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Articles 1 - 30 of 47
Full-Text Articles in Education
Freshman Course Credit And Unexcused Absences: An Arkansas Policy Analysis, Sarah R. Morris, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Miranda Vernon
Freshman Course Credit And Unexcused Absences: An Arkansas Policy Analysis, Sarah R. Morris, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Miranda Vernon
Arkansas Education Reports
This policy analysis examines the implementation of A.C.A. 6-18-222, a statewide policy in Arkansas that addresses unexcused absences and course credit consequences for students. Using anonymized student-level data from the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years (N=65,651), the study explores variations in policy implementation across districts and investigates the relationship between absences and course failures for freshmen. Our results highlight the wide variability in the number of allowed unexcused absences and the language of course credit consequence among districts. Additionally, our multivariate logistic regressions reveal FRL-eligible students more likely to fail a course after reaching their district’s unexcused absence threshold. Lastly, …
The Art Of Detailing: An Exploration Of Watercolor, Torrey Tracy
The Art Of Detailing: An Exploration Of Watercolor, Torrey Tracy
TFSC Publications and Presentations
Second Annual University of Arkansas Teaching and Learning Symposium: Sharing Teaching Ideas
Department of Interior Architecture and Design, Fay Jones School of Architecture
Special thanks to Cat Wallack, Architectural Records Archivist, Mullins Library and Reagan Walters, Bachelor of Interior Design, 2021
The Impact Of Frequent Student-Faculty Interaction On Repeater Students, Shanda Hood, Josh Girshner
The Impact Of Frequent Student-Faculty Interaction On Repeater Students, Shanda Hood, Josh Girshner
TFSC Publications and Presentations
Second Annual University of Arkansas Teaching and Learning Symposium: Sharing Teaching Ideas
Data show that half of all students who have dropped/failed Survey of Calculus or Finite Mathematics at the University of Arkansas will drop/fail again. These students face a lack of motivation and a fair amount of anxiety toward mathematics. To make connections and create an environment in which they are comfortable discussing any issues with the professor, repeater students were asked to meet with the professor to complete a personalized academic improvement plan. This plan establishes the need for regular contact with the instructor and should increase the …
Using Digitally-Based Recording Techniques To Manage Large Datasets In Real Time, Jessica Kowalski
Using Digitally-Based Recording Techniques To Manage Large Datasets In Real Time, Jessica Kowalski
TFSC Publications and Presentations
Second Annual University of Arkansas Teaching and Learning Symposium: Sharing Teaching Ideas
Managing digital data is a critical part of any archeological investigation or research project. Students in the 2023 University of Arkansas Archeological Field School learned how to record digital data in real-time using iPads in conjunction with an inventorying database designed for the Arkansas Archeological Survey.
Fostering Grit In The University Student, Hope Ballentine, Diana Dunbar
Fostering Grit In The University Student, Hope Ballentine, Diana Dunbar
TFSC Publications and Presentations
Second Annual University of Arkansas Teaching and Learning Symposium: Sharing Teaching Ideas
In the preeminent work on grit, Duckworth et al. (2007) first defined grit as “perseverance and passion for long term-goals.” Evidence is overwhelming that grit is a predictor of success in various arenas of life, often when no other valid predictors can be identified. Grit was the only statistically significant predictor of both academic and clinical success in an Australian study of over 2000 university students (Terry & Peck, 2020). Both job satisfaction and performance are improved with increased grit (Cho & Kim, 2022). Clear evidence that a …
Arcgis Storymaps Facilitates Student Learning, Daniela D'Eugenio, Guillermo Pupo Pernet
Arcgis Storymaps Facilitates Student Learning, Daniela D'Eugenio, Guillermo Pupo Pernet
TFSC Publications and Presentations
Second Annual University of Arkansas Teaching and Learning Symposium: Sharing Teaching Ideas
As a tool that allows for the creation of a geospatial multimedia story, ArcGIS StoryMaps facilitates students’ learning both inside and outside of the classroom. This interactive software offers students the opportunity to express their understanding of an input and elaborate upon it in original and personal ways using various sources. In this presentation, we will illustrate how ArcGIS can be used successfully in an advanced Italian language class to engage students with a fable by Somali-Italian acclaimed writer Igiaba Scego, Prestami le ali. Examples of scaffolded …
Preparing Bsw Social Work Students For Social Justice Advocacy, Christiane Long, Joy Patton, Amy Ward
Preparing Bsw Social Work Students For Social Justice Advocacy, Christiane Long, Joy Patton, Amy Ward
TFSC Publications and Presentations
Second Annual University of Arkansas Teaching and Learning Symposium: Sharing Teaching Ideas
Dr. Long is a Visiting Assistant Professor in Social Work here at the University of Arkansas, while Dr. Patton is at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, TX and Dr. Ward is at East Central University in Ada, OK.
