This annotated bibliography is reformatted and customized by the Center for Positive Practices. Some of the authors featured on this page include Suzanne C. Hartman, Laura Scholes, Jessica J. De Feyter, Jerome Levitt, Reed Stevens, Trena Salcedo-Gonzalez, Erik W. Robelen, Chad West, Lisa Guisbond, and Marisa L. Bier.
(2012). The Effects of Increased Accountability Standards on Graduation Rates for Students with Disabilities, ProQuest LLC. This research sought to determine if unintended effects of increased accountability standards on graduation rates for students with disabilities existed. Data from one southeastern state were utilized in order to determine if graduation rates were impacted as a result of higher accountability standards. In addition, administrator attitudes on views of "NCLB," high-stakes testing of students with disabilities, strategies initiated to exclude students with disabilities from high-stakes tests, and inclusion of all students with disabilities in the growth model. Archival data from 2001 and 2010 were used to compare pre and post graduation rates for significant differences. Survey results were collected from high school principals and directors of special education in order to answer research questions regarding attitudes of administrators. Open-ended questions revealed additional information on administrator attitudes regarding leadership practices, prioritization of special education, inclusion of all students with disabilities in the growth model, and instruction of students with disabilities. The results indicated a decline in graduation rates for all students as well as the sub-group of students with disabilities. Additionally, statistical tests revealed an interaction between the groups and years. Historical data confirm that students with disabilities graduate at lower rates than their non-disabled peers. However, the results of this study indicate the gap between these two groups has widened. These findings are alarming for several reasons including possible future social and economic impacts for these students as well as the United States. No statistical difference was found between attitudes of principals and directors of special education. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: www.proquest.com/en-US/products/disserta… [More] Descriptors: Accountability, Academic Standards, Graduation Rate, Disabilities
(2012). Coming to Schools: Creativity Indexes, Education Week. At a time when U.S. political and business leaders are raising concerns about the need to better nurture creativity and innovative thinking among young people, several states are exploring the development of an index that would gauge the extent to which schools provide opportunities to foster those qualities. In Massachusetts, a new state commission began meeting last fall to draft recommendations for such an index for all public schools, in response to a legislative requirement. Meanwhile, a California Senate panel last month approved a bill calling for the development of a voluntary Creative and Innovative Education Index. And Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin recently announced plans for a public-private partnership to produce the Oklahoma Innovative Index for schools, which she described as a "public measurement of the opportunities for our students to engage in innovative work." Advocates say the idea is to promote a better balance in the curriculum, as well as campus offerings before and after school, especially in the era of high-stakes testing in reading and math. The Massachusetts legislation calls for an index that would "rate every public school on teaching, encouraging, and fostering creativity in students" and be based "in part on the creative opportunities in each school." Many advocates acknowledge the challenges of creating an index that doesn't turn into a mere checklist or become viewed as punitive. Alicia A. Priest, the vice president of the Oklahoma Education Association, expressed mixed feelings about the concept. She noted concerns about using the approach to publicly measure schools, and even prefers to call the mechanism a "framework" instead of an index. [More] Descriptors: Creativity, Measures (Individuals), Public Schools, Testing
(2012). Child, Family, and Childcare Predictors of Delayed School Entry and Kindergarten Retention among Linguistically and Ethnically Diverse Children, Developmental Psychology. Concern about kindergarten retention is on the rise within the current climate of high-stakes testing and escalating kindergarten expectations. Kindergarten retention has been linked in previous research to various risk factors such as poverty, low maternal education, single parent status, minority status, English language learner (ELL) status, and male gender. However, these factors are also associated with poor school readiness and low kindergarten performance–the very reasons children are retained in the 1st place. This study teases apart unique and combined predictors of delayed entry into kindergarten and kindergarten retention with a large (n = 13,191) ethnically diverse, at-risk sample of children. Delayed kindergarten entry was rare for this sample but more likely among boys, native English speakers, those with poorer school readiness, less maternal education, and greater resources, and those who attended childcare rather