Loss Of Instructional Time Research Articles

Professional Development and Coaching in the Science of Reading: Impacts on Oral Reading Fluency in Comparison to National Norms

The purpose of this 5-year longitudinal study was to examine the rate of growth of oral reading fluency (ORF) scores in response to professional development and coaching related to the Science of Reading (SoR) in one urban public school district in the northeast United States. A non-random sample of all grade 1-5 students (n=434) enrolled in the school over a five-year period was used. Analysis of the growth in ORF scores was conducted using a latent growth curve analysis within a structural equation model framework. This model allowed comparison of growth between the sample and established national norms. Results indicate that across the grades over time, the sample demonstrated significantly greater growth (9%) when compared to the national norms (6%), despite interrupted instruction due to the covid-19 pandemic. These results suggest that repeated Professional Development (PD) and ongoing coaching to implement the SoR can lead to long-term growth in student ORF. The implications support SoR as an effective instructional framework which may mitigate against loss of instructional time in the classroom and serve as a protective factor against school interruptions, especially for at-risk learners. Keywords: science of reading, oral reading fluency, teacher professional development, teacher coaching

A new phenomenon of Learner-on-Educator-Violence: A case of two secondary schools in Umlazi Township, Durban

This study aims to understand how learner-on-educator violence affects teacher efficacy in schools, particularly in light of recent outbreaks of teacher killings in schools. The study sample was two schools, and the participants were two Life orientation teachers, two chairpersons of the school’s safety and security committee, and security guards. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and observation journals. The study's findings indicated that teachers experienced varied levels of violence, ranging from loss of instructional time; to personal, physical, psychological, and teacher killings. Furthermore, the study found that learner-on-educator violence has become unmanageable.

The Socio-cultural Factors that Influence Academic Performance of Public Primary Schools in Murang'a South Sub County, Kenya

Literature has indicated that academic performance is affected both positively and negatively by socio-cultural factors. UNESCO (2015) reveals that student achievement is highly influenced by the community and/or parents attitude towards education. Performance in national examinations is embraced as an indicator of quality in education systems that are examination oriented. The purpose of the study is to establish the socio-cultural factors influencing academic performance of public primary schools in Murang'a South Sub County. The study adopted a descriptive survey design utilizing both quantitative and qualitative techniques. The study involved a sample of 21 deputy head teachers, 105 teachers and 210 pupils making a total of 336 participants. Data were collected using a pupils’ questionnaire, focus group discussions for the deputy head teachers and teachers, and an observation checklist. Quantitative data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17 employing descriptive statistics that include frequencies and percentages while qualitative data were analyzed inductively (thematically). It was found that majority parents/guardians shown less concern over homework the homework of their pupils. This was de-motivating to both the teacher and pupil personnel. Initiation rite of passage (circumcision and clitoridectomy) bred psychological, moral and social unrest in schools. The impact of involvement in early teenage sex and dating was immense. The outlawed Mungiki sect was found to have a large network in Murang'a South Sub County and penetration into school promoting absenteeism, hence loss of instructional time; instilling fear to the pupils, teaching personnel and school community, thus emotional imbalance; drug and substances abuse; and violence destroying self-esteem and emotional well-being among pupils resulting to low academic achievement. A recommendation is made that for collaboration between the Ministry of Education, Gender, Children and Social Development; and Youth Affairs and Sports to educate all stakeholders in the societal beliefs, values and practices which hinder education outcomes. Keyword: socio-cultural factors, academic performance, public primary schools, Murang'a South Sub County, Kenya

An Intelligent Recommender System for Personalized Test Administration Scheduling With Computerized Formative Assessments

