Student Achievement Outcomes Research Articles

Creation and Implementation of a Taxonomy for Educational Activities: A Common Vocabulary to Guide Curriculum Mapping.

Undergraduate medical education (UME) has trended toward outcomes-based education, unveiling new issues for UME program organization and leadership. Using a common language for categorizing and linking all program components is essential. The Emory Curriculum Alignment Taxonomy (ECAT) was designed as a common vocabulary for curriculum mapping in the outcomes-based environment of the Emory University School of Medicine. The ECAT, developed in 2016, uses a set of 291 controlled identifiers, or "tags," to describe every educational activity's content, instruction, assessment, and outcomes, and thereby to align teaching inputs with student outcomes. Tags were drawn from external frameworks or developed by local stakeholders. A key feature is the arrangement of tags into eight categories, with the aim of balancing specificity and parsimony. Tags from multiple categories can be combined using Boolean operators to search for specific topics across the curriculum. In 2016-2017, all educational activities were tagged, including classroom events, workplace learning, mentored research, and student assessments. Tagging was done by two assistant deans and course/clerkship directors, which reinforced the importance of aligning instruction with assessment and aligning both of these with student outcomes. Using the ECAT tags has linked instruction with achievement of student outcomes, has shown the compromises between specificity and parsimony were workable, and has facilitated comprehensive program management and evaluation. As the ECAT tags can be modified, other programs could adapt this approach to suit their context. Next steps will include aggregating data into a centralized repository to support reporting and research.

School leadership and school improvement: an examination of school readiness factors

ABSTRACTThis article reports on an investigation into the influence stemming from school leadership as an important consideration in relation to school improvement. School readiness, based on [Schiemann, W. A. 2014. “From Talent Management to Talent Optimization.” Journal of World Business 49 (2): 281–288. doi:10.1016/j.jwb.2013.11.012]. Accountability, Capability and Engagement (ACE) leadership model, was assessed through self-reported school leader behaviours, attitudes, perceptions, and school improvement attributes. To clarify, school readiness refers to how a school principal optimises staff and other school resources to best achieve school improvement agendas. School readiness survey results and student achievement outcomes for one entire school district were analysed, indicating that school readiness did indeed impact student achievement. Findings reveal a need for school leaders to focus more clearly on overall school alignment and optimisation behaviours, and these are discussed in relation to specific leadership recommendations and how leadership can better support and encourage school improvement in terms of educational accountability.

The role of medication in reducing the negative effects of hyperactivity-inattention on achievement: A population-based longitudinal investigation of students and their classrooms

The present study investigated the role of psychostimulants (methylphenidate, dexamphetamine; prescribed to participants for diagnosed attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; ADHD) in reducing the negative effects of hyperactivity-inattention (H-I) on achievement through elementary school. Whereas the bulk of research investigating H-I and medication has focused on students (conducting student-level analyses), research into classroom climates and processes suggests this issue be examined at both student- and classroom-levels. The sample comprised 54,165 Australian students (from 5419 classrooms) for whom H-I data were available in kindergarten and achievement data were available in year 3 and year 5. In preliminary variance components analyses, findings showed there was notable variation in H-I and psychostimulant status from classroom to classroom. In multilevel path analysis, at both student- and class-levels psychostimulants reduced the negative effects of H-I on student achievement, to a level where H-I had no significant negative impact on achievement. These effects were not moderated by dosage or psychostimulant type. Taken together, our findings add to the body of effective multi-modal educational and psychological interventions used to enhance the achievement outcomes of individual students who present with ADHD and—of particular note and novelty in this study—the classrooms to which they belong.

