Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Iccs 2009 International Report: Civic Knowledge, Attitudes And Engagement Among Lower Secondary School Students In Thirty-Eight Countries., Wolfram Schulz, John Ainley, Julian Fraillon, David Kerr, Bruno Losito

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

The International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) studied the ways in which countries prepare their young people to undertake their roles as citizens. ICCS was based on the premise that preparing students for citizenship roles involves helping them develop relevant knowledge and understanding and form positive attitudes toward being a citizen and participating in activities related to civic and citizenship education. These notions were elaborated in the ICCS framework, which was the first publication to emerge from ICCS (Schulz, Fraillon, Ainley, Losito, & Kerr, 2008).

International Students’ Engagement With Effective Educational Practices: A Cross-National Comparison, Daniel Edwards

Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE)

Findings from the Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE) provide a new and unique means of tracking international students’ participation in higher education. The AUSSE is the largest cross-institutional collection of data from currently enrolled students in Australasia, and has formative links with the 1,200-institution USA National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). The AUSSE has been validated rigorously for use in Australasia, and taps into fundamental aspects of educational quality – students’ engagement with effective educational practices, including important beyond class experiences. Evidence-based feedback such as this plays a critical role in growing and improving Australasia’s international higher education industry. …

Free Textbook Distribution Process In Sindh, Pakistan: A Study Of Stakeholders Perceptions, Wasim Qazi Dr., Khalid J. Rawat, Shams Hamid, Halah C. Simon

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Placed amongst the lower middle income countries (The World Bank 2010), a large segment of the population of Pakistan is unable to afford the expenses on basic amenities including education. In year 2003, the Government of Sindh, initiated a free textbooks scheme. This study investigates the transparency and efficiency of distribution process; examines the challenges and opportunities of the procurement and delivery process; and assesses the perceptions and feedback of the stakeholders. The study was conducted in all the districts of Sindh Province. The data were collected through analysis of documents, field survey, focus group discussions and interviews. The study …

Role Of Private Sector In Higher Education Of Pakistan: Predicaments And Insights, Wasim Qazi Dr., Halah C. Simon, Khalid J. Rawat, Shams Hamid

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

The nationalization of industry and education in the early 1970s resulted in the deterioration of private sector with minimal investment in this field. This continued into late 90s with Pakistan recording comparatively low public spending on education as a percentage of GDP . Thus the government of Pakistan, in an effort to enhance intellectual capital and enrollments, established the Higher Education Commission (HEC) assigned to evaluate, improve and promote the higher education and research culture in both public and private sectors in Pakistan. Since its establishment in 2002, the HEC has “undertaken a systematic process of implementation of the five-year …

Rehabilitating Closed Schools: A Daunting Challenge For Pakistan, Wasim Qazi Dr., Khalid Jamil Rawat, Shams Hamid

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

There are 6034 non-operational schools in Pakistan's southern province of Sindh further complicating the work of the donor agencies; more than half of these non-operational schools (3843) only exist on papers. These shadow schools exist only to usurp international aid earmarked for education. Our research shows that proximity to the population; unavailability of teachers; and lack of infrastructure are some of the fundamental causes driving the closure of more than thirteen percent of schools. Our position is that a large number of these schools can be rehabilitated but that requires a three-phased plan. If implemented, proposed plan would enhance transparency …

The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner’S Semester At America’S Holiest University, Jessica Rimmer

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

Koinonia, Brian Jensen, Emily J. Darnell, Philip Byers, Josh Arnold, Drew Moser, David Johnstone, Rob Pepper, Kim Stave, Ken Heffner, Kirstin Vander Giessen-Reitsma, Christopher Bohle, Bob Crow

Koinonia

Best Practice Features
Life on Life Learning: Steps Towards Authentic Mentoring, Brian Jensen

The Heart of the Honor Code: I am My Brother's Keeper, Emily J. Darnell

Spotlight Features
Old People are "Whole Persons," Too: Why Understanding Heritage is a Foundational Component of College Student Development, Philip Byers

Ministry and Learning in Residence Life, Josh Arnold

Shepherding in an Age of Edupunks, Drew Moser

The Gap in the Curtain: Seeing Pieces of a Residential Community's Future, David Johnstone

