Predictors of Success: Linking Student Achievement to School and Educator Successes through Professional Learning
This study show how some schools have seen a dramatic increase in student achievement after developing a strong, online professional learning program.
Assessment in higher education final draft 05-11-16 (1) finalmidhat12
The document discusses assessment in higher education in South Africa. It provides context on changes to the higher education system after apartheid. It then discusses various theories and methods of assessment, including formative, summative, and integrative assessment as well as teacher assessments. It notes issues influencing assessment practices in South Africa, such as plagiarism and the need for cost-effective methods. Overall, the document analyzes the state of assessment in South African higher education and argues for a shift towards developing assessment to improve the learning process and support self-regulated learning.
Quantitative External Project: Kentucky Professional Development Framework Im...LMweas
This study examined the relationship between classroom settings (child care, head start, or public preschool) and the extent to which educators implemented what they learned from training in their classrooms. The study analyzed data from 198 educators in Kentucky. Chi-square tests found no significant relationship between the classroom setting and implementation of training. Further, Cramer's V effect size showed only a weak relationship between the variables. While the variables were independent, the study contributed to understanding how Kentucky's professional development framework and educators' training levels impact program quality and child outcomes.
THE IMPACT OF SIMULATION ON TEACHING EFFECTIVENESS AND STUDENT LEARNING PERFO...IJITE
Simulation Strategy Is Increasingly Becoming A Popular Educational Tool In The Production Of Highly Qualified Professionals In The Field Of Education, Health, And Applied Sciences. Particularly, The Strategy Helps Improve Teaching Practice Effectiveness And Student Learning Performance. This Research Paper Aimed At Investigating The Effectiveness Of Simulation In Teaching And Student Learning Performance In The University Context. The Study Was Important Since It Highlighted How Different Kinds Of Simulation Improve Teaching Practice Effectiveness And Student Learning Performance. The Explanatory Research Design Was Used In This Research Where Data Was Collected Using Close-Ended Questionnaires Designed To Utilize Likert Scale Described In The Methodology Section. The Study Targeted 150 Student Participants. However, Only 134 Students Filled And Returned Their Questionnaires. Both Descriptive And Statistical Analysis Techniques Were Applied In This Research. Descriptive Statistics, Particularly Percentages Were Used In Describing Participant Information. Also, Statistical Analysis Was Used In Determining Reliability Of The Questionnaire As Well As For Hypothesis Testing. The Study Indicated That Social Process Simulation, Diagnostic Simulation, And Data Management Simulation Have A Statistically Significant Positive Relationship With Teaching Practice Effectiveness And Student Learning Performance. Based On The Findings, It Was Concluded And Recommended That Teachers And Students Should Accept The Use Of Simulation In Their Classroom To Enhance Their Classroom Outcomes.
This document discusses using data to drive instruction in Title 1 schools. It emphasizes that data about teacher-student relationships, discipline, attendance, climate and resources can guide administrators and educators. An effective data plan considers factors impacting student learning, collects and analyzes different types of data, and uses the analysis to inform decisions. The document also stresses that schools need resources to properly collect and analyze data, especially behavioral data, and they must implement changes based on the data analysis for it to be effective.
Factors influencing academic achievement in quantitative courses among busine...Alexander Decker
This document summarizes a study that examined factors influencing the academic achievement of business students in quantitative courses at private higher education institutions in South Africa. A questionnaire was administered to 119 students to understand how lecturer competence, teaching methods, quality of learning materials, minimum admission criteria, and mathematics aptitude impacted their performance. The results of the analysis found that lecturer competence, teaching methods, and quality of learning materials had a significant positive influence on students' academic achievement, while mathematics aptitude and minimum admission criteria did not significantly influence achievement.
Designing an evaluation of a tertiary preparatory program soundsphysrcd
The document discusses designing an evaluation of a tertiary preparatory program within a university context. It outlines the benefits of evaluating the program, including identifying areas for improvement and assessing whether the program's objectives are being met. It then describes challenges first-year university students often face and the program's aims to address these challenges. Finally, it proposes a mixed-methods evaluation approach utilizing surveys, academic performance tracking, observations, and focus groups to evaluate the program's effects on students and staff.
Designing an evaluation of a tertiary preparatory program soundsphysrcd
The document summarizes the design of an evaluation plan for a tertiary preparatory program in schools. The plan aims to assess the program's effectiveness in improving students' motivation, skills and career decision-making. It involves collecting academic performance data, student journals, observations and focus groups. Staff surveys and a SWOT analysis will also gather feedback. Ethical considerations like informed consent and confidentiality are discussed.
Assessment in higher education final draft 05-11-16 (1) finalmidhat12
The document discusses assessment in higher education in South Africa. It provides context on changes to the higher education system after apartheid. It then discusses various theories and methods of assessment, including formative, summative, and integrative assessment as well as teacher assessments. It notes issues influencing assessment practices in South Africa, such as plagiarism and the need for cost-effective methods. Overall, the document analyzes the state of assessment in South African higher education and argues for a shift towards developing assessment to improve the learning process and support self-regulated learning.
Quantitative External Project: Kentucky Professional Development Framework Im...LMweas
This study examined the relationship between classroom settings (child care, head start, or public preschool) and the extent to which educators implemented what they learned from training in their classrooms. The study analyzed data from 198 educators in Kentucky. Chi-square tests found no significant relationship between the classroom setting and implementation of training. Further, Cramer's V effect size showed only a weak relationship between the variables. While the variables were independent, the study contributed to understanding how Kentucky's professional development framework and educators' training levels impact program quality and child outcomes.
