Education Commons^™

It’S All About To Change: Implications Of Reforming Grading & Assessment Within A Public School District, Divonna M. Stebick, Megan L. Pilarcik, Daniel W. Hartman

Education Faculty Publications

Calls to reform grading systems and other assessment practices have been growing for several decades. There is consensus among many educators that grading and assessment practices that have been traditionally accepted as good practice are at best ineffective and at worst have a negative impact on raising achievement. Consequently, there is no single solution or methodology for grading that has emerged as the best practice. A variety of contemporary grading approaches have gained widespread popularity in recent years, typically being referred to as standards-based grading, standards-referenced grading, proficiency-based grading, or competency-based learning. A challenge, however, is that different school districts …

Looking Behind Virtual Lenses: Field Experience, Modeling, Coaching, Partnerships, Supervision, And Feedback, Tamara Lynn, Shantel Farnan, Jessica A. Rueter, Adam Moore

Education Faculty Publications

Small special education programs (SSEPs) are composed of limited faculty tasked with educating interns dispersed across large geographical areas (Reid, 1994). These needs underscore a call for more flexible educational program options. Moreover, Kebritchi et al. (2017) found professors in higher education institutions sought a variety of instructional methods to critically respond to barriers experienced by SEPPs. The purpose of this article is to highlight virtual methods utilized by SSEPs for field experiences, modeling, coaching, feedback, supervision, and partnerships to leverage faculty expertise effectively and efficiently, to expand recruitment in programs, and to support teacher retention efforts. Using the Council …

“I Kind Of Pushed Back”: Efficiency And Urgency In A No-Excuses Writing Curriculum, Katie Nagrotsky

Education Faculty Publications

Drawing on the concept of structuring contexts (Berchini, 2016) this article explores a white teacher’s understanding of teaching writing in a no-excuses charter management organization network. Through a deductive analysis, the author traces how the teacher’s beliefs about language were shaped by the CMO’s emphasis on efficiency, influencing how he acted on and adapted centralized curriculum and assessment practices. Documenting the ways that whiteness works within the writing curriculum and assessment practices despite stated broader organizational commitments to culturally relevant teaching, the author shows how the curriculum appropriated texts written by People of Color while the assessment practices prioritized correctness …

Survey Data On The Impact Of Covid-19 On Parental Engagement Across 23 Countries, Eliana Maria Osorio-Saez, Nurullah Eryilmaz, Andres Sandoval-Hernandez, Yui-Yip Lau, Elma Barahona, Adil Anwar Bhatti, Godfried Caesar Ofoe, Leví Astul Castro Ordóñez, Artemio Arturo Cortez Ochoa, Rafael Ángel Espinoza Pizarro, Esther Fonseca Aguilar, Maria Magdalena Isac, K.V. Dhanapala, Kalyan Kumar Kameshwara, Ysrael Alberto Martínez Contreras, Geberew Tulu Mekonnen, José Fernando Mejía, Catalina Miranda, Shehe Abdalla Moh'd, Ricardo Morales Ulloa, K. Kayon Morgan, Thomas Lee Morgan, Sara Mori, Forti Ebenezah Nde, Silvia Panzavolta, Lluís Parcerisa, Carla Leticia Paz, Oscar Picardo, Carolina Piñeros, Pablo Rivera-Vargas, Alessia Rosa, Lina Maria Saldarriaga, Adrián Silveira Aberastury, Ym Tang, Kyoko Taniguchi, Ernesto Treviño, Carolina Valladares Celis, Cristóbal Villalobos, Dan Zhao, Allison Zionts

Education Faculty Publications

This data article describes the dataset of the International COVID-19 Impact on Parental Engagement Study (ICIPES). ICIPES is a collaborative effort of more than 20 institutions to investigate the ways in which, parents and caregivers built capacity engaged with children's learning during the period of social distancing arising from global COVID-19 pandemic. A series of data were collected using an online survey conducted in 23 countries and had a total sample of 4,658 parents/caregivers. The description of the data contained in this article is divided into two main parts. The first part is a descriptive analysis of all the items …

