Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Outstanding Educational Performance Awards: Highlighting High Achieving Arkansas Schools, 2011, Alexandra Boyd, Greg Michel, Misty Newcomb, Gary Ritter

Arkansas Education Reports

So, in this Arkansas Education Report (AER) we aim to highlight excellent performance and give our congratulations. To that end, we are happy to highlight many high performing schools around the state in our now-annual AER entitled the Outstanding Educational Performance Awards.

Economic Contribution Of The Agricultural Sector To The Arkansas Economy In 2009, Katherine Mcgraw, Jennie Popp, Wayne Miller

Research Reports and Research Bulletins

This report is the sixth in a series of reports examining agriculture’s economic contribution on the Arkansas economy. Utilizing data from the United States Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), USDA Economic Research Service (ERS), USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), and Minnesota IMPLAN Group, Inc. (MIG), the economic contribution of agriculture on the Arkansas economy was estimated for the most recent year available, 2009. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by State information for Arkansas in 2009 was compared with those of other states in the southeast U.S. to give a measure of the relative importance of agriculture in Arkansas.2 The total …

2011 Northwest Arkansas Report Card, Gary Ritter

Education Report Card

Each year, the Office for Education Policy creates a state report card that highlights recent student achievement, achievement gaps, student demographics, and financial information for schools across the entire state of Arkansas. Because we are housed in the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, which is in the Northwest Arkansas region, we have created an edition of the report card specific to the this region. Here, we present the most recent report card data for schools in Washington and Benton counties in Northwest Arkansas.

The following districts are included for the Northwest Arkansas (NWA) average: Bentonville, Decatur, Elkins, Farmington, Fayetteville, Gentry, …

2011 Workforce Needs Survey, Katherine A. Deck

Publications and Presentations

The Greater Northwest Arkansas Regional Economic Development Strategy identified four priority areas where the region needs to collaborate around specific goals to enhance the overall community. Regional success in Northwest Arkansas will therefore depend on the success of specific goals being achieved in the areas of Infrastructure, Regional Economic Development, Community Vitality and Educational Excellence.

The online survey was distributed to employers through the Northwest Arkansas Community College Workforce Advisory Group, local Chambers of Commerce, Human Resources Professional Groups and other avenues. The survey received 119 respondents. The following report will describe the major findings of the survey.

Nclb Waivers, Misty Newcomb, Gary W. Ritter

Policy Briefs

No Child Left Behind, or the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, is long overdue for reauthorization. Speculation concerning when and how this controversial act would be reauthorized has occurred throughout the Obama administration. In a somewhat surprising move last week, President Obama unilaterally created rules for NCLB waivers. This policy brief provides a brief background, followed by a discussion on the new NCLB flexibility and how these changes could affect schools in Arkansas.

Raising The Kindergarten Entry Age, Misty Newcomb, Gary W. Ritter

Policy Briefs

In recent years, the standards in Arkansas for entry into kindergarten underwent changes that can be difficult to understand. Across the nation, states have increased the minimum age of entry into public schools, and Arkansas is no exception. Recently, a policymaker in our state asked the OEP to look into the research surrounding the question of raising the kindergarten entry age. This policy brief discusses the new requirements as well as the impact of these requirements on families and children in the short and long term by looking at recent changes in Arkansas law and studies concerning the effect of …

When Districts Are Taken Over By The State, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter

Policy Briefs

Two types of state takeovers have been in the news this summer. The news extensively covered the state takeover of Helena-West Helena School District and Pulaski County Special School District due to fiscal issues. At their August meeting, State Board of Education members discussed amending the Academic Distress Rules in a manner that would more easily enable state takeovers on the basis of academic distress. This policy brief discusses the various classifications that might lead to a state takeover and the subsequent implications of such classifications. According to Arkansas law, namely The Omnibus Quality of Education Act of 2003, schools …

2011 Arkansas Benchmark Test Results: District By District Scores, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter

Policy Briefs

One day after the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) released the results from the spring 2011 Arkansas Benchmark exams, the OEP received a call from a local constituent asking how districts in Northwest Arkansas compared to the rest of the state. Surprisingly, this type of question - often asked by educators, policymakers, researchers, parents, and concerned citizens - is not that easy to answer by simply glancing at the ADE-provided data. 1 Therefore, we put together a little policy brief to make the data more clearly understood.