THE IMPACT OF SIMULATION ON TEACHING EFFECTIVENESS AND STUDENT LEARNING PERFO...IJITE
Simulation Strategy Is Increasingly Becoming A Popular Educational Tool In The Production Of Highly Qualified Professionals In The Field Of Education, Health, And Applied Sciences. Particularly, The Strategy Helps Improve Teaching Practice Effectiveness And Student Learning Performance. This Research Paper Aimed At Investigating The Effectiveness Of Simulation In Teaching And Student Learning Performance In The University Context. The Study Was Important Since It Highlighted How Different Kinds Of Simulation Improve Teaching Practice Effectiveness And Student Learning Performance. The Explanatory Research Design Was Used In This Research Where Data Was Collected Using Close-Ended Questionnaires Designed To Utilize Likert Scale Described In The Methodology Section. The Study Targeted 150 Student Participants. However, Only 134 Students Filled And Returned Their Questionnaires. Both Descriptive And Statistical Analysis Techniques Were Applied In This Research. Descriptive Statistics, Particularly Percentages Were Used In Describing Participant Information. Also, Statistical Analysis Was Used In Determining Reliability Of The Questionnaire As Well As For Hypothesis Testing. The Study Indicated That Social Process Simulation, Diagnostic Simulation, And Data Management Simulation Have A Statistically Significant Positive Relationship With Teaching Practice Effectiveness And Student Learning Performance. Based On The Findings, It Was Concluded And Recommended That Teachers And Students Should Accept The Use Of Simulation In Their Classroom To Enhance Their Classroom Outcomes.
This document discusses using data to drive instruction in Title 1 schools. It emphasizes that data about teacher-student relationships, discipline, attendance, climate and resources can guide administrators and educators. An effective data plan considers factors impacting student learning, collects and analyzes different types of data, and uses the analysis to inform decisions. The document also stresses that schools need resources to properly collect and analyze data, especially behavioral data, and they must implement changes based on the data analysis for it to be effective.
Factors influencing academic achievement in quantitative courses among busine...Alexander Decker
This document summarizes a study that examined factors influencing the academic achievement of business students in quantitative courses at private higher education institutions in South Africa. A questionnaire was administered to 119 students to understand how lecturer competence, teaching methods, quality of learning materials, minimum admission criteria, and mathematics aptitude impacted their performance. The results of the analysis found that lecturer competence, teaching methods, and quality of learning materials had a significant positive influence on students' academic achievement, while mathematics aptitude and minimum admission criteria did not significantly influence achievement.
Designing an evaluation of a tertiary preparatory program soundsphysrcd
The document discusses designing an evaluation of a tertiary preparatory program within a university context. It outlines the benefits of evaluating the program, including identifying areas for improvement and assessing whether the program's objectives are being met. It then describes challenges first-year university students often face and the program's aims to address these challenges. Finally, it proposes a mixed-methods evaluation approach utilizing surveys, academic performance tracking, observations, and focus groups to evaluate the program's effects on students and staff.
Designing an evaluation of a tertiary preparatory program soundsphysrcd
The document summarizes the design of an evaluation plan for a tertiary preparatory program in schools. The plan aims to assess the program's effectiveness in improving students' motivation, skills and career decision-making. It involves collecting academic performance data, student journals, observations and focus groups. Staff surveys and a SWOT analysis will also gather feedback. Ethical considerations like informed consent and confidentiality are discussed.
American education is facing challenges including budget cuts, increased standards, and high teacher attrition. Effective talent management can help districts improve teacher effectiveness and retention by providing personalized learning, tracking performance, and supporting career growth. Integrated talent management systems allow districts to deliver differentiated instruction to educators through all stages of their career. These systems make talent management more efficient and data-driven while empowering teachers with customized development opportunities. Case studies show districts that implement talent management software see benefits like increased compliance, insight into training needs, and improved outcomes.
The document summarizes a study that examined Malaysian English teachers' concerns regarding the implementation of school-based assessment using a revised Stages of Concern Questionnaire. The study surveyed 40 English teachers and found:
1) Teachers' concerns were multidimensional and varied in intensity depending on their experience with school-based assessment.
2) Teachers with less experience had more intense self and task concerns, while more experienced teachers had more intense impact concerns.
3) The questionnaire was found to reliably measure teachers' concerns across 5 stages: indifference, informational-personal, management, consequence-collaboration, and refocusing.
How leadership-influences-student-learningElniziana
Effective leadership plays a highly significant role in improving student learning according to this review of research. Leadership has been shown to have second only to classroom instruction in its impact on student learning. Leadership effects are often greatest in schools facing the most challenges. Successful leadership encompasses three core practices - setting directions by establishing a shared vision and goals, developing people by offering support and professional development, and redesigning the organization to better support teaching and learning. While these basics are important, additional context-specific factors are also needed for leadership to be truly successful in improving outcomes for students.
http://www.ccsprojects.com/ - This white paper from CCS Presentation Systems partner eInstruction summarizes key points in that evidence and describe how eInstruction’s CPS student response system can be used in research-based ways to support effective instruction. eInstruction technology gives administrators the ability to instantly capture, grade, report and analyze student performance data. eInstruction offers educators and administrators a family of software, student response systems, interactive whiteboards, mobile interactive whiteboards and powerful enterprise-based administrative tools. Learn more about eInstruction’s CPS systems here: http://bit.ly/WN6wKr
This document summarizes a study on the evaluation criteria used for EFL teacher trainees in Iran. The study found mismatches between how trainers evaluate trainees and how trainees think they should be evaluated. Specifically:
- Trainees felt they were evaluated more on their performance as students during training, rather than on how well they were prepared to be effective teachers.
- Trainee feedback indicated evaluations varied between trainers, even for those teaching similar subjects. Course content and activities also varied between trainers.
- A trainee's grade in practical training depended highly on how well they matched with their supervising trainer, rather than a consistent theoretical framework for evaluation.
- In general, there were inconsistencies between the
This document provides recommendations for improving adolescent literacy based on a review of research evidence. It is intended for educators working with students in grades 4-12. The recommendations are: 1) Provide explicit vocabulary instruction; 2) Provide direct comprehension strategy instruction; 3) Provide opportunities for extended discussion of text meaning; 4) Increase student motivation and engagement; and 5) Make intensive, individualized interventions available for struggling readers. Each recommendation is accompanied by a discussion of the supporting evidence and examples for implementation.
This article examines the characteristics of school effectiveness and how the school effectiveness policy works in the context of education decentralization. The research approach is qualitative exploratory and was conducted in 2016 in 10 out of 35 districts/cities in Central Java Province. The results showed that there are eight characteristics of effective schools: effective school leadership, efficient learning processes, active community participation, a conducive school environment, increased professionalism of educators, heightened expectations of students, the commitment of teachers, which together lead to good student achievement. Local government policy has not been mentioned explicitly to build an effective school. The government system should contribute to creating effective schools through human resource development, community participation, provision of facilities and infrastructure, professional development of educators, guiding students’ and teachers' achievement, monitoring student progress, education financing to some degree, and the commitment of local governments to give appreciation to education actors.