The introduction of computerized formative assessments in schools has enabled the monitoring of students’ progress with more flexible test schedules. Currently, the timing and frequency of computerized formative assessments are determined based on districts and school authorities’ agreements with testing organizations, the teachers’ judgment of students’ progress, and grade-level testing guidelines recommended by researchers. However, these practices often result in a rigid test scheduling that disregards the pace at which students acquire knowledge. Furthermore, students are likely to experience the loss of instructional time due to frequent testing. To administer computerized formative assessments efficiently, teachers should be provided systematic guidance on finding an optimal testing schedule based on each student’s progress. In this study, we aim to demonstrate the utility of intelligent recommender systems (IRSs) for generating individualized test schedules for students. Using real data from a large sample of students in grade 2 (n = 355,078) and grade 4 (n = 390,336) who completed the Star Math assessment during the 2017-2018 school year, we developed an IRS and evaluated its performance in finding a balance between data quality and testing frequency. Results indicated that the IRS was able to recommend a fewer number of test administrations for both grade levels, compared with standard practice. Further, the IRS was able to maximize the score difference from one test administration to another by eliminating the test administrations in which students’ scores did not change significantly. Implications for generating personalized schedules to monitor student progress and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Effects of Behavioral Skills Training on Teachers Conducting the Recess-to-Classroom Transition

Elementary school teachers transition their students from recess to the classroom multiple times a day. When students do not line up quickly or are disruptive in line, teachers can spend valuable instructional time trying to manage students’ inappropriate behaviors. The result is a loss of instructional time that could lead to a decrease in student performance. This study examined how teachers could use behavioral skills training with their students as a way to reduce the length of the recess-to-classroom transition with second–fourth graders. After teachers were trained, they provided their students with training, which included instruction, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback. The result in each teacher’s classroom was that students began to line up more quickly and use their hands and feet appropriately for the duration of the transition. Appropriate behavior and reduced transition times maintained at a 2-week follow-up.

Effects of using a variety of kinesthetic classroom equipment on elementary students’ on-task behaviour: a pilot study

The ability for students to maintain attention to classroom instruction is a critical factor for learning because loss of instructional time due to off-task behaviour has negative impacts on academic achievement. Early studies suggest that use of kinesthetic equipment in place of traditional seating in classrooms can improve student on-task behaviour. To date, however, limitations of the kinesthetic classroom research literature include small sample sizes, often without controls, use of a single equipment type (e.g. standing desks or exercise balls) and lack of objective measures of student on-task behaviour. We report a pilot study of the impact of using a variety of kinesthetic equipment in elementary classrooms on objectively-measured student on-task behaviour.

Effects of Response Cards on Fourth-Grade Students’ Participation and Disruptive Behavior During Language Arts Lessons in an Inclusive Elementary Classroom

Many teachers state that disruptive behavior in their classroom is one of their main challenges, and it often results in a loss of instructional time. Teachers also have difficulty in providing opportunities for their students to be actively engaged in their own learning. This study used an ABAB reversal design to investigate the effects of preprinted response cards on students’ participation and disruptive behavior in a fourth-grade inclusive elementary classroom during language arts instruction. The findings of this study showed that the use of preprinted response cards resulted in increased participation for all five target students. Limitations of the study, areas for future research to investigate, and implications for practice are discussed.

Systematic observation with two analytic video-score approaches and loss of instructional time in lessons

Systematic observation in educational research highlights a wide diversity of aspects of classroom interactions, yet frequency of score cycles is crucial when analysing dimensions of classroom teac...

A Quasi-Experimental Design Analysis of the Effects of School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports on Discipline in Florida

School discipline continues to be a challenge for schools, resulting in loss of instructional time for both teachers and students. With respect to discipline actions, school suspension is one of the most widely used, yet research continues to demonstrate an empirical link between receipt of suspension and poor student outcomes, including increased risk of dropping out of school. Therefore, interventions with empirical support for reducing school-wide disciplinary actions are needed. This study examined the effect of school-wide positive behavior interventions and supports (SWPBIS) on disciplinary actions using quasi-experimental design analysis. We (propensity score) matched 593 Florida schools implementing SWPBIS with fidelity with 593 Florida schools that have never been trained. Overall, we found statistically significantly fewer out-of-school suspensions for students with disabilities and Black students within schools implementing SWPBIS with fidelity and an effect size of −0.55, indicating meaningful improvements.

