Education Commons^™

Review Of Years 9 To 12 Tasmania : Final Report, Geoff N. Masters, Kathryn Moyle, Sheldon Rothman, Hilary Hollingsworth, Bill Perrett, Paul R. Weldon, Kate Perkins, Justin Brown, Ali Radloff, Patricia Freeman, Sofi Damianidis

Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation

The Tasmanian Government is currently implementing significant reforms to improve students’ retention and attainment in Tasmania’s schools. There is a concern in the Tasmanian community however, that their students’ performances are among the lowest in the nation. Reasons nominated for these results include weak literacy and numeracy levels; low attendance rates; high anxiety around transitions between Year 10 and Year 11 by some students, especially among those living outside of the larger cities; students seeking alternative education options; and family, financial, health and carer based issues. It is against this backdrop that the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) was …

Integration In Little Rock Area, Part 5: Are Students Moves More Integrative Or Segregative?, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Gary W. Ritter

Policy Briefs

School integration has been a contentious policy issue in Little Rock since the 1950s. Recent charter expansions have raised questions about the current level of integration in public schools (charter and traditional) in the Little Rock metro area. As part of our series on integration in Little Rock, this brief examines the impact of student moves on the overall level of integration in the Little Rock area public school system.

Integration In Little Rock, Part 2: Racial And Socioeconomic Integration In Little Rock Metro Area Public Schools, Elise Swanson, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Gary W. Ritter

Arkansas Education Reports

This report is a continuation of our analysis of racial and socioeconomic integration and segregation in the Little Rock Area between 2008-09 and 2014-15. The Little Rock Metropolitan Area is characterized by a variety of schooling options for students and families, including traditional public schools, public charter schools, private schools, and homeschooling. In this report, we focus on the current level of racial and socioeconomic integration in traditional public schools and charter schools, as well how student moves into and out of public schools in the Little Rock Area affect levels of integration in the schools they choose to leave …

Pacific Islands Literacy And Numeracy Assessment : Collaboration And Innovation In Reporting And Dissemination, Michelle Belisle, Elizabeth Cassity, Ratieli Kacilala, Mere T. Seniloli, Torika Taoi

Assessment and Reporting

This case study examines the Pacific Islands Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (PILNA), which has developed as a regional model designed to enable the negotiation of a high degree of consensus among the participating countries. Commitment to a collaborative approach pervades all aspects of PILNA, from governance, operation and development through to data sharing, reporting and dissemination of results. The efforts undertaken to reach consensus, enhanced transparency and public dissemination of results have stimulated countries in the region to investigate how data on student learning outcomes may be used and shared in a common endeavour to improve the standards of education …

Integration In The Little Rock Area, Part 4: What Is The Current Level Of Integration In Little Rock?, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Gary W. Ritter

Policy Briefs

School integration has been a contentious policy issue in Little Rock since the 1950s. Recent charter expansions have raised questions about the current level of integration in public schools (charter and traditional) in the Little Rock Area. As part of our series on integration in Little Rock, this brief examines the prevalence of hyper segregated white, black, and economically disadvantaged schools, and calculates the average difference between school demographics and the area’s demographics.

Integration In The Little Rock Area, Part 3: Where Do Students Move?, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Gary W. Ritter

Policy Briefs

School integration has been a contentious policy issue in Little Rock since the 1950s. Recent charter expansions have raised questions about the current level of integration in public schools (charter and traditional) in the Little Rock Area. As part of our series on integration in Little Rock, this brief examines the differences in school-level demographics and academics between the schools students leave and the schools these students enter

Integration In The Little Rock Area, Part 2: Disproportionalities Among Student Movers, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Gary W. Ritter

Policy Briefs

School integration has been a contentious policy issue in Little Rock since the 1950s. Recent charter expansions have raised questions about the current level of integration in public schools (charter and traditional) in the Little Rock Area. As part of our series on integration in Little Rock, this brief examines the demographics and academic performance of students switching between public school sectors, and disproportionate representation of certain students among sector switchers

Integration In Little Rock, Part 1: Patterns Of Enrollment And Characteristics Of Student Movers, Elise Swanson, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Gary W. Ritter

Arkansas Education Reports

This report examines trends in racial and socioeconomic composition of public schools in the Little Rock area between 2008-09 and 2014-15. The Little Rock metropolitan area is characterized by a variety of schooling options for students and families, including multiple traditional public school districts, public charter schools, private schools, and homeschooling. We examine the demographics of each public sector in the area, and whether students who move are representative of the sector they choose to exit. This report is structured around two main research questions.