Jennifer T. Butcher, PhD Proposal Defense, Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, Disse...William Kritsonis
Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, PhD Dissertation Chair for Jennifer T. Butcher, PhD Program in Educational Leadership, PVAMU, Member of the Texas A&M University System.
The document examines student-centered learning practices in New England high schools. It finds that practices within the personalized learning and student ownership tenets are most prevalent, while anytime/anywhere learning practices lag behind. Schools also report that competency-based learning models are more challenging to adopt than other student-centered practices, facing barriers around annual student advancement and college acceptance of competency-based transcripts.
Learning Analytics and Knowledge (LAK) 14 Education Data SciencesPhilip Piety
The document discusses the emerging field of Education Data Sciences (EDS). It outlines four main ideas: 1) A sociotechnical paradigm shift in how data is conceived, from external to internal/contextual. 2) The notion of EDS, which includes academic analytics, educational data mining/learning analytics, learner analytics/personalization, and systemic instructional improvement. 3) Common features across these communities, including rapid change, boundary issues, disruption to evidence practices, and ethics/privacy. 4) A proposed framework for EDS that recognizes different social/temporal levels, digital fluidity across contexts, and values in design. The field of EDS analyzes learning, organizations and systems through an interdisciplinary lens.
Looking for feedback and comments on my action research presentation. Please identify yourself as well as your institution or teaching role. Thank you so much
OECD Review on Evaluation and Assessment Frameworks for Improving School Outc...EduSkills OECD
This document discusses an OECD review of school evaluation frameworks in the Flemish Community of Belgium. It provides an overview of the review, including the analytical approach used and assessment of strengths and challenges. The review team found that while schools have responsibility for quality, evaluation could be better embedded in a vision linking different approaches. It also found variation in school self-evaluation capacity and made recommendations like clarifying evaluation goals and increasing the use of objective information and competency development to strengthen evaluation.
Dr. Bobbie Eddins, Dr. Jeffrey Kirk, Dr. Dorleen Hooten, Dr. Brenda Russell -...William Kritsonis
Dr. Bobbie Eddins, Dr. Jeffrey Kirk, Dr. Dorleen Hooten, Dr. Brenda Russell - Published in NFEAS JOURNAL, 31(1) 2013-2014 - Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, Editor-in-Chief, NATIONAL FORUM JOURNALS (Founded 1982) - www.nationalforum.com
This document summarizes key points from a course on management and leadership in education. It discusses topics related to school effectiveness, accountability, and improvement. Specifically, it covers challenges schools face in demonstrating effectiveness given changing definitions. It also examines social systems models of school effectiveness that consider inputs, transformations, and outputs. The document outlines components of accountability systems like standards, tests, and consequences. It reviews studies on relationships between school/classroom factors and student achievement.
This study investigated the effectiveness of a four-week, 20-hour ACT coaching class offered at a large Midwestern high school. Approximately 60 students participated in the class, which was divided into sections focusing on math/science and English/reading. The study compared the ACT score gains of students who participated in the coaching class to a comparable group at the same high school who did not participate. The results showed that students who participated in the coaching class increased their composite ACT score by 1.5 points over their previous highest score, while students who did not participate only increased by 0.65 points, indicating a coaching effect of 0.85 points.
Connecticut mesuring and modeling growthJohn Cronin
John Cronin presented on issues educators need to know about using tests for high-stakes evaluation in Connecticut. He discussed Connecticut's evaluation requirements, including that 45% must be based on student growth, 40% on teacher practice, and the remaining 15% on other factors. He also outlined issues with using growth and value-added measures, such as measurement error, lack of random assignment, and instability of results. The presentation recommended using multiple measures and years of data for evaluation and understanding the limitations of these types of measures.
Connecticut mesuring and modeling growthJohn Cronin
John Cronin presented on the use of student growth measures in teacher evaluations in Connecticut. Connecticut requires that 45% of evaluations be based on student growth, including state test scores and other indicators. Evaluations also consider teacher practice, whole school indicators, and feedback. However, Cronin discussed issues with using growth measures including measurement error, lack of instructional sensitivity, unfairness to teachers, and instability of results. Multiple years of data are recommended to account for these issues.
Effect of teaching method, choice of discipline and student lecturer relation...Alexander Decker
This document summarizes a study that examined factors affecting student academic performance, including teaching method, choice of discipline, and student-lecturer relationship. The study analyzed data from 192 students in Nigeria on their course of study, effort level, and relationship with lecturers. The results showed that choice of discipline influenced by university authority rather than passion was negatively associated with student GPA. Additionally, student GPA increased as the rapport between students and lecturers improved. Some students who put in high effort performed worse than less studying students, possibly due to rushed lectures or lack of learning resources. The study concluded teaching methods should maintain good student-lecturer relationships while preventing moral hazard of passing without effort.
A Comparative Study Of Competency-Based Courses Demonstrating A Potential Mea...Sheila Sinclair
This study evaluated the effectiveness of a rubric for assessing competency-based course design and student success in an undergraduate program. The rubric was used to evaluate 12 new competency-based courses in the program. The results showed a correlation between high-scoring courses on the rubric and higher student assessment scores, suggesting the rubric is effective in evaluating course quality and predicting student success. The study recommends focusing on active student learning, increased mentor support and feedback, and opportunities to practice skills to improve course design.
Maximizing What Students Get Out Of CollegeAmanda Walker
This study tested two models of student learning and development using data from 44,238 undergraduates across 120 institutions. The study found that similar students expending similar effort had different reported gains depending on the institution attended. Student engagement in educational activities had a positive effect on reported gains. The findings suggest institutions should promote student learning through increased engagement and improving the gains to effort ratio across in-class and out-of-class experiences. Institutions should also seek ways to improve student perceptions of the environment.
School effectiveness-and-improvement-contribution-of-teacher-qualification-to...oircjournals
School examination results the world over are arguably the most important measure of perceived success or failure of a candidate. It has been pointed out by the Nyanza Provincial Education Board that the province’s performance in examinations and the quality of education in general is unsatisfactory and inadequate.