There is no denying that the social work profession has a long history of social justice advocacy. However, advocacy and political action were not necessarily a focus in social work education, leaving social work graduates feeling inadequate to advocate on a broader, macro level (Haynes & …
I Would Have Never Thought Of That On My Own: Using Peer Feedback To Motivate And Shape Pre-Service Teachers’ Critical Thinking, Alexandra Vasile, Alexandra Anton
I Would Have Never Thought Of That On My Own: Using Peer Feedback To Motivate And Shape Pre-Service Teachers’ Critical Thinking, Alexandra Vasile, Alexandra Anton
TFSC Publications and Presentations
Second Annual University of Arkansas Teaching and Learning Symposium: Sharing Teaching Ideas
The presentation reports the results of implementing a peer review feedback strategy in an elementary education program. To prepare teacher candidates for field experiences, the program uses coursework such as projects. We examine the awareness and perspectives of preservice teachers (n = 38) to providing and receiving feedback from their peers on their project ideas, and - in particular - their motivation and readiness to assimilate peer feedback. Data includes initial and final project ideas, answers to reflective questions, and the peer feedback each participant received.
The study …
Making Language Learning Meaningful And Fun With Collaborative Projects, A. Louise Cole
Making Language Learning Meaningful And Fun With Collaborative Projects, A. Louise Cole
TFSC Publications and Presentations
Second Annual University of Arkansas Teaching and Learning Symposium: Sharing Teaching Ideas
Collaborative learning requires students to actively engage with others, typically fellow students, to achieve a common goal (Nokes-Malach et al, 2015). The form of this collaboration may vary from prescriptive, teacher-facilitated activities to more open-ended and reflective projects. Within the L2 classroom, students work toward language proficiency. The current World-Readiness Standards for Language Learners evaluate linguistic abilities in speaking, listening, reading, and writing but also require that students develop cultural competencies and understanding. In this vein, Oxford posits that within a collaborative learning framework, the notion of community …
You Can Learn A Lot From Fake Data: Reverse Engineering Data As A Means To Analysis, Action & Learning, Jeff Bean
TFSC Publications and Presentations
Second Annual University of Arkansas Teaching and Learning Symposium: Sharing Teaching Ideas While not a formal discipline, “reverse engineering” can yield opportunities for students to experience a compressed end-to-end (e2e) life cycle of projects that leverage human factors such as perception, cognition, and macro-factors such as organizational culture or situational context to improve operations performance, safety, or other organizational outcomes.
As the process of project proposal, approval, and execution can often take months (or longer!), we simply do not have the time or resources to conduct “real” experiments. To give the benefit of e2e projects, students are asked to create …
Arkansas Teachers' Grading Practices And Implications, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Josh B. Mcgee
Arkansas Teachers' Grading Practices And Implications, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Josh B. Mcgee
Policy Briefs
In this brief, we assess current grading practices in Arkansas. We find teachers’ grading practices are inconsistent across the state. We suggest districts assess their grading practices and provide ongoing professional development opportunities for teachers to reflect on their grading practices.
