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Minnesota was one of two states (Massachusetts was the other) that participated in the most recently released Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) in 2007. A new Snapshot from the NCES International Data Explorer web page presents a summary of the Minnesota results.
Findings include:
• In grade 4 mathematics, five education systems (of 43 participating) had average scores higher than Minnesota;
• In grade 4 science, two education systems had higher average scores than Minnesota;
• In grade 8 mathematics, six education systems (of 56 participating) had higher average scores than Minnesota; and
• In grade 8 science, five education systems had higher average scores than Minnesota.
More information about the Minnesota student performance relative to international peers.
Monday, January 30, 2012
International assessment results for Massachusetts
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Massachusetts was one of two states (Minnesota being the other) that participated in the most recently released Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) in 2007.
Key Results:
In mathematics at grade 4, two education systems (Hong Kong-China and Singapore) had average scores higher than Massachusetts; they also had higher percentages of students reaching the Advanced International Benchmark. Two education systems (Chinese Taipei and Japan) had average scores not measurably different from Massachusetts; the same two, in addition to Kazakhstan and Minnesota, had percentages of students reaching the Advanced International Benchmark not measurably different from Massachusetts. Among other grade 4 mathematics results:
-The grade 4 mathematics average score for language minority students was higher in Kazakhstan than in Massachusetts, though Kazakhstan's overall average was lower than in Massachusetts.
In mathematics at grade 8, five education systems (Chinese Taipei, Rep. of Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong-China, and Japan) had higher average scores than Massachusetts; the same set of education systems had higher percentages of 8th-graders reaching the Advanced International Benchmark. All other education systems had lower average scores and lower percentages of students reaching the Advanced International Benchmark. Among other grade 8 mathematics results:
-The grade 8 mathematics average scores for language minority students and immigrant students were higher in British Columbia-Ca. than in Massachusetts, though British Columbia's overall average was lower than in Massachusetts.
In science at grade 4, Singapore was the only education system with a higher average score or with a higher percentage of students reaching the Advanced benchmark than Massachusetts (Singapore was higher on both measures). Among other grade 4 science results:
-In addition to Singapore, only Kazakhstan had a higher average score than Massachusetts among language minority students and only Hong Kong-China had a higher average score among immigrant students.
In science at grade 8, no countries had measurably higher average scores than Massachusetts. Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Japan, and the Republic of Korea had average scores not measurably different from Massachusetts. Among other grade 8 science results:
-Singapore and Chinese Taipei had higher percentages of 8th-graders reaching the Advanced International Benchmark in science than Massachusetts.
Complete results
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Massachusetts was one of two states (Minnesota being the other) that participated in the most recently released Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) in 2007.
Key Results:
In mathematics at grade 4, two education systems (Hong Kong-China and Singapore) had average scores higher than Massachusetts; they also had higher percentages of students reaching the Advanced International Benchmark. Two education systems (Chinese Taipei and Japan) had average scores not measurably different from Massachusetts; the same two, in addition to Kazakhstan and Minnesota, had percentages of students reaching the Advanced International Benchmark not measurably different from Massachusetts. Among other grade 4 mathematics results:
-The grade 4 mathematics average score for language minority students was higher in Kazakhstan than in Massachusetts, though Kazakhstan's overall average was lower than in Massachusetts.
In mathematics at grade 8, five education systems (Chinese Taipei, Rep. of Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong-China, and Japan) had higher average scores than Massachusetts; the same set of education systems had higher percentages of 8th-graders reaching the Advanced International Benchmark. All other education systems had lower average scores and lower percentages of students reaching the Advanced International Benchmark. Among other grade 8 mathematics results:
-The grade 8 mathematics average scores for language minority students and immigrant students were higher in British Columbia-Ca. than in Massachusetts, though British Columbia's overall average was lower than in Massachusetts.
In science at grade 4, Singapore was the only education system with a higher average score or with a higher percentage of students reaching the Advanced benchmark than Massachusetts (Singapore was higher on both measures). Among other grade 4 science results:
-In addition to Singapore, only Kazakhstan had a higher average score than Massachusetts among language minority students and only Hong Kong-China had a higher average score among immigrant students.