Were High-Poverty Districts In Texas Disproportionally Impacted By State Funding Cuts? School Finance Equity In Texas Following The Great Recession, David S. Knight

Policy Briefs

While almost all states cut education funding following the Great Recession, and few have restored budgets back to pre-recession levels, there is little understanding among policy makers about how state funding cuts were distributed across districts.

When Texas cut K-12 education budgets by $4 billion in 2011, legislators reached a compromise over whether to cut funding evenly for all districts, or whether to protect high-need districts. This policy brief shows that despite state legislators’ efforts, the highest-poverty districts in Texas experienced a disproportionate share of the recessionary budget cuts. Although this trend holds nationally, the funding gap between rich and …

Integration In The Little Rock Area, Part 1: Demographic Trends In Enrollment, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Gary W. Ritter

Policy Briefs

School integration has been a contentious policy issue in Little Rock since the 1950s. Recent charter expansions have raised questions about the current level of integration in public schools (charter and traditional) in the Little Rock Area. As an introduction to this work, we begin by examining broad changes in enrollment before we drill down in later briefs and study the impacts of individual moves

Migrant Education In Morocco: Cross-Cultural Competence Favored Over Integrative Reform. An Analysis Of The Moroccan Government’S Migrant Integration Efforts Through Education., Ella Schoenen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In 2014 the Ministry in Charge of Moroccans Abroad and Migration Affairs, adopted the National Policy of Immigration and Asylum detailing efforts to realize an adaptive education system, sensitive to migrant education and inclusive of teaching and learning strategies directed towards children of foreign heritage. As migrant networks grow more and more fortified, and people all over the world experience improved mobility, destination countries are finding multicultural and inclusive education systems integral to the wellbeing of its new residents, and the tolerance of its native citizens. Based on the national strategy for immigration and asylum put forth by the Ministry …

For A Public-Private Partnership To Achieve Migrant Health Equality In Morocco: A Cross-Analysis Of Integration Policies And Migrant Peer Educator Programs, Victoria Anders

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Since the Moroccan Ministry in Charge of Moroccans Living Abroad and Migration Affairs (MRE) released its National Strategy on Immigration and Asylum in December 2014, MRE has put forth various policies and action plans to improve migrant integration in Morocco, including the need for their integration into the national healthcare system. Before that, most of the needs of the growing migrant population in Morocco were provided for by civil society and non-governmental organizations, who worked with severely underserved and isolated migrants often fearful and distrusting of the government and authorities. To overcome this resentment, these organizations had to develop community …

Report On Model Accreditation Standards For Higher Education Programs For Students With Intellectual Disability: A Path To Education, Employment, And Community Living, National Coordinating Center Accreditation Workgroup

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

The Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) enacted in 2008 created exciting opportunities for students with intellectual disability (ID) to access federal financial aid, and authorized both new model demonstration programs and a National Coordinating Center (NCC). The NCC, administered by Think College at the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston, is charged with providing technical assistance, coordination, and evaluation of model demonstration programs. The NCC is also required by HEOA to convene a Workgroup to develop and recommend model criteria, standards, and components of higher education programs for students with intellectual disability. The National Coordinating Center …

Postsecondary Remediation And Rogers’ Academic Guarantee, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Gary W. Ritter

Policy Briefs

Over a decade ago, Rogers School District implemented a policy called the Academic Conclusion P.4 Guarantee, promising to reimburse eligible graduates who have to enroll in remedial courses in college. In this brief, we examine Arkansas’s college remediation policy, Rogers’ policy, and how this might affect other Arkansas school districts.

