Showing papers in "Education Policy Analysis Archives in 2014"
TL;DR: The authors proposes an accountability approach that focuses on meaningful learning, enabled by professionally skilled and committed educators, and supported by adequate and appropriate resources, so that all students regardless of background are prepared for both college and career when they graduate from high school.
Abstract: As schools across the country prepare for new standards under the Common Core, states are moving toward creating more aligned systems of assessment and accountability. This paper recommends an accountability approach that focuses on meaningful learning, enabled by professionally skilled and committed educators, and supported by adequate and appropriate resources, so that all students regardless of background are prepared for both college and career when they graduate from high school. Drawing on practices already established in other states and on the views of policymakers and school experts, this paper proposes principles for effective accountability systems and imagines what a new accountability system could look like in an imagined “51st state” in the United States. While considerable discussion and debate will be needed before a new approach can take shape, this paper’s objective is to get the conversation started so the nation can meet its aspirations for preparing college- and career-ready students.
182 citations
TL;DR: This article examined the elements of a coach's practice that appear to build teachers' skills and knowledge to use data to guide instructional decisions and found that coaching to build data-use capacity appears to rely less on the official title or model (i.e., data coach vs. instructional coach) and more on the diversity of coach practices as well as content area and interpersonal expertise.
Abstract: Coaching has become a central strategy in district and school efforts to build teacher capacity to interpret and respond to student learning data. Despite their popularity, there is limited research on the implementation of these initiatives. This article begins to addresses this gap by examining the elements of a coach’s practice that appear to build teachers’ skills and knowledge to use data to guide instructional decisions. Drawing on sociocultural learning theory and interview and survey data collected in four middle schools—two with “strong” coaches and two with “developing” coaches—we find that coaching to build data-use capacity appears to rely less on the official title or model (i.e., data coach vs. instructional coach) and more on the diversity of coach practices as well as content area and interpersonal expertise. Further, administrators play an important role in shaping the work of a coach through their mediation of political dynamics in a school. The article concludes with implications for coaching practice, as well as suggestions to guide future research and theory development.
84 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors suggest that notions of research relevance to policy and practice may be too narrow a way of thinking about how qualitative scholarship might enter policy discourse, and instead, they propose that scholars advance a new common sense, in which "policy knowledge" is understood as more useful than mere policy prescription.
Abstract: As educational research becomes privatized, commodified and commercialized, research relevance increasingly means being incorporated into neoliberal ideological and economic agendas. Within this social context, qualitative research in particular is often deemed less relevant (if not irrelevant) because it does not provide prescriptions for best practices or claim to offer “proof” that a given policy will lead to specific outcomes. The authors suggest that notions of research’s relevance to policy and practice may be too narrow a way of thinking about how qualitative scholarship might enter policy discourse. Instead, they propose that scholars advance a new common sense, in which “policy knowledge” is understood as more useful—indeed, more relevant—than mere policy prescription. In their view, impacting the very framing of policy will require that scholars expand their notion of the audiences for educational research, and be more creative at reaching a diverse range of stakeholders, including not only policymakers, but also journalists, youth and community activists, and teachers.
82 citations
TL;DR: The online strategies used by 44 research brokering organizations (RBOs) in education across Canada are explored, finding that many of the strategies used are passive and do not allow two-way communication.
Abstract: Alongside a growing interest in knowledge mobilization (trying to increase the connection between research, policy and practice) there has been a transformation of how knowledge is produced, accessed and disseminated in light of the internet and social media strategies. Few studies have explored the use of social media for research dissemination. This paper explores the online strategies used by 44 research brokering organizations (RBOs) in education across Canada. It is organized in four parts. The first provides a literature review of the terminology associated with Web 2.0 and social media as well as outlines the sparse empirical work that exists. The second presents empirical findings of online practices of 44 RBOs. The third section reports on the frequency of social media activity of RBOs as well as the nature of posts in order to ascertain whether or not research is actually being disseminated through these mechanisms. The final section discusses the implications of social media for research dissemination. Overall, use of additional online strategies by RBOs (other than websites) remains modest. Many of the strategies used are passive and do not allow two-way communication. Thirty percent of RBOs use social media; however, this usage in not pervasive and Facebook and Twitter networks are small. Other mechanisms to encourage active participation will be required alongside Web 2.0 and social media tools, if these strategies are to become robust avenues for knowledge mobilization and research dissemination.
