THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT
Preparing for the Common Core: Using Performance Assessment Tasks for Professional Development
Preparing for the Common Core: Using Performance Assessment Tasks for Professional Development presents findings from three school districts in California that piloted performance assessment tasks aligned to the Common Core State Standards. It describes the experiences of teachers and administrators within those districts and examines how the pilot helped them learn about and prepare for the Commo
DEC 19
Kids Grasp Large Numbers Remarkably Young
Children as young as 3 understand multi-digit numbers more than previously believed and may be ready for more direct math instruction when they enter school, according to research led by a Michigan State University education scholar.The study, online in the journal Child Development and funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences, has implications for U.S. students
Evaluation of the College Possible Program: Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial
What is the study about? This study investigated the effect of the College Possible program, which is designed to serve low-income high school students. College Possible provides a 2-year after-school curriculum to high school juniors and seniors that includes SAT and ACT test preparation services, college admissions and financial aid consulting, and guidance on the transition to college. Students
DEC 18
2013 Mathematics and Reading Trial Urban District Assessment Report Card
Since 2011, fourth-graders in Atlanta, Chicago, the District of Columbia (DCPS), and Los Angeles posted larger score increases in mathematics than their peers in the nation. Students in eight districts scored higher in 2013 than in 2011 in at least one subject and grade combination with some districts making gains across multiple subject and/or grades. DCPS was the only district that scored higher
Special Education Teacher Evaluation
Why It Matters, What Makes It Challenging, and How to Address These ChallengesThere is currently little consensus on how special education teachers should be evaluated. The lack of consensus may be due to several reasons. Special education teachers work under a variety of complex conditions, with a very heterogeneous population, and support student progress toward a very individualized set of goal
Study: Pay Kids to Eat Fruits, Vegetables in School
The good news: Research suggests that a new federal rule has prompted the nation's schools to serve an extra $5.4 million worth of fruits and vegetables each day.The bad news: The nation's children throw about $3.8 million of that in the garbage each day.Researchers from Brigham Young University and Cornell observed three schools adjust to new school lunch standards that require a serving of fruit
DEC 17
Students with a disability more likely to be restrained, secluded in school
The restraint and seclusion of students in U.S. public schools in response to student behavior problems are used much more frequently on students with a disability than on students without a disability, and especially in affluent school districts, according to new research at the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire.Restraint is a practice that uses physical or mechanical means to r
New System of Assessments Needed When Next Generation Science Standards Are Implemented
New types of assessments will be needed to measure student learning once the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are implemented, says a new report from the National Research Council. The tests that states currently use emphasize factual knowledge and were not designed to assess the type of understanding envisioned by the standards, which emphasize depth of knowledge based on the ability to i
Public School Use of Cloud Computing Services Causes Data Privacy Problems
Fordham Law School's Center on Law and Information Policy (CLIP) has released a report on how school districts address privacy when they transfer student information to cloud computing service providers. The report marks the nation’s first in-depth analysis of this increasingly contentious issue.The study found that as public schools in the United States rapidly adopt cloud-computing services to f
Strategies for Recruiting and Retaining Excellent Teachers
Maintaining the most motivated, highly qualified teachers is an ongoing challenge for America’s schools. The top 20 percent of teachers end up leaving their schools due to neglect and inattention, according to The New Teacher Project. But, a new report “Creating Sustainable Teacher Career Pathways: A 21st Century Imperative” outlines strategies for making teaching an attractive, challenging profes
DEC 16
The Impacts of Expanding Access to High-Quality Preschool Education
President Obama's "Preschool for All" initiative calls for dramatic increases in the number of 4 year olds enrolled in public preschool programs and in the quality of these programs nationwide. The proposed program shares many characteristics with the universal preschools that have been offered in Georgia and Oklahoma since the 1990s. This study draws together data from multiple sources
DEC 15
Teachers’ use of linguistic scaffolding to support the academic language development of first-grade emergent bilingual students
Research suggests that teachers need to scaffold emergent bilingual students as they develop the complex language associated with school success. This may especially be true in dual language settings, where children are learning two languages simultaneously. This study investigates the linguistic scaffolding practices of first-grade dual language teachers as they support academic language developm
Using Above-Level Testing to Track Growth in Academic Achievement in Gifted Students