Preparing Suburban School Leaders To Recognize Everyday Narratives That Promote Opportunity Gaps, Deirdra Preis

Education Faculty Publications

The ability of school leaders to recognize and confront marginalizing narratives that prevent equitable access and outcomes for their historically underserved student populations is critical to transforming their schools. This article is designed to build the leadership capacity of suburban school leaders to intervene in inequitable practices by leading them through an exploration of eight beliefs and assumptions - and the problematic decisions often prompted by them - that have been identified in the literature as barriers to the academic and post-secondary advancement of historically underserved student populations attending suburban schools.

Women Living History: An Exploration Of Transformational Learning In A Living History Group, Amanda Silva, Joseph Polizzi

Education Faculty Publications

Although transformational learning has been studied in numerous contexts (English and Peters, 2012; Foote, 2015; Mezirow, 1990; Mezirow, 1997; Nohl, 2015), one area worth further exploration is the activity of living history. Living history, as defined by Anderson (1982), is essentially the simulation of life in another time. The present study focuses on a group of women in a small living history organization and how their participation in this group has changed them. Participant observation and interviews were used to determine what the women gain from their participation and to uncover some of the reasons they continue with the group. …

Educators Must Be Advocates: Advocating For Muslim Students, Terri L. Rodriguez, Laura Mahalingappa, Megan Evangeliste, Lauren Thoma

Education Faculty Publications

As educators interested in supporting linguistically and culturally diverse learners, we have had to view our roles in different ways since the presidential campaign and the election of Trump. In this article, two teacher educators and two inservice ESL teachers in the U.S. reflect on our various experiences working with Muslim students and preparing teachers to support Muslim students in the current socio-political context. We discuss these experiences with the goal of suggesting some priorities in teacher education. Ultimately, to prepare teachers to be effective teachers for Muslim students requires them to go beyond being culturally responsive to becoming advocates …

Creating A Culture Of Literacy: Strengthening The Core Of Secondary Reading Instruction, Karen C. Waters, Charles Britton

Education Faculty Publications

The purpose of this paper is to articulate a plan to provide high quality literacy instruction in secondary content area classes that will yield the highest impact on student learning while addressing the needs of the lowest-performing students whose literacy needs cannot be ignored. This will necessitate a restructuring of the three-tiered format within which a systems approach for school improvement embeds a well-defined professional learning plan, and strong collaboration among content area teachers, reading professionals, and special educators to collaborate on the delivery of differentiated, cross-curricular instructional supports.

These Testing Obsessions Are Getting A Little Weird, Dave Powell

Education Faculty Publications

This morning, as she was getting ready for work, my wife noticed something unusual about our son, who is in third grade. He was quietly eating breakfast, like he always does, but something about him was different. He was wearing a plain white t-shirt.

He must have noticed that she was looking at him, because he looked up and said: "Do you think it's okay if I wear this shirt today?" His wardrobe normally consists of about five t-shirts that he cycles through, one after the other, and sometimes tries to wear twice in a row if we don't catch …

The Revolving Door Of Education: Teacher Turnover And Retention Amongst The Graduates Of A Liberal Arts Teacher Education Program, Gregory W. Dachille, Chloe Ruff

Education Faculty Publications

In the United States, elementary and secondary education teachers comprise 4% of the entire civilian workforce (Ingersoll, 2001). The composition of that 4% is changing because of teacher turnover. According to recent statistics, 46% of teachers leave the classroom within the first five years of teaching and 9.5% of teachers leave the classroom within their first year (Rinke, 2014; Riggs, 2013; Zheng & Zeller, 2016). This study is designed to examine the teaching experiences of graduates of one teacher education program and the potential differences between graduates who stay in teaching and those who leave. Throughout this study, the guiding …