Review Of Science For Science Librarians: Graphene, Kathleen A. Lehman

University Libraries Faculty Publications and Presentations

Graphene is, in many ways, a simple substance. Made of a single atomic layer of graphite, graphene has emerged as a material providing many surprises and having immense scientific and industrial potential. In 2010, scientists Andre K. Geim and Konstantin S. Novoselov received the Nobel Prize in Physics for their isolation of graphene and for their research pertaining to the ultrathin material. In his presentation speech, Professor Per Delsing described how we all have made graphene each time we write with a pencil: microscopic bits of graphite and graphene flake away as the pencil moves across the paper (Delsing 2010). …

2011 Report Card On Arkansas Public Schools, Gary Ritter

Education Report Card

The OEP is pleased to bring you its 2011 Report Card for Arkansas’ public schools highlighting Arkansas’ education performance and characteristics through the 2010-2011 academic year. We hope this report is accessible and informative for educators and policymakers in the state. The charts and figures here are a reflection of the progress we have made as a state in the last decade. They also serve as a reminder that we still need improvement and reform to continue that progress.

2010 Report Card On Arkansas Public Schools, Gary Ritter

Education Report Card

Continuing our efforts to watch and report on the state of education in Arkansas, the OEP is glad to bring you its 2010 Report Card for Arkansas’ public schools. We hope this report is accessible and informative for educators and policymakers in the state. The charts and figures here are both a reflection of their hard work up until now, as well as a spur to improvement and reform for the future of Arkansas’ students.

Act 35, New School Performance Ratings, And School Choice, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter

Policy Briefs

Act 35 was a product of the Lakeview v Huckabee case and the related Extraordinary Legislative Session. The law § 6-15-2101 of the Arkansas code required the establishment of three school ratings: a rating of the school’s current academic performance (or status), a rating of the school’s academic improvement (see the OEP policy brief on the new improvement rating) 1 , and a rating based on the school’s fiscal practices. The first set of improvement scores were reported based on the standardized tests administered in spring of 2007 and 2008. The first ratings based on current academic performance are to …

The Case For Extended School Time In Arkansas, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter

Policy Briefs

There is growing discussion over the topic of extended learning opportunities throughout the state. For example, this past fall at the OEP conference in November, Arkansas Associctaion of Educational Administrators Director Richard Abernathy stated that additional instructional time may be needed in order to fulfill all the curricular requirements for schools. Citing the need for additional enrichment opportunities, a bill is making its way through the Arkansas Legislature to provide funding for after school and summer school programs. Additionally, and potentially of more consequence, is a bill sponsored by Senator David Johnson (D) of Little Rock to expand learning time …

Profiles In Science: Stephen Hawking, Kathleen A. Lehman

University Libraries Faculty Publications and Presentations

While Stephen Hawking’s early academic career lacked focus, the development of motor neuron disease straining against his hopes for a fulfilling life pulled the young scientist’s work together. He has since become the world’s most famous scientist due, in part, to his strong belief that science should be accessible to the general public. Hawking has published frequently for the academic community but has also published for the lay reader. His life has been recorded and examined by several biographers. This paper gives an overview of Hawking’s early life, academic career, his academic and popular publications, as well as a few …

Big Changes In How Students Are Tested, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter

Policy Briefs

For the past decade, school accountability has relied on tests for which the essential format has remained unchanged. Educators are familiar with the yearly testing routine: schools are given curriculum frameworks, teachers use the frameworks to guide instruction, students take one big test at year’s end which relies heavily upon multiple-choice bubble items, and then school leaders wait anxiously to find out whether enough of their students scored at or above proficiency to meet state standards. All this will change with the adoption of Common Core standards. Testing and accountability aren’t going away. Instead, they are developing and expanding in …

The Comprehensive Longitudinal Evaluation Of The Milwaukee Parental Choice Program: Summary Of Fourth Year Reports, Patrick J. Wolf

School Choice Demonstration Project

The eyes of the nation were on the state of Wisconsin, as Republican policymakers locked horns with the teachers union over reforms. The Republicans needed just one Democrat to break ranks in order for them to pass far-reaching policy changes. They finally got their wish when Representative Annette “Polly” Williams (D, Milwaukee) came over to their side. Surprised? That’s because the year was 1990, not 2011, and the farreaching policy reform was the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP).