63 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors developed an analytical framework from a critical sociology angle for analyzing the effects of market and accountability educational reforms within schools, based on a literature review of 130 papers, and focused particularly on a smaller body of critical sociology research.
Abstract: Market and accountability educational reforms have proliferated around the globe, along with high expectations of solving countries' school quality deficits and inequities. In this paper I develop an analytical framework from a critical sociology angle for analyzing the effects of these policies within schools. First I discuss conceptually the configuration of this quasi-market schema and develop the notion of the 'performing school'. Additionally, I study the effects of these policies within schools, based on a literature review of 130 papers, and focused particularly on a smaller body of critical sociology research (56 papers). The aim is not to produce a comprehensive overview of policy benefits and disadvantages, but to understand school transformations within the current policy scenario. Schools, in this context, are placed within a competition-based schema, where managers and teachers continuously have to compete, marketize and perform 'successfully' according to external criterion. These policies are not only changing school practices and triggering 'secondary' effects, but, moreover, they are transforming school life, ethics and teaching profession subjectivities in complex and deeply-rooted ways. In this paper I attempt to challenge policy assumptions and a technocratic view of policy implementation, and invite readers to rethink the nature and consequences of these policy formulae.
62 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors use the Maxwell's method of literature reviews for educational research to focus on literature relevant to test-based grade retention policies to make the following argument: although some studies have documented average gains in academic achievement through test-Based grade retention, there is increasing evidence that these gains have occurred by limiting the educational opportunities for the most vulnerable of students.
Abstract: The author uses Maxwell's method of literature reviews for educational research to focus on literature relevant to test-based grade retention policies to make the following argument: although some studies have documented average gains in academic achievement through test-based grade retention, there is increasing evidence that these gains have occurred by limiting the educational opportunities for the most vulnerable of students. The author begins by briefly synthesizing research on high-stakes testing policies and teacher-based retention in general and then examines studies that have evaluated specific test-based retention policies in Chicago, Florida, New York City, Georgia, Texas, Wisconsin, and Louisiana. Drawing on Bourdieu and Passeron's concept of reproduction in education, the author shows how testing policies have contributed to class selection and exclusion in U.S. schools. Short-term gains produced by test-based retention policies fade over time with students again falling behind but with a larger likelihood of dropping out of school. These unintended consequences are most prevalent among ethnic minority and impoverished students. The author concludes by providing alternatives for ending social promotion that do not include grade retention as well as suggestions for further researching the role such policies play in perpetuating class inequities.
61 citations
TL;DR: In an era when people can carry the Internet in their pocket, teaching and learning must be reconsidered as discussed by the authors, and the increased use of handheld and portable devices, along with pervasive wireless networking, means that structured learning opportunities are becoming an “any time, anywhere” enterprise.
Abstract: In an era when people can carry the Internet in their pocket, teaching and learning must be reconsidered. The increased use of handheld and portable devices, along with pervasive wireless networking, means that structured learning opportunities are becoming an “any time, anywhere” enterprise. We talk about this shift in terms of ubiquity: the traditional divide between formal and informal contexts of learning is breaking down. Technological as well as social, cultural, and institutional changes mean that learning is a continuous possibility. The essay concludes with some brief observations about the implications of these changes for the professional training and development of teachers.
59 citations
TL;DR: This paper examined the role and meaning of equity within the Common Core at a level beyond "zip code" and found that policy entrepreneurs hold primarily an equal view of equity, in accord with meritocratic and functional purposes of schooling, more so than equalizing or expansive views.
