THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT
Math Assessment Accommodations for English Language Learners
Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 11 minutes ago
WestEd's Regional Educational Laboratory West (REL West) examined the effect of linguistic modification on middle school students' ability to show what they know and can do on mathematics assessments. Linguistic modification involves reducing the complexity of the English used in a test in ways that support clarity without simplifying or significantly altering the targeted construct assessed. This can help ensure that math tests more accurately measure students' math understanding. This study resulted in a report prepared by REL West staff. Research Questions The primary research...more »
No Clear Path to Mathematics Learning
Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 12 minutes ago
New research examining the course-taking patterns of some 24,000 students in 24 California unified school districts finds that students already doing well in mathematics in the 7th grade are more likely to take advanced math courses in high school and achieve proficiency on the California Standards Test (CST) in algebra. But for the many students who struggle with math in grade 7, there is no clear path to learning and achievement in this critical content area. Conducted by a team of researchers at WestEd and SRI International and released today by the Center for the Future of Tea... more »
Effectiveness of Four Supplemental Reading Comprehension Interventions
Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 27 minutes ago
This article presents evidence from a large-scale randomized controlled trial of the effects of four supplemental reading comprehension curricula (Project CRISS, ReadAbout, Read for Real, and Reading for Knowledge) on students’ understanding of informational text. Across 2 school years, the study included 10 school districts, more than 200 schools, and more than 10,000 fifth-grade students. Schools interested in implementing 1 of the 4 supplemental curricula were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatment groups or to a control group. The impact analyses in the study's first year revea...more »
Effective Reading Programs for Spanish-Dominant English Language Learners (ELLs) in the Elementary Grades
Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 30 minutes ago
This review synthesizes research on English reading outcomes of all types of programs for Spanish-dominant English language learners (ELLs) in elementary schools. It is divided into two major sections. One focuses on studies of language of instruction and one on reading approaches for ELLs holding constant language of instruction. A total of 13 qualifying studies met the inclusion criteria for language of instruction. Though the overall findings indicate a positive effect (effect size = .21) in favor of bilingual education, the largest and longest term evaluations, including the o... more »
First- Through Eighth-Grade Retention Rates for All 50 States
Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 36 minutes ago
How many students repeat a grade each year? How do retention rates vary across states and over time? Despite extensive research on the predictors and consequences of grade retention, there is no systematic way to quantify state-level retention rates; even national estimates rely on imperfect proxy measures. This report presents a conceptually simple method—based on publicly available data that are routinely collected each year—that describes retention rates at the state and national levels. After describing and validating this method, the authors use it to report first- through ... more »
Why Superintendents Turn Over
Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 42 minutes ago
Although superintendent turnover can hinder district reform and improvement, research examining superintendent exits is scarce. This studyidentifies factors contributing to superintendent turnover in California by matching original superintendent and school board survey data with administrative data and information hand-collected from news sources on why superintendents left and where they went. Among 215 superintendents studied beginning in 2006, 45% exited within 3 years. Using a multinomial framework to separate retirements from other turnover, the authors find that factors suc... more »
Recruiting Effective Math Teachers: Evidence From New York City
Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 46 minutes ago
For well over a decade school districts across the United States have struggled to recruit and retain effective mathematics teachers. In response to the need for qualified math teachers and the difficulty of directly recruiting individuals who have already completed the math content required for qualification, some districts, including Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and New York City, have developed alternative certification programs with a math immersion component to recruit otherwise well-qualified candidates who do not have undergraduate majors in math. This articl... more »
Behavior problems, not depression, linked to lower grades for depressed youths
Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 4 days ago
Behavior problems, not depression, are linked to lower grades for depressed adolescents, according to a study in the December issue of the *Journal of Health and Social Behavior. * "Behavior problems including attention issues, delinquency, and substance use are associated with diminished achievement, but depression is not," said the study's lead author Jane D. McLeod, a sociology professor and an associate dean at Indiana University. "Certainly, there are depressed youths who have trouble in school, but it's likely because they are also using substances, engaging in delinquent acti... more »