American education is facing challenges including budget cuts, increased standards, and high teacher attrition. Effective talent management can help districts improve teacher effectiveness and retention by providing personalized learning, tracking performance, and supporting career growth. Integrated talent management systems allow districts to deliver differentiated instruction to educators through all stages of their career. These systems make talent management more efficient and data-driven while empowering teachers with customized development opportunities. Case studies show districts that implement talent management software see benefits like increased compliance, insight into training needs, and improved outcomes.
The document summarizes a study that examined Malaysian English teachers' concerns regarding the implementation of school-based assessment using a revised Stages of Concern Questionnaire. The study surveyed 40 English teachers and found:
1) Teachers' concerns were multidimensional and varied in intensity depending on their experience with school-based assessment.
2) Teachers with less experience had more intense self and task concerns, while more experienced teachers had more intense impact concerns.
3) The questionnaire was found to reliably measure teachers' concerns across 5 stages: indifference, informational-personal, management, consequence-collaboration, and refocusing.
How leadership-influences-student-learningElniziana
Effective leadership plays a highly significant role in improving student learning according to this review of research. Leadership has been shown to have second only to classroom instruction in its impact on student learning. Leadership effects are often greatest in schools facing the most challenges. Successful leadership encompasses three core practices - setting directions by establishing a shared vision and goals, developing people by offering support and professional development, and redesigning the organization to better support teaching and learning. While these basics are important, additional context-specific factors are also needed for leadership to be truly successful in improving outcomes for students.
http://www.ccsprojects.com/ - This white paper from CCS Presentation Systems partner eInstruction summarizes key points in that evidence and describe how eInstruction’s CPS student response system can be used in research-based ways to support effective instruction. eInstruction technology gives administrators the ability to instantly capture, grade, report and analyze student performance data. eInstruction offers educators and administrators a family of software, student response systems, interactive whiteboards, mobile interactive whiteboards and powerful enterprise-based administrative tools. Learn more about eInstruction’s CPS systems here: http://bit.ly/WN6wKr
This document summarizes a study on the evaluation criteria used for EFL teacher trainees in Iran. The study found mismatches between how trainers evaluate trainees and how trainees think they should be evaluated. Specifically:
- Trainees felt they were evaluated more on their performance as students during training, rather than on how well they were prepared to be effective teachers.
- Trainee feedback indicated evaluations varied between trainers, even for those teaching similar subjects. Course content and activities also varied between trainers.
- A trainee's grade in practical training depended highly on how well they matched with their supervising trainer, rather than a consistent theoretical framework for evaluation.
- In general, there were inconsistencies between the
This document provides recommendations for improving adolescent literacy based on a review of research evidence. It is intended for educators working with students in grades 4-12. The recommendations are: 1) Provide explicit vocabulary instruction; 2) Provide direct comprehension strategy instruction; 3) Provide opportunities for extended discussion of text meaning; 4) Increase student motivation and engagement; and 5) Make intensive, individualized interventions available for struggling readers. Each recommendation is accompanied by a discussion of the supporting evidence and examples for implementation.
This article examines the characteristics of school effectiveness and how the school effectiveness policy works in the context of education decentralization. The research approach is qualitative exploratory and was conducted in 2016 in 10 out of 35 districts/cities in Central Java Province. The results showed that there are eight characteristics of effective schools: effective school leadership, efficient learning processes, active community participation, a conducive school environment, increased professionalism of educators, heightened expectations of students, the commitment of teachers, which together lead to good student achievement. Local government policy has not been mentioned explicitly to build an effective school. The government system should contribute to creating effective schools through human resource development, community participation, provision of facilities and infrastructure, professional development of educators, guiding students’ and teachers' achievement, monitoring student progress, education financing to some degree, and the commitment of local governments to give appreciation to education actors.
Jennifer T. Butcher, PhD Proposal Defense, Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, Disse...William Kritsonis
Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, PhD Dissertation Chair for Jennifer T. Butcher, PhD Program in Educational Leadership, PVAMU, Member of the Texas A&M University System.
The document examines student-centered learning practices in New England high schools. It finds that practices within the personalized learning and student ownership tenets are most prevalent, while anytime/anywhere learning practices lag behind. Schools also report that competency-based learning models are more challenging to adopt than other student-centered practices, facing barriers around annual student advancement and college acceptance of competency-based transcripts.
Learning Analytics and Knowledge (LAK) 14 Education Data SciencesPhilip Piety
The document discusses the emerging field of Education Data Sciences (EDS). It outlines four main ideas: 1) A sociotechnical paradigm shift in how data is conceived, from external to internal/contextual. 2) The notion of EDS, which includes academic analytics, educational data mining/learning analytics, learner analytics/personalization, and systemic instructional improvement. 3) Common features across these communities, including rapid change, boundary issues, disruption to evidence practices, and ethics/privacy. 4) A proposed framework for EDS that recognizes different social/temporal levels, digital fluidity across contexts, and values in design. The field of EDS analyzes learning, organizations and systems through an interdisciplinary lens.
Looking for feedback and comments on my action research presentation. Please identify yourself as well as your institution or teaching role. Thank you so much
OECD Review on Evaluation and Assessment Frameworks for Improving School Outc...EduSkills OECD
This document discusses an OECD review of school evaluation frameworks in the Flemish Community of Belgium. It provides an overview of the review, including the analytical approach used and assessment of strengths and challenges. The review team found that while schools have responsibility for quality, evaluation could be better embedded in a vision linking different approaches. It also found variation in school self-evaluation capacity and made recommendations like clarifying evaluation goals and increasing the use of objective information and competency development to strengthen evaluation.
Dr. Bobbie Eddins, Dr. Jeffrey Kirk, Dr. Dorleen Hooten, Dr. Brenda Russell -...William Kritsonis
Dr. Bobbie Eddins, Dr. Jeffrey Kirk, Dr. Dorleen Hooten, Dr. Brenda Russell - Published in NFEAS JOURNAL, 31(1) 2013-2014 - Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, Editor-in-Chief, NATIONAL FORUM JOURNALS (Founded 1982) - www.nationalforum.com
This document summarizes key points from a course on management and leadership in education. It discusses topics related to school effectiveness, accountability, and improvement. Specifically, it covers challenges schools face in demonstrating effectiveness given changing definitions. It also examines social systems models of school effectiveness that consider inputs, transformations, and outputs. The document outlines components of accountability systems like standards, tests, and consequences. It reviews studies on relationships between school/classroom factors and student achievement.