than public school prekindergarten (pre-K) at age 4 years. Boys were more likely to be retained in kindergarten, but only because of their poorer school readiness. After strong effects for age 4 school readiness were controlled, only poverty, ELL status, and preschool program attendance predicted retention. ELL students were less likely to be retained than were native speakers, and those who attended public school pre-K programs were less likely to be retained, compared with those in childcare at age 4 years. After controlling for children's actual performance in kindergarten their 1st time, Caucasian children and children with lower language and social skills at age 4 years were more likely to repeat kindergarten. [More] Descriptors: High Stakes Tests, School Readiness, Kindergarten, Preschool Education
(2012). Supporting Older Students' Reading, Educational Leadership. According to a 2010 report by ACT, "Only 31 percent of students are performing at a college-and-career reading level with respect to successfully understanding complex text" (p. 5). This statistic demonstrates what educators know: Middle and high school students face numerous challenges in reading, understanding, connecting to, and remembering information in textbooks and literature. Content-area teachers need a toolbox of strategies to support them. ACT researchers recommend that schools strengthen the reading instruction capacity of content-area specialists. But in a world of high-stakes testing, grade-level expectations, and district scope and sequence, how can classroom teachers add reading instruction to their responsibilities? In the authors' district, secondary teachers haven't had to face this question alone. In 2010, their district, which is in St. Louis, Missouri, received a grant to create a "best-practices reading cadre." Twenty-eight 6th through 12th grade teachers–representing five content areas–met as a professional learning community throughout the 2010-11 school year and supported one another in implementing reading strategies in their classrooms. Kim was one of this cadre, and Joanne recruited teachers for the group and advised the group along the way. They focused on six strategies designed to strengthen vocabulary development, deepen reading comprehension, and increase students' memory of what they read: (1) direct, explicit instruction in vocabulary; (2) note taking; (3) interactive lecture techniques; (4) compare and contrast methods; (5) formative and summative assessments; and (6) inductive reasoning and inferential skills. The group created a time line for implementing each strategy at the same time within their classrooms, switching to a different strategy every six weeks. This plan enabled them to coordinate data collection on the effectiveness of each practice and to periodically report back to the group. This article examines how their cadre tried three practices: vocabulary instruction, note taking, and inductive reasoning. [More] Descriptors: Teaching Conditions, Reading Instruction, Time Management, Secondary School Teachers
(2012). Assessment in Finnish Schools, Journal of Mathematics Education at Teachers College. The Finnish National Board of Education has been publishing guidelines for the evaluation of student learning in the comprehensive school since the 1970s. This evaluation is two-fold: 1) during school it guides and supports students along their academic paths and 2) at the conclusion of the comprehensive school it expresses each student's level of proficiency to the larger community. The Finnish educational authorities conduct sample-based assessments, which are used as a basis for program improvements. They do not, however, endorse high-stakes, total cohort testing. Instead of external measures of accountability, the emphasis is on trust. [More] Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Mathematics, Mathematics Instruction, Mathematics Education
(2012). Homogeneous Grouping in the Context of High-Stakes Testing: Does It Improve Reading Achievement?, ProQuest LLC. As accountability reform intensifies, urban school districts strive to meet No Child Left Behind mandates to avoid severe penalties. This study investigated the resurgence of homogeneous grouping methods as a means to increase reading achievement and meet English Language Arts Adequate Yearly Progress requirements. Specifically, this study investigated the relationship between achievement grouping methods and reading achievement as well as the differential effect that it may have on Latino students in particular. A multi-level analysis was designed to examine the relationship between achievement grouping methods and reading achievement for a cohort of fourth-grade students. A hierarchical linear model was utilized to analyze the data and control for student and teacher characteristics. Students' ethnicity, prior reading achievement, gender, and socioeconomic status, as well as teachers' ethnicity, achievement grouping methods, and years of teaching experience were controlled. Descriptive statistics were also included to show the association between students' characteristics (gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status) and reading achievement growth. The Hierarchical Linear Model found that there is no difference in reading achievement between students enrolled in homogeneous or heterogeneous classes. This