Interviews
A Conversation with Juana Bordas, conducted by Rob Pepper

Looking Into the Future: Two Educators' Perspectives on Christian Higher Education, by …

A Case Study: The Evaluation Of The Graduate Middle School Education Program At A Southeastern University, Abbigail Armstrong

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to determine reasons graduate students do not complete requirements for a Master's in Middle Level Education degree at the southeastern university. Since the program's initial on-campus cohort (2000) the graduation rate has decreased from 80% to 62.96% with the fourth on-campus cohort (2005). The current cohort currently has five students enrolled which will yield a 29% graduation rate depending on student choice. Program faculty is concerned about the increasing difference between the number of applicants and number of those completing the program.

The researcher conducted a program evaluation, using Guba and Lincoln's four phases of responsive …

An Evaluation Of The Right Choices Program To Determine Effectiveness In Delivering Constructive Interventions And Providing An Early Support Program In Order To Modify Behavior Of First-Time Student Offenders Who Commit Drug And Violent Acts, Lisa B. Barnes

Education Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of the study was to perform a program evaluation of the Right Choices Program to determine the program's effectiveness in delivering constructive interventions that modify student behavior once students have left the program and have returned to their regular learning environment. This mixed-method evaluation consisted of an experimental-comparison design approach that included interviews with program participants, completing focus groups, and comparison of the number of out-of-school suspensions that participants received after completing the Right Choices Program.

The researcher and trained interviewers administered a survey to the 16 certified staff members working in the Right Choices Program including the …

Program Evaluation Of Making Great Readers, Shelly Bullard

Education Dissertations and Projects

This study was conducted to evaluate the Making Great Readers program which was piloted in two small Title I elementary schools in western North Carolina during the 2009-2010 school year. The study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the program based on teacher perception and impact on student achievement.

A logic model was used to evaluate this pilot program with a focus on short-, intermediate-, and long-term outcomes. The research questions examined student reading achievement and teacher perspectives through a concurrent mixed methods approach. Quantitative analysis of phonemic awareness scores were taken from data gathered using the Dynamic Indicators …

The Impact Of Inclusion On The Academic Achievement Of High School Special Education Students, Harold Smith Dawkins

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation examined the impact of inclusion on the academic achievement outcome of high school special education students as measured by English 1, biology, and algebra 1 as a function of gender, ethnicity, and years of inclusion. The study also examined the generalizations with confidence that could be made about the use of inclusion methodology in high schools within an urban North Carolina school district as measured by end-of-course test scale scores. Data from three traditional high schools within the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School District were used in this study. High school special education students lagged behind several other subgroups on end-of-course …

Evaluation Of The Union County Alternative To Suspension Program, Joyce Ann Dunlap

Education Dissertations and Projects

The schools in Union County have undergone a tremendous amount of growth in the past decade. The growth in the county has led to an increase in discipline problems. In order to provide suspended students a second chance, Union County Public Schools implemented an alternative to suspension program, the Union County Alternative to Suspension Program (UCATS). The UCATS Program provides students suspended for 2 to 10 days the opportunity to earn attendance credit by performing community service in local business agencies in Union County.

The researcher conducted a program evaluation using archival and survey data to answer the research questions: …

Gifted Education And National Standards: A K--5 Program Evaluation, Debra A. Harwell-Braun

Education Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to conduct a program evaluation of a K-5 Gifted Education Program. Program evaluation addressed how well the gifted education program studied met the National Association of Gifted Children standards. In addition, this study included stakeholder perceptions of the current gifted education program K-5.

This program evaluation utilized the Accreditation Approach as well as the Logic Model for program planning and evaluation. Instruments used included surveys, interview groups, and classroom observations. Review of district evidence to address the standards was completed.