This study investigated the effectiveness of a four-week, 20-hour ACT coaching class offered at a large Midwestern high school. Approximately 60 students participated in the class, which was divided into sections focusing on math/science and English/reading. The study compared the ACT score gains of students who participated in the coaching class to a comparable group at the same high school who did not participate. The results showed that students who participated in the coaching class increased their composite ACT score by 1.5 points over their previous highest score, while students who did not participate only increased by 0.65 points, indicating a coaching effect of 0.85 points.
Connecticut mesuring and modeling growthJohn Cronin
John Cronin presented on issues educators need to know about using tests for high-stakes evaluation in Connecticut. He discussed Connecticut's evaluation requirements, including that 45% must be based on student growth, 40% on teacher practice, and the remaining 15% on other factors. He also outlined issues with using growth and value-added measures, such as measurement error, lack of random assignment, and instability of results. The presentation recommended using multiple measures and years of data for evaluation and understanding the limitations of these types of measures.
Connecticut mesuring and modeling growthJohn Cronin
John Cronin presented on the use of student growth measures in teacher evaluations in Connecticut. Connecticut requires that 45% of evaluations be based on student growth, including state test scores and other indicators. Evaluations also consider teacher practice, whole school indicators, and feedback. However, Cronin discussed issues with using growth measures including measurement error, lack of instructional sensitivity, unfairness to teachers, and instability of results. Multiple years of data are recommended to account for these issues.
Effect of teaching method, choice of discipline and student lecturer relation...Alexander Decker
This document summarizes a study that examined factors affecting student academic performance, including teaching method, choice of discipline, and student-lecturer relationship. The study analyzed data from 192 students in Nigeria on their course of study, effort level, and relationship with lecturers. The results showed that choice of discipline influenced by university authority rather than passion was negatively associated with student GPA. Additionally, student GPA increased as the rapport between students and lecturers improved. Some students who put in high effort performed worse than less studying students, possibly due to rushed lectures or lack of learning resources. The study concluded teaching methods should maintain good student-lecturer relationships while preventing moral hazard of passing without effort.
A Comparative Study Of Competency-Based Courses Demonstrating A Potential Mea...Sheila Sinclair
This study evaluated the effectiveness of a rubric for assessing competency-based course design and student success in an undergraduate program. The rubric was used to evaluate 12 new competency-based courses in the program. The results showed a correlation between high-scoring courses on the rubric and higher student assessment scores, suggesting the rubric is effective in evaluating course quality and predicting student success. The study recommends focusing on active student learning, increased mentor support and feedback, and opportunities to practice skills to improve course design.
Maximizing What Students Get Out Of CollegeAmanda Walker
This study tested two models of student learning and development using data from 44,238 undergraduates across 120 institutions. The study found that similar students expending similar effort had different reported gains depending on the institution attended. Student engagement in educational activities had a positive effect on reported gains. The findings suggest institutions should promote student learning through increased engagement and improving the gains to effort ratio across in-class and out-of-class experiences. Institutions should also seek ways to improve student perceptions of the environment.
School effectiveness-and-improvement-contribution-of-teacher-qualification-to...oircjournals
School examination results the world over are arguably the most important measure of perceived success or failure of a candidate. It has been pointed out by the Nyanza Provincial Education Board that the province’s performance in examinations and the quality of education in general is unsatisfactory and inadequate.
Factors affecting teachers' excellence from the perspective of queen rania aw...Alexander Decker
This document discusses factors affecting teachers' excellence from the perspective of teachers who have won Jordan's Queen Rania Award. It provides background on Jordan's education reform efforts and the establishment of the Queen Rania Award. A literature review covers research on internal factors like teachers' characteristics and training, as well as external factors such as incentives and community expectations. The Queen Rania Award criteria focus on teaching quality, management skills, career development, parental and community involvement, and student outcomes. The study aims to identify the most influential factors for educational excellence according to teachers' views, to inform ongoing efforts to improve teaching quality in Jordan.
This thesis examines the working conditions of public elementary school teachers in Zamboanga City, Philippines amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and how these conditions affected their work performance. A survey was conducted of 83 teachers across 6 schools to understand the extent of their working conditions in terms of professional development, communication, recognition, collaboration, and expectations. The survey also assessed teachers' work performance. The study found that teachers reported their working conditions as satisfactory and their work performance as very satisfactory. A moderate positive relationship was found between working conditions and work performance. Certain demographic variables like age and length of service were found to influence working conditions and performance. The results can inform policymaking and teacher professional development programs.
Effect of blended learning approach on student nurses’ attitudes and academic...Alexander Decker
This study examined the effects of blended learning versus traditional teaching on student nurses' attitudes, motivation, and academic achievement. 62 nursing students were randomly assigned to a blended learning or traditional lecture group. Both groups completed pre-tests of attitude, motivation, and achievement before the course. The blended learning group received instruction through online materials and face-to-face meetings, while the traditional group received only lectures. After the course, both groups took post-tests of the same measures. The results showed that the blended learning group had significantly higher attitude, motivation, and achievement scores than the traditional group after the course. The study concluded that blended learning is more effective than traditional lectures alone.
This study compared learning outcomes and student satisfaction between an online graduate course and an equivalent face-to-face course. The study assessed student ratings of the instructor and course, perceptions of student-instructor interaction, course structure and support, as well as learning outcomes like course grades and student self-assessment of content knowledge. While students in the face-to-face course had slightly more positive views of the instructor and course quality, there was no significant difference in learning outcomes between the two course formats. The findings provide insight for developing and delivering effective online instruction.
Analysis of teachers motivation on the overall performance of public basic sc...Alexander Decker
This document summarizes a research study that analyzed the impact of teacher motivation on student performance in public basic schools in Wa Municipality, Ghana. The study collected data through questionnaires administered to 100 teachers across 20 randomly selected schools. Statistical analysis found that teacher motivation affected student achievement over the past 5 years, though student performance fluctuated. The study aims to provide stakeholders with an understanding of how improving teacher motivation could lead to better student outcomes through meeting teachers' needs as outlined in motivation theories.