study also found that achievement grouping methods did not have a differential effect on Latino students in comparison to non-Latino students. However, it did find that Latino students continued to experience less reading achievement growth in comparison to their peers. The chi square test of independence also showed ethnicity and socioeconomic status to be associated with lower reading achievement. Based on these results, this study challenged the notion that leveling students for instruction leads to positive reading achievement outcomes. It does not enable lower performing students to excel nor has it been shown to equalize education. Even with the best intentions in mind, homogeneous grouping does little to improve student achievement. This study's findings also urge educational leaders to reexamine their school reform efforts to ensure that all students benefit academically, especially those who have been historically marginalized. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: www.proquest.com/en-US/products/disserta… [More] Descriptors: Homogeneous Grouping, High Stakes Tests, Reading Achievement, Reading Improvement
(2012). NCLB's Lost Decade for Educational Progress: What Can We Learn from this Policy Failure?, National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest). Ten years have passed since President George W. Bush signed No Child Left Behind (NCLB), making it the educational law of the land. A review of a decade of evidence demonstrates that NCLB has failed badly both in terms of its own goals and more broadly. It has neither significantly increased academic performance nor significantly reduced achievement gaps, even as measured by standardized exams. In fact, because of its misguided reliance on one-size-fits-all testing, labeling and sanctioning schools, it has undermined many education reform efforts. Many schools, particularly those serving low-income students, have become little more than test-preparation programs. Despite a decade's worth of solid evidence documenting the failure of NCLB and similar high-stakes testing schemes, and despite mounting evidence from the U.S. and other nations about how to improve schools, policymakers cling to discredited models. This is particularly tragic for families who hoped their children's long wait for equal educational opportunity might be ending. It is also tragic for public education system, whose reputation has been sullied by promises not kept and expensive intervention schemes that do more harm than good. It is not too late to revisit the lessons of the past ten years and construct a federal law that provides support for equity and progress in all public schools. With that goal in mind, this report first provides an overview of the evidence on NCLB's track record. Second, it looks at recent efforts at NCLB "reform" and what past evidence says about their likely outcomes. Finally, it points to alternative strategies that could form the basis for a reauthorized federal law that would improve all schools, particularly those serving the most needy students. (Contains 1 figure and 2 footnotes.) [This paper was written with Monty Neill and Bob Schaeffer.] [More] Descriptors: Federal Legislation, Testing Programs, Academic Achievement, High Stakes Tests
(2012). High-Stakes Testing for Students with Mathematics Difficulty: Response Format Effects in Mathematics Problem Solving, Learning Disability Quarterly. Students with disabilities are frequently granted accommodations for high-stakes standardized tests to provide them an opportunity to demonstrate their academic knowledge without interference from their disability. One type of possible accommodation, test response format, concerns whether students respond in multiple-choice or constructed-response format. An experimental study was conducted to assess the performance differences of third-grade students with mathematics difficulty on a test of mathematics problem solving as a function of response format. Students responding in the multiple-choice format had a significant advantage over students answering in the constructed-response format. [More] Descriptors: High Stakes Tests, Standardized Tests, Problem Solving, Mathematics Achievement
(2012). A Quantitative Study Comparing the Academic Achievement of Seventh Grade Reading Students Exposed to Two Types of Reading Strategies, ProQuest LLC. Many middle school students are not achieving the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) at individual schools in North Carolina. A consequence of continual failure to reach AYP goals is the withdrawal of Title 1 funding. Since federal funds are an integral part of nearly half of the public schools in North Carolina, it is imperative that students improve standardized test scores and reach or exceed AYP goals. Through high-stakes testing and new legislation, individual teachers and schools have become accountable for student performance and progress. Teachers must engage students in interesting, active learning, such as visual art activities, especially at the middle school level in order to succeed on standardized tests. One way for teachers to meet the diverse needs and interests of North Carolina's students is through an arts-based multiple intelligence approach. The causal comparative study contributed to knowledge to the field of education, because the literature addressing the integration of the arts with pubescent middle school students, particularly in reading instruction is lacking. Results of the quantitative study, a comparison of standardized reading tests scores, sought to determine the existence of a relationship between an arts-based curriculum and middle school students' test performance. Implications of multiple intelligence theory for educators and teaching styles are important in education because it addresses performance, as well as exploration and creativity. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: www.proquest.com/en-US/products/disserta… [More] Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Middle School Students, Grade 7, Reading Achievement