A Glimpse Into Arkansas Teachers’ Grading Practices 2022-23, Sarah Morris, Sarah C. Mckenzie
A Glimpse Into Arkansas Teachers’ Grading Practices 2022-23, Sarah Morris, Sarah C. Mckenzie
Arkansas Education Reports
This case study assesses the current, self-reported grading practices among Arkansas teachers. We distributed a Teachers’ Grading Perceptions survey in November, 2022, and we conducted semi-structured interviews with teachers and principals in January-February, 2023. We gathered both quantitative and qualitative data from the teacher survey, and we used interviews to collect themes for current grading practices in Arkansas’s schools. We generated a grading equity scale from the survey questions, verified by a reliable alpha coefficient = 0.83, and we use this in a multivariate regression to explore teacher characteristics and their likelihood of favoring grading equity practices. We collected themes …
The Usage And Impact Of Act 1240 Teacher Licensure Waivers In Arkansas, Sarah C. Mckenzie
The Usage And Impact Of Act 1240 Teacher Licensure Waivers In Arkansas, Sarah C. Mckenzie
Policy Briefs
Act 1240 of 2015 allows Arkansas school districts to petition for waivers allowing for the employment of teachers who are not licensed under the standard procedures of the state. Since the program’s inception in the 2016-17 school year, the number of teachers employed under Act 1240 waivers has increased, with the Arkansas Department of Education reporting 836 teachers hired using Act 1240 waivers in 69 districts during the 2021-22 school year. This represents approximately one quarter of the districts within the state, but only approximately 2 percent of the nearly 40,000 teachers employed last year.
Using publicly available data from …
Exploration Of Motivations For Adopting A Four-Day School Week Or Year Round Calendars: Evidence From Arkansas, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Josh B. Mcgee, Kate Barnes
Exploration Of Motivations For Adopting A Four-Day School Week Or Year Round Calendars: Evidence From Arkansas, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Josh B. Mcgee, Kate Barnes
Policy Briefs
This brief provides an overview of the motivations for Arkansas school districts adopting a four-day school week or year-round calendar. In addition to examining these motivations, this brief provides an overview of the districts adopting non-traditional calendars and policy recommendations for districts and communities considering changing calendars.
We Wanted To Do Something Innovative: Exploring Motivations Of Arkansas Districts Adopting Four-Day School Weeks Or Year-Round Calendars, Kate Barnes, Sarah C. Mckenzie
We Wanted To Do Something Innovative: Exploring Motivations Of Arkansas Districts Adopting Four-Day School Weeks Or Year-Round Calendars, Kate Barnes, Sarah C. Mckenzie
Arkansas Education Reports
Recent legislation has allowed Arkansas school districts increased flexibility to adopt a non-traditional calendar. Act 688 introduced four calendar options for districts: a traditional calendar, a four day calendar, a year-round calendar, and an alternate calendar based on the number of instructional hours.
During the 2022-23 school year, 33 school districts throughout the state adopted new calendars. The motivations behind why districts adopted new calendars were unclear. This report aims to identify the rationale behind why these districts moved away from the traditional calendar.
This report uses data gathered from interviews with twenty-three superintendents in districts that selected non-traditional calendars …
Teaching From The Heart: Using Techniques Of Kindfulness In Teaching To Build A More Empathic And Compassionate Campus, Margaret Butcher
Teaching From The Heart: Using Techniques Of Kindfulness In Teaching To Build A More Empathic And Compassionate Campus, Margaret Butcher
TFSC Publications and Presentations
In today’s world of self-absorption and social and political division, we all need a space that is welcoming and inviting. Teaching with just intellect and without heart may be ‘safe’ but can lead to passionless learning. Creating a classroom that honors space for everyone in the room with a trusting environment can help students find the “So what?” and “Who cares?” that may lurk within the course content. Teachers who view themselves simply as a delivery mechanism for content is missing the opportunity to turn on kindness and compassion in their students that can help build a better humanity. Dr. …
High-Growth Elementary Schools In Arkansas Based On Performance On The Act Aspire Examinations, Sarah C. Mckenzie
High-Growth Elementary Schools In Arkansas Based On Performance On The Act Aspire Examinations, Sarah C. Mckenzie
Arkansas Education Reports
This section highlights elementary schools across the state whose students demonstrated high growth on the Arkansas ACT Aspire exams. The ACT Aspire was administered to students in grades 3 through 10 in April 2022 in Math and ELA courses which include English, Writing, and Reading.
Each table in this section presents the Top 20 schools for the noted subject area and school level. In addition, these tables include the region in which the schools are located, the grades served at the school, the weighted achievement score, and the content growth score in that particular subject.
The level of the schools, …
High-Growth High Schools In Arkansas Based On Performance On The Act Aspire Examination, Sarah C. Mckenzie
High-Growth High Schools In Arkansas Based On Performance On The Act Aspire Examination, Sarah C. Mckenzie
Arkansas Education Reports
This section highlights high schools across the state whose students demonstrated high growth on the Arkansas ACT Aspire exams. The ACT Aspire was administered to students in grades 3 through 10 in April 2022 in Math and ELA courses which include English, Writing, and Reading.