Above-level testing is the practice of administering aptitude or academic achievement tests that are designed for typical students in higher grades or older age-groups to gifted or high-achieving students. Although widely accepted in gifted education, above-level testing has not been subject to careful psychometric scrutiny. This study examines reliability data, growth trajectories, distributions,
DEC 13
Learning mathematics takes practice
Practice, not innate skill, makes for good mathematiciansNew research at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim could have an effect on how math is taught.If you want to be really good at all types of math, you need to practice them all. You can't trust your innate natural talent to do most of the job for you.This might seem obvious to some, but it goes against the
Nutrition report cards receive high marks in pilot program
Parents receiving academic report cards throughout the school year is commonplace, but a new Cornell University study shows that for healthier nutrition, parents should opt to receive a nutrition report card, too."This pilot study underscores that a nutrition report card is feasible and efficient… Although the results are preliminary, they suggest that [nutrition report cards] may be helpful
How to develop the next generation of transformational school leaders
In a new report, Bain & Company argues that leadership development has long taken a back seat to other priorities, and the changes required to elevate its importance do not come easily. Most school systems fail to methodically develop talented educators into a deep bench of prospective leaders with the experience and ability to build an extraordinary school. It is notable that just 23% of teac
Spanking Children Slows Cognitive Development
A new book by Murray Straus, founder and co-director of the Family Research Lab and professor emeritus of sociology at the University of New Hampshire, brings together more than four decades of research that makes the definitive case against spanking, including how it slows cognitive development and increases antisocial and criminal behavior."The Primordial Violence" (Routledge, 2013) sh
Differences in Educational Achievement Owe More to Genetics Than Environment
The degree to which students' exam scores differ owes more to their genes than to their teachers, schools or family environments, according to new research from King's College London published in PLOS ONE.The study, which took place in the UK, looked at students' scores for their GCSE's (General Certificate of Secondary Education), a UK-wide examination at the end of compulsory education at 16 yea
Engaging Homeless Youth in Community-Based Participatory Research
Growing evidence highlights the benefits to youth of involvement in community-based participatory research. Less attention has been paid, however, to the contributions youth can make to helping change health-promoting policy through such work. This is a multi-method case study of a policy-focused community-based participatory research project in the Skid Row area of downtown Los Angeles, Californi
Dual enrollment: minority groups remained significantly underrepresented
This study investigated the dual enrollment outcomes associated with a 2005 policy change intended to expand dual enrollment participation in Virginia. Results indicated that overall access to and participation in dual enrollment courses increased following the policy change. However, data showed this increase was not uniform, and minority groups remained significantly underrepresented when compar
DEC 12
Nonconcussion head impacts in contact sports to brain changes and lower test scores
Repeated blows to the head during a season of contact sports may cause changes in the brain's white matter and affect cognitive abilities even if none of the impacts resulted in a concussion, according to a study published today in the journal Neurology.Using a form of magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Geisel School of Medicine at
DEC 11
Learning With ‘Stronger Peers’ Yields No Boost
A new study contradicts the popular theory that students perform better when surrounded by higher-achieving classmates.Michigan State University’s Scott Imberman and colleagues found that marginal students in a middle school gifted and talented program – despite learning alongside the “best and brightest” – performed no better on national tests than a similar group of students who didn’t qualify f
Even when test scores go up, some cognitive abilities don’t
To evaluate school quality, states require students to take standardized tests; in many cases, passing those tests is necessary to receive a high-school diploma. These high-stakes tests have also been shown to predict students’ future educational attainment and adult employment and income.Such tests are designed to measure the knowledge and skills that students have acquired in school — what psych
Pressure to conform to gender roles is stronger in all-girls schools
Newspaper headlines worldwide tout the benefits of single-sex schools: Girls 75% more likely to take math if they go to a single-sex private school, Will boys learn better if girls aren't allowed? Single-sex education is best for girls in stereotypically male subjectsBut new research from Concordia University shows not everyone benefits from single-sex education — especially not those who don't co
What Works Clearinghouse (WWC): DreamBox Learning has no discernible effects on mathematics achievement for elementary school students
DreamBox Learning is a supplemental online mathematics program that provides individualized instruction for students in grades K–5 and focuses on number and operations, place value, and number sense. After reviewing the research, the WWC found that DreamBox Learning has no discernible effects on mathematics achievement for elementary school students. Read the full report now.
