Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Lowman's Model Goes To The Movies, Allen C. Estes, Ronald W. Welch

Architectural Engineering

Lowman’s Two Dimensional Model for teaching effectiveness has been included in the seminar on Teaching and Learning for the past seven years in the ExCEEd Teaching Workshops. The two dimensional model describes nine different classifications of teachers that range low to high performance in the areas of intellectual excitement and interpersonal rapport. Participant feedback has consistently indicated that the model would be easier to understand if it included examples of teachers in these various categories. This paper uses Lowman’s model to categorize teachers from television and the movies and provide familiar examples that will personalize and aid in the understanding …

National Assessment Program : Civics And Citizenship Year 6 And Year 10. Technical Report 2004, Nicole Wernert, Eveline Gebhardt, Martin Murphy, Wolfram Schulz

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

This report describes the technical aspects of the National Civics and Citizenship Sample Assessment and summarises the main activities involved in the data collection, the data collection instruments and the analysis and reporting of the data. Chapter 2 summarises the development of the assessment domain and describes the process of item development and construction of the instruments. Chapter 3 reviews the sample design and describes the sampling process. Chapter 3 also describes the process of weighting to derive population estimates. Chapter 4 summarises the field administration and data management procedures, including quality control and the cleaning and coding of the …

Growth In Literacy And Numeracy In The First Three Years Of School., Marion Meiers, Siek Toon Khoo, Ken Rowe, Andrew Stephanou, Prue Anderson, Kathy Nolan

ACER Research Monographs

This report describes the findings from the first three years of the ACER longitudinal Literacy and Numeracy Study (LLANS). The longitudinal study was established in 1999 in a context in which there was significant national interest in improving achievement in literacy and numeracy for all Australian children, and a particular interest in the development of foundational skills in the early years of school. A nation wide sample of 100 schools was selected in proportion to the population of each state and territory and ten students were randomly selected from each of these schools. This provided a cohort for LLANS of …

2005-2006 Profile, Morehead State University. Institutional Research & Analysis.

Office of Institutional Research & Analysis Publication Archive

2005-2006 issue of Profile Magazine.

Rethinking And Reshaping Early Childhood Care And Education Policy : Visions And Directions For The Future., Alison Elliott

Early Childhood Education

At no time in the recent past has there been such keen interest in early childhood education. Finally, the decades of research showing the benefits of strong, rich early childhood programs on children's development and learning have captured community attention. Quality early childhood programs help children reach key developmental milestones and close learning gaps. At some point though, discussion on benefits and values must translate into vision, policy and action. This presentation is intended to highlight key issues facing early childhood education, to stress the importance getting the right mix of early childhood services, and to foreshadow some policy directions …

Using Data To Support Learning In Schools : Students, Teachers, Systems, Gabrielle Matters

Australian Education Review

AER 49 examines the issues raised by the ACER Research Conference 2005: Using Data to Support Learning. It analyses the conference papers, distils the essence of the conference 'conversations', and contextualises them in the light of a survey of the broader Australian and international literature on using data to support learning. Section 1 sets the context by providing definitions and an organisational framework. Section 2 discusses some purposes for collecting and analysing educational data, and considers the role of data in professional work. It addresses issues associated with identifying potential data sources, including consideration of the decision-making required to locate …

Technological Literacy – Not Just You And Your Computer, Joseph Scarcella, Susan Daniels

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

One might argue that the word technology is one of the most misunderstood and misused terms in common usage today. Many believe technology to be synonymous with computers, the internet and other high-tech media. This is limited and short sighted view indeed! Technology encompasses both simple and complex artifacts used daily. Pencils, toothbrushes, zippers and toothpicks – not to mention Velcro (!) – for instance, are all examples of what might be considered relatively modern examples of technology. Often, the wonder of “everyday” invention is lost in our current notions of technology. Yet, it is an investigative inquiry into the …

Five Approaches To Literacy In Correctional Education, Thom Gehring, Gary H. Sherwin

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

This article introduces literacy from a few “big picture” perspectives, and then reviews five paradigms that have shaped the teaching and learning of literacy in residential confinement institutions for juveniles and adults. The paradigms are specific to correctional education, but they will be familiar to all alternative teachers and advocates of literacy instruction.

