THIS WEEK Education Research Report

Education Research Report

THIS WEEK 

Education Research Report

Rewarding teamwork is key to improving primary children's spelling

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 1d

Pupils do better in spelling tests if teachers reward them for team - rather than individual - performance, according to new findings published in the peer-reviewed journal Educational Psychology . The study, based on 1,000 primary students, highlights how academic achievements can be improved by incentives when used effectively. The researchers found that children of all abilities who competed i

An effective program reducing dating violence among students

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 1d

A program developed to encourage healthy relationships and reduce dating violence was effective among early middle school students, according to results of a study published in the American Journal of Public Health by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). The intervention program, named Me & You: Building Healthy Relationships, was one of the first cr

How schools influence e-cigarette use, outlines prevention strategies

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 1d

When e-cigarettes hit the U.S. market in 2007, they were promoted to adult smokers as a safer, healthier alternative to traditional, combustible cigarettes. The unintended consequence of vaping devices and e-cigarettes, however, is a new generation of vapers -- teenagers -- becoming addicted to nicotine. "In just one year, from 2017 to 2018, the number of high school students using e-cigarettes n

Study: Better sleep habits lead to better college grades

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 2d

Two MIT professors have found a strong relationship between students' grades and how much sleep they're getting. What time students go to bed and the consistency of their sleep habits also make a big difference. And no, getting a good night's sleep just before a big test is not good enough -- it takes several nights in a row of good sleep to make a difference. Those are among the conclusions from

OCT 02

Timing Parenting Tips Boosts their Effectiveness for Children

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 2d

The challenges of the workweek make it difficult for parents to make effective use of tips sent by text on weekdays. "Point out the first letter in your child's name in magazines, on signs and at the store. Have your child try. Make it a game. Who can find the most?" That tip is an example of parenting advice offered by an educational program that sends text messages to parents of preschoolers. T

More Segregation in Early Childhood than in K–12 Education

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 2d

Complete report Children’s first learning experiences set the tone for the rest of their lives, in school and beyond. That’s why early childhood education (ECE)—which enrolls nearly half of infants and toddlers and three-quarters of preschoolers—has become a focus for public investment designed to promote educational equity and give children a strong start. But little attention has been paid to t

Teacher Preparation Experiences and Early Teaching Effectiveness

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 3d

A new report finds both differences in how teachers prepare for certification in the field and that certain experiences are related to improving student test scores in the classroom. The findings provide a detailed look into current teacher preparation practices and identify potential avenues for improving them. The Institute of Education Sciences released a report today (September 30th) entitled

Support for Using Student Data to Inform Teachers’ Instruction

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 3d

A new report finds an intensive approach to help teachers use data to adjust instruction did not improve students’ achievement, perhaps because the approach did not change teachers’ use of data or reported classroom practices. The Institute of Education Sciences released a report yesterday (September 30) entitled Evaluation of . This report from the National Center for Education Evaluation (NCEE

Demographic and Enrollment Characteristics, Financial Aid, and Price of Attendance of Low-Income Undergraduates in 2015–16

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 3d

In 2015–16, the average out-of-pocket net price faced by full-time, very low-income independent students ranged from $10,100 at public less-than-4-year institutions to $24,800 at private nonprofit 4-year institutions. To put these prices in context, in 2015, a very low-income family of two living in the 48 contiguous states or DC had an annual income below $7,965, and a very low-income family of

SEP 27

Do Kids Fall Behind in Math Because There Isn’t Enough Grade-Level Material, or Because There’s Too Much? It’s Both

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 7d

Complete report New Classrooms Innovation Partners W alk into almost any classroom in America, and you’ll find at least some students who’ve fallen behind the academic standards for their grade — meaning they’re at risk of not learning everything they’ll need to be ready for college and the lives they want to lead. Helping these students get back on the path to grade-level proficiency is one of t

Automatic Enrollment Increases Contributions to Supplement Retirement Programs by K-12 and University Employees

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 7d

This study examines the impact of the adoption of automatic enrollment provisions by schools and universities in the state of South Dakota for its supplemental retirement saving plan (SRP). In South Dakota, educational personnel are also covered by a defined benefit pension plan and by Social Security. Thus, career public employees in South Dakota can expect a life time annuity from these two pro

The School to Prison Pipeline: Long-Run Impacts of School Suspensions on Adult Crime

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 7d

. Schools face important policy tradeoffs in monitoring and managing student behavior. Strict discipline policies may stigmatize suspended students and expose them to the criminal justice system at a young age. On the other hand, strict discipline acts as a deterrent and limits harmful spillovers of misbehavior onto other students. This paper estimates the net impact of school discipline on stude