This document discusses tools for assessing cognitive outcomes of service-learning programs. It begins by explaining the importance of assessing service-learning and then provides a review of available assessment tools. The tools are organized into three categories: research scales, written essays/protocols, and interviews/qualitative approaches. Several tools are described in detail, including the Cognitive Learning Scale, Problem-Solving Analysis Protocol, and Problem-Solving Interview Protocol. The conclusion emphasizes that systematic assessment can improve service-learning programs and better demonstrate their impact on student learning.
Identifying Effective Math Interventions for Early Elementary Students.docxwrite4
1) The study examined using brief assessments to identify effective interventions to improve math fluency and on-task behavior for 4 elementary students struggling in these areas.
2) A brief assessment involved testing the effects of incentives alone or incentives combined with instruction on math performance. For all students, incentives plus instruction led to higher performance.
3) Following the brief assessments, the most effective intervention for each student based on the assessments was evaluated using a multiple baseline design. In all cases, improvements were observed in math fluency and on-task behavior with the intervention.
This document summarizes a study conducted by Marzano Research Laboratory on effective teaching practices in online learning environments. The study found that teachers who engaged more frequently in certain instructional strategies saw higher student achievement. These strategies included clear communication of rules and goals, providing necessary materials, encouragement, monitoring student work, and accessibility to students. The frequency that teachers implemented these strategies was strongly correlated with student performance. The document provides recommendations for how teachers can incorporate these best practices into their online instruction.
This document summarizes and compares two studies that examined student satisfaction and learning outcomes in online versus face-to-face courses. The first study compared an online and face-to-face course and found no significant difference in learning outcomes, but students in the face-to-face course were slightly more satisfied. The second study examined the relationship between social presence, perceived learning, and satisfaction in online courses. It found that students who perceived higher social presence also reported greater learning and satisfaction.
An evaluation of_the_conditions,_processes,_and_consequences_of_laptop_comput...Cathy Cavanaugh
This article examines how laptop computing technology, teacher professional
development, and systematic support resulted in changed teaching practices
and increased student achievement in 47 K-12 schools in 11 Florida school
districts. The overview of a large-scale study documents the type and
magnitude of change in student-centered teaching, technology tool-based
teaching, and student learning that were observed in 440 classrooms over
the course of a school year. By employing multiple observations in all
schools, document analysis, interviews, and teacher inquiry, an account of the
conditions, processes, and consequences (Hall, 1995) of laptop computing
was generated. Based on the analysis of data, laptop computing had a positive
impact across districts, particularly in regard to changes in teaching practices.
Increases in student achievement were also demonstrated across districts.
This study calls attention to systemic issues associated with successful laptop
implementation and provides implications for statewide laptop programs.
This study compared learning outcomes and student satisfaction between an online graduate course and an equivalent face-to-face course. Students in both courses rated instructor quality and course quality positively, though face-to-face students rated instructor quality significantly higher. Face-to-face students also had significantly more positive views of interaction and support than online students. While both groups performed well on learning outcomes, the findings suggest online courses may not be as effective as face-to-face for courses requiring high student-instructor interaction, like performance-based courses relying on mentoring and coaching. Limitations of current online technologies to simulate real-time interaction are noted.
An Assessment of Professional Standards exhibited by Teacher Educators in Col...Premier Publishers
Multiple measures capturing different aspects of teacher educators’ performances, including analysis of artefacts, self-report and student survey are being encouraged in teacher evaluation. The current professional standards developed by the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) in Nigeria included the use of students’ observation of some aspects of teacher educators’ practices in their evaluation. In this study, the teacher educators’ performance on some of the professional standards was assessed using students’ ratings. A questionnaire was used to gather the required data. The findings of this study suggest that the students perceived that the teacher educators exhibited the following attributes
i. Foster scientific enquiry within instructional framework.
ii. Create enabling learning environment.
iii. Use formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate students’ progress.
iv. Demonstrate professional values and practices that support teacher education programme. The findings further suggest that the students did not perceive that the teacher educators employed diverse instructional resources in their classroom. It is concluded on the basis of the findings that students’ ratings/feedback could be considered a valid source of information on some teacher educators’ performances, and should be harnessed in the assessment process.
The document analyzes the elementary school principal development program in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It found that the program involves regulations, standards, grants, and professional development. Success depends on supervisor and principal performance, financial support, and meeting standards. However, limitations include complex administration, bureaucracy, compliance demands, lack of monitoring, and relationship issues.
1) The document discusses assessment practices in colleges of education in Ghana and their impact on developing evaluative thinking skills in student teachers.
2) It finds that while formative assessment is used, feedback focuses more on correcting mistakes than engaging students in dialogue.
3) End of semester exams mainly assess lower-order thinking skills like knowledge and comprehension rather than higher-order skills like analysis and evaluation that are emphasized in the curriculum. This means student teachers may not be adequately prepared to foster evaluative thinking in pupils.
Journal of Education and Practice www.iiste.org
ISSN 2222-1735 (Paper) ISSN 2222-288X (Online)
Vol.7, No.21, 2016
1
Assessment, Student Learning and Classroom Practice: A Review
Dr. Ekua Tekyiwa Amua-Sekyi
Department of Arts & Social Sciences Education University of Cape Coast
Abstract
Assessment in its various forms has always been a central part of educational practice. Evidence gleaned from
the empirical literature suggests that assessment, especially high stakes external assessment has effect on how
teachers teach and consequently, how students learn. Through focus group discussions, this paper draws upon
the experiences of 12 tutors and 18 student-teachers in 3 colleges of education in Ghana. The findings show that
although teachers are expected to nurture evaluative thinking skills in their pupils/students this is not reflected in
the assessment and teaching and learning practices of student-teachers. This paper argues that for teachers to be
effective in promoting the desired goals of the basic school curriculum, greater recognition must be accorded to
the influence of assessment on teaching and learning, the understanding of which could arguably play an
important role in introducing changes that will promote the cognitive processes and thinking skills desired in our
schools and classrooms.
Keywords: Assessment, teaching and learning, teacher training, classroom practice
1. Introduction
Assessment is about learning. Traditionally assessment is intended to find out and report on what has been learnt
thus its relation with classroom activities. Assessment is integral to teaching and learning activities in school and
mediates the interaction between teachers and students in the classroom. Assessment can be defined as all
activities that teachers and students undertake to get information that can be used to alter teaching and learning.