Aesthetic Knowing: Essential To The Development Of Heart And Mind., Laura Howzell-Young, Susan Daniels

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

Children are biologically wired to experience their world through rich sensory, affective, aesthetic, and imaginal experiences. Children thirst for art, music and movement, and these modes are utilized widely to learn the varied languages of literacy: the alphabet, numbers, vocabulary, body-sense and more. Yet, in response to meeting higher and more prescribed standards at the elementary and secondary levels, there is a tendency to narrow the curriculum, to consider art and music expendable, to view social-emotional development as external to the schoolhouse. This narrowing is happening just as our global culture is moving again toward multiple kinds of communication: toward …

Meaningful Assessment Promotes Meaningful Learning, Diane K. Brantley

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

Since the enactment of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in 1965, America’s schools have faced enhanced scrutiny by the public sector. Larger demands have been placed on children to perform at increasingly higher levels of achievement in reading and math, often beginning as early as kindergarten. Teachers and institutions of higher education have also felt the surge of outside pressure to “perform” wash over them.

Codebook: The Lsay 1995 Year 9 Sample Wave 11 (2005) Technical Report No. 36, Catherine Underwood

LSAY Technical Reports

In 1995, a nationally representative sample of approximately 13,000 Year 9 students was selected to form the first cohort of the new Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth program. The sample was constructed by randomly selecting two Year 9 classes from a national sample of 300 schools designed to represent state and sector. Reading and numeracy tests were administered to students in their schools to provide information on school achievement for use in later analyses of educational and labour market participation. Students also completed a background questionnaire about their educational and vocational plans and attitudes to school. In 1996, these students …

The Transition To Full-Time Work Of Young People Who Do Not Go To University, Gary Marks

LSAY Research Reports

This report focuses on the transition to full-time employment of young people who do not go to university. The majority of Australia's school leavers do not enrol in university, and it is important to better understand the pathways that they follow. The report uses a substantial longitudinal dataset to map the dynamics of the youth labour market, and identify the factors that are important in securing full-time work. The group analysed were part of a national sample of 13,613 young people who were first surveyed in Year 9 in 1995. The report follows them through to 2002 when their average …

How Teacher Attitudes And Administrator Behaviors Affect Levels Of Technology Integration In The Classroom, Sheri Leigh Bradshaw

Dissertations

Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to evaluate how well teachers’ attitudes predict levels of technology integration into the classroom. This study also investigated whether perceived support from the administrator as the instructional leader was related to teachers’ levels of technology integration into the classroom. The population for this study included identified school districts in rural North Georgia. Utilizing the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) for the 2002-2003 school year, the researcher identified 5 peer districts: Franklin County, Gilmer County, Stephens County, Union County, and White County. All middle and high school teachers within a district were invited to …

Superintendents ’ Perceptions Of Clinical Supervision Practices In A District-Wide Implementation Program, Myrna Rae Ladner Bourgeois

Dissertations

In 1990 a new idea swept through the educational industry. Forty-nine school districts in Pennsylvania instituted a new form of organizational management called clinical supervision. In effect, this was a change in the relationship between administration and teachers concerning instructional behaviors. Formerly, when teachers were supervised and evaluated by administrators, they felt intimidated. They also felt their privacy was being invaded. Clinical supervision is an attempt to organize the methodology of teacher supervision while improving instruction. The purpose of this study was to provide data to the participating school districts for use in developing supervision, evaluation, and involvement training modification …

Alternative Learning Environments In Arkansas, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Gary W. Ritter

Policy Briefs

One intervention that has been shown to be successful in helping students who have not done well in traditional school settings is alternative learning environments (ALE), or alternative schools (Lehr, Lanners, & Lange, 2003). The U.S. Department of Education (2002) defines an alternative school as “a public elementary/secondary school that addresses the needs of students that typically cannot be met in a regular school, provides nontraditional education, serves as an adjunct to a regular school, or falls outside the categories for regular, special education or vocational education.”

Supplemental Education Services In Arkansas, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Gary W. Ritter

Policy Briefs

The federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 gives eligible students who attend Title I schools not making adequate yearly progress (AYP) for at least three consecutive years the right to receive free supplemental education services, such as after-school tutoring. Under NCLB, states must provide a list of approved supplemental services providers to districts, who then, theoretically, provide the list to parents of eligible students prior to the start of the school year, so that they can choose the best provider for their children (U. S. Department of Education, 2005).