In science at grade 8, no countries had measurably higher average scores than Massachusetts. Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Japan, and the Republic of Korea had average scores not measurably different from Massachusetts. Among other grade 8 science results:
-Singapore and Chinese Taipei had higher percentages of 8th-graders reaching the Advanced International Benchmark in science than Massachusetts.
Complete results
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Good Kindergarten Attention Skills Predict Later Work-Oriented Behavior
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Attentiveness in kindergarten accurately predicts the development of "work-oriented" skills in school children, according to a new study published by Dr. Linda Pagani, a professor and researcher at the University of Montreal and CHU Sainte-Justine. The study, Relating Kindergarten Attention to Subsequent Developmental Pathways of Classroom Engagement in Elementary School, was published online by the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, (the official publication of the International Society for Research in Child and Adolescent Psychopathology), on January 13, 2011. Elementary school teachers made observations of attention skills in over a thousand kindergarten children. Then, from grades 1 to 6, homeroom teachers rated how well the children worked both autonomously and with fellow classmates, their levels of self-control and self-confidence, and their ability to follow directions and rules.
"For children, the classroom is the workplace, and this is why productive, task-oriented behaviour in that context later translates to the labour market," Pagani said. "Children who are more likely to work autonomously and harmoniously with fellow classmates, with good self-control and confidence, and who follow directions and rules are more likely to continue such productive behaviors into the adult workplace. In child psychology, we call this the developmental evolution of work-oriented skills, from childhood to adulthood."
All the children attended kindergarten in the poorest neighborhoods of Montreal, and their teachers used a carefully constructed observational scale to score them on their attentiveness skills. Over time, the researchers identified the evolution of three groups of children: those with high, medium, and low classroom engagement. All analyses were reviewed to take into account various explanations for the link that was observed between kindergarten attention and classroom engagement.
"Teachers spend many hours per day in school-related activities and can therefore reliably report on them," Pagani explained. The researchers found that boys, aggressive children, and children with lower cognitive skills in kindergarten were much more likely to belong to the low trajectory.
"There are important life risks associated with attention deficits in childhood, which include high-school dropout, unemployment, and problematic substance abuse. Pagani said. "Our findings make a compelling case for early identification and treatment of attention problems, as early remediation represents the least costly form of intervention. Universal approaches to bolstering attention skills in kindergarten might translate into stable and productive pathways toward learning."
The researchers noted that the next step would be to undertake further study into how specifically the classroom environment influences children's attention spans.
Attentiveness in kindergarten accurately predicts the development of "work-oriented" skills in school children, according to a new study published by Dr. Linda Pagani, a professor and researcher at the University of Montreal and CHU Sainte-Justine. The study, Relating Kindergarten Attention to Subsequent Developmental Pathways of Classroom Engagement in Elementary School, was published online by the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, (the official publication of the International Society for Research in Child and Adolescent Psychopathology), on January 13, 2011. Elementary school teachers made observations of attention skills in over a thousand kindergarten children. Then, from grades 1 to 6, homeroom teachers rated how well the children worked both autonomously and with fellow classmates, their levels of self-control and self-confidence, and their ability to follow directions and rules.
"For children, the classroom is the workplace, and this is why productive, task-oriented behaviour in that context later translates to the labour market," Pagani said. "Children who are more likely to work autonomously and harmoniously with fellow classmates, with good self-control and confidence, and who follow directions and rules are more likely to continue such productive behaviors into the adult workplace. In child psychology, we call this the developmental evolution of work-oriented skills, from childhood to adulthood."
All the children attended kindergarten in the poorest neighborhoods of Montreal, and their teachers used a carefully constructed observational scale to score them on their attentiveness skills. Over time, the researchers identified the evolution of three groups of children: those with high, medium, and low classroom engagement. All analyses were reviewed to take into account various explanations for the link that was observed between kindergarten attention and classroom engagement.
"Teachers spend many hours per day in school-related activities and can therefore reliably report on them," Pagani explained. The researchers found that boys, aggressive children, and children with lower cognitive skills in kindergarten were much more likely to belong to the low trajectory.
"There are important life risks associated with attention deficits in childhood, which include high-school dropout, unemployment, and problematic substance abuse. Pagani said. "Our findings make a compelling case for early identification and treatment of attention problems, as early remediation represents the least costly form of intervention. Universal approaches to bolstering attention skills in kindergarten might translate into stable and productive pathways toward learning."