(2012). Designs for Simultaneous Renewal in University-Public School Partnerships: Hitting the "Sweet Spot", Teacher Education Quarterly. The promise of university-public school partnerships as contexts for mutually beneficial learning, or "simultaneous renewal," has been well established (Goodlad, 1994, 1999). However, difficulties in creating and sustaining these kinds of collaborative contexts for teacher education are also well known, including practical challenges such as time and distance, as well as the nuanced and layered tensions between institutional missions, cultures, and practices (Mantle-Bromley, 2002; Teitel, 1997). Contemporary efforts to create and sustain university-public school partnerships are further complicated by dramatically increased accountability pressures arising from No Child Left Behind (NCLB). Discretionary time for public educators is a scarce and dwindling resource. As high stakes testing and related accountability pressures increase on institutions of higher education, chronic shortages of resources to support collaborative work with public school partners are a widely acknowledged fact of life in partnership work. In the context of these kinds of institutional pressures it is clear that collaborative partnership work must be carefully designed to yield visible and valued benefits for both university and public school-based educators (Yendol-Hoppey, League, Gregory, Ohlson, & Jackson, 2006). In this article, the authors describe a design strategy aimed at creating shared opportunities for teacher learning and development, including the learning of university faculty, that may be embedded in practical activities related to the analysis of P-12 student work. The authors offer three illustrations of how they have used this strategy to design shared contexts for learning that are relevant to the (differing) needs of teacher candidates, public school colleagues and university faculty. [More] [More] Descriptors: Public Schools, College School Cooperation, Partnerships in Education, Teacher Education Programs
(2012). Engaging the Creative Arts to Meet the Needs of Twenty-First-Century Boys, International Journal of Inclusive Education. As we navigate through a new form of economic era where science, technology, knowledge and services will replace consumer goods as drivers of growth, and the workplace will increasingly value creative abilities, there appears a need for an educational paradigm shift. However, within an Australian context of increasing school accountability, a great deal of emphasis is placed on standards vis-a-vis improving literacy and numeracy skills for students, and measured by high-stake testing. This current Australian agenda is also part of an ongoing concern for improving the educational outcomes and life chances of boys. Through a social justice lens, this paper offers an exploration of how an innovative and creative arts curriculum has the potential to engage and enhance educational outcomes for all students, particularly for boys who are at risk of underachieving. First, this paper offers an explanation of the changing nature of workplace trajectories and the significance of the creative arts in this shifting economic era. Concurrently, as we prepare students for an unknown future, this paper examines how engagement in the creative arts has the potential to facilitate emerging understandings about learning while providing opportunities to develop learner engagement, motivation, cognitive capacities and academic achievement. Second, while avoiding essentialist accounts of gender and recuperative masculinity politics, we recognise that "some" boys are underachieving in schools and that these boys are often from lower socioeconomic communities. We also recognise that many of these boys are disengaged and invest considerable energy performing masculinities that are in opposition to, and resistant to, the formal processes of schooling including participation in the creative arts. Third, we draw on findings from recent research, including a doctoral study, to discuss perceived barriers to boys' engagement with the creative arts and implications for educational practice. [More] Descriptors: Learner Engagement, Social Justice, Accountability, Outcomes of Education