Each table in this section presents the Top 20 schools for the noted subject area and school level. In addition, these tables include the region in which the schools are located, the grades served at the school, the weighted achievement score, and the content growth score in that particular subject.
The level of the schools, …
High-Growth Middle Schools In Arkansas Based On Performance On The Act Aspire Examinations, Sarah C. Mckenzie
High-Growth Middle Schools In Arkansas Based On Performance On The Act Aspire Examinations, Sarah C. Mckenzie
Arkansas Education Reports
This section highlights middle schools across the state whose students demonstrated high growth on the Arkansas ACT Aspire exams. The ACT Aspire was administered to students in grades 3 through 10 in April 2022 in Math and ELA courses which include English, Writing, and Reading.
Each table in this section presents the Top 20 schools for the noted subject area and school level. In addition, these tables include the region in which the schools are located, the grades served at the school, the weighted achievement score, and the content growth score in that particular subject.
The level of the schools, …
Reflections From Teaching Through A Pandemic: A Focus On The Silver Lining, Heather Walker
Reflections From Teaching Through A Pandemic: A Focus On The Silver Lining, Heather Walker
TFSC Publications and Presentations
While the COVID pandemic brought many challenges to teaching, it also drove innovation. In this talk, Heather Walker will reflect on the changes that the pandemic brought to her teaching practices. She’ll discuss which ones she plans to keep and which ones she’ll throw away. The goal will be to consider how teaching through the pandemic benefitted her as a teacher.
Local Norms And Gifted And Talented Identification In Arkansas: Can It Help Improve Student Diversity?, Bich Tran, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Jon Wai
Local Norms And Gifted And Talented Identification In Arkansas: Can It Help Improve Student Diversity?, Bich Tran, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Jon Wai
Arkansas Education Reports
In the past decades, the gifted and talented (G/T) community has wrestled with an important question about improving equity: How can we best use research to increase student diversity in G/T education? There are many suggestions for answering this question but using local norms, where students are selected based on comparisons with others from a similar school context using traditional measures, has attracted much attention. In some districts, using local norms and universal screening has greatly improved student diversity, whereas, in other districts, the findings have been unclear. Thus it seems useful to study local contexts. In this study, we …
Best Practices In Motivating Student Attendance And Participation, Tori Ryburn, Lauren Lambert
Best Practices In Motivating Student Attendance And Participation, Tori Ryburn, Lauren Lambert
TFSC Publications and Presentations
Not-so-new faculty can join the Wally Cordes Teaching and Faculty Support Center for a free lunch and an opportunity to learn best practices in motivating student attendance and participation within the classroom. Tori Ryburn (Instructor, Mathematical Sciences) and Lauren Lambert (Instructor, Communication) will present varied approaches to boost attendance and to engage students.
Tori Ryburn brings exceptional insight and is instrumental in designing memorable activities that bring students back for more. She will share these activities and explain the process of designing them. In addition, she will discuss incentives offered to students who participate in the activities.
Lauren Lambert works …
September Cordes Chair: Dr. Molly Rapert, Molly Rapert
September Cordes Chair: Dr. Molly Rapert, Molly Rapert
TFSC Publications and Presentations
Join the Wally Cordes Teaching and Faculty Support Center for an informal conversation about teaching with the September Cordes Chairperson, Dr. Molly Rapert. Molly will discuss strategies she has developed to create rapport with students, such as using in-class exercises, LinkedIn, and social media to establish and solidify connections.
Molly is the director of the Walton Center for Teaching Effectiveness, is a recipient of the Charles and Nadine Baum Excellence in Teaching Award, the Arkansas Alumni Outstanding Teaching Award, and the Marketing Management Association’s National Outstanding Teaching Award. She teaches the capstone course in the Marketing department which prepares students …
Arkansas Student Discipline Report, Kaitlin Anderson, Sarah C. Mckenzie
Arkansas Student Discipline Report, Kaitlin Anderson, Sarah C. Mckenzie
Arkansas Education Reports
This report examines student discipline in the Arkansas public schools. Using ten years of de-identified student- and infraction-level data from 2011-12 to 2020-21, provided by the Arkansas Department of Education, our research identifies a number of key trends and outcomes related to student discipline in the Arkansas public schools. This work builds upon prior versions of this report.1 While the data are only limited to the infractions and consequences reported by schools, and while we do not estimate causal effects of any policies or programs, this work includes some key findings relevant for educators and policymakers in the state.