The researchers noted that the next step would be to undertake further study into how specifically the classroom environment influences children's attention spans.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Effective Schools: Evidence from New York City
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Complete paper
Charter schools were developed, in part, to serve as an R&D engine for traditional public schools, resulting in a wide variety of school strategies and outcomes. In this paper, the authors collect unparalleled data on the inner-workings of 35 charter schools and correlate these data with credible estimates of each school's effectiveness.
They find that traditionally collected input measures -- class size, per pupil expenditure, the fraction of teachers with no certification, and the fraction of teachers with an advanced degree -- are not correlated with school effectiveness.
In stark contrast, they show that an index of five policies suggested by over forty years of qualitative research -- frequent teacher feedback, the use of data to guide instruction, high-dosage tutoring, increased instructional time, and high expectations -- explains approximately 50 percent of the variation in school effectiveness. Their results are robust to controls for three alternative theories of schooling: a model emphasizing the provision of wrap-around services, a model focused on teacher selection and retention, and the "No Excuses'' model of education.
They conclude by showing that their index provides similar results in a separate sample of charter schools.
Interesting discussion of this study here.
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Complete paper
Charter schools were developed, in part, to serve as an R&D engine for traditional public schools, resulting in a wide variety of school strategies and outcomes. In this paper, the authors collect unparalleled data on the inner-workings of 35 charter schools and correlate these data with credible estimates of each school's effectiveness.
They find that traditionally collected input measures -- class size, per pupil expenditure, the fraction of teachers with no certification, and the fraction of teachers with an advanced degree -- are not correlated with school effectiveness.
In stark contrast, they show that an index of five policies suggested by over forty years of qualitative research -- frequent teacher feedback, the use of data to guide instruction, high-dosage tutoring, increased instructional time, and high expectations -- explains approximately 50 percent of the variation in school effectiveness. Their results are robust to controls for three alternative theories of schooling: a model emphasizing the provision of wrap-around services, a model focused on teacher selection and retention, and the "No Excuses'' model of education.
They conclude by showing that their index provides similar results in a separate sample of charter schools.
Interesting discussion of this study here.
Ω
Friday, January 27, 2012
Record Number of Children Enrolled in Private School Choice Programs this Year
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More than 210,000 children are participating in publicly funded private school choice programs across the nation, according to the School Choice Yearbook 2011-12 released by the Alliance for School Choice.
The Alliance’s annual Yearbook, entitled School Choice Now: The Year of School Choice, is a collection of the nation’s most accurate data on private school choice programs across the country. The 2011-12 edition, which was coauthored by Alliance Communications Manager Michelle Gininger, contains an analysis of trends and information regarding school choice, a directory of the accountability provisions and requirements for each of the 27 private school choice programs, and a chronicle of the events from the past year.
Among the findings:
- School choice programs in the United States have grown nearly 25 percent since 2007.
- Seven new programs were enacted last year, including a new program in Indiana that boasted the highest first-year enrollment ever for a voucher plan. Of the new programs, there are four voucher programs, one scholarship tax credit program, one individual tuition tax credit, and one education savings account program—a new program that lets parents use education dollars on a variety of educational tools.
- Ten of the 27 school choice programs are specifically tailored to serve children with special needs, benefiting almost 30,000 students nationwide.
- Nearly all of the children participating in America’s school choice programs come from low- or middle-income families or are students with special needs.
- Florida is home to the greatest number of students who benefit from school choice, with 65,000 students participants in the state’s two existing programs.
- Two states—Ohio and Arizona—have four school choice programs each.
In step with what The Wall Street Journal has dubbed as “The Year of School Choice,” the Yearbook chronicles not only the new programs, but how significant expansions everywhere from Wisconsin to Georgia to Washington, D.C. made 2011 such a breakthrough year.
“It was unquestionably a remarkable year in the fight to give educational opportunities to low-income families,” said Yearbook coauthor Malcom Glenn, the national director of communications at the Alliance. “The gains of 2011 give us great momentum towards helping even more kids in the year ahead.”
More than 210,000 children are participating in publicly funded private school choice programs across the nation, according to the School Choice Yearbook 2011-12 released by the Alliance for School Choice.
