Education Research Report

THIS WEEK 
Education Research Report

Increasing Student Completion in Higher Education

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 20h

This study describes the challenge of college non-completion in the U.S. and a variety of explanations for the high rate of non-completion and provides an overview of the implementation of and evidence from eight specific college completion interventions designed to increase college completion rates through a comprehensive set of services. The eight interventions have all been implemented in the

Teacher quality scores change depending on students, school

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 23h

School districts across the U.S. are increasingly using student test scores to rate the effectiveness of teachers, but a new Portland State University study found that the scores have less to do with individual teachers and more to do with their students and schools. Dara Shifrer, the study's author and assistant professor of sociology at PSU, said these findings are especially salient now as the

The more tree cover around a middle school, the better its standardized test scores in both math and reading

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 1d

The transition to middle school is undeniably tough for many sixth-graders, even in the best of times. Mounting academic demands, along with changes in peer dynamics and the onset of puberty, result in a predictable and sometimes irreversible slump in academic performance. A new University of Illinois study suggests an unexpected but potentially potent remedy: trees. "Hundreds of studies show a p

Going into kindergarten already well-prepared gives a child many advantages later in life

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 10d

Everything you ever really needed to know you learned back in kindergarten -- that old saying gets some scientific support in a new study by researchers at Canada's Université de Montréal and Université Sainte-Anne. "We've known for years that getting off to a good start in kindergarten leads to better achievement over the long-term," said lead author Caroline Fitzpatrick, an assistant professor

Link between food insecurity and unengaged distance learning

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 11d

xx How do you feel when you're hungry? Are you at your best? A new study by the UTSA Urban Education Institute (UEI) found that food insecure students in San Antonio struggled with distance learning and academic engagement more than their peers. The findings linking food insecurity and learning signify how hunger and larger issues of family instability during the ongoing pandemic threaten student

Teens who participate in extracurriculars, get less screen time, have better mental health

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 11d

xx A new study from UBC researchers finds that teens, especially girls, have better mental health when they spend more time taking part in extracurricular activities, like sports and art, and less time in front of screens. The study, published in the journal Preventive Medicine , found that spending less than two hours per day of recreational screen time (such as browsing the internet, playing vi

Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic: It Is Not Who You Teach, but How You Teach

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 11d

xx This study uses standardized end-of-course knowledge assessments to examine student learning during the disruptions induced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Examining seven economics courses taught at four US R1 institutions, the authors find that students performed substantially worse, on average, in Spring 2020 when compared to Spring or Fall 2019. They find no evidence that the effect was driven b

Participation in a Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience Results in Higher Grades

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 11d

Opportunities for large numbers of undergraduates to engage in authentic research experiences are limited in many large public institutions. These large public institutions serve the vast majority of students who are historically 

 Education Research Report