How the Mexican drug war affects kids and schools? Evidence on effects and mechanisms

We investigate the impact of drug-related violence in Mexico on academic achievement. We use panel of elementary and lower secondary schools and locality-level firearm homicides from 2006 to 2011. We rely on school fixed-effects models to estimate the impact on math test scores of turf war exposure and turf war persistence (e.g. months of exposure) during the academic year. According to the results, both exposure and persistence of criminal violence reduces math test scores. The analysis of heterogeneous effects shows that schools located in poor urban settings experience the largest negative effects. Further, we find stronger negative effects of drug-related violence exposure in lower secondary schools with street gang presence nearby. Finally, we further examine potential mechanisms driving the effects of criminal violence on test scores. Our findings indicate that turf war exposure and persistence are associated with a loss of instructional time due to higher teacher absenteeism and turnover, as well as student absenteeism, tardiness, and propensity to leave school days early.

School-Based Influenza Vaccination: Parents’ Perspectives

BackgroundSchool-age children are important drivers of annual influenza epidemics yet influenza vaccination coverage of this population is low despite universal publicly funded influenza vaccination in Alberta, Canada. Immunizing children at school may potentially increase vaccine uptake. As parents are a key stakeholder group for such a program, it is important to consider their concerns.PurposeWe explored parents’ perspectives on the acceptability of adding an annual influenza immunization to the immunization program that is currently delivered in Alberta schools, and obtained suggestions for structuring such a program.ParticipantsForty-eight parents of children aged 5-18 years participated in 9 focus groups. Participants lived in urban areas of the Alberta Health Services Calgary Zone.FindingsThree major themes emerged: Advantages of school-based influenza vaccination (SBIV), Disadvantages of SBIV, and Implications for program design & delivery. Advantages were perceived to occur for different populations: children (e.g. emotional support), families (e.g. convenience), the community (e.g. benefits for school and multicultural communities), the health sector (e.g. reductions in costs due to burden of illness) and to society at large (e.g. indirect conduit of information about health services, building structure for pandemic preparedness, building healthy lifestyles). Disadvantages, however, might also occur for children (e.g. older children less likely to be immunized), families (e.g. communication challenges, perceived loss of parental control over information, choices and decisions) and the education sector (loss of instructional time). Nine second-level themes emerged within the major theme of Implications for program design & delivery: program goals/objectives, consent process, stakeholder consultation, age-appropriate program, education, communication, logistics, immunizing agent, and clinic process.ConclusionsParents perceived advantages and disadvantages to delivering annual seasonal influenza immunizations to children at school. Their input gives a framework of issues to address in order to construct robust, acceptable programs for delivering influenza or other vaccines in schools.

Classroom Management and Loss of Time at the Lesson Start: A Preliminary Study

<p style="text-align:justify">Lesson starts are transitional events which may cause management problems for teachers. In this study 131 lesson starts of equally many teachers were observed in primary and secondary schools in Finland. The results indicated that, in general, the problems were minimal. However, for various reasons lesson starts were delayed by an average of about six minutes. Calculated on this basis, the total loss of instructional time in the whole school year was about five weeks of schooling. No statistically significant relationships were observed between disturbances in the classroom and any background variable studied including grade level, classroom type,(special or mainstream), group size, presence of classroom assistant, sex of the teacher, weekday, time of day of the lesson, or subject of the lesson. In order to maximise instructional time more attention should be paid in future to starting lessons promptly.</p>