K–12 Online Learning And School Choice: Growth And Expansion In The Absence Of Evidence, Michael K. Barbour

Education Faculty Publications

The use of online learning at the K-12 level has seen exponential growth for much of the past two decades. Based on the limited research to date some students can experience success in the supplemental K-12 online learning environment, but other types of K-12 online learning are largely failing adequately to serve students. While proponents will argue that all types of K-12 online learning are forms of school choice, it is primarily cyber charter schools and course choice policies that are reflective of the policies and regulations proponents of online learning promote—as cyber charter schools and course choice policies are …

Evaluation And Approval Constructs For K-12 Online And Blended Courses And Providers, Michael K. Barbour, Tom Clark, Kristen Debruler, Justin Bruno

Education Faculty Publications

Public Act 60 (2013) of the Michigan Legislature tasked Michigan Virtual University, through its Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute, to “research, develop, and recommend annually to the department criteria by which cyber schools and online course providers should be monitored and evaluated to ensure a quality education for their pupils.” This study provides an overview of existing models of cyber and online evaluation, both of which serve to inform the forthcoming recommendations. In this study, the authors review existing literature related to the evaluation of online and blended learning programs and providers, and identify five dimensions for course and provider …

Building Better Courses: Examining The Content Validity Of The Inacol National Standards For Quality Online Courses, David Adelstein, Michael K. Barbour

Education Faculty Publications

In 2011, the International Association for K-12 Online Learning released the second iteration of the National Standards for Quality Online Courses. These standards have been used by numerous institutions and states around the country to help design and create K-12 online courses. However, there has been no reported research on the validity of the standards or the accompanying rubric. This study compares all elements under the five main standards to contemporary K-12 or higher education online course literature. The research concludes with suggested changes and additions, as well as an explanation as to how the research connects to a larger …

Researching And Reshaping Literacy Learning: Three Urban K-6 Teachers’ Ongoing Transformations Through Everyday Action Research, Kristin N. Rainville, Grace Enriquez

Education Faculty Publications

Given the vast range of diversity among children’s backgrounds and needs, literacy educators must consider multiple ways in which children learn and interact with texts. Moreover, policies that increasingly require frequent assessments of children’s literacy achievement place pressure on educators to find immediate ways to impact children’s learning. This qualitative inquiry explores three graduate students’ yearlong engagement in literacy-related action research within ethnically and socioeconomically diverse, urban K-6 classrooms. Grounded in a social practice perspective on literacy and a sociocultural perspective on literacy learning, we examined participants’ constructions of action research as they developed research questions, entered various research sites, …

Historical Trends And Emerging Issues In Teacher Education Programs In The United States, Karl M. Lorenz

Education Faculty Publications

US national and state educational polices are advocating for more teacher accountability with respect to student performance, and accrediting agencies are requiring more evidence of teachers’ mastery of subject area knowledge and professional skills. This paper examines some of the significant educational and social issues currently facing basic education and teacher preparation programs in the United States. It addresses numerous topics and focuses on five general issues that confront K-12 education and either directly or indirectly Teacher Preparation Programs.

Las políticas educativas nacionales y estatales de Estados Unidos están abogando por una mayor responsabilidad de los maestros con respecto al …

Finding Relevance, Competence, And Enjoyment: The Development Of Domain Identification And Interest In First-Year Science Majors, Chloe Ruff

Education Faculty Publications

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine how first-year college students perceive their development of domain identification with, and interest in, their prospective science major during their initial year of college. Four themes emerged from the coding and analysis of interviews with eight first-year science students: Self-Definition in Flux, Feeling Competent, Expressing Interest through Enjoyment, and Relevant to Me. These themes were mainly consistent with the current model of domain identification (Osborne & Jones, 2011) but differ from the current model of interest development (Hidi & Renninger, 2006). Theoretical and practical implications are included for faculty and advisors …