Manajemen Pembiayaan Bantuan Operasional Sekolah Dalam Meningkatkan Mutu Pendidikan Pondok Pesantren

Financing is one of the keys to implementing an education. One source of funding sourced from the government is the School Operational Assistance (BOS) program. The purpose of this study was to: (1) describe the distribution of BOS funds in the education of Islamic boarding schools in the Ministry of Religion Office in Malang Regency, (2) explain the supervision of BOS funding in Islamic boarding school education, (3) describe the implications of BOS funding in improving quality Islamic boarding school education. This study uses a qualitative approach with a type of case study research. Data collection techniques used were observation, interviews, and documentation. Data is analyzed by reducing relevant data, describing and drawing conclusions. The results showed that, (1) the distribution of funding for BOS funds in the education of Islamic boarding schools in the Malang Ministry of Religion Office was carried out in accordance with the flow, (2) supervision of BOS funding in improving the quality of Islamic boarding school education was carried out according to the time of disbursement at the time of reporting of BOS funds, namely by direct and indirect supervision, (3) Implications of BOS funds in improving the education quality of Islamic boarding schools, namely: improving student achievement and learning outcomes and increasing teacher welfare.

The Effect of Mnemonic Vocabulary Instruction on Reading Comprehension of Students

The present article was an investigation of mnemonic vocabulary teaching to improve reading comprehension in the EFL classrooms. A major problem with the most of the past researches was that they paid no or little attention to the effects of using mnemonic strategies to improve reading comprehension. The purpose of this paper was to investigate how key word mnemonic vocabulary teaching can improve reading comprehension of the students. To this end, 360 third grade senior high school students from 6 senior high schools of Zanjan were selected through multistage cluster random sampling method and based on Cambridge placement test (2010), 345 students proved to be upper intermediate. A quasi-experimental design was used to determine the effects of a mnemonic vocabulary intervention on reading comprehension. In this article there were one control group (A, n=115), and two experimental groups (B, n=115; C, n=115) all of which were male and there were selected randomly by the researchers. During one month in four weeks, every week in two thirty-minute session, group B received direct vocabulary instruction and group C received key word mnemonic instruction. The quantitative component of this article was comprised of the Unit Cloze test. In order to test the effects of Mnemonic Vocabulary Teaching on reading comprehension, the covariance analysis was employed and the results demonstrated that by eliminating the covariance factor of the pre-test, mnemonic vocabulary instruction improved the reading comprehension of the students. The use of keyword mnemonics as a means to differentiate instruction is an educational implication that can assist teachers seeking better student achievement outcomes.

A systematic review of the teacher expectation literature over the past 30 years

ABSTRACTThis review aimed to illustrate the development in the teacher expectation literature and discuss the major avenues of research in the teacher expectation field from 1989 to 2018. Four analytical themes emerged from a narrative synthesis based on a systematic literature search: (1) influential factors on teacher expectations; (2) mediation mechanism of teacher expectations; (3) moderating factors of teacher expectation effects; (4) teacher expectation effects on student socio-psychological, behavioural, and achievement outcomes. On the whole, most studies confirmed earlier research findings regarding the 4 themes, although there were some studies that found results contradicting earlier work. In addition, new research topics and directions raised in the past 3 decades were identified in this review, especially regarding the mediation of teacher expectations and the socio-psychological and behavioural outcomes of the expectation effects. The review concludes with a set of recommendations for future research directions on teacher expectations.

Do Differences in High School Principal and Assistant Principal Perceptions Predict Student Achievement Outcomes?

The assistant principal plays a key role in school success but research suggests there are differences between principals and assistant principals in their perceptions of their roles. The 2011 Teaching, Empowering, Leading, and Learning Kentucky survey responses of educator perceptions were statistically analyzed for the statewide sample of principals and assistant principals. Results indicate that principals and assistant principals reported significantly different perceptions regarding teacher leadership and school leadership. Differences in principal and assistant principal responses were not related to student achievement, however. Implications for collaborative engagement between principals and assistant principals as they focus on increasing school leadership and teacher effectiveness are discussed.

A Meta-Analysis on the Relationship Between Character Education and Student Achievement and Behavioral Outcomes

An extensive meta-analysis, including 52 studies, was undertaken on the relationship between character education and student achievement and behavioral outcomes. Additional analyses were done to determine whether the effects of character education differed by student grade level, locale, race, and so on. The results indicated that character education is associated with higher levels of educational outcomes, no matter what type of standardized or nonstandardized measure was employed. Character education was also related to higher levels of expressions of love, integrity, compassion, and self-discipline. Overall, character education had somewhat greater effects for children in high school rather than those who were in elementary school. The effects of character education did not differ by the race of the children. The significance of these results is discussed.