Democratic Bankruptcy: Three Programs to Help Prevent It in Our Schools

Introduction Are many of America's public schools advocating an open classroom environment to invite students to engage in an expression of their opinions on current issues? Are many of the curriculums used in America's public schools reflective of opportunity for students to research, formulate opinions, recite rationally, and promote deliberation? Are many of America's teachers modeling a practice in their teaching to help foster support for values, participation in political discussion, and civic engagement? We believe that no is the answer to these questions though there are important exceptions that we discuss in this article. We fear that our schools are on the verge of what we call democratic bankruptcy or the loss of ways of teaching, learning, and deliberation, and we argue that emphasis upon programs such as we discuss here can combat antidemocratic tendencies in our In social studies classes specifically there has long been a call to help students develop into responsible citizens of tomorrow's world. According to Walter Parker interaction in schools can help students enter the social consciousness of puberty and develop the habits of thinking and caring necessary for public life (2005, p. 348). Recently John Rossi (2006) has argued that preparing students to discuss public issues lies at the core of our democracy. Peter Cookson (2001, p. 42) suggests that is always personal, passionate, and difficult--the opposite of training, regimentation, and standardization. Education is never linear, but creative and continuous. The search must begin for ways to incorporate programs that are designed to allow students to practice the habits of inquiry, fairness, empathy, critical analysis, rule of law. This process can be related both to American citizenship as well as global citizenship. In this article, we shall discuss three such programs that foster these habits of inquiry: We the People, Choices for the 21st Century Education, and Doors to Diplomacy. We shall show that the roots of these programs are in John Dewey's social philosophy, most clearly stated in his favorite book, Democracy and Education (1916). Educators should be careful about eliminating programs that help develop deeper and richer understanding of the principles of our democracy. These programs are at risk of being eliminated when schools try to adhere strictly to the requirements of a standardized federal agenda, such as the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2002. According to the Center on Education Policy (2007), since NCLB was instituted in 2002, 36 percent of surveyed school districts reduced time for teaching elementary social studies. That percentage increased to 51 percent in districts with failing schools. While this relates directly to elementary schools, Jeff Passe (2006) notes that this loss of instructional time in the social studies at the early stages of a learner's development has a direct effect on secondary social studies teaching. Passe further states that it is well documented that high-stakes competency tests have influenced the quality of social studies education at the secondary level. Teachers have begun shifting emphasis from higher-level concepts to lower levels such as recall and comprehension to reach students who enter the secondary social studies classroom without ever having been exposed to most of its basic concepts and skills (p. 189). Social studies at the lower level have long been referred to as the 'bump,' or superfluous subject in the elementary grades, but it is now disappearing from the school day (Passe, p. 189). Sam Wineburg (2006) echoes this finding, bringing to our attention that during a time of crisis social studies can be expendable (p. 402). James Lick High School in San Jose, California, eliminated social studies from the ninth grade curriculum, citing the need to acquire more time to learn and practice reading and writing. …