Abstract: The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a standards-based reform in which 45 U.S. states and the District of Columbia have agreed to participate. The reform seeks to anchor primary and secondary education across these states in one set of demanding, internationally-benchmarked standards. Thereby, all students will be prepared for further learning and work in a competitive global economy regardless of the sociodemographic variation associated with their “zip code,” that is, the location of their neighborhood or school. This article examines the role and meaning of equity within the Common Core at a level beyond “zip code.” It does so using data from interviews with Common Core policy entrepreneurs and qualitative analysis of interview data. Findings are considered against a conceptual framework of equal, equalizing, and expansive views of equity. The findings indicate that policy entrepreneurs hold primarily an equal view of equity, in accord with meritocratic and functional purposes of schooling, more so than equalizing or expansive views. The latter views emphasize compensatory purposes that focus on narrowing achievement gaps. From this analysis, we identify the paradox of equity in education policy: The successful launch of a policy that relies on existing paradigms of standards-based reform and an equal conception of equity helps tether educational outcomes to student background.
57 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that the ostensive purpose of the ranking regime is to identify "world class" universities, and thus to organize postsecondary education into a competitive transnational market, and argue that this ranking regime affects the production and evaluation of knowledge by promoting individualism, standardization, commodification, and homogenization.
Abstract: In this integrated review of literature, we address a powerful movement among interrelated organizations that we call the “ranking regime.” We argue that the ostensive purpose of this regime is to identify “world class” universities, and thus to organize postsecondary education into a competitive transnational market. Although extant research has addressed how rankings are reshaping the field of higher education, there is little work that addresses the influence of rankings on the evaluation of faculty work and the production of knowledge. Thus, we review existing studies that have focused on the intersection of this ranking regime, faculty work, and faculty evaluation in order to assess the implications of the ranking regime for the production of knowledge within academia and for faculty evaluation. We argue that the ranking regime affects the production and evaluation of knowledge by promoting individualism, standardization, commodification, and homogenization. We offer policy and practice implications as well as directions for future research.
56 citations
TL;DR: Agarwal et al. as mentioned in this paper present data from the proyecto Generaciones Interactivas that encuesto a ninos and adolescentes, entre 6 and 18 anos, in ambitos urbanos de Argentina, constituyendose en una de las investigaciones mas ambiciosas realizadas in el pais hasta el momento sobre estos temas.
Abstract: La afinidad de los ninos con las pantallas de Internet, celulares, videojuegos y television suscita interes de investigacion al tiempo que plantea la necesidad de educar, legislar y proteger eficazmente a este grupo en un contexto de cambio tecnologico continuo y poco controlable. La investigacion que se presenta en este articulo ofrece los datos que arroja el proyecto Generaciones Interactivas que entre septiembre de 2007 y marzo de 2008 encuesto a ninos y a adolescentes, entre 6 y 18 anos, en ambitos urbanos de Argentina, constituyendose en una de las investigaciones mas ambiciosas realizadas en el pais hasta el momento sobre estos temas. Los resultados permiten tener una primera imagen de como los ninos y adolescentes argentinos estan utilizando las pantallas, base para futuras investigaciones y desarrollos normativos.
49 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors highlight the findings from more than 12 years of research on the experiences and perspectives of 50 multilingual European scholars with writing for publication, particularly in English, and draw on de Certeau's (1984) notions of strategies and tactics to explore key ways in which scholars manage often-competing demands and interests.
Abstract: In the past decade, academic evaluation systems worldwide have markedly increased the use of mechanisms that privilege the use of English in journal publishing. In the context of these trends, this article highlights our findings from more than 12 years of research on the experiences and perspectives of 50 multilingual European scholars with writing for publication, particularly in English. We draw on de Certeau’s (1984) notions of strategies and tactics to explore key ways in which scholars manage often-competing demands and interests in writing for publication. Scholars both adopt strategies that align with official publication policies and use tactics that support scholars’ sometimes competing agendas. At different moments scholars embrace, accommodate, or resist the perceived dominance of English in knowledge production regimes and evaluation systems. We conclude by summarizing the value of drawing on the notions of strategy and tactics in an era of increasing debates over evaluation systems.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors report the variety of ways elementary mathematics coaches interact with teachers, and what roles and responsibilities they take on, and create a template for conducting observations of mathematics classroom coaching, which could be used by researchers seeking to conduct studies about coaching or by administrators seeking to document the day-to-day work of coaches.
