a financially poor school may have more of an effect on unhealthy adolescent weight than family poverty, according to Penn State sociologists. Poor schools even influence how parental education protects kids from becoming overweight. "It was once thought that family income was the main factor when we talk about the research on adolescent weight," said Molly Martin, assistant professor of sociology and demography. "That's not true. The environments the children live in play a key role in weight problems among adolescents." Martin said that the level of a school's financi... more »
Questions About Rigor of Teacher Tests
Ω Complete article The average scores of graduating teacher-candidates on state-required licensing exams are uniformly higher, often significantly, than the passing scores states set for such exams, according to an Education Week analysis of preliminary data from a half-dozen states. The pattern appears across subjects, grade levels, and test instruments supplied by a variety of vendors, the new data show, raising questions about the rigor and utility of current licensing tests.
Districts’ Written Policies Regarding Student Substance-Related Incidents
Ω Recent events have increased interest in district policies relating to student substance use and whether they best serve the needs of their communities and students. To better understand the nature of the policies that may be in use around the country, the Institute of Education Sciences commissioned a study to examine the features of the written substance-related policies for the 100 largest school districts in the country. Key findings include: • A large majority of districts indicate that students may or will be reported to law enforcement for incidents involving the possess... more »
The perils of social networking for school employees
Ω School administrators are facing a growing dilemma resulting from social networking that goes beyond preventing cyber-bullying among students. They're also faced with balancing the rights of privacy and free speech of educators with what should be the appropriate behavior of teachers as role models. Janet Decker, a University of Cincinnati assistant professor in UC's Educational Leadership Program, reveals more on the dilemma in an article published in the January issue of Principal Navigator, a professional magazine by the Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators. D... more »
English language proficiency levels of limited-English-proficient students in Idaho,
Ω This study examines statewide results on the Idaho English Language Assessment (IELA), the federally mandated annual assessment Idaho administers to all limited English proficient (LEP) students. It documents the distribution of LEP students across English proficiency levels on the IELA in 2010 and compares it with results for 2007. It shows how the distribution varied for LEP students by grade spans in listening, speaking, reading, writing, and comprehension. It also compared results across subgroups of LEP students based on gender, participation in the free or reduced-price lun... more »
Plans to adopt and implement Common Core State Standards in the Southeast Region states,
Ω This study, based on interviews with state officials in the six Southeast Region states examines the processes for adopting and implementing the common standards and aligning assessment programs to the common standards in the Southeast Region states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina). The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a state-led effort to establish a common set of expectations for what K–12 students are expected to know and be able to do in English language arts and math. The Common Core State Standards were released in June ... more »
How prepared are subgroups of Texas students for college-level reading?
Ω Many students graduate from high school unprepared for the rigorous reading required in entry-level college and career work. This brief builds on a (Wilkins et al. 2010) that used the Lexile measure (a method for measuring the reading difficulty of prose text and the reading capability of individuals) to estimate the proportion of Texas grade 11 public school students in 2009 ready for entry-level college reading in English. The previous study examined the overall grade 11 Texas student population; this brief uses the same methodology to present similar readiness estimates for s... more »
The State of State Science Standards 2012
Ω *Report: State Science-Education Standards Jeopardize U.S. Competitiveness* Thomas B. Fordham Institute report released today finds that the K-12 science standards of most states remain mediocre to awful, placing America’s national competitiveness, technological prowess and scientific leadership in grave jeopardy. Since the Sputnik launch of 1957, Americans have regarded science education as crucial to our national security and economic competitiveness. Just recently, a National Science Board report found that the U.S. could soon be overtaken as global leader in supporting scienc... more »
WWC Looks at the NYC Study of Small Schools
Ω A new WWC quick review is also available this week, focusing on a recent study of New York City’s small schools. • Transforming the High School Experience: How New York City’s New Small Schools Are Boosting Student Achievement and Graduation Rates—This study examined whether winning an admissions lottery for a small school of choice improved high school students’ progress toward graduation and graduation rates. The study analyzed data on more than 21,000 students in New York City who participated in a ninth-grade admissions lottery for a small school of choice. Study authors fou... more »
WWC Reviews Research on Two Literacy Programs
Ω New reports from the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) review the research on Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies and Odyssey Reading, two programs that aim to improve adolescent literacy. • Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies is a supplementary reading program designed to improve students’ reading accuracy, fluency, and comprehension by incorporating peer-tutoring instruction. This WWC report focuses on Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies programs for grades 2–6 and high school. The WWC reviewed 97 studies that investigated the effects of this program on improving adolescent literacy. On... more »
International assessment results for Minnesota
Ω Minnesota was one of two states (Massachusetts was the other) that participated in the most recently released Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) in 2007. A new Snapshot from the NCES International Data Explorer web page presents a summary of the Minnesota results. Findings include: • In grade 4 mathematics, five education systems (of 43 participating) had average scores higher than Minnesota; • In grade 4 science, two education systems had higher average scores than Minnesota; • In grade 8 mathematics, six education systems (of 56 participating) had ... more »
International assessment results for Massachusetts
Ω Massachusetts was one of two states (Minnesota being the other) that participated in the most recently released Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) in 2007. Key Results: In mathematics at grade 4, two education systems (Hong Kong-China and Singapore) had average scores higher than Massachusetts; they also had higher percentages of students reaching the Advanced International Benchmark. Two education systems (Chinese Taipei and Japan) had average scores not measurably different from Massachusetts; the same two, in addition to Kazakhstan and Minnesota, ha... more »
Good Kindergarten Attention Skills Predict Later Work-Oriented Behavior
Ω Attentiveness in kindergarten accurately predicts the development of "work-oriented" skills in school children, according to a new study published by Dr. Linda Pagani, a professor and researcher at the University of Montreal and CHU Sainte-Justine. The study, Relating Kindergarten Attention to Subsequent Developmental Pathways of Classroom Engagement in Elementary School, was published online by the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, (the official publication of the International Society for Research in Child and Adolescent Psychopathology), on January 13, 2011. Elementary scho...more »
Effective Schools: Evidence from New York City
Ω Complete paper Charter schools were developed, in part, to serve as an R&D engine for traditional public schools, resulting in a wide variety of school strategies and outcomes. In this paper, the authors collect unparalleled data on the inner-workings of 35 charter schools and correlate these data with credible estimates of each school's effectiveness. * They find that traditionally collected input measures -- class size, per pupil expenditure, the fraction of teachers with no certification, and the fraction of teachers with an advanced degree -- are not correlated with school e... more »
Record Number of Children Enrolled in Private School Choice Programs this Year
Ω More than 210,000 children are participating in publicly funded private school choice programs across the nation, according to the School Choice Yearbook 2011-12 released by the Alliance for School Choice. The Alliance’s annual Yearbook, entitled School Choice Now: The Year of School Choice, is a collection of the nation’s most accurate data on private school choice programs across the country. The 2011-12 edition, which was coauthored by Alliance Communications Manager Michelle Gininger, contains an analysis of trends and information regarding school choice, a directory of the a... more »