The Wisconsin Role in the School Choice Movement

Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson led a Midwestern policy revolution in the late 1980s and early 1990s centered on providing parents with more school choices. Since those early years, school choice in the forms of private school vouchers, public charter schools, and public school open enrollment have spread across almost all of the country. Longitudinal evaluations of the effects of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP), the voucher program initiated by Governor Thompson, indicate that student achievement outcomes were not consistently affected by vouchers but other vital student outcomes, including educational attainment, civic values, criminal proclivities as well as parent and student satisfaction were positively influenced by participation in private school choice. A generally similar pattern of results applies to public charter schools and open enrollment. Parents across the U.S. tend to have more educational options in no small part due to the pioneering initiatives of Tommy Thompson. Although the evidence on school choice, and the desirability of the policies themselves, remains fiercely contested 30 years later, our assessment is that, on balance, disadvantaged families in Wisconsin and elsewhere are no worse off and most likely somewhat better off if they have availed themselves of the school choice opportunities that Governor Thompson helped to make possible.

English Speaking Learning through The "English Area" Program in Smk Negeri I Gorontalo

The purpose of this research is to know how the learning process speaks English through "English Area" Program at SMK Negeri I Gorontalo. The method used in this research is descriptive qualitative method. The data source is students in SMK Negeri I Gorontalo Class XI academic year 2015/2016. Data were collected using direct observation techniques on learning activities, interviews with teachers of English and students, documentation of learning outcomes and student achievement outcomes. The results show that the "English Area" program is well used to improve students' English speaking skills and can motivate them to use English. The conclusion is that English teachers at SMK Negeri I Gorontalo managed to create a way to make learners happy and interested in English speaking learning and their achievements increased.

Teacher's aides in kindergarten: Effects on achievement for students with disabilities

ABSTRACTOver the past 20 years, the number of teacher's aides in the United States has more than doubled, potentially in response to the growth of special education programs now taking place in general education schools. Surprisingly, little research at all has focused on the role that teacher's aides may play in improving student achievement, and no known study had examined this for students with disabilities. The author addressed this void by examining how teacher's aides link to achievement outcomes for students with disabilities in kindergarten. Using nationally representative data, the findings suggest that students with disabilities in full-day kindergarten have higher reading and mathematics outcomes at the end of kindergarten when the classroom has a teacher's aide. In contrast, there was no observed benefit for students with disabilities in part-day kindergarten. The size and strength of this relationship differs by individual characteristics and teacher and classroom characteristics. Implications are discussed.

Relationships between Observations of Elementary Mathematics Instruction and Student Achievement: Exploring Variability across Districts

AbstractMuch debate surrounding teacher quality has focused on students’ standardized test scores, but recent federal and state initiatives have emphasized the use of multiple measures to evaluate teacher quality, including classroom observations. In this study, we explore differences across school districts in the relationship between student achievement outcomes and the observed quality of teachers’ instruction. Using data from 298 elementary mathematics teachers in five urban US districts, we examine relationships between teachers’ performance on the Mathematical Quality of Instruction observation instrument and their students’ scores on both state standardized and researcher-developed tests. We find that these relationships differ across school districts. We explore the extent to which differences in skills and expectations for students across tests may explain this variability. An improved understanding of the relationship between classroom observations and student tests may help districts to better ...

Who is More Free? A Comparison of the Decision-Making of Private and Public School Principals

ABSTRACTWhile substantial school choice research focuses on student achievement outcomes, little has explored the mechanisms involved in producing such outcomes. We present a comparative analysis of private and public school principals using data from the School and Staffing Survey (SASS) 2011–2012. We add to the literature by examining the differences in private and public school principals’ abilities to influence important decisions at their schools from a nationally representative sample of 9,230 school principals. Results indicate that private school leadership exhibits more autonomy in influencing school level policies, perhaps explaining private school advantages.