Primary And Secondary Virtual Learning In New Zealand: Examining Barriers To Achieving Maturity, Michael K. Barbour, Niki Davis, Derek Wenmoth

Education Faculty Publications

This paper describes the organisational development of virtual learning in networked rural schools in New Zealand, specifically the obstacles that e-learning clusters of rural schools face in their journey to sustainability and maturity through the lens of the Ministry’s Learning Communities Online Handbook. Analysis of a nationwide purposeful sample identified three common barriers: a lack of a coherent vision; difficulty in sustaining necessary funding and resources; and of the need for more collaboration within and between clusters. Based on these findings, it is recommended that VLN e-learning clusters develop specific strategies to encourage greater collaboration between schools and work towards …

Virtual Education: Not Yet Ready For Prime Time?, Michael K. Barbour

Education Faculty Publications

The field of K–12 online and blended learning is varied and growing. Regardless of whether a student is enrolled in a brick-and-mortar school and taking one or two courses online, or if they are completing all of their education from a cyber school, more and more students are enrolled in online and blended learning opportunities each school year. Over the past decade, there have been successive legislative and regulatory changes in jurisdiction after jurisdiction designed to encourage this growth in K–12 online and blended learning. Many of these changes have been spurred by proponent claims that K–12 online and blended …

Introduction (Online Learning December 2015 Special Issue), Anissa Lokey-Vega, Michael K. Barbour

Education Faculty Publications

While at an admittedly slower rate than the growth in enrollments, research in K-12 online learning has been picking up pace in the past decade and a foundation in best practice is now being laid.

A special K-12 issue of Online Learning is an ideal avenue for an academic dialogue. The focus of this special issue of Online Learning is to present rigorous research specific to the context of K-12 education including systematic inquiry into promising practices, various schooling models, measures of quality, and parent and teacher experience. All authors have provided explanations of K-12-specific terminology to support readers new …

Innovative Public Education Or Glorified Homeschooling: Funding Full-Time K-12 Online Learning, Michael K. Barbour

Education Faculty Publications

While there has been some improvement in what is known about supplemental K-12 online learning, there continues to be a lack of evidence to guide the practice of full-time K-12 online learning. This paper examines the literature and research into the funding of full-time K-12 online learning programs. As one of the few areas where a reasonable body of literature exists, and where both progress and neo-liberal groups have reach relative agreement. It concludes that full-time K-12 online learning costs less than traditional brick-and-mortar, and that policymakers should consider the nature of instruction when determining funding for full-time K-12 online …

Schools In The U.S. 2015: Politics, Performance, Policy, And Research Evidence, Alex Molnar Ed., Luis Huerta, Sheryl Rankin Shafer, Michael K. Barbour, Gary Miron, Charisse Gulosino

Education Faculty Publications

This report is the third of a series of annual reports by the National Education Policy Center (NEPC) on virtual education in the U.S. The NEPC reports contribute to the existing evidence and discourse on virtual education by providing an objective analysis of the evolution and performance of full-time, publicly funded K-12 virtual schools. Specifically, the NEPC reports: analyze the universe of proposed state bills related to virtual education; assess the research evidence that bears on K-12 virtual teaching and learning; describe the policy issues raised by available evidence; analyze the growth and performance of full-time virtual schools; and, offer …

It's Like They're Building The Airplane While It's In The Air, Dave Powell

Education Faculty Publications

One of the things I was most concerned about when I left the classroom to become a teacher educator was losing my credibility. Everybody knows the rap on teacher educators: they're out of touch, too theoretical, disconnected from the everyday life of the classroom teacher. Of course, sometimes criticism is like a good joke. It's only funny because it's true—sometimes. [excerpt]

The Disconnect Between Policy And Research: Examining The Research Into Full-Time K-12 Online Learning, Michael K. Barbour

Education Faculty Publications

While there has been some improvement in what is known about supplemental K-12 online learning, there continues to be a lack of evidence to guide the practice of full-time K-12 online learning. This paper concludes that despite considerable enthusiasm for full-time virtual education in some quarters, there is little high quality research to support the practice or call for expanding this form of virtual schools.