Graduation Rates In Arkansas: An Updated Analysis, Charlene A. Reid, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Gary W. Ritter

Arkansas Education Reports

High school graduation rate has become an increasingly important measure of school performance over the past fifteen years. Graduation is an important event, as studies have shown that failing to graduate from high school is associated with several negative consequences including lower lifetime wages, poorer health, and an increased likelihood of incarceration. This paper examines several district- and school-level variables that may impact the high school graduation rate in a given school, district or region.

Invisible Children: The Effectiveness Of Non-Governmental Organizations (Ngos) In Primary Education In Central America, Megan Skaggs

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

what extent are non-governmental organizations (NGOs) an effective tool in primary educational development in Central America? To address this concern, this project addressed the results of several months of research in Nicaragua, Guatemala, and at the U.S. NGO headquarters, where interviews with educators, NGO workers, and citizens were conducted regarding the role of NGOs in addressing educational concerns effectively. Interviewees included: Pueblo a Pueblo, Serving Orphans Worldwide, U.S. Agency for International Development, Let Girl’s Learn Program, and varied individuals connected with education or non-profit work in that region. My research analyzed the historical and social structures of Nicaragua and Guatemala, …

Kids Through College: How Helena-West Helena And Kipp Delta Are Serving All Students, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Gary W. Ritter

Policy Briefs

Two years ago, KIPP Through College advisors from KIPP Delta Collegiate High School started working at Central High in Helena. What’s happened since reveals the power of collaboration and suggests best practices for all schools.

The Topper (Summer 2016), Veterans Upward Bound Program, Western Kentucky University

Veterans Upward Bound Publications

VUB Awards Banquet; Graduate list; The Director's Desk; Important Numbers & Dates

A Preliminary Investigation Of Maine Virtual Charter School Costs Relative To The Essential Programs And Services Funding Model, Amy F. Johnson Phd, Fleur Hopper, James E. Sloan

School Funding - Essential Programs and Services (EPS)

In 2015, the Maine State Legislature’s Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs commissioned the Maine Education Policy Research Institute (MEPRI) to study the state’s Essential Program and Services (EPS) K-­‐12 education funding model in relationship to the funding for Maine’s two virtual charter schools. The study was initiated with a review of available literature and reports on virtual school funding in other states. Because the structure of Maine’s virtual schools differs from typical models in other states, most notably because core academic subject teachers are required to teach from one central physical location, further cost analysis was conducted …

Students With Physical Disabilities - Reflections On Their Experiences With Work Preparation Programs, Services And Accommodations In A Higher Education Institution, Claudia Castillo

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For a variety of reasons, college students with disabilities encounter stressors beyond those of students who do not have disabilities. One of the more salient examples is that students with disabilities are required to disclose that they have a disability and to communicate with faculty and staff in order to receive academic accommodations, as afforded to them under sub-part E of Section 504 of the Education and Rehabilitation Act of 1974. Therefore, postsecondary institutions are required to make appropriate accommodations available to students with disabilities, but they are not required to proactively seek them out.

The purpose of this study …

Outstanding Educational Performance Awards: Highlighting High Achieving Arkansas Schools, 2015, Charlene A. Reid, Gary W. Ritter

Arkansas Education Reports

As promised, with the release of the PARCC results at the school and district level, the spring edition of the OEP Awards will highlight high-performing schools in Arkansas based on their performance in the Math and Literacy exams at the Elementary, Middle, Junior High and High School level.

2015 Northwest Arkansas Report Card, Sarah Mckenzie, Gary Ritter

Education Report Card

This report card presents a regional overview of districts in Benton and Washington counties as well as key performance indicators for each district.

Five Challenges In Australian School Education, Geoff N. Masters Ao

Policy Insights

There is no shortage of challenges in school education. Some of the biggest challenges we face can appear frustratingly intractable. Despite reform efforts, regular government reviews and ongoing calls for change, progress in addressing our most significant challenges is often slow and solutions continue to elude us. In this paper Professor Geoff Masters discusses five significant challenges facing school education.

