Education Commons^™

Accountability By Design In Literacy Professional Development, Catherine Rosemary, Patricia Grogan, Kathryn Kinnucan-Welsch

Kathryn A. Kinnucan-Welsch

This article identifies the principles of high-quality professional development based on research and explores how the principles were used to examine the Literacy Specialist Project (LSP) in Ohio. It discusses how each principle was related to literacy professional development using examples from the LSP, reports data from the project about teacher and student learning, and presents implications and additional questions related to accountability systems for professional development.

National Assessment Program : Civics And Citizenship Years 6 And 10 Report 2004, Suzanne Mellor, John Ainley, Julian Fraillon, Nicole Wernert

Nicole Wernert

The National Civics and Citizenship Sample Assessment was conducted in October 2004 with 10,712 Year 6 students from 318 schools and 9,536 Year 10 students from 249 schools. At both year levels, a sample of schools was selected with a probability proportional to size and then a sample of up to two classrooms was selected at random from those schools. The sample design and procedures, the high response rates (more than 90 percent) and the low levels of exclusions ensured that there was very little bias in the sample. The assessment was representative of the elements identified in the assessment …

It Works For Us, Collaboratively! : Shared Tips For Effective Collaboration, Charlie Sweet, Hal Blythe

Hal Blythe

"Collaborating is a highly effective skill we develop and use throughout our lives … until we become faculty." Thus the authors begin their journey into yet another in their popular "It Works" series that include: It Works for Me! Shared Tips for Teaching It Works for Me, Too! More Shared Tips for Teaching It Works for Me, Online! Shared Tips for Online and Web-Enhanced Teaching Everyone in the following pages—the authors’ collaborators—has found some area of academia that has been improved through the use of collaboration. The book begins by presenting some general tips about collaboration, then moves to more …

Literacy In The First Three Years Of School : A Longitudinal Investigation, Marion Meiers, Siek Toon Khoo

Dr Siek Toon Khoo

The ACER Longitudinal Literacy and Numeracy Study (LLANS) was designed to follow the growth in literacy and numeracy of a single cohort of students across the years of primary school. A sample of 1000 students in 100 schools formed the cohort for the study, which commenced in 1999. A linked set of literacy assessment tasks focused on key aspects of literacy was developed for the LLANS. Assessment data collected across the years of primary school provided information needed to construct a long LLANS literacy scale covering the full range of proficiency. The scale was used to measure change and track …

National Assessment Program : Civics And Citizenship Years 6 And 10 Report 2004, Suzanne Mellor, John Ainley, Julian Fraillon, Nicole Wernert

Julian Fraillon

The National Civics and Citizenship Sample Assessment was conducted in October 2004 with 10,712 Year 6 students from 318 schools and 9,536 Year 10 students from 249 schools. At both year levels, a sample of schools was selected with a probability proportional to size and then a sample of up to two classrooms was selected at random from those schools. The sample design and procedures, the high response rates (more than 90 percent) and the low levels of exclusions ensured that there was very little bias in the sample. The assessment was representative of the elements identified in the assessment …

On "Literature Reviews Of, And For, Educational Research": A Response To The Critique By Joseph Maxwell, David Boote, Penny Beile

Penny Beile

Pisa – The Programme For International Student Assessment – An Overview, Ross Turner

Ross Turner

Education, Comparision, And The Challenges Of An Embodied Perspective, Irving Epstein

Irving Epstein

No abstract provided.

Whiteness, Postcolonialism, And Embodiment In Comparative Perspective, Irving Epstein

Irving Epstein

No abstract provided.

Opportunity In A Democratic Society: Race And Economic Status In Higher Education, Patricia Pelfrey, Richard Atkinson

Richard Atkinson

In July 1995, the University of California\'s Board of Regents voted to ban consideration of race and ethnicity in admissions and employment—a ban that was extended to all state agencies when the voters of California approved Proposition 209 in November 1996. This paper discusses the national controversy over affirmative action and analyzes the experience of the University of California as a case study in how an elite public university responded to the end of nearly three decades of affirmative action. It concludes that profound social and demographic change in American society since the 1960s, especially the growth of income inequality, …

Literacy In The First Three Years Of School : A Longitudinal Investigation, Marion Meiers, Siek Toon Khoo