Abstract: Mathematics classroom coaching is used across the United States as a means for improving instruction, with the ultimate goal of improving student learning. The job assignments of coaches can vary widely across schools and districts. Regardless of the various forms that coaching can take, there is the consistent expectation that a coach’s day-to-day work will positively influence classroom instruction. The study reported here attempts to gain a more complete picture of the job of an elementary mathematics coach based on the observation of seven coaches in five different districts for a day. We report the variety of ways we observed elementary mathematics coaches interact with teachers, and what roles and responsibilities they take on. Our analysis of these data led us to create a template for conducting observations of mathematics classroom coaching, which could be used by researchers seeking to conduct studies about coaching or by administrators seeking to document the day-to-day work of coaches.
TL;DR: This article argued that some of the foundational assumptions embedded in most university-based teacher education programs actually opened the doors for the boiling down of teacher preparation to the bare minimum, and that traditional and alternative routes to teaching can be understood as part of the same system of thought, one that needs to be cracked open in order to be able to imagine other possibilities.
Abstract: The proliferation of boot-camp-style routes to teacher certification in the last two decades is seen by many university-based teacher educators as the result of the advancement of conservative interests aimed at de-professionalizing teaching. This essay argues that this view only accounts for one piece of the answer, the other one being that some of the foundational assumptions embedded in most university-based teacher education programs actually opened the doors for the boiling down of teacher preparation to the bare minimum. By situating the psychological sciences at the foundations of pedagogical knowledge and positioning them as the privileged lens to understand the learning subject, university-based teacher education has paved the way to its own disappearance. Both traditional and alternative routes to teaching can be understood, then, as part of the same system of thought, one that needs to be cracked open in order to be able to imagine other possibilities.
TL;DR: This article explored the effects of statistical controls, single versus multiple cohort models, and student sample size on the stability of teacher value-added estimates (VAEs) and found that teacher VAEs showed a fair degree of stability; year-to-year correlations ranged between.62 and.66.
Abstract: In this study we explored the effects of statistical controls, single versus multiple cohort models, and student sample size on the stability of teacher value-added estimates (VAEs). We estimated VAEs for all 5 th grade mathematics teachers in a large urban district by fitting two level mixed models using four cohorts of student data. We found that student sample size had the largest effect on changes in teachers’ relative standing and designation into performance groups, while control variables affected VAEs only minimally. However, we also found that teacher VAEs showed a fair degree of stability; year-to-year correlations ranged between .62 and .66, and changes in teacher effectiveness systematically varied by teacher experience, with beginning teachers showing the largest improvements over the four years under study. Our results suggest that some model specifications are likely to produce teacher value-added scores that can reflect meaningful differences in teachers while we also found that other models might produce VAEs that might be unreliable.
TL;DR: This paper conducted a review of 127 decentralization-related studies from seven leading, peer-reviewed journals in comparative and international education, in addition to the Journal of Education Policy, Journal of Educational Administration, and Harvard Education Review.
Abstract: In the present work, we fill a gap in the writing on the decentralization of educational governance by periodizing and comparing trends that have fallen under this label in both the United States and developing countries in the post-WWII period (1945-present). The findings are informed by a review of 127 decentralization-related studies from seven leading, peer-reviewed journals in comparative and international education, in addition to the Journal of Education Policy , Journal of Educational Administration , and Harvard Education Review . We combine this review with works that address larger political and economic shifts and, in so doing, are able to delineate two pushes for decentralization in the United States. In developing countries, the term decentralization has emerged during three distinct periods. Beyond characterizing the nature of decentralization in general terms over time, we also compare key features of these trends and the forces that brought them about. One key finding is that the application of community-level decentralization in developing countries has not been as widespread as global rhetoric during the 1990s and 2000s would imply. A second key finding is that there has been a relatively recent shift away from decentralization towards other forms of accountability-based reforms in both the United States and developing countries.