This includes teacher observation and analysis of student work (homework, tests, essays, reports, practical
procedures and classroom discussion of issues). All these are concerned with sampling what a student may or
may not know. Assessment is also used in ‘selecting, controlling or motivating students, and to satisfy public
expectations as to standards and accountability’ (Biggs, 2003; p.141). Consequently, assessment has been
categorised as formative or summative depending on how the results are used (Dunn & Mulvenon, 2009).
Formative assessment is embedded in the teaching and learning process and provides feedback to the teacher in
the course of teaching to enable him or her judge how well students are learning. It also provides information on
the effectiveness of teaching which will help to determine an appropriate remedial action where necessary. For
this reason, it is appropriatel ...
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Predictors of Success: Student Achievement in Schools
1. Predictors of Success: Linking Student Achievement to School and Educator
Successes through On-Demand, Computer-Based Professional Learning
Steven H. Shaha, PhD, DBA Professor, Center for Public Policy & Administration
Independent Program Evaluator
Abstract
Early research has begun to investigate the potential
Year-over-year changes in student achievement were benefits of computer-based and online professional
analyzed for 734 schools selected due to utilization learning (cf. Farnsworth et al. 2002; Lewis et al. 2003;
history for online (i.e. on-demand) and computer-based Magidin et al. 2012; Rienties et al. 2013). However, at
professional learning applications. Results showed that least one recent study cited a “dearth of scientific
schools with higher engagement in on-demand profes- research … on whether changes in teachers’ knowl-
sional learning by educators significantly outperformed edge and instructional practices resulting from online
their lower engagement counterparts in measures of professional learning are linked to changes in students’
quantity and quality of utilization, participation, and knowledge and practices” (Masters et al. 2012). We
engagement. Higher engagement schools also had sig- also found that very few studies have investigated the
nificantly greater gains in student achievement as mea- importance of leadership’s engagement in ensuring
sured by percentages of students performing at profi- the efficacy of professional learning, regardless of the
cient or advanced levels. Higher engagement schools mode of delivery (cf. Sebastian and Allensworth, 2012).
also outperformed their lower engagement counter-
parts for gains in four key school- and educator-related Finally, there are education-related metrics that have
measures: teacher retention, dropout rates, student dis- societal implications—metrics reflecting factors that are
cipline issues, and rates of students with college-related critical in assessing the success of educators, schools,
goals. Conclusions were that higher levels of utilization, and education as a societal institution. Despite the
engagement, and active use are correlated with higher importance of these assessments, we found virtually
student achievement and successes for both educators no connection established in research between teacher
and the schools in which they operate. participation in professional learning and improvements
in student-related measures of non-test performance
I. Introduction and Overview beyond at-risk preschool children, such as dropout
rates or disciplinary rates (Wasik and Hindman 2011).
Educators need high-impact help to keep their skills Even such seemingly simple correlations as improve-
well honed and to maintain their educational effec- ments in teacher retention (cf. Lathan and Vogt 2007)
tiveness. Yet the body of literature linking professional or teacher attitudes and perceptions (cf. Guskey 2002)
learning and development to gains in student perfor- resulting from professional learning are unaccountably
mance and teacher-related outcomes arguably remains minimal in the research literature.
inadequate (cf. Shaha et al. 2004). Some studies have
shown that professional learning can lead to improved Taken as a whole, research indicates that providing edu-
student performance (cf. Garet et al. 2001; Desimone et cators with readily accessible learning opportunities has
al. 2002; Shaha et al. 2004; Meiers and Ingvarson 2005; a substantive and favorable impact. We relabeled this
Buczynski and Hansen 2010; Avalos 2011). Yet, it seems approach as “on-demand learning” to accentuate why
clear from research that the more active an educator’s it is effective instead of how it is delivered. One reason
participation is beyond traditional, passive profession- for the effectiveness of the on-demand approach is that
al learning—such as sitting in a workshop or passively educators learn about what they are most interested
watching a video alone—the greater the impact of par- in, or most in need of, at the time of interest or need,
ticipation (cf. Garet et al. 2002; Desimone et al. 2002; rather than when it fits sequentially into any prescrip-
King 2002; Darling-Hammond 2004; Santagata, 2009). tive curriculum.
In addition, roadblocks to teacher participation in pro-
fessional learning and implementation of skills learned Thus timeliness of learning, synchronized with inter-
have been cited in recent research and remain import- est and need, mean that educators benefit from what
ant barriers to impact (cf. Buczynski and Hansen 2010). could be labeled “just-in-time learning.” This concept
1
Steven H. Shaha, PhD, DBA, Professor and/or Lecturer at University of Utah, Zayed University (UAE) and Harvard University
2. mirrors the business successes achieved in other in- exclusion criteria were implemented reflecting state or
dustries through just-in-time approaches—or JIT—as a district, rural or urban areas, school size or any other
science for maximizing efficiency and profitability while variable associated with school or student demograph-
minimizing costs associated with doing business (cf. ics. Year-over-year improvement was computed as the
Bongiorni 2004; Hirano and Makota 2006; Ohno 1988; percentage change (i.e. gain or loss) for each metric
Ruffa 2008). Education benefits from sciences proven (i.e. [2011-2010]/2010]).
in industry further refine educator efficacy and its im-
pact on students. In this case, the near immediate and Educator Engagement: Levels of educator utilization,
personally customized benefits of online accessibility participation, and engagement were loaded directly
provide for JIT educator learning: on-demand profes- from the on-demand applications as captured automat-
sional learning. ically and transparently to users, thus ensuring objec-
tivity and accuracy, representing 27 metrics (further
We undertook the designing and execution of an evalu- explained in Results).
ation study of on-demand professional learning in order
to answer a crucial set of inquiries regarding its impact Student Performance: Performance data were gath-
on students, educators, and schools. The driving re- ered from publically available sources. In order to
search questions therefore were whether schools with enable analyses across states with varying testing and
higher utilization or engagement experienced greater scoring approaches, data analyzed reflected the per-
impact than those of lower utilization or engagement centage of students classified as either proficient or
for the following: advanced on whatever approach applied within any
state or appropriate governing body. Data were limited
• ducator engagement in other metrics or areas of
E to reading and math only (2 metrics), as these were the
utilization, participation, and engagement only two areas of measurement consistent across all
• Student performance states. Sixteen schools were excluded from analysis for
• Other measures of school- and educator-related success inadequate data regarding student performance.