Analyses of the data by geographical region of the district studied provided minimal differences …

Elementary Principals' Perspectives On Opening New Schools In A Large Urban School District, Tammie Taylor Sexton

Education Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine in detail the experiences of four elementary school principals who have gone through the process of opening new year-round schools in the past 5 years in a large urban school district in North Carolina. In particular, this study examined and documented the procedures that the principals used in opening the new schools, as well as in making the schools operational. It examined the principals' perceptions regarding the tasks and procedures involved in opening a new public elementary school and how to go about this process successfully in a rapidly growing school …

Engaging Students, Assessing Learning: Just A Click Away, Linda C. Hodges

Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education: Archives

Three ongoing challenges for those of us teaching today’s college students, especially in large lecture classes, are: getting students engaged in their learning, assessing what learning is actually taking place, and competing with students’ technology in keeping their attention. One teaching innovation that holds great promise for addressing these concerns is the use of personal response systems, also known as clickers. Clickers allow you to determine the level of student understanding at any given time with relatively little effort, and in the process encourage students to engage with class material by using the hook of technology. In this paper I …

The Digest Edition 2010/1 : Successful Professional Learning, Marion Meiers, Sarah Buckley, Pat Knight

Research Digest

This edition of The Digest is focused on research into teacher learning and professional development. Teacher learning includes not only activities such as conferences and workshops, but also includes participation in many formal and informal learning activities. Recent research has focussed, amongst other things, on characteristics of successful professional learning, and on the connections between teachers’ professional learning and improvements in student learning. This research has the potential to assist teachers and schools in selecting and planning for professional learning, so that it will maximise the benefits for participants. The first section of this digest presents some research findings on …

Service Learning With Individuals With Disabilities: Emerging Themes, Angela Brickhouse, Jennifer Harris, Kelly Mcgraw, Lauren Wernli

Theses & Honors Papers

In this study, 92 students, enrolled in introductory level courses at a small liberal arts university in rural central Virginia, were asked to fulfill 15 hours of service learning with individuals with disabilities. Students were required to keep journal reflections after each hour they completed. The researchers analyzed this data qualitatively by looking at themes and changes in attitude toward individuals with disabilities across the service learning activities. Data was organized into case studies representing each service learning activity. Then, common themes across the activities were discussed to assess the impact the activities had on attitudes of the college students …

Using Games In A Foreign Language Classroom, Amy Talak-Kiryk

MA TESOL Collection

This independent professional project researches the value of games in a classroom setting. The research focuses on the educational benefits as well as on recommendations how to incorporate games into a learning environment. Also included are games that can be used in a foreign language classroom to enhance student learning. The games were developed by various sources and used in a Spanish classroom in an American high school with teenagers ages fourteen to eighteen.

Re-Adjusting The Kaleidoscope: The Basic Tenants Of Invitational Theory And Practice, Daniel E. Shaw, Betty L. Siegel

Faculty Articles

Given the variance in the literature regarding definitions of terms and elements of Invitational Theory and Practice, this article proposes the adoption of a standard terminology for the foundational principles and elements unique to this theory. The major concepts are presented herein as an attempt to set the standardization for future use.

Appreciating The “A” Word Putting A Plan In Action, Maira Bundza, Laura Darrah, Brad Dennis

Assessment in Action Conference

Non-degree awarding units are actively engaged in assessments like surveys, focus groups and individual conversations. Framing those in an assessment plan is a chance to add intentionality to the process. A plan provides guidance, connects assessment to your goals, identifies missing areas, and outlines how the results will be used and more. Join us to see two different approaches to starting a plan and have some in-session work time to draft something to take back to your department. Examples of each approach will be shared.

Tool Time: Assessment Tools Presentation, Sarah Summy

Assessment in Action Conference

In this hands on work group session, we will show you some samples of exemplary rubrics and provide you with the basics for how to create your own rubric. Time will be spent working on providing suggestions to those who brought in rubrics for feedback as well as time to work on creating a rubric from scratch with the assistance of the facilitator(s) if requested.

Catalogue 2010-2011, Bank Street College Of Education

Graduate School of Education

This course catalog from a past academic year is a resource for referring to previous course offerings, degree requirements, institutional policies, and more.