Salaries For Arkansas Teachers, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Gary W. Ritter

Policy Briefs

Over the last twenty years, teacher salaries have become a prominent topic in state and national education policy circles. Many contend that an earnings gap between teachers and other college graduates has become substantial and widened over the last few decades (American Council on Education Division of Government and Public Affairs, 1997; Henke, Chen, & Geis, 2000; Olson, 2000). The debate over whether teacher salaries are adequate is certainly open as more research appears from those arguing to increase salaries and those arguing that education money should be spent elsewhere (for a discussion of the adequacy and equity of teacher …

Codebook: The Lsay 1998 Year 9 Sample Wave 8 (2005) Technical Report No. 37, Catherine Underwood

LSAY Technical Reports

In 1998, a nationally representative sample of approximately 14,000 Year 9 students was selected to form the second cohort of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth. The sample was constructed by randomly selecting two Year 9 classes from a sample of schools designed to represent state and sector. Reading and numeracy tests were administered to students in their schools to provide information on school achievement for use in later analyses of educational and labour market participation. Students also completed a background questionnaire about their educational and vocational plans and attitudes to school. Details on the 1998 survey are provided in …

Indiana School Districts' Capacity To Use Student-Data Information Systems For Analysis And Decision Making, Rodney A. King

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study investigated if student data is readily accessible and utilized to determine the academic abilities of the student. This study also investigated the current capabilities of the district and school to perform multiple tasks pertinent to data collection, assessment, and to what extent the system could be utilized to predict the principles of instructional change, staff training, communication and feedback. A review of the literature was conducted to design a survey instrument to measure the capacity of school districts student data-information systems. The population of this study consisted of all superintendents, assistant superintendents, business managers, or technology directors in …

Effects Of Extended Time Programs On The Academic Achievement And School Attendance Of African American Students And Students In Poverty In Title I Schools In The Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation, Cathlin S. Gray

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study examined the effects of participation in after school programs and summer programs on the academic achievement and school attendance rates of students living in poverty and African American students who attended Title I schools in the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation (EVSC) in Evansville, Indiana during the 2004 school year. The researcher examined data from the 2004 Indiana State-wide Testing for Educational Progress (ISTEP+) test for students in grades 3-9, school attendance rates and the number of days a student attended after school or summer programs. The results of this study indicate that there is a significant difference between …

The Levy Process And Your Constituents: Know The Issues, David Alan Dolph

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

School levies and bond issues have dramatically increased across the country. State funding formulas that limit inflationary growth in revenue, more man- dates that require additional resources, and changes in tax laws all contribute to this growing phenomenon.

More and more, school boards are turning to their constituents for financial support through the levy process. School business officials and other education leaders are looking at a variety of approaches and techniques for increasing the likelihood of voters’ approving levies. One technique is to survey constituents to determine the issues foremost on their minds. Data collected through statistically accurate survey techniques …

Conjoint Behavioral Consultation: Application To The School-Based Treatment Of Anxiety Disorders, Elana R. Bernstein, Thomas R. Kratochwill, Kelly A. Feeney-Kettler

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

In the current paper we discuss the treatment of childhood anxiety disorders using a problem-solving consultation framework. The role of consultation as a service delivery model in a school setting is elaborated on, as well as the contribution that consultation has in the movement towards evidence-based practices in school psychology. Additionally, a description of the role of consultation specifically in the treatment of childhood anxiety is provided. The role of parents and teachers in treatment is further elucidated, and the separate influence each may have on traditional treatment outcomes is presented. Finally, we discuss the benefits of using a conjoint …

Making High School Grades Meaningful, Thomas R. Guskey

Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications

Most teachers base students' grades on more than one factor. The difficulty is figuring out how to weight and combine the different pieces that go into the final mark. Mr. Guskey suggests a system that not only avoids those problems but gives a better overall picture of a student's performance than the traditional single letter grade.