1. Equipping students for the 21st Century, including by increasing reading, mathematical and scientific literacy levels;
2. Reducing disparities between Australia's schools, particularly along socioeconomic lines, by ensuring that every student has access to an excellent school and excellent teaching;
3. Reducing the …

College-Going Experiences Of Male Foster Youth Alumni Who Have Stopped-Out Of College, Felipe D. Longoria

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This qualitative research study examined how foster care experiences and masculinities influenced male foster youth alumni’s decision to go to college. The study also sought to understand the in-and-out-of-college factors that led participants to exit college prematurely. Five participants were each interviewed twice for data collection purposes. Findings from data analysis indicated that establishing and maintaining relationships in college were challenging and affected an already vulnerable population in their help-seeking behavior. Recommendations are offered for higher education professionals and areas for future research are noted.

Advisor: Corey Rumann

Advanced Placement In Arkansas: Increasing Equity, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Gary W. Ritter

Policy Briefs

Each spring, secondary students across Arkansas sit for Advanced Placement (AP) Exams. Arkansas has one of the most aggressive policies promoting AP in the nation. Despite this, Arkansas students are still struggling with inequitable and inadequate access to AP courses. This brief examines the effects of Arkansas’ AP legislation on equity, adequacy, and productivity in AP policy, particularly for the state’s low-income and minority students.

2015 Arkansas Report Card, Sarah Mckenzie, Gary Ritter

Education Report Card

The coming year brings more changes to Arkansas K-12 education, as the ACT Aspire replaces the PARCC assessments and state science assessments. As students progress through their schooling during these changing times, it is critical that parents, teachers and policy makers thoughtfully use all information available to ensure students are on track for success.

Recommendations And Resources For Evaluating Community School Programs, Janet C. Fairman Ph.D., Amy F. Johnson Phd

School Improvement

The legislative definition of “community schools” is intentionally broad and anticipates the possibility that community schools might vary significantly in their locally-developed goals and intervention programs. The needs of students and their families may vary by community, as does the array of existing resources available in the surrounding area. This leads to a broad set of possible strategies that may imply different expected outcomes and evaluation processes.

The grant program requires pilot schools to meet certain application criteria. Applications require schools to submit an audit or needs assessment, a community resources assessment, an outline of plans and goals based on …

Reconciling The Rhetoric And Reality Of Student Loan Debt, Elizabeth Akers

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

Student loan debt has increased over the past three decades. This lecture will identify the factors that led to that increase in student loan debt what economic and social factors drove that increase. The talk will also consider the economic effects of increased or decreased earnings generated by individuals with student loan debt. This analysis will present data to assess the validity of several widely-held beliefs about the impact of student loan debt in the United States (e.g., increased student loan debt is depressing the housing market) and apply data-backed evidence to determine ways in which current and proposed policies …

Proficiency-Based High School Diploma Systems In Maine: Local Implementation Of State Standards-Based Policy Phase Iv Policy Report, Erika K. Stump, Bernadette Doykos Phd, Catherine Fallona Phd

Proficiency-Based Education

In this current year, Phase IV, researchers collected new data from qualitative interviews and document analysis in six case study school districts in Maine, representing a range of demographics, geographic regions and implementation stages. Three of these districts had been involved in at least one year of Phase I-III of this study, allowing for exploration of ongoing implementation practices and comparing perceived challenges and benefits from initial implementation to later stages. Findings suggested that Maine's proficiency-based high school diploma mandate had mobilized PK-12 collaborative professional work, but there was an evident need for even greater professional time for full systemic …

Collaboration In An Era Of Change: New Forms Of Community Problem-Solving, Judith A. Ramaley

Public Administration Faculty Publications and Presentations

Campuses are developing new ways to respond to complex social, cultural, economic and environmental problems by adapting their educational approaches and their scholarship to address a changing world order. At the same time, government agencies, nonprofit organizations and businesses are embracing collaborative approaches to community problem-solving. These collaborative approaches, on and off campus, are creating new forms of university-community engagement that will require us to rethink the nature of the societal roles we play and how we generate knowledge, create an inspiring educational environment, and assist our students in acquiring the knowledge and skills they will need to work effectively …