This Week's Education Research Report 6-1-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

Education Research Report

THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT

The Impact of a Classroom-Based Guidance Program on Student Performance in Community College Math Classes

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 5 minutes ago

Passing through remedial and required math classes poses a significant barrier to success for many community college students. This study uses random assignment to investigate the impact of a “light-touch” intervention, where an individual visited math classes a few times during the semester, for a few minutes each time, to inform students about available services. Entire class sections, rather than individuals, were randomly assigned to program and control groups, reducing the administrative burden for the college of a randomized-controlled experiment. This study finds that the... more »

States Made Deep Cuts to Higher Education

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 day ago

Public universities and colleges in nearly every state have seen their state funding decline sharply, according to a new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Nationwide, states are on average spending 28 percent less this year than they did in 2008, a decrease of $2,353 per student. As a result, colleges and universities have had to raise tuition, make changes that undermine educational quality, or both. “Investment in higher education should be a priority,” said Phil Oliff, policy analyst at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and author of the report ... more »

CareerStart: a significant treatment effect for math performance but no effect for reading performance

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 2 days ago

Research and theory suggest that students learn more effectively when they perceive course content as relevant to their futures. This researchassessed the impact of CareerStart, a middle grades instructional strategy designed to advance the occupational relevance of what students are being taught in the core subjects—math, science, language arts, and social studies. CareerStart was introduced randomly in 7 of 14 middle schools in a diverse district with 3,295 students followed for 3 years. The analyses examined impact on end-of-grade test scores on math and reading exams. Findings ... more »

WWC report: Scott Foresman–Addison Wesley Elementary Mathematics: "mixed effects on mathematics achievement"

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 2 days ago

An updated What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) report provide new information about the effectiveness of Scott Foresman–Addison Wesley Elementary Mathematics. Report Summary Effectiveness Scott Foresman–Addison Wesley Elementary Mathematics was found to have mixed effects on mathematics achievement for elementary school students. Program Description Scott Foresman–Addison Wesley Elementary Mathematics is a core mathematics curriculum for students in prekindergarten through grade 6. The program aims to improve students’ understanding of key math concepts through problem-solving instru... more »

What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) report: Saxon Math "potentially positive effects"

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 2 days ago

An updated What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) report provide new information about the effectiveness of Saxon Math a Report Summary Effectiveness Saxon Math was found to have potentially positive effects on mathematics achievement for elementary school students. Program Description Saxon Math, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, is a core curriculum for students in grades K–5. A distinguishing feature of the curriculum is its use of an incremental approach for instruction and assessment. This approach limits the amount of new math content delivered to students each day and allows... more »

THE IMPACT OF UNIVERSAL PRESCHOOL ON THE CHILDCARE SECTOR

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 2 days ago

Government programs for early childhood education have expanded in recent decades. Two states illustrate this trend. Georgia expanded its preschool program to all age-eligible residents in 1995, enabling money from the state government to follow children to the government-certified provider of their parents' choice. Oklahoma adopted universal preschool in 1998, offering it through the state's existing public school system. As one would expect, these different subsidy methods led to substantial differences in the market for childcare. In Does State Preschool Crowd-out Private Pro... more »

A Review of Research on the Returns to Higher Education

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 3 days ago

Recent stories of soaring student debt levels and under-placed college graduates have caused some to question whether a college education is still a sound investment. In this paper, the authors review the literature on the returns to higher education in an attempt to determine who benefits from college. Despite the tremendous heterogeneity across potential college students, the authors conclude that the investment appears to payoff for both the average and marginal student. During the past three decades in particular, the earnings premium associated with a college education has ri... more »

Students Perform Well Regardless of Reading Print or Digital Books

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

Research by an Indiana State University doctoral student found that students did equally well on a test whether reading from a digital book or a printed one. Jim Johnson, who also is director of instructional and information technology services in the Bayh College of Education, surveyed more than 200 students. Half of the students used an iPad2 to read a textbook chapter while the other half of the students read from a printed textbook chapter. The students then took an open-book quiz with eight easy and eight moderate questions on the chapter. "Few people have done a lot of resea... more »

When it comes to behavior and self-control boys lag in U.S., but not in Asia

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

A new study shows there is a gender gap when it comes to behavior and self-control in American young children – one that does not appear to exist in children in Asia. In the United States, girls had higher levels of self-regulation than boys. Self-regulation is defined as children’s ability to control their behavior and impulses, follow directions, and persist on a task. It has been linked to academic performance and college completion, in past studies by Oregon State University researchers. In three Asian countries, the gender gap in the United States was not found when researche... more »

Schools should provide students with daily physical activity

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

A new report from the Institute of Medicine, Educating the Student Body: Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School, says schools should be responsible for helping pupils engage in at least 60 minutes of vigorous or moderate intensity activity during each school day. No more than half of American youth meet current evidence-based guidelines of at least an hour of vigorous or moderate intensity physical activity daily, according to the report, which was released today. “Because children are in school for nearly half of their waking hours, the committee recommends a Wh... more »