TL;DR: This paper found that teachers with strong expectations for autonomy or ideas inconsistent with their school's model experienced substantial conflict involving the discipline or socialization of students that affected their career decisions, leading to turnover.
Abstract: Charter school teachers nationwide expressed greater autonomy compared to traditional public school teachers at the turn of the century. But is this trend changing? The recent proliferation of Charter Management Organizations (CMOs), which often have prescriptive organizational models, has raised questions around how teachers perceive autonomy and control in these schools. Researchers consistently find that faculty input into decision-making has a strong influence on staff commitment and turnover. This exploratory, interview-based study critically examines why and how CMO teacher autonomy is linked to turnover. CMO teachers linked various concerns over autonomy, which was limited by their organization’s model, with decisions to leave their jobs. Teachers with strong expectations for autonomy or ideas inconsistent with their school’s model experienced substantial conflict involving the discipline or socialization of students that affected their career decisions. Teachers’ desires to have a voice in issues surrounding students’ socialization ultimately hinged upon their skepticism that current practices were adequately preparing students for college and life.
TL;DR: The authors investigates the global transformation toward testing for accountability, where intentional or unintentional positive or negative consequences are applied to educators (teachers and administrators) based on their student's test scores, in light of the emerging global culture identified by World Culture theorists.
Abstract: To ensure equal access to high quality education, the global expansion of universal basic education has included accountability measures in the form of academic tests. Presently the majority of countries participate in national testing; however, the past two decades have seen a substantial shift in test characteristics and aims. This article investigates the global transformation toward testing for accountability, where intentional or unintentional positive or negative consequences are applied to educators (teachers and administrators) based on their student’s test scores, in light of the emerging global culture, identified by World Culture theorists. Elements of the world culture – including the expansion of western education models, an emphasis on academic intelligence, faith in science as a rational path to truth, and the decentralization of authority to the local level – justify the establishment of testing for accountability systems. Descriptive evidence from regional and international datasets, such as PISA, PIRLS, and TIMSS, illustrate the speed at which this transformation occurs. The convergence of countries toward testing for accountability and its position as an increasingly normative policy lever is illustrated in brief vignettes from the diverse systems of Hungary, Mexico, and South Korea. As testing for accountability becomes embedded in the world culture as a legitimate tool for education reform it is less prone to critical reflection. If the potential benefits and concerns of testing for accountability, outlined in this article, are not thoughtfully evaluated this global transformation will lead to a testing culture that is internalized as normative and adopted as individual values.
TL;DR: In Chile, a teacher evaluation system has been in place since 2003 to assess the performance of about 70, 000 public school teachers from pre-school to high school and adult education as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Assessing teaching performance is a contentious issue in current educational policy in many countries. In Chile, a national, standards-based, multi-method, mandatory teacher evaluation system has been in place since 2003 to assess the performance of about 70, 000 public school teachers from pre-school to high school and adult education. The Chilean system combines formative and summative purposes and uses four instruments: a structured portfolio, a peer interview, supervisor questionnaires, and a self-assessment. In this paper we analyze the Chilean system as a case of interest regarding some controversial issues in teacher evaluation today. To this end we describe the system’s political background, implementation process and results. We put a special focus on the development and evolution of its evaluation instruments; we discuss their strengths and limitations and review the research evidence regarding their validity and reliability. Finally, we reflect on the Chilean experience in terms of the insights it can provide into teacher performance assessment for an international audience.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the SAS Education Value-added Assessment System (EVAAS®) in practice, as perceived and experienced by teachers in the Southwest School District (SSD), and revealed that teachers felt heightened pressure and competition, which reduced morale and collaboration, and encouraged cheating or teaching to the test in attempt to raise SAS EVAAS® scores.