Will raising the compulsory school attendance age improve student outcomes?
A new report from Regional Educational Laboratory Mid-Atlantic finds that there is insufficient evidence to build a case for or against the policy change. REL Mid-Atlantic examined the research on outcomes in 11 states that raised the compulsory school age during 2002–2011. Recent studies tend to conclude that states that enact stricter compulsory attendance age laws should do so in conjunction wi
DEC 09
College-Readiness Rates in Texas A Statewide, Multiyear Study of Ethnic Differences
This study examines the college-readiness rates of Black, Hispanic, and White Texas public high school graduates using archival data from the Texas Education Agency Academic Excellence Indicator System. An examination of the state college-readiness rates across a 3-year period was conducted to determine the extent to which academic achievement gaps had increased, decreased, or remained relatively
DEC 05
igh Quality Preschool Narrows Gap Between High-Risk Kids and Higher Achievers
A new study by Case Western Reserve University’s social work school found that children’s readiness in language, math and logic improved significantly by the programs offered at 24 pilot universal prekindergarten pilot program (UPK) sites in Greater Cleveland.Specifically, researchers discovered that children at the lowest achievement levels when the study began made the greatest gains and exceede
A sudden interest in math -- how teachers can motivate their pupils
The lack of interest in math or natural sciences is one of the most frequently voiced causes for concern in the debate surrounding education, at least in Germany. It has been seen time and again that pupils lose their enthusiasm for physics, chemistry and math once they reach eighth or ninth grade. But is this inevitable? And if not, how can teachers steer a different course?Education researchers
Stigma of a Label Educational Expectations for High School Students Labeled with Learning Disabilities
Poorer outcomes for youth labeled with learning disabilities (LDs) are often attributed to the student’s own deficiencies or cumulative disadvantage; but the more troubling possibility is that special education placement limits rather than expands these students’ opportunities. Labeling theory partially attributes the poorer outcomes of labeled persons to stigma related to labels. This study uses
Education, Not Fertility, Key for Economic Development in Developing Countries
A new study published in the journal Demography shows that improvements in education levels around the world have been key drivers of economic growth in developing countries that has previously been attributed to declines in fertility rates.The study, by IIASA researchers and colleagues at the Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital, a collaborative center including IIASA, Vien
New WWC Quick Review on "Are Tenure Track Professors Better Teachers?"
What is the study about?The study examined whether taking a course with a tenured/tenure track professor versus a non-tenured/tenure track professor for first-term freshman-level courses (e.g., introductory economics) was associated with whether students enrolled and performed well in future classes in the same subject. The study used data from 15,662 students who entered Northwestern University i
DEC 04
Art could help create a better 'STEM' student
Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) have become part of educational vernacular, as colleges, universities and other institutions strive to raise the profile of the areas of study and the number of graduates in each field.Now a project from the University of Houston College of Education Urban Talent Research Institute encourages the incorporation of creative endeavors to attract
DEC 03
Unwrapping Academic Standards to Increase the Achievement of Students With Disabilities
Over the past 15 years, students with disabilities have been included in the general education environment at markedly higher rates; however, their achievement is not increasing at the same pace. One reason for this lack of increased achievement may be that academic standards lay the foundation for instruction in this environment, but standards fail to address the component academic skills needed
New PISA 2012 First Look Report Shows U.S. Student Performance in an International Context
Performance of U.S. 15-Year-Old Students in an International Context: First Look at PISA 2012 presents U.S. results from the 2012 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). The goal of PISA is to assess students’ preparation for the challenges of life as young adults. The assessment measures mathematics, science, and reading literacy of 15-year-old students around the world. In 2012, 65
National Postsecondary Student Aid Study
New estimates on the price and net price of attending postsecondary institutions are now available from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study. The average net price (price of attendance minus all grant aid) for undergraduates during the 2011–12 academic year to attend a 4-year institution was $14,300 for a public institution and $23,000 for a private nonprofit institution. At private for-pr
DEC 02
A single spray of oxytocin improves brain function in children with autism
A single dose of the hormone oxytocin, delivered via nasal spray, has been shown to enhance brain activity while processing social information in children with autism spectrum disorders, Yale School of Medicine researchers report in a new study published in the Dec. 2 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences."This is the first study to evaluate the impact of oxytocin on brain