Breaking Down Barriers: Understanding Hispanic High School Students’ Perceptions on the Transition to College

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 7d

. Hispanic students make up roughly 18 percent of all college students and are one of the largest minority groups on U.S. campuses. However, Hispanic students tend to meet ACT College Readiness Benchmarks at lower rates, on average, than their non-Hispanic White counterparts. In addition, Hispanic students may face added barriers in navigating the landscape of the college application process, le

SEPTEMBER 2019 Using Chronic Absence Data to Improve Conditions for Learning

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 8d

Reducing chronic absence goes hand in hand with cultivating positive conditions for learning. When schools provide engaging, supportive, welcoming and culturally responsive environments, families are inclined to help their children get to school, and students are motivated to attend, even when there are hurdles to getting there. Likewise, when students attend class consistently, positive conditio

Mathematics Anxiety in the Transition From Elementary School to Junior High

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 8d

Mathematics anxiety negatively impacts cognitive processing, performance, expectations, motivation, and future choices. However, research has not examined patterns in students’ mathematics anxiety levels over time. The current study addresses this gap by exploring group-based trajectories in mathematics anxiety during the transition to junior high school. Five trajectories are described: consiste

SEP 26

Kids in poor, urban schools learn just as much as others

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 8d

Schools serving disadvantaged and minority children teach as much to their students as those serving more advantaged kids, according to a new nationwide study. The results may seem surprising, given that student test scores are normally higher in suburban and wealthier school districts than they are in urban districts serving mostly disadvantaged and minority children. But those test scores speak

SEP 25

Great Recession -School Spending Cuts = Sizable Learning Losses for Students in Hardest Hit Areas

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 9d

Substantial school spending cuts triggered by the Great Recession were associated with sizable losses in academic achievement for students living in counties most affected by the economic downturn, according to a new study published today in AERA Open , a peer-reviewed journal of the American Educational Research Association. The estimated declines in student math and English language arts achiev

The Value-Added Estimates and Evaluation Ratings of Teachers with a Graduate Degree

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 9d

This study uses teacher value added and evaluation rating data from North Carolina public schools to estimate the signaling and human capital effects of graduate degrees. These analyses consider the effects of graduate degrees, overall, and the effects of graduate degrees inside and outside teachers’ area(s) of teaching. Analysis shows that those with a graduate degree in their area of teaching h

The more time spent watching television and playing video games was associated with poorer academic performance

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 9d

Screen time overall wasn't associated with the academic performance of children and adolescents in this observational study. Called a systematic review and meta-analysis, this research consisted of a review of 58 studies from 23 countries (involving 480,000 participants ages 4 to 18) and a meta-analysis that combined the results of 30 of those studies involving 106,000 participants. The studies e

Over 2.2 Million Students in Class of 2019 Took SAT, Largest Group Ever

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 9d

Over 2.2 million students in the class of 2019 took the SAT, an increase of 4% over the class of 2018, according to the 2019 [Opens in New Window] SAT Suite of Assessments Program Results . The class of 2019 was the first to take the full SAT Suite of Assessments: SAT, PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10, and PSAT 8/9. State Results The Growing, Changing SAT Population Almost a million students in the class of 2

What Adults Without Degrees Say About Pursuing Additional Education and Training

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 9d

Çomplete report Roughly half of American adults without a college degree (46 percent) said they need additional education to advance in their careers, according to new survey data from the Strada Education Network and Gallup. Employers were the first-choice providers for this group, with 33 percent saying they are most likely to participate in additional education and training from employers. Com

New Report Looks at School Choice in the United States

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 9d

Over time, enrollment in traditional public schools and public charter schools increased, as did the number of homeschooled students, while enrollment in private schools decreased. School Choice in the United States: 2019 uses recent data from multiple National Center for Education Statistics surveys to describe the landscape of school choice in the United States. The report discusses the changes

Helping smooth the transition to kindergarten

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 10d

The schools and districts profiled in the four communities in this report have taken different steps to help smooth the transition to kindergarten for children and families, with a particular emphasis on promoting equity by focusing on better serving children from low-income families. Because of the historic divide between early learning and the formal K–12 school system, it will require years of

Using Local, State, and Federal Dollars to Improve Pre-K to K Transitions

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 10d

When early learning experiences are connected from birth through third grade (B–3rd), children and their families can more seamlessly transition between ECE programs and grade levels. Smoothing transitions requires careful planning, effective policies and practices, and funding. The transition between pre-K and kindergarten is a particularly important one. There are a number of federal and state

Community Colleges Apprenticeship Programs

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 10d

Apprenticeship is a proven education and employment model that combines structured on-the-job learning with related technical or classroom instruction to prepare individuals for specific occupations. Apprentices are paid, have access 

Education Research Report