Time for Time on Task and Quality Instruction

On any given day, middle school students begin gathering their books and lining up at the door waiting for the hell to ring five to ten minutes before class is officially over. In other classrooms, students finish their assigned work and chat among themselves, sit at their desks doing nothing, or. in the worst-case scenario, get out of their seats and begin to disrupt class. And in many classrooms, several minutes are squandered each time learning activities are changed. Even in the most benign of the above examples, quality instructional time is being lost al a number of points during teachers' lessons. Some educators might say that it is only a few minutes here and there, but even live minutes a day adds up to a significant loss of instructional time each semester. Revisiting the relationship between lost minutes of instruction and the quality of teaching may be warranted. Current state and national educational expectations, with their emphasis on results on high-stakes tests, serve as incentives for each teacher to plan every lesson carefully and to use classroom time as effectively and efficiently as possible. In other words, we should be paying more attention to both aspects of the time on equation: purposeful use of time and quality instruction. Following my own years as a teacher and as an assistant principal and principal for more than 25 years, nearly half in middle level and now as a teacher educator for more than 10 years. I have observed many classroom teachers in a variety of urban and suburban school districts. While I have seen firsthand innumerable lessons of impeccable quality, I have also seen more than a few poorly conceived lessons and wasted classroom time that involved both beginning and veteran teachers. Lack of attention to time on is not the only reason for less-than-adequate student achievement. However, it is a factor teachers directly control. The purposes of this article are to highlight several aspects of using time effectively through a series of vignettes, to apply the current research on time on task, and to offer to middle school educators a variety of ways to help remedy lost time on task. Time on One of the main themes of the Effective School movement was increasing time on to improve and student achievement (Lezotte, 1997; Lezotte & Pepperl, 1999). One of the seven of effective schools they found was the opportunity to learn and time on task (pp. 115-116). They advocated not only making judicious use of classroom time but also ensuring that what is taught has been carefully thought out and is of the highest possible quality. This body of effective research, which originated with Edmonds and the Connecticut Department of Education (as cited in Lezotte & Pepperl, 1999), was also echoed by the National Education Association (Hawley, 2002), and United States Department of Education (Bennett, 1986) and provides the conceptual background for this article. A schematic diagram that relates the focus of this article to the correlates of effective is found in Figure 1. As research on effective shows, time on involves both the time associated with learning and the nature and quality of the tasks devised by teachers for their students (Lezotte & Pepperl, 1999). While other correlates also contribute to the process, improving time on can lead to better instructional outcomes. Before exploring some solutions to the time on challenge, we will examine three vignettes that illustrate how lost time can undermine otherwise effective lesson planning. At the end of each vignette, the predominant problems are analyzed, and suggestions for improvement are offered. Vignette #1: Behind from the start (Mr. Brown, eighth grade science) Mr. Brown has been teaching middle school science for five years. At the beginning of each period, students noisily enter his classroom and take their seats after considerable interaction with each other. …

Early career teachers accuracy in predicting behavioral functioning: A pilot study of teacher skills.

To date, an extensive body of research on behavioral consultation and its efficacy exists (Hagermoser-Sanetti & Kratochwill, 2008; Noell, 2007; Sheridan, Welch & Orme,1996). Student outcomes, treatment acceptability, and treatment integrity are often the focus of the consultation literature, yet an equally important aspect is process integrity. Specifically, are the data presented during consultation a result of systematic and valid problem solving? This question is paramount to successful consultation as our efforts, and ultimately student outcomes, are enhanced or impeded by the data collected. Effective behavioral consultation models (e.g., behavioral consultation, conjoint behavioral consultation, instructional consultation) are predicated on the assumption that will serve in the roll of data collector as well as collaborative problem-solver (Bartels & Mortenson, 2005; Jones & Lungaro, 2000; Rosenfield 2002). In many instances assumptions are made that possess the necessary data collection skills to serve in a collaborative capacity and are interested in performing these tasks (Ehrhardt, Barnett, Lentz, Stollar & Reifin, 1996; Jones & Lungaro, 2000). Numerous authors have cited the need for clarity in data collection procedures within the consultative model (Hagermoser-Sanetti & Kratochwill, 2008; Noell, 2007; Packenham, Shute & Reid, 2004). Consequently, behavioral consultants must attend to the validity of the data collected during collaboration with to ensure data used to address student behavior is of value (Bartels & Mortenson, 2005). Thus, the immediate empirical question is, do have the skills to accurately and reliably identify the function of the student's behavior? Without knowing the answer to this question, classroom based observations may yield data which are at best misaligned in terms of behavioral function, and at worst, contrary to the reinforcing contingencies present in the environment resulting in a strengthening of the undesired student response (Packenham, Shute & Reid, 2004; Roberts, Marshall, Nelson & Albers, 2001; Swinson & Knight, 2007; Symons, McDonald & Wehby, 1998). In addition, if there is little to no confidence in the process of developing the hypothesis upon which a treatment is based, then we run the same risks, lauded by numerous authors; specifically, the validity of the treatment-outcome heuristic is suspect (Gresham, Watson & Skinner, 2001; Sugai, Lewis-Palmer & HaganBurke, 1999; Wood, Umbreit, Liaupsin & Gresham, 2007). The Need for Skill Development In a political and educational climate of accountability and inclusion, general-education are working in closer proximity with students who present with exceptional needs. Reportedly, almost half of students who have an IEP were educated for the majority of the school day within the general educational setting (Cook, Cameron & Tankersley, 2007). Paradoxically, general education have self-endorsed lower skills in educating students with disabilities (Hagermoser & Kratochwill, 2008; Scott, & Nelson, 1999; Shellady & Stichter, 1999). As Rosenfield (2002) noted, data analyses based on classroom based events fail to be part of the usual professional culture for teachers (p. 610). Kratochwill and others noted that pre-service programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels offer a limited scope of evidence-based practices which are sustainable in classroom applications (Kratchowill & Steele-Shernoff, 2004; Schaughency & Ervin, 2006; Walker, 2004). Consequences of teacher negative self appraisal and fewer pre-service training experiences may engender errors in problem solving delaying necessary intervention or increasing a loss of instructional time. Van Acker, Boreson & Gable (2005) conducted a study to determine the degree to which school-based teams identified critical variables in the development of a functional behavior assessment and subsequent behavior intervention plan (FBA/BIP). …