Review Of Virtual Schooling And Student Learning, Michael K. Barbour

Education Faculty Publications

A new report compares the performance of Florida Virtual School (FLVS) students with students in traditional brick-and-mortar schools and concludes the FLVS students perform about the same or somewhat better on state tests and at a lower cost. The report claims to be the first empirical study of K-12 student performance in virtual education. This is not correct, and the report in fact confirms the findings and repeats the methodological flaws and limitations of previous research. The report’s findings fail to account for the potential bias of student selectivity in the FLVS sample, the potential impact of regression effects, differential …

Politics Are Crushing The Standards, Dave Powell

Education Faculty Publications

The recent news that Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin signed a bill to, in the parlance of the times, "repeal and replace" the common-core standards in her state was surprising, to say the least, notwithstanding a legal challenge to the repeal filed in the Oklahoma Supreme Court by parents, teachers, and state board of education members on June 25. Before Gov. Fallin was against the standards, she supported them. [excerpt]

K-12 Online Learning: A Worldwide Perspective, Michael K. Barbour, Kathryn Kennedy

Education Faculty Publications

K-12 online learning is often used as an umbrella term to describe all instances of kindergarten through 12th grade students' learning by using the Internet. This chapter will explore the state of K-12 online learning in North America and around the world. From correspondence education to complete online schools that are found in some school districts today, K-12 online learning is continuing to grow at seemingly exponential rates. Policies in various districts and countries, along with the individual needs of students and goals for the education system, have often dictated--or at least influenced--this development. In this chapter, we explore these …

Preparing For And Thriving In K-12 Online/Blended Teaching Contexts, Leanna Archambault, Keryn Pratt, Michael K. Barbour

Education Faculty Publications

This panel will bring together leading experts to explore the research related to teaching roles in K-12 online and blended learning and the policies influencing teacher preparation for online environments. Currently, there is a dire need for teacher education programs to provide training in online pedagogy and instructional design so all teachers are prepared to teach in breakthrough learning environments. Keryn Pratt will present her work on OtagoNet: One region’s model for virtual schooling in New Zealand and the knowledge and skills teachers need to be successful in this environment. Michael Barbour will focus on roles of online and blended …

Any Time, Any Place, Any Pace-Really? Examining Mobile Learning In A Virtual School Environment, Michael K. Barbour, Tamme Quinn Grzebyk, John Eye

Education Faculty Publications

Over the past decade, the number of K-12 students engaged in online learning has increased from between 40,000 and 50,000 to more than two million. Students have also gained increased access to mobile devices throughout recent years, and educators have actively looked for ways to capitalize on this trend.

A case study of students enrolled in an Advanced Placement European History course, offered by a statewide, supplemental virtual school in the Midwest. The students were studied over the course of four weeks, using Mobl21, an app that works on mobile devices, and offers an emulated version that runs on a …

Design Research Using Game Design As An Instructional Strategy, Jason Paul Siko, Michael Barbour

Education Faculty Publications

Game design as an instructional tool can be expensive and time-consuming, as new software requires not only capital outlay but also training for teachers and students. Therefore, researchers have looked at low-tech design platforms to accomplish the same educational goals. One such way is to use Microsoft PowerPoint as a game design tool. In the second iteration of a design study, we have changed the way a homemade PowerPoint game project is implemented in an environmental chemistry classroom by providing more structure and more opportunities for instruction and feedback on the elements of the game design. We compared the performance …

Virtual Schools In The U.S. 2014: Politics, Performance, Policy, And Research Evidence, Alex Molnar, Luis Huerta, Jennifer King Rice, Sheryl Rankin Shafer, Michael K. Barbour, Gary Miron, Charisse Gulosino, Brian Horvitz

Education Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.