(2012). The Effects of High-Stakes Testing Policy on Arts Education, Arts Education Policy Review. This study examined high-stakes test scores for 37,222 eighth grade students enrolled in music and/or visual arts classes and those students not enrolled in arts courses. Students enrolled in music had significantly higher mean scores than those not enrolled in music (p less than 0.001). Results for visual arts and dual arts were not as conclusive. Further research is required to determine the effectiveness of academic remediation held during the instructional day that thereby denies arts instruction to students. The practice of recommending that students devote more time to English and math in lieu of music should be evaluated. [More] Descriptors: Art Education, Music Education, High Stakes Tests, Scores
(2012). The Rise and Demise of the SAT: The University of California Generates Change for College Admissions, American Educational History Journal. Over the past few months, news about the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) has made national headlines and not in a good way: "Large SAT Score Decline Shows Failure of No Child Left Behind and State High-Stakes Testing Strategy" (FairTest 2011); "Eshaghoff, Emory University Student, Allegedly Took SAT For Other Students" (Huffington Post 2011); and "SAT cheating scheme uncovered; 7 arrested" (Strauss 2011). Testing and assessment have gotten out of control. Since the SAT is factored into the college admission process, it becomes is painfully obvious the system needs an overhaul. Today, the SAT is "utilized in some capacity by nearly every selective institution in the country as a measure of a student's ability" (Epstein 2009, 9). However, it seems that these selective institutions may be using the SAT for purposes other than predicting academic success of admitted students. Does the SAT have a future? It depends. However, it seems that the SAT of old is not a useful tool for the admission process if the SAT continues to state that the test predicts college success. The SAT subject tests are better indicators of future success, but even those do not evaluate a student as well as his/her high school grades. If the SAT is a tipping factor for some applicants, it may be of some use for admission. However, it seems that the University of California (UC) system is headed in the right direction. It decided, "SAT Subject Tests will not be required for fall 2012 admission or beyond, [although] some campuses recommend that students vying for slots in competitive majors take the tests to demonstrate subject proficiency." For state universities and colleges, a change in high school curriculum may be useful in college admissions. [More] Descriptors: High Stakes Tests, College Entrance Examinations, Test Score Decline, Prediction
(2012). Issues in Education: U.S. Campaign to Save Our Schools, Childhood Education. Participating in the Save Our School march was an inspiring event, the reverberating impact from which will be long-lasting. The march, which was endorsed by the Executive Board of Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI), was an effort to call awareness to the struggles that public education faces in the United States. The guiding principles for the Save Our Schools Campaign are the following: (1) equitable funding for all public school communities; (2) an end to high-stakes testing used for the purpose of student, teacher, and school evaluation; (3) teacher, family, and community leadership in forming public education policies; and (4) curriculum developed for and by local school communities. The Save Our Schools March was a gathering of citizens, predominantly teachers, from all over the United States, who realized that the current policies and laws have not considered the voice of the teacher or the child; thus, these policies and laws are having a negative effect on children's learning. The participants were there to help shape public opinion about public schools in the United States. As President of ACEI, the author will remain steadfast in bringing attention to the stories of teachers and children, who deserve to be active participants in their own teaching and learning. Following the inspiration of former ACEI leaders, she implores every ACEI member to critically reflect on what it means to be an engaged citizen in one's own country, and, indeed, the world. In the end, when educators are unified with a global perspective, they can collectively work together for the positive development of children in order to move meaningfully toward a more peaceful world. [More] Descriptors: Public Education, Global Approach, Educational Principles, Public Opinion
(2012). Teaching Music in an Era of High-Stakes Testing and Budget Reductions, Arts Education Policy Review. Prior research suggests that the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is having an adverse effect on school music programs, particularly in schools that have not made "adequate yearly progress." In many instances, music programs are being reduced or eliminated, music teachers are being required to assist with the teaching of other subjects, academically low-achieving students are being precluded from participating in music, and the overall time allotted for music is being reduced. Because the arts are excluded from NCLB's list of tested subjects–that is, subjects for which schools are held accountable–music has been relegated to a noncore status, even though the law identifies the arts as a core academic subject. This article discusses changing paradigms within music education and how some music teachers are adapting to these shifts. [More] Descriptors: Music Education, Music, Federal Legislation, Educational Improvement