THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT
College Dropout Rates Decrease as Student Readiness Increases
Student Aspirations, College Selectivity, and Parent Education Level All Linked to Persisting in CollegeA new ACT research report shows a clear link between student academic readiness and college dropout and transfer rates. The findings suggest students at the greatest risk of dropping out are those who earn lower ACT® college readiness assessment scores, particularly those with less educated pare
Report on teacher value-added impact improperly ignores information contradicting its findings
A highly influential but non-peer-reviewed report on teacher impact suffers from a series of errors in methodology and calculations, according to a new review published today.Professor Moshe Adler reviewed two recent reports released in September 2013 as National Bureau of Economic Research working papers. Dr. Adler’s review for the Think Twice think tank review project is published today by the N
APR 09
Most schools meet USDA drinking water mandate; more steps needed to encourage consumption
A new USDA mandate calling for access to free drinking water during lunchtime at schools participating in the National School Lunch Program went into effect at the start of the 2011-12 school year. Researchers from the University of Michigan and University of Illinois at Chicago examined compliance with the new requirement as well as perceptions about drinking fountain cleanliness and water qualit
Violent behavior and beliefs among middle school students can be reduced
Violent behavior and beliefs among middle school students can be reduced through the implementation of a targeted violence intervention program, according to a Vanderbilt study released in the Journal of Injury and Violence Research.Manny Sethi, M.D., assistant professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, and his Vanderbilt co-authors evaluated 27 programs nationwide as part of a search fo
Many Connecticut School Choice Programs Miss the Mark on Integration and Equal Access
A new analysis of enrollment in Connecticut’s school choice programs raises concerns about their relative compliance with established goals of racial and ethnic integration and equal access for all students. According to the report by Connecticut Voices for Children, many of Connecticut’s school choice programs fall short in advancing the goal of racial and ethnic integration. In spite of state
APR 08
Sleep's vital role for learning
Babies and young children make giant developmental leaps all of the time. Sometimes, it seems, even overnight they figure out how to recognize certain shapes or what the word "no" means no matter who says it. It turns out that making those leaps could be a nap away: New research finds that infants who nap are better able to apply lessons learned to new skills, while preschoolers are bett
PreK classroom observation policies
Educational Testing Service (ETS) has released a report that examines PreK classroom observation policies across the country.The report, State-Funded PreK Policies on External Classroom Observations: Issues and Status, was written by Debra J. Ackerman of ETS's Early Childhood Research & Assessment Center. It is the second in a series of early childhood education policy reports that explore is
State-based standardized assessment policies increase negative views of government
New research from a political scientist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has found that parents of public school students in states with more extensive and stringent student assessment systems express lower trust in government, less confidence in government efficacy, and more negative views of their children’s schools, thereby threatening civic engagement and the potential for future ed
Perceptions of student ability, testing pressures hinder some science teachers
A survey of science teachers finds they support a new approach to science education, but they struggle to believe that all students are capable of exploring science using a method called argumentation, according to researchers from the Lynch School of Education at Boston College.Furthermore, teachers in low-income schools said the pressure to meet testing requirements curbs the use of argumentatio
Remedial courses fail bachelor's degree seekers, but boost those in associate's programs
Taking remedial courses at the four-year college level may hold students back from earning their bachelor's degrees, but at the community college level remedial education can help earn an associate's degree, according to researchers from Boston College's Lynch School of Education.The role of remedial education has been under scrutiny for years, viewed as an essential tool in efforts to raise rates