Classroom Instruction and the Loss of Instructional Time: A Case Study

Classroom Instruction and the Loss of Instructional Time: A Case Study

Toward the Peaceful Coexistence of Test Developers, Policymakers, and Teachers in an Era of Accountability

The authors describe a potential disconnect between research and practice in literacy assessment and instruction. They organize discussion around professionally recognized standards for the evaluation of educational assessments and assessment practices. These standards address both technical aspects of tests (e.g., validity; reliability; standardized administration, scoring, and reporting; scales; norms; and score comparability) as well as more pragmatic concerns about the use of tests (e.g., fairness in testing, testing individuals from diverse linguistic backgrounds). In particular, the article focuses on the tension that has emerged in an era of accountability between demands for scientifically rigorous assessment in the area of early literacy and the practical day-to-day needs of teachers who must put assessment data to use in designing and delivering instruction. Increasing demands on teachers' implementation of scientifically based reading assessment and instruction often result in redundancy in testing and loss of instructional time, and an overreliance on externally imposed measures that may sacrifice validity for reliability, while providing little useful information that informs instruction. The authors argue that assessments can be technically sound in ways that preserve the theoretical integrity of reading development and instruction and provide the flexibility and instructional transparency that teachers need.

Teaching in the Time of Testing: What Have You Lost?

In preparing for this essay, the McCrackens asked teachers, “What have you lost from your teaching or your classroom since the growth of mandated standardized testing?” Respondents noted not only loss of instructional time but, more significantly, loss of themselves as teachers and declining desire to teach. The authors express further concern for teacher preparation in the age of high-stakes teacher testing and present a critical view of the Praxis II.

Time: Today It Translates to Dollars

In the 1976-77 school year, the Office of Research and Evaluation (ORE) in the Austin Independent School District (AISD) planned and conducted a study of time use in the elementary classrooms participating in major compensatory education programs in our district. The primary question that we were addressing in this evaluation was whether or not compensatory programs actually resulted in a loss of instructional time due to student movement to and from special program activities. Current research on teaching suggests that the time variable, particularly that of time-on-task, is crucial in the learning process. Much concern over the possible loss of instructional time was expressed by school staff. Also, local evaluations suggested that efforts at individualization, team teaching, and supervision of aides or student teachers might be resulting in an increase in the amount of management and clerical duties required of classroom teachers in these special programs with a concurrent decrease in student-teacher contact. It also appeared that in many schools multiple programs or new programs not yet well established had the same result.