Millennial Sex Habits: The Sexual Attitudes And Behaviors Of Unmarried Undergraduate Males At A Small, Private, Christian Institution, Travis T. York

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

This study analyzed the sexual attitudes and behaviors of 211 unmarried, traditionally-aged undergraduate males at a small, private, Christian, liberal arts institution in western Pennsylvania. As hypothesized, data were largely consistent with millennial theorists’ projections about current students’ decline in sexual activity in comparison to data from the past. The results of this project also confirm the relevance of the Social Norms Theory to the study of sexual behavior (Berkowitz, 2003). Descriptive data and definitions of sex, virginity, and abstinence are also discussed. This research suggests that student development professionals should invest in education and programming that provides accurate statistics …

Research-Based Strategies To Promote Academic Integrity, Michele Dipietro

Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education: Archives

A cursory glance at the literature on cheating paints a bleak picture. In the past decades, the prevalence of cheating has hovered at discouragingly high level, with about 75% of students admitting to some sort of cheating, and with peaks of over 90% in some prevalence studies. Given these figures, where does a wellintentioned instructor start? A good place to start untangling this complex problem is to understand it better. Academic dishonest behaviors vary in their frequency, seriousness, and motivations behind them, but they have been extensively researched, and we can abstract general principles to conceptualize this problem. Once we …

Deep/Surface Approaches To Learning In Higher Education: A Research Update, James Rhem

Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education: Archives

Instead of looking at and trying to adjust to differences, the deep/surface researchers concentrated on observing commonalities. How did actual students actually study and what were the environmental cues that prompted them to take the approach (“deep” or “surface”) they chose? This research and renewed awareness of it here have had a powerful influence on thinking about teaching and learning in higher education in the United States especially with regard to assessment. Why? Because the research has found that students’ intention in studying/learning relates strongly to their perceptions of what they will be assessed on and how they will be …

The Value Of The Narrative Teaching Observation, Niki Young

Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education: Archives

Narrative teaching observations allow educational developers to document a variety of teaching behaviors and, by framing these behaviors with the appropriate vocabulary, to highlight their pedagogical functions. We use the vocabulary not to obfuscate good teaching in educational jargon but to illuminate effective teaching behaviors using an agreed upon professional vocabulary and to make the teaching process more transparent (Hatzipanagos ND Lygo-Baker, 2006). Similarly, through its examples of narrative teaching observations, this essay adds to the literature by making our contribution as faculty developers more evident and making our professional practice more explicit.

Is Our Students Learning? Using Assessments To Measure And Improve Law School Learning And Performance, Rogelio A. Lasso

Barry Law Review

This article considers the use of student assessments to provide law students with timely feedback in order to improve law student learning, provides a set of best practices for using assessments, and furnishes detailed examples of various forms of assessments.

A Descriptive-Comparative Study Of Professional Development And Observed Quality In Early Care And Education Programs, Rebecca Romeyn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With over 12 million children enrolled in early care and education programming across the U.S., families with children under the age of 5 years old are dependent on these programs. Although highly important, little regulation exists regarding qualifications necessary for individuals to work in these programs. Consequently, individuals in the field bring a plethora of professional development experiences, skills, and competencies. This variance is partly a result of the uncertainty surrounding what should be required. Major information about the impact training and education have on these programs is missing from quantitative research, including capturing content and quantity, accurate measurement of …

A Correlational Study Of The Avid Program With M.S. Math Achievement, David J. Peak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Improving student achievement in mathematics in secondary schools remains a priority for public education in our country. With continued federal and state mandates to improve overall student achievement in mathematics, as well as to close the achievement gap, many school districts have sought programs, such as Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), to assist in improving student performance. The mission of AVID is to improve the academic achievement of students who are often in the "middle" or "average" and who are typically minorities and are economically disadvantaged. AVID seeks to support these students by providing them with the strategies that successful …

Pragmatic Language Skills Underlying Social Competence Of Reading Disability In Middle School Students, Ali Adibi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to examine pragmatic language engagement and social competence in middle school children with and without reading disability during dyadic interaction. Engagement was defined in terms of degree of information and responsiveness provided by each partner. Analyses indicated reading disabled students differ from non-reading disabled students in terms of pragmatic language engagement. However, this was true only in terms of degree of responsiveness. Students with reading disability employed similar degrees of pragmatic language engagement in terms of information to those of their nondisabled peers. Further, no relationships were found between social competence and either type …