Milwaukee Independent Charter Schools Study: Report On Two- And Three-Year Achievement Gains, John F. Witte, Patrick J. Wolf, Alicia Dean, Deven Carlson

School Choice Demonstration Project

The general purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of Milwaukee’s independent charter schools in promoting student achievement growth. Independent charter schools are authorized by non-school district entities and are considered"independent" because they are not a part of the Milwaukee Public School District (MPS). Throughout the course of this report we will estimate three-year achievement growth for independent charter school students who were in grades 3 through 8 at baseline (2006-07). We will examine four years of scores in reading and math on the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examination (WKCE). Specifically, the report presents the results of an …

Student Attainment And The Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, Joshua M. Cowen, David J. Fleming, John F. Witte, Patrick J. Wolf

School Choice Demonstration Project

In this report we examine high school completion and postsecondary enrollment (a.k.a. “educational attainment”) of the cohort of 9th grade students who were in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP) at the beginning of our state-mandated evaluation of the MPCP in 2006. After tracking the MPCP 9th graders following the 2006-07 year and comparing them to a carefully matched sample of 9th graders who were in Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) during the 2006-07 year, we use a combination of parent surveys and administrative (school) records to estimate attainment.

Mpcp Longitudinal Educational Growth Study Fourth Year Report, John F. Witte, Deven Carlson, Joshua M. Cowen, David J. Fleming, Patrick J. Wolf

School Choice Demonstration Project

This is the fourth-year report in a five-year evaluation of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP). This report features analyses of student achievement growth three years after we carefully assembled longitudinal study panels of MPCP and Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) students in 2006-07. The MPCP, which began in 1990, provides government-funded vouchers for low-income children to attend private schools in the City of Milwaukee. The maximum voucher amount in 2009-10 was $6,442, and 20,899 children used a voucher to attend either secular or religious private schools. The MPCP is the oldest and largest urban school voucher program in the United …

Milwaukee Longitudinal School Choice Evaluation: Annual School Testing Summary Report 2009-10, Michael Q. Mcshane, Patrick J. Wolf

School Choice Demonstration Project

With the passage of the 2005 Wisconsin Act 125, private schools participating in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP) have been required to administer annual standardized tests in reading, mathematics, and science to their MPCP students enrolled in the 4th, 8th, and 10th grades. The law further directs Choice schools to submit copies of the scores from those tests to the School Choice Demonstration Project for processing and reporting to the Legislative Audit Bureau. During the 2009-10 school year, MPCP schools administered either nationally normed tests, such as the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, or the state criterion-referenced Wisconsin Knowledge …

The Milwaukee Parental Choice Program: Descriptive Report On Participating Schools 2009 – 2010, Brian Kisida, Laura I. Jensen, Patrick J. Wolf

School Choice Demonstration Project

This report is the fourth in a series of annual reports produced by the School Choice Demonstration Project (SCDP) that will provide descriptive information about the schools participating in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP).

The Value Of Value-Added Measures, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter

Policy Briefs

The concept of value-added measures of teacher or school effectiveness is prompting a great deal of discussion in K-12 Education policy circles. This debate reached a boiling point last year when the Los Angeles Times published a database of the value-added scores for all teachers in the nation's second largest school district. Proponents argue value-added measures provide important information on school and teacher effectiveness. Opponents argue value-added measures are imprecise instruments which measure student background instead of teacher or school quality. The purpose of this policy brief is to provide the reader with a general understanding of the concept of …

Quality Counts 2011, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter

Policy Briefs

On January 11, Education Week released its 15 th annual Quality Counts report. Since 1997, Education Week has been releasing yearly report cards for each state and the nation as a whole. These report cards attempt to measure educational progress and success in several areas as well as assign an overall letter grade to each state. Some of the grades assigned in the report cards measure the strength of states’ policies, while others measure educational inputs (school funding, job markets) or outputs (K-12 achievement)

Family Labor Participation And Child Care Decisions: The Role Of Grannies, Gema Zamarro

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

One of the most significant long term trends in the labor market in most OECD countries has been the increase in the proportion of working mothers. However, not all countries show the same pattern. Countries in Southern Europe (Italy, Greece and Spain) show an average participation rate of about 45% whereas the participation rates in Northern countries (Denmark, Sweden) are around 75%. The characteristics of child care systems also differ significantly across OECD countries. This along with the characteristics of the labor market may have led families to get the necessary social services in an alternative way, i.e. through grandmothers. …

State Of The Northwest Arkansas Region 2011 Report, Katherine A. Deck, Mervin Jebaraj

State of the Northwest Arkansas Region Report

The Center for Business and Economic Research presents the State of the Northwest Arkansas Region Report, an objective analysis of the area’s performance. The report reflects a broad approach to economic development and includes metrics related to innovation, quality of life, and health in addition to measures more often associated with the economy such as employment rates, business growth and income changes. The Northwest Arkansas region’s performance over time is measured and compared with the performance of the United States, Arkansas, and four peer regions: Lexington, Kentucky; Gainesville, Florida; Huntsville, Alabama; and Austin, Texas.