Abstract: This study examined the SAS Education Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS®) in practice, as perceived and experienced by teachers in the Southwest School District (SSD). To evaluate teacher effectiveness, SSD is using SAS EVAAS® for high-stakes consequences more than any other district or state in the country. A mixed-method design including a large-scale electronic survey was used to investigate the model’s reliability and validity; to determine whether teachers used the SAS EVAAS® data in formative ways as intended; to gather teachers’ opinions on SAS EVAAS®’s claimed benefits and statements; and to understand the unintended consequences that occurred as a result of SAS EVAAS® use in SSD. Results revealed that the reliability of the SAS EVAAS® model produced split and inconsistent results among teacher participants, and teachers indicated that students biased the SAS EVAAS® results. The majority of teachers disagreed with the company’s marketing claims and did not report similar SAS EVAAS® and principal observation scores, reducing the criterion-related validity of both measures of teacher quality. Many unintended consequences associated with the high-stakes use of SAS EVAAS® emerged through teachers’ responses, which revealed among others that teachers felt heightened pressure and competition, which reduced morale and collaboration, and encouraged cheating or teaching to the test in attempt to raise SAS EVAAS® scores. The results of this study, one of the first to investigate how the SAS EVAAS® model works in practice, should be considered by policymakers, researchers, and districts when considering implementing the SAS EVAAS®, or any value-added model for teacher evaluation.
TL;DR: The authors proposed a Lake Woebegon approach to school reform that supports long-term professional education, a shift away from "Best Practices" to "Pretty Good Practices", low fidelity implementation of interventions, and the importance of local context.
Abstract: This proposal addresses the assumptions underlying the “Science Wars” about the purpose of educational research. The author proposes a more modest “Lake Woebegon” approach to school reform that supports long-term professional education, a shift away from “Best Practices” to “Pretty Good Practices,” low fidelity implementation of interventions, and the importance of local context. Action research is presented as one possible qualitative approach for conducting “practice-based research.”
TL;DR: The authors explored the stability of both teacher performance and effectiveness by determining the extent to which performances and effectiveness of individual teachers fluctuate over time and found that teacher performance was not highly stable over multiple years of the study.
Abstract: The last five to ten years has seen a renewed interest in the stability of teacher behavior and effectiveness Data on teacher performance and teacher effectiveness are being used increasingly as the basis for decisions about continued employment, tenure and promotion, and financial bonuses The purpose of this study is to explore the stability of both teacher performance and effectiveness by determining the extent to which performances and effectiveness of individual teachers fluctuate over time The sample consisted of 132 teachers for whom both observational and state standardized test data were available for five consecutive years Neither teacher performance nor effectiveness were highly stable over multiple years of the study The observed relationship between teacher performance and teacher effectiveness was reasonably stable over time, but the magnitude of the relationship was quite small Teacher performance was also likely to be inflated in low performing schools We also discuss when different observed patterns may be acceptable based on the purpose for which the data are used
TL;DR: In this article, the authors analyzed some aspects about the privatization of education and of education policy as an international phenomenon of increasing significance, and explored how the world of education is changing and education is changed in the world by looking at the international reach, complexity and dynamism of the education services industry.
Abstract: This article analyses some aspects about the privatization of education and of education policy as an international phenomenon of increasing significance. It explores how the world of education is changing and education is changing in the world by looking at the international reach, complexity and dynamism of the education services industry (ESI). It is organized in three sections. The first one addresses some aspects of the new international education economy. Secondly, it looks at some examples of the multiple forms of current educational privatizations (contracting out, Private Finance Initiatives, Public Private Partnerships and "selling" policy) and at the concomitant changes in the form and modalities of the state. Finally, the conclusion establishes some relationships among these aspects.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors evaluate the effects of the recession on equity of state school funding systems with respect to child poverty concentrations and evaluate the interplay between local, state and federal source revenues through the course of the recent recession by comparison with the less severe economic downturn of the early 2000s.