Teacher value for professional development, self-efficacy, and student outcomes within a digital mathematics intervention

We examined teacher self-efficacy within the context of a suite of mathematics learning games, Spatial Temporal Mathematics (ST Math) to analyze the associations between teacher value for professional development and self-efficacy, and the associations of both with student achievement outcomes. We found that higher teacher valuing of ST Math professional development was associated with higher self-efficacy for teaching ST Math, and that teacher self-efficacy had a small positive association with student achievement, although the latter result was not replicated in a subdivision of the sample. These associations provide information on how teacher perceptions and self-beliefs about interventions and professional development may drive implementation and student outcomes.

Student’s social interaction in inquiry-based science education: how experiences of flow can increase motivation and achievement

This research investigated how student social interactions within two approaches to an inquiry-based science curriculum could be related to student motivation and achievement outcomes. This qualitative case study consisted of two cases, Off-Campus and On-Campus, and used ethnographic techniques of participant observation. Research participants included eight eighth grade girls, aged 13–14 years old. Data sources included formal and informal participant interviews, participant journal reflections, curriculum artifacts including quizzes, worksheets, and student-generated research posters, digital video and audio recordings, photographs, and researcher field notes. Data were transcribed verbatim and coded, then collapsed into emergent themes using NVIVO 9. The results of this research illustrate how setting conditions that promote focused concentration and communicative interactions can be positively related to student motivation and achievement outcomes in inquiry-based science. Participants in the Off-Campus case experienced more frequent states of focused concentration and out performed their peers in the On-Campus case on 46 % of classroom assignments. Off-Campus participants also designed and implemented a more cognitively complex research project, provided more in-depth analyses of their research results, and expanded their perceptions of what it means to act like a scientist to a greater extent than participants in the On-Campus case. These results can be understood in relation to Flow Theory. Student interactions that promoted the criteria necessary for initiating flow, which included having clearly defined goals, receiving immediate feedback, and maintaining a balance between challenges and skills, fostered enhanced student motivation and achievement outcomes. Implications for science teaching and future research include shifting the current focus in inquiry-based science from a continuum that progresses from teacher-directed to open inquiry experiences to a continuum that also deliberately includes and promotes the necessary criteria for establishing flow. Attending to Flow Theory and incorporating student experiences with flow into inquiry-based science lessons will enhance student motivation and achievement outcomes in science and bolster the success of inquiry-based science.

Principals’ perceptions of public schools’ professional development changes during NCLB

This study investigated public school principals’ reports of professional development implementation at the school level while working in different state- and local-level contexts (state accountability level, geographic locations, socioeconomic status, demographics, and grade levels). I attempted to measure principals’ reported changes in levels of teacher involvement and alignment of professional development with standards, student learning outcomes, school goals, resources, and district goals during No Child Left Behind (NCLB). Using two-level, Hierarchical Generalized Linear Proportional Odds modeling (HGLM-PO), and three pooled waves of a national sample from the Schools and Staffing Survey (National Center for Education Statistics, 2000, 2004, 2007), I implemented a quantitative, repeated cross-sectional, self-report, extant secondary survey analysis design. Principals reported a decrease in teachers’ planning and presentation of professional development during NCLB implementation across all settings, indicating a potential reduction in teachers’ participation in the professional development process. Principals who worked in urban, elementary, low-SES, and high minority school contexts were more likely to report teachers’ participation in the planning and presentation of professional development, but were also more likely to report an increase in the direction and alignment of professional development with school and district goals, standards, student achievement outcomes, and resources. There is evidence that a school community’s location, socioeconomic status, and school demographics plays a role in how schools may interpret accountability environments and implement teachers’ professional development. In all settings, school leaders need to purposefully focus on and retain collaborative professional development practices with teachers in the context of continued accountability pressures.