Marion Meiers

The ACER Longitudinal Literacy and Numeracy Study (LLANS) was designed to follow the growth in literacy and numeracy of a single cohort of students across the years of primary school. A sample of 1000 students in 100 schools formed the cohort for the study, which commenced in 1999. A linked set of literacy assessment tasks focused on key aspects of literacy was developed for the LLANS. Assessment data collected across the years of primary school provided information needed to construct a long LLANS literacy scale covering the full range of proficiency. The scale was used to measure change and track …

Modelling Mathematics Problem Solving Item Responses Using A Multidimensional Irt Model, Margaret Wu, Ray Adams

Prof Ray Adams

This research examined students' responses to mathematics problem- solving tasks and applied a general multidimensional IRT model at the response category level. In doing so, cognitive processes were identified and modelled through item response modelling to extract more information than would be provided using conventional practices in scoring items. More specifically, the study consisted of two parts. The first part involved the development of a mathematics problem-solving framework that was theoretically grounded, drawing upon research in mathematics education and cognitive psychology. The framework was then used as the basis for item development. The second part of the research involved the …

A Longitudinal Evaluation Of Electromagnetic Theory Students’ Continuous Improvement In Learning Skills, Rozeha A Rashid, Mazlina Esa, Mohd Saidfudin Masodi, Razimah Abdullah

Razimah Abdullah

Performance Of Continual Quality Improvement For Learning Process In A Microwave Engineering Based Core Subject, Mazlina Esa, Rozeha A Rashid, Mohd Saidfudin Masodi, Razimah Abdullah

Razimah Abdullah

Young Australians’ Participation In Vocational Education To Age 24, Sheldon Rothman

Dr Sheldon Rothman

No abstract provided.

Engaging Students To Make Mathematics Interesting, Fun, Intriguing, Puzzling And Personally Satisfying, Dave Tout

David (Dave) Tout

The author asserts that making connections with the real world is the best way to engage most students in the middle years of schooling and to potentially provide a mechanism for making mathematics interesting, fun and personally satisfying. Traditionally, in secondary school mathematics classrooms, teachers start by teaching the abstract mathematics skills and processes and then they find some possible applications afterwards. The author believes this should be the other way around.

Net Impact And Benefit-Cost Estimates Of The Workforce Development System In Washington State, Kevin Hollenbeck, Wei-Jang Huang

Kevin Hollenbeck

No abstract provided.

Psychological Issues With Multicultural Education, Marty Sapp

Marty Sapp

No abstract provided.

Leadership And Learning With Ict : Voices From The Profession, Kathryn Moyle

Professor Kathryn Moyle (consultant)

Leadership matters’ and ‘start with the pedagogies, not the technologies’, say Australian educators. Voices from the profession provides an overview of what a cross-section of over 400 of Australia’s educational leaders saw in 2005 as factors that contribute to how leadership supports learning with information and communication technologies (ICT) in Australian schools. It presents some of the issues raised and solutions proposed by the educational leaders who participated in this research. This paper draws on the words of the participants throughout, to illustrate findings and to give the report authenticity. This research shows that integrating ICT into teaching and learning …

Some Problems In The Analysis Of Cross-National Survey Data, John Keeves, Kelvin Gregory, Petra Lietz, I Gusti Darmawan

Dr Petra Lietz

In this article three emergent problems in the analysis of cross-national survey data are raised in a context of 40 years of research and development in a field where persistent problems have arisen and where scholars across the world have sought solutions. Anomalous results have been found from secondary data analyses that would appear to stem from the procedures that have been employed during the past 15 years for the estimation of educational achievement. These estimation procedures are briefly explained and their relationships to the observed anomalies are discussed. The article concludes with a challenge to the use of Bayesian …

Issues In The Change In Gender Differences In Reading Achievement In Cross-National Research Studies Since 1992 : A Meta-Analytic View, Petra Lietz

Dr Petra Lietz

Results of a previous meta-analysis of gender differences in reading achievement at the secondary school level showed significant differences between major assessment programs. Thus, the gender gap in favour of girls was more pronounced for the assessment programs conducted by the National Assessment of Educational Programs in the United States (NAEP), for the more recent assessment programs in Australia and the Programme for the International Student Assessment (PISA) conducted by the OECD. In contrast, no such effect was found for earlier studies conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), namely the International Reading Comprehension Study …

Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder And Their Teachers : A Review Of The Literature., Julie Kos, Amanda Richdale, David Hay

Dr Julie Kos

There is considerable evidence regarding the academic and social difficulties children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) experience, but less is known about what their teachers do and should know. This article provides a summary of this evidence, including information on the difficulties experienced by students with ADHD, the relationships between teachers and students with ADHD, pre-service and in-service teachers' knowledge and attitudes toward ADHD, and in-service teachers' behaviour toward children diagnosed with the condition. Teachers need increased awareness of the family circumstances of children with ADHD, more knowledge of the conditions commonly comorbid with ADHD, and insight into these …

Goals And Distractions: Explanations Of Early Attrition From Traditional University Freshmen, John Rausch, Matthre Hamilton

John L. Rausch

This grounded theory study was designed to investigate the factors that influenced 20 "traditional" university freshmen to withdraw prior to the end of their first year at two Midwestern universities. A two-hour audio-taped interview was conducted with each of the participants, and the grounded theory method was utilized to analyze the interview data. Eighteen of the twenty participants had strong high school GPAs and ACT scores, and would not have been identified as being at-risk for attrition. The grounded theory that emerged from the participants' data indicated that an absence of clear educational goals, as well as individual and institutional …

Learning About Teaching : Using Video, Hilary Hollingsworth

Dr Hilary Hollingsworth

This article describes some Australian research and professional development projects that use classroom video data, and explains some of the positive outcomes, as well as some of the challenges, of these projects. A variety of methodologies have been used to collect, store, retrieve, code, navigate and analyse classroom video data. These include CD-Rom, DVD and web streaming to dedicated software platforms. Video is used to preserve classroom activity so that it can be 'slowed down' to enable detailed examinations of teaching and learning from multiple perspectives, reveal alternatives through comparative analysis, and stimulate discussions about choices related to teaching learning. …

History Of Iowa State, Tanya Zanish-Belcher, Michele Christian, Becky Jordan

Michele Christian

Iowa State University is a very special place, full of history. But what truly makes it unique is a rare combination of campus beauty, the opportunity to be a part of the land-grant experiment, and to create a progressive and inventive spirit that we call the Cyclone experience. Appreciate what we have here, for it is indeed, one of a kind.

Measuring The Socio-Economic Background Of Students And Its Effect On Achievement In Pisa 2000 And Pisa 2003., Wolfram Schulz

Dr Wolfram Schulz

One of the consistent findings of educational research studies is the effect of the students’ family socio-economic background on their learning achievement. Consequently, international comparative studies emphasise the role of socioeconomic background for determining learning outcomes. In particular, PISA results have been used to describe how different structures of the educational system can mediate the impact of socio-economic family background on performance with comprehensive systems generally providing more equity in educational opportunities. Given the cyclical nature of the PISA study, it is of interest to observe changes in the relationship between socio-economic background and student performance. However, in order to …

Analysis Of Differential Item Functioning, Luc Le

Dr Luc Tu Le

No abstract provided.

Its Hour Come Round At Last, Hal Charles

Charlie Sweet

Caught up in the bright lights of the modern world, it is easy to pretend that the old myths and legends have lost their hold over our hearts and imaginations. Sometimes, when we least expect it, the old archetypes return in terrifying new forms. Gods and Monsters is an anthology that explores these themes with fifteen new tales of the fantastic from some of the brightest new talent in fantasy and horror.

El Programa Internacional Para La Evaluación De Los Alumnos (Pisa). Una Perspectiva General, Ross Turner

Ross Turner

Parental Perspectives Regarding Poverty-Based Programs, Lisa Shoaf, Glorianne Leck, Michael Shoaf

Lisa M. Shoaf

Title I was created to eliminate the achievement gap and to provide additional support for children living at or below the poverty threshold. In order to be able to evaluate and adjust programs designed to academically serve children in poverty, educators need parental involvement and insight. Unfortunately, collecting such information has proven difficult. The purpose of this study was to try to find a means to generate parental perspectives on the value of poverty-based programs and on how these programs contribute to academic success for their children. The researchers found such a means by forming collaborative relationships with social workers, …