Abstract: The Great Recession’s effect on state school finance systems was unlike previous downturns in the early 1990s and early 2000s in that it a) involved a greater loss of taxable income in many states, thus greater loss to state general fund revenues, b) also involved a substantial collapse of housing markets and related reduction or at least leveling of growth of taxable property wealth, c) but also involved a substantive infusion of federal “fiscal stabilization” aid to be used to fill holes in state general aid formulas. The goal of this study is to evaluate the effects of the recession on equity of state school funding systems with respect to child poverty concentrations. Using school district level panel data from 1993 to 2011, we evaluate the interplay between local, state and federal source revenues through the course of the recent recession by comparison with the less severe economic downturn of the early 2000s. Then using state level estimates of elasticities between revenue and spending measures and district poverty rates, we estimate whether changes in the distribution of state, local or federal revenue contribute most to changes in overall equity of current spending and whether those contributions changed during the recent recession.
TL;DR: This paper conducted a five-year mixed methods study of science instructional coaching in a single school district and found that coaching can help teachers transfer their learning from professional trainings to classroom practice and that coaching promotes greater collaboration and reflection among teachers.
Abstract: There is growing empirical evidence that instructional coaching can help teachers transfer their learning from professional trainings (e.g., new strategies) to classroom practice and that coaching promotes greater collaboration and reflection among teachers. At the same time, however, research on the effectiveness of particular coaching models and the underlying reasons for their effectiveness is only beginning to emerge. Why does coaching "work" when it does? What causes it to break down and to what extent can it be repaired? Our five-year mixed methods study of science instructional coaching in a single school district set out to answer these and other questions. Data from multiple sources (surveys, interviews, classroom observations and coaching logs) confirmed a epaa aape
TL;DR: In this article, a more sophisticated vocabulary has emerged in the field of higher education, such as socially relevant research; knowledge mobilization; research impact; innovation; and university priorities, which is used haphazardly as a substitute for the ideas of meaning, mission, and the aims of a university.
Abstract: In recent years, a more sophisticated vocabulary has emerged in the field of higher education. Categories such as socially relevant research; knowledge mobilization; research impact; innovation; and university priorities have appeared. At first glance, these words may appear neutral, simple and free from conflicts of interest. However, I argue that each of them requires deeper analysis, especially in relation to current scientific and university public policies, as their use has consequences and/or impacts both at the institutional level (higher education institutions) and actor-level (scholars, project managers, etc.). Therefore, by shedding light on the fact that “social relevance” of university is a commonly addressed category in documents regulating university activities, I postulate that such categories indicate a reductionist notion of “relevance” that is used haphazardly as a substitute for the ideas of meaning, mission, and the aims of a university. In order to pinpoint and discuss these new terms and categories that are used as measures of academic knowledge, the paper focuses on public university systems in Argentina and Canada. From a comparative perspective, I aim at grasping a better understanding of the changes in knowledge mobilization.
TL;DR: Garcia et al. as discussed by the authors presented an analysis of the impact of gender stereotypes on the performance of social sciences in the context of research in Argentina, using data from the Centro de Estudios de Estado y Sociedad.
Abstract: Fil: Garcia, Ana Maria. Centro de Estudios de Estado y Sociedad; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Martin. Instituto de Altos Estudios Sociales; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas; Argentina
TL;DR: This article explored the dilemmas experienced by three first grade teachers in teaching elementary school science and found that teachers perceived tensions between focusing instructional practice on science versus the other school subjects, tensions between their responsibility to teach science and their lack of a science background, and tensions between using their curriculum as a script, supplement, starting point, or not all.