Achievement of Sixth-Grade Students with Military Parents Deployed to a War Zone Compared to Controls

Achievement of Sixth-Grade Students with Military Parents Deployed to a War Zone Compared to Controls Robert L. Ingram III, Ed.D. Abstract The need for accurate information about the achievement of students whose military parents are deployed to a war zone or whose military parents are eligible although not currently deployed to a war zone is important in order to ensure that we are providing for the educational wellbeing of these children as their parents defend our nations freedoms. The purpose of this posttest-only comparative efficacy study was to determine the achievement outcomes of sixth-grade students with a military parent deployed to a war zone (n = 10) or sixth-grade students with a military parent not deployed to a war zone (n = 10) compared to same school students whose parents have no military affiliation (n = 10).The study’s dependent measures were Academic achievement as measured by end of sixth-grade (1) Nebraska State Accountability Assessment Test-Math (NeSA-Math), (2) Nebraska State Accountability Assessment Test-Reading (NeSA-Reading), (3) Measure of Academic Performance-Math (MAPMath), (4) Measure of Academic Performance-Reading (MAP-Reading), (5) Research School District’s Descriptive Writing Assessment for (a) Ideas and Content, (b) Organization, (c) Voice, (d) Word Choice, (e) Sentence Fluency, and (f) Conventions, and (6) Research School District’s Essential Objectives for (a) Language, (b) Math, (c) Science, (d) Social Studies, (e) Health, (f) Physical Education, and (g) Music. The overall pattern of end of sixth-grade statistical equipoise between group comparisons indicated that the goal of educational wellbeing for these students of military families, and control group students alike, was being met and was reflected in measured proficient and advanced level performance requiring students’ day-to-day engagement at school and support at home. Full Text: PDF DOI: 10.15640/jehd.v6n1a6

Protocol for a systematic review: 21st century adaptive teaching and individualized learning operationalized as specific blends of student‐centered instructional events: a systematic review and meta‐analysis

Protocol for a systematic review: 21st century adaptive teaching and individualized learning operationalized as specific blends of student‐centered instructional events: a systematic review and meta‐analysis

Elementary mathematics specialists in “departmentalized” teaching assignments: Affordances and constraints

In this article, we describe the experiences of three Elementary Mathematics Specialists (EMS) who were part of a larger project investigating the impact of EMS certification and assignment (self-contained or “departmentalized”) on teaching practices and student achievement outcomes. All three of the teachers were “departmentalized,” in the sense that each was responsible for teaching mathematics to at least two groups of students, and accordingly, did not teach all subjects as would a typical self-contained elementary teacher. Each teacher had recently earned an Elementary Mathematics Specialist certificate through completion of a 24-credit, graduate-level program designed to build pedagogical content knowledge and leadership capacity in mathematics. Through a series of observations and interviews over the course of one school year, we examined how the teachers described and navigated specific affordances and constraints they encountered in their particular contexts. Common affordances included opportunities to revise and learn from instruction, and constraints included reduced flexibility introduced by the need to schedule multiple classes of mathematics. Despite these common features, we found important differences between the three models of departmentalization, which we describe as team approach, class swap, and grade-level mathematics teacher. For example, some of the models provided more opportunities for collaboration while others made it difficult for teachers to address potential inequities in learning opportunities across sections. Despite the constraints of their respective models, we found evidence of the EMS-certified teachers drawing on professional expertise in mathematics to meet student needs.

The Impact of a Standalone, Patient-centered Communication Course Series on Student Achievement, Preparedness, and Attitudes

Objective. To evaluate the impact of a standalone, patient-centered communication (PCC) course series on student achievement of and perceived preparedness for PCC skills and to assess student attitudes regarding learning methods used. Design. During curriculum renewal, a standalone PCC course series that integrated horizontally and vertically within the curriculum was developed. Student achievement of outcomes was evaluated by aggregate performance on simulated evaluations. Students who completed the PCC series were surveyed to assess preparedness and attitudes. Students in the prior curriculum were also surveyed. Assessment. The majority of students who completed the PCC series met or exceeded expectations for the simulated evaluations. Preparedness responses were more positive from students who completed the PCC series than from those who completed the prior curriculum. Student attitudes about the learning methods use in the courses also were more positive. Conclusion. The standalone PCC course series effectively achieved PCC outcomes and improved student preparedness for communication-based activities.