The Sat: Sine Qua Non Or Negligible For College Admissions?, Emily Anderson

Senior Honors Projects

Last summer I began interning at the Provost’s office at URI. Through this experience, I discovered just how critical the admission process is to the University, since the future of a university lies with its student body, both from the perspective of its mission and revenue. Admitting students on a fair and equal basis can be extremely difficult. I became interested in the SAT Reasoning Test (SAT) because it is a highly criticized aspect of the admission process. The SAT Reasoning test was formerly known as the Scholastic Aptitude Test and Scholastic Assessment Test, but the acronym holds no formal …

Australian Certificate Of Education : Exploring A Way Forward, Geoff Masters, Margaret Forster, Gabrielle Matters, Jim Tognolini

Assessment and Reporting

In May 2005 the Department of Education, Science and Training commissioned the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to investigate and report on models and implementation arrangements for an Australian Certificate of Education (ACE). In particular, ACER was asked to investigate four options for the introduction of a new certificate. The current investigation has reviewed existing curriculum, assessment and certification arrangements in the senior years of school in Australia; explored current issues in senior secondary education and examined state and territory responses to these issues; looked at some alternative certification arrangements internationally—including the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program; investigated the use …

Association Of Course Performance With Student Beliefs: An Analysis By Gender And Instructional Software Environment, J. Richard Alldredge, Gary R. Brown

Office of Academic Innovation Publications

The effect of educational technologies on learning is an area of active interest. We conducted an experiment to compare the impact of instructional software on student performance. We hypothesize that some of the impact on student performance may reflect the influence of the technology on student subject-related beliefs and that those beliefs may differ by gender. We desired to assess how course performance may be associated with student beliefs, and how the association may differ depending on instructional software environment and gender.

A Qualitative Study Of Stakeholders' Beliefs About The Use Of A Standards-Based Academic Reporting System, Gina Gail Berridge

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As school districts across our nation are making changes in curriculum and instruction to comply with the mandates of No Child Left Behind (No Child Left Behind, 2002), new reports to parents about student achievement are emerging. These reports are standards-based and clearly communicate to stakeholders what the student knows and is able to do based on the state standards. This qualitative case study, analyzing data collected in the 2005-2006 school year, describes principals', teachers', and parents' beliefs about the use of a standards-based report card. Through the use of individual interviews, insight was gained about the views and opinions …

Testing The Test: Item Response Curves And Test Quality, Gary A. Morris, Lee Branum-Martin, Nathan Harshman, Stephen D. Baxter, Eric Mazur, Suvendra Dutta, Taha Mzoughi, Veronica Mccauley

Faculty Articles

We present a simple technique for evaluating multiple-choice questions and their answers beyond the usual measures of difficulty and the effectiveness of distractors. The technique involves the construction and qualitative consideration of item response curves and is based on item response theory from the field of education measurement. To demonstrate the technique, we apply item response curve analysis to three questions from the Force Concept Inventory. Item response curve analysis allows us to characterize qualitatively whether these questions are efficient, where efficient is defined in terms of the construction, performance, and discrimination of a question and its answer choices. This …

Using The Developmental Assessment Of Young Children (Dayc), Mary Muhlenhaupt

Department of Occupational Therapy Faculty Papers

This module is designed for those who use the Developmental Assessment of Young Children (DAYC) as part of early intervention. To complete the activities in this module, you will need a copy of the five DAYC subtests, the Profile/Examiner Summary Sheet, and the DAYC Examiner’s Manual. Learning Objectives Following review of this module and completion of recommended activities, participants will be able to: · discuss the use of the DAYC in the Philadelphia Early Intervention system. · identify the components of the DAYC. · calculate a child’s chronological age in order to establish the start point for administering the DAYC. …

The Competencies And Characteristics Required Of An Effective Project Manager: A Web-Based Delphi Study, Jennifer M. Brill, M. J. Bishop, Andrew Walker

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

This study explores the competencies required for a project manager to be effective in the workplace. We used a Web-based Delphi method to lead experienced project managers through an anonymous consensus-building process consisting of two rounds of surveys. The Round I analysis of 147 respondents, all with 20 or more years of project management experience, yielded 117 project management success factors, 78 of which were identified as “trainable” competencies. The Round II analysis confirmed 42 of the 78 competencies (53.8%) as “very important” to “extremely important” to project manager success. Important contributions of this study include: (a) reporting on project …