Abstract: This study identified and explored the dilemmas experienced by three first-grade teachers in teaching elementary school science. The impact of coaching and teachers’ career stages on how teachers reconciled their dilemmas was examined. Results of this comparative case study indicate that, when it came to teaching science, teachers perceived tensions between focusing instructional practice on science versus the other school subjects, tensions between their responsibility to teach science and their lack of a science background, and tensions between using their curriculum as a script, supplement, starting point, or not all. Participants reconciled their common dilemmas in different ways. Extent of teaching experience; comfort level with teaching reading, writing, and mathematics; and the sense of accountability teachers felt to teach science were related to how effectively dilemmas were addressed. The amount of time spent with the science coach-researchers was tied to the amount of time science was taught and the extent to which teachers addressed dilemmas in reform-oriented ways.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors assess the relationship between value-added measures of teacher effectiveness and an observational measure of teacher practice as implemented in a district's pilot of a new standards-based multiple-measure teacher evaluation system.
Abstract: There is increasing policy interest in the use of standards-based multiple measure teacher evaluation systems that include both observational and value-added measures of teacher effectiveness. The growing literature that assesses the relationships between these measures does so mainly in academic settings using a validity lens. While valuable in their own right, this evidence from research-based settings provides little evidence about how teachers and principals receive the different signals from multiple measures of effectiveness when implemented in district contexts. Using pairwise correlations and a series of ordinary least squares regressions, this study assesses the relationships between value-added measures of teacher effectiveness and an observational measure of teacher practice as implemented in a district's pilot of a new standards-based multiple-measure teacher evaluation system. We find moderate correlations between value-added and observation-based measures, indicating that teachers will receive similar but not entirely consistent signals from each performance measure. We conclude by highlighting considerations for districts working to develop and implement standards-based multiple-measure teacher evaluation systems.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explored differences in school organization that contribute to the experiences (e.g., working conditions, instruction and student engagement in learning, self-efficacy and job satisfaction, and teacher evaluation) of charter school and traditional public school teachers.
Abstract: Using survey data collected from 2,273 teachers in Texas, this study explores differences in school organization that contribute to the experiences (e.g., working conditions, instruction and student engagement in learning, self-efficacy and job satisfaction, and teacher evaluation) of charter school and traditional public school teachers. Researchers used propensity score matching to reduce the impact of selection bias and to produce accurate estimates of the charter-traditional public school differences. Compared with similar teachers in traditional public schools, charter school teachers reported a more supportive teaching environment, higher expectations of students among staff, a greater sense of responsibility for student learning, and higher levels of student engagement in learning. However, they reported, attending fewer professional development trainings focused on instruction and aligned to teaching assignments, fewer opportunities for professional development and collaboration with colleagues, and lower perceived fairness of teacher evaluation. Findings from this study provide valuable insight into the school organization factors that may underlie teacher turnover and represent unmet needs among charter school teachers, and suggest strategic areas of focus for policymakers, charter management organizations, and charter school leaders in addressing teacher retention and student achievement.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the relationship among portfolio assessment scores, a test of teacher knowledge (ETS’s Praxis I and II), and changes in student achievement (on Touchstone's Degrees of Reading Power Test [DRP]).
Abstract: This study examines one part of a validity argument for portfolio assessments of teaching practice used as an indicator of teaching quality to inform a licensure decision. We investigate the relationship among portfolio assessment scores, a test of teacher knowledge (ETS’s Praxis I and II), and changes in student achievement (on Touchstone’s Degrees of Reading Power Test [DRP]). Key questions are the extent to which the assessment of teaching practice (a) predict gains in students’ achievement and (b) contribute unique information to this prediction beyond what is contributed by the tests of teacher knowledge. The venue for our study is Connecticut State Department of Education’s (CSDE) support and licensure system for beginning teachers, the Beginning Educator Support and Training (BEST) program (as it was implemented at the time of our study). We investigated whether elementary teachers’ mean effects on their students’ reading achievement support the use of BEST elementary literacy portfolio scores as a measure of teaching quality for licensure, using a data set gathered from both State and two urban school district sources. The HLM findings indicate that BEST portfolio scores do indeed distinguish among teachers who were more and less successful in enhancing their students’ achievement. An additional analysis indicated that the BEST portfolios add information that is not contained in the Praxis tests, and are more powerful predictors of teachers’ contributions to student achievement gains.