The Alliance’s annual Yearbook, entitled School Choice Now: The Year of School Choice, is a collection of the nation’s most accurate data on private school choice programs across the country. The 2011-12 edition, which was coauthored by Alliance Communications Manager Michelle Gininger, contains an analysis of trends and information regarding school choice, a directory of the accountability provisions and requirements for each of the 27 private school choice programs, and a chronicle of the events from the past year.
Among the findings:
- School choice programs in the United States have grown nearly 25 percent since 2007.
- Seven new programs were enacted last year, including a new program in Indiana that boasted the highest first-year enrollment ever for a voucher plan. Of the new programs, there are four voucher programs, one scholarship tax credit program, one individual tuition tax credit, and one education savings account program—a new program that lets parents use education dollars on a variety of educational tools.
- Ten of the 27 school choice programs are specifically tailored to serve children with special needs, benefiting almost 30,000 students nationwide.
- Nearly all of the children participating in America’s school choice programs come from low- or middle-income families or are students with special needs.
- Florida is home to the greatest number of students who benefit from school choice, with 65,000 students participants in the state’s two existing programs.
- Two states—Ohio and Arizona—have four school choice programs each.
In step with what The Wall Street Journal has dubbed as “The Year of School Choice,” the Yearbook chronicles not only the new programs, but how significant expansions everywhere from Wisconsin to Georgia to Washington, D.C. made 2011 such a breakthrough year.
“It was unquestionably a remarkable year in the fight to give educational opportunities to low-income families,” said Yearbook coauthor Malcom Glenn, the national director of communications at the Alliance. “The gains of 2011 give us great momentum towards helping even more kids in the year ahead.”
Where Should Student Teachers Learn to Teach? Effects of Field Placement School Characteristics on Teacher Retention and Effectiveness
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This study is motivated by an ongoing debate about the kinds of schools that make for the best field placements during pre-service preparation. On the one hand, easier-to-staff schools may support teacher learning because they are typically better-functioning institutions that offer desirable teaching conditions. On the other hand, such field placements may leave new teachers unprepared to work in difficult-to-staff schools and with underserved student populations that need high quality teachers the most.
Using administrative and survey data on almost 3,000 New York City teachers, their students, and their schools, this study finds that learning to teach in easier-to-staff field placement schools has positive effects on teacher retention and student achievement gains, even for teachers who end up working in the hardest-to-staff schools. The proportion of poor, minority, and low-achieving students in field placements is unrelated to later teacher effectiveness and retention suggesting something beyond student populations explain these results.
This study is motivated by an ongoing debate about the kinds of schools that make for the best field placements during pre-service preparation. On the one hand, easier-to-staff schools may support teacher learning because they are typically better-functioning institutions that offer desirable teaching conditions. On the other hand, such field placements may leave new teachers unprepared to work in difficult-to-staff schools and with underserved student populations that need high quality teachers the most.
Using administrative and survey data on almost 3,000 New York City teachers, their students, and their schools, this study finds that learning to teach in easier-to-staff field placement schools has positive effects on teacher retention and student achievement gains, even for teachers who end up working in the hardest-to-staff schools. The proportion of poor, minority, and low-achieving students in field placements is unrelated to later teacher effectiveness and retention suggesting something beyond student populations explain these results.
Algebra A Challenge at the Crossroads of Policy and Practice
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The authors of this study review what is known about early and universal algebra, including who is getting access to algebra and student outcomes associated with algebra course taking in general and specifically with universal algebra policies. The findings indicate that increasing numbers of students, some of whom are underprepared, are taking algebra earlier. At the same time, other students with requisite skills are not given access to algebra. Although studies using nationally representative data indicate strong positive outcomes for students who take algebra early, studies conducted only in contexts where all students are mandated to take algebra in eighth or ninth grade provide mixed evidence of positive outcomes, with increased achievement when policies include strong supports for struggling students.
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The authors of this study review what is known about early and universal algebra, including who is getting access to algebra and student outcomes associated with algebra course taking in general and specifically with universal algebra policies. The findings indicate that increasing numbers of students, some of whom are underprepared, are taking algebra earlier. At the same time, other students with requisite skills are not given access to algebra. Although studies using nationally representative data indicate strong positive outcomes for students who take algebra early, studies conducted only in contexts where all students are mandated to take algebra in eighth or ninth grade provide mixed evidence of positive outcomes, with increased achievement when policies include strong supports for struggling students.
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