The Condition of Education 2013

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

The National Center for Education Statistics has released The Condition of Education 2013. The 42 indicators presented in The Condition of Education 2013 provide a progress report on education in America and include findings on the demographics of American schools, U.S. resources for schooling, and outcomes associated with education. Report findings include: - As of 2012, about 90 percent of young adults ages 25 to 29 had a high school diploma or its equivalent and 33 percent had a bachelor’s or higher degree. Annual median earnings in 2011 were higher for those with higher leve... more »

Parent and teacher support protects teens from sleep problems and depression

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

A new study suggests that disturbed sleep in adolescents is associated with more symptoms of depression and greater uncertainly about future success. However, perceived support and acceptance from parents and teachers appears to have a protective effect. Results show that disturbed sleep was significantly associated with depressed mood and greater uncertainty about future success. Higher levels of perceived support from parents and from teachers were associated with significantly fewer sleep disruptions and subsequently with fewer symptoms of depression and greater optimism about ...more »

Postsecondary Institutions and Price of Attendance in 2012-13; Degrees and Other Awards Conferred: 2011-12; and 12-Month Enrollment: 2011-12

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

This First Look presents preliminary data findings from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) fall 2012 collection, which included three survey components: Institutional Characteristics for the 2012-13 academic year, Completions covering the period July 1, 2011, through June 30, 2012, and data on 12-Month Enrollment for the 2011-12 academic year. Selected Findings • - In 2012-13, of the 7,416 Title IV institutions in the United States and other U.S. jurisdictions, 3,110 were classified as 4-year institutions, 2,263 were 2-year institutions, and the remaining 2... more »

Privacy and Security of Student Data Critical to Advancing K-12 Education

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

School reform and improvement efforts require an information technology infrastructure in service of learning and student success. Yet, digital learning tools and services can frustrate educators. Consider that: * Teachers may have to remember multiple logins and passwords to access classroom resources or compile data on student activities, since each tool employs its own authentication process; * Online and digital learning resources abound, but it can be difficult for teachers and students to sort through them to find the ones that are high-quality and standards-aligned; and, * Ed... more »

Per Student Public Education Spending Decreases in 2011 for First Time in Nearly Four Decades

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

Fiscal year 2011 marked the first decrease in per student public education spending since the U.S. Census Bureau began collecting data on an annual basis in 1977, according to new statistics released today (dollars not adjusted for inflation). The 50 states and the District of Columbia spent $10,560 per student in 2011, down 0.4 percent from 2010. The top spenders were New York ($19,076), the District of Columbia ($18,475), Alaska ($16,674), New Jersey ($15,968) and Vermont ($15,925). Total expenditures by public elementary and secondary school systems totaled $595.1 billion in 20... more »

Asthma Symptoms Impair Sleep Quality and School Performance in Children

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

The negative effects of poorly controlled asthma symptoms on sleep quality and academic performance in urban schoolchildren has been confirmed in a new study. “While it has been recognized that missed sleep and school absences are important indicators of asthma morbidity in children, our study is the first to explore the associations between asthma, sleep quality, and academic performance in real time, prospectively, using both objective and subjective measures,” said principal investigator Daphne Koinis-Mitchell, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry & Human Behavior (Research) ...more »

Teens exposed to schoolmate's death by suicide much more likely to consider or attempt suicide

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

* Study supports idea of 'suicide contagion,' especially in 12 and 13 year olds* Youth who had a schoolmate die by suicide are significantly more likely to consider or attempt suicide, according to a study in published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). This effect can last 2 years or more, which has implications for strategies following schoolmate suicides. "We found that exposure to suicide predicts suicidality," writes senior author Dr. Ian Colman, Canada Research Chair in Mental Health Epidemiology and Assistant Professor, University of Ottawa, with lead author Son... more »

Beginning Teachers in California Face a Bumpy Path to a Teaching Career

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

A new study conducted by SRI International, J. Koppich & Associates, and Inverness Research finds that the majority of beginning teachers in California face a bumpy path to a teaching career. The study found that state policies designed to promote and enhance the effectiveness of beginning teachers fail to match employment realities. Most significantly, beginning teachers often do not get the support they critically need to be effective in the classroom. State policies assume that teachers complete teacher preparation and earn a preliminary credential, take a probationary teaching ... more »

One in ten teens using “study drugs,” but parents aren't paying attention

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

As high schoolers prepare for final exams, teens nationwide may be tempted to use a “study drug” – a prescription stimulant or amphetamine – to gain an academic edge. But a new University of Michigan poll shows only one in 100 parents of teens 13-17 years old believes that their teen has used a study drug. Study drugs refer to stimulant medications typically prescribed for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); commonly prescribed medicines in this category include Adderall, Concerta, Ritalin, and Vyvanse. Among parents of teens who have not been prescri... more »

Gym class reduces probability of obesity

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

Little is known about the effect of physical education (PE) on child weight, but a new study from Cornell University finds that increasing the amount of time that elementary schoolchildren spent in gym class reduces the probability of obesity. The study represents some of the first evidence of a causal effect of PE on youth obesity, and is forthcoming in the *Journal of Health Economics*. An early, online version of the study can be viewed at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167629613000556 The research offers support for the recommendations of organizations such... more »