An …
Arkansas High School Freshmen Course Failures 2009-11 -- 2018-19, Sarah R. Morris, Sarah C. Mckenzie
Arkansas High School Freshmen Course Failures 2009-11 -- 2018-19, Sarah R. Morris, Sarah C. Mckenzie
Arkansas Education Reports
This study assesses the course failures among Arkansas high school freshmen by different student demographic and programmatic characteristics. We analyze 10 independent cohorts of Arkansas freshmen for descriptive analyses, and then we limit our analytic sample to the two most recent years of data. Algebra I is the most commonly failed course among Arkansas freshmen. Using logit analyses, we find economically disadvantaged students are nine percentage points more likely to fail a course their freshman year than their more advantaged peers after controlling for prior academic achievement and district characteristics and fixed effects. This study is the first research study …
Changing Pace And Recognizing Relationships: The Pandemic And Beyond, Carole Shook
Changing Pace And Recognizing Relationships: The Pandemic And Beyond, Carole Shook
TFSC Publications and Presentations
The pandemic brought out the importance of relationships and active learning. The presentation describes games, email communications, classroom communications, and making class more enjoyable to engage students.
Engagement Strategies For Online Students: Use Of Technology To Enhance Learning, Jim Maddox
Engagement Strategies For Online Students: Use Of Technology To Enhance Learning, Jim Maddox
TFSC Publications and Presentations
Teaching students in an online program requires being intentional with how the course is constructed and how space is created for students to fully engage. Face-to-face courses provide the means of this interaction that creates a challenge for online learning. The following are some innovative and creative ways I am using technology to engage my online students and enhance their learning. I utilize Zoom to hold optional Live Chats via Zoom. These are also recorded for students to watch later as well. I use breakout rooms for small group discussions (pair-and-share, triads, and larger groups), we have Q & A …
Beating The Odds: High-Growth Schools Based On The Act Aspire Examinations, Serving Low-Income Communities, Charlene A. Reid, Sarah C. Mckenzie
Beating The Odds: High-Growth Schools Based On The Act Aspire Examinations, Serving Low-Income Communities, Charlene A. Reid, Sarah C. Mckenzie
Arkansas Education Reports
This section highlights high-growth schools across Arkansas based on the ACT Aspire examinations in Math and English Language Arts (ELA) for the 2020-2021 academic year. For these awards, we consider schools where at least 66% of the student body is eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (FRL).
High-poverty schools are ranked by school level (Elementary, Middle, or High) based on Overall Growth (Math and ELA combined), as well as for growth in each content area independently. High-poverty schools are also ranked within each region of the state. Tables include the region in which the school is located, the number of …
Cordes Chair Seminar: Teaching Authentically In An Age Of Reality Superstars, Casandra Cox
Cordes Chair Seminar: Teaching Authentically In An Age Of Reality Superstars, Casandra Cox
TFSC Publications and Presentations
The Teaching and Faculty Support Center is pleased announce that Casandra Cox, instructor in the Department of Agricultural Education, Communications and Technology, will present the November Cordes Chair Seminar from 2 - 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 30, in Home Economics 108. Her presentation is entitled, "Teaching Authentically in an Age of Reality Superstars." Cox has been on the AECT faculty since 2003 and has received numerous teaching awards, including the Bumpers College's John W. White Outstanding Teaching Award and the Jack G. Justus Excellence in Teaching Award. She is also a Fellow of the U of A Teaching Academy.
High-Growth High Schools In Arkansas Based On Performance On The Act Aspire Examinations, Charlene A. Reid, Sarah C. Mckenzie
High-Growth High Schools In Arkansas Based On Performance On The Act Aspire Examinations, Charlene A. Reid, Sarah C. Mckenzie
Arkansas Education Reports
This section highlights high schools across the state whose students demonstrated high growth on the Arkansas ACT Aspire exams. The ACT Aspire was administered to students in grades 3 through 10 in April 2021 in Math and ELA courses which include English, Writing, and Reading.
Each table in this section presents the Top 20 schools for the noted subject area and school level. In addition, these tables include the region in which the schools are located, the grades served at the school, the weighted achievement score, and the content growth score in that particular subject.
The level of the schools, …