Additional questions to be addressed: School-and Educator-Related Measures: A set of four
• s viewing professional learning alone as strong a
I metrics were gathered by structured phone interviews
predictor of success and impact as other metrics of with each school, including rates for teacher retention,
educator utilization, participation, and engagement? dropouts, student discipline, and the number of stu-
• s there a model or framework for predicting maxi-
I dents reported as being college bound. Year-over-year
mum impact from educator utilization, participation, improvement was computed as the percentage change
and engagement in on-demand or computer-based (i.e. gain or loss) in the rate or percentage for each metric.
teacher development applications?
The final study included 734 schools in 211 districts
within 39 states. Schools were next classified into
II. Methods quartiles reflecting their average minutes of use by
educator as a proxy for relative utilization or engage-
A retrospective study was undertaken leveraging a ment rates. To make analyses and conclusions more
sample of 750 schools reflecting high engagement in straightforward for execution and interpretation,
on-demand professional learning (i.e. PD 360® and analyses contrasted only the top and bottom quar-
Observation 360®, School Improvement Network, tiles: the highest quartile of schools (higher engage-
Salt Lake City, UT). Data included the 2009-2010 and ment schools) versus the lowest quartile schools
2010-2011 school years, categorized during analyses (lower engagement schools).
as pre versus post. Schools were selected for inclusion
from the universe of on-demand users based upon All analyses were conducted by an independent,
their active use as measured by minutes of viewing doctoral prepared, internationally recognized stat-
professional learning videos, and minimum criterion for istician and program evaluator, using SPSS version
inclusion was set at a minimum average of 90 minutes 17.0 or higher, and SAS for confirmatory purposes as
per educator within any school, and all schools meeting needed or appropriate.
those minimum criteria were included. No inclusion or
2
3. higher engagement schools (p.001, see Figure 2),
III. Results Initial Interpretations illustrating that comparative gains were great against
lower engagement schools for measures reflecting
Viewed collectively, results showed that higher en- more active participation and engagement by educa-
gagement schools outperformed their lower engage- tors. Similarly, the magnitude of difference in teacher
ment counterparts in every area of measurement: observations performed by leadership was 63.8%
higher for higher engagement schools (p.001, see
Educator Engagement: Higher engagement schools Figure 3), illustrating that active engagement by
outperformed their lower engagement counterparts leadership was greater versus in lower engagement
in 15 of the 27 metrics of utilization, participation, and schools, as well.
engagement, and performed equally well or better in
the remaining 12 metrics, although none significantly
(p0.05). Higher engagement schools were significant-
ly higher in measures of implementation, accountability,
and oversight, or those metrics most appropriately as-
cribed to leaders and their role in successful execution
of the on-demand or computer-based, educator-learn-
ing program.
Metrics reflecting greater gains for higher engagement
schools included, for example, number of focus objec-
tives set up, observations performed, percent of regis-
tered users, and percent of users in communities. High- Figure 1. Comparative difference average minutes viewed per educator
er engagement schools performed significantly higher
in utilization metrics and measures of more passive
participation, including minutes viewed, forums viewed, Forums Posted
23.1
programs viewed, segments viewed, and links viewed. 25.0
In metrics classified as measures of engagement, higher 20.0
15.0 13.7
engagement schools outperformed the lower engage-
10.0
ment counterparts in metrics reflecting more active
5.0
engagement, including follow-up questions answered,
0.0
reflection questions answered, focus objectives set up,
Lower Engagement Higherer Engagement
forums posted, downloaded files, uploaded files, and Schools Schools
participation in communities.
Figure 2. Comparative difference in forums posted per educator
Regarding the degree of comparative impact of
minutes viewed versus the other engagement met-
rics, higher engagement schools had 4.3% greater
Teacher Observations Performed
minutes viewed (p.01), a significant and important 40.0
33.7
utilization-related advantage (see Figure 1). This was 35.0
30.0
expected, since the assignment of schools to higher
25.0 20.6
and lower engagement categories was based upon 20.0
their comparative measures of viewing. 15.0
10.0
5.0
However, more revealing were the comparative 0.0
gains for higher versus lower engagement schools, Lower Engagement Higher Engagement
Schools Schools
which were substantially and significantly greater for
utilization-related metrics, reflecting great levels of
active participation and engagement beyond simple Figure 3. Comparative difference in observations performed per educator
viewing. For example, we noted the magnitude of
difference in forums posted was 68.6% higher for
3
4. A complete view of the 15 measures for which high- While the lower engagement schools improved by an
er engagement schools outperformed their lower impressive 4.9% year over year (p.001), the higher en-
engagement counterparts is found in Table 1. For gagement schools improved by 18.0% (p.001), nearly
convenience in interpretation of the results, the 15 four times the rate of improvement comparatively.
metrics were categorized into logical groupings re-
flecting the apparent nature of the underlying con- In math, higher engagement schools not only closed
structs being measured. The grouping labeled Lead- the pre-existing performance gap, but significantly
ership, Implementation, and Accountability included surpassed the lower engagement schools year over
metrics reflecting program setup and active leader year (p.001, see Figure 5). Lower engagement schools
engagement. The Educator Utilization grouping in- did experience improvement from on-demand profes-
cluded metrics reflecting the more passive measures sional learning at 0.5% year over year (p.05). However,
of participation as contrasted with educator engage- the higher engagement schools improved by 18.9%
ment, for which the metrics reflected more active (p.001), over 30 times the rate of improvement com-
and productive participation, for example, beyond paratively. Interestingly, this rate of improvement very
viewing alone. nearly equaled the rate achieved in reading.
Table 1. omparative performance in measures of educator
C
participation as categorized Percent of Students Proficient or Advanced:
Reading
Higher Lower 68.0 66.6
Engagement Engagement Percent 66.0 63.5
Schools Schools Difference Difference 64.0 67.2
Leadership, Implementation, Accountability 62.0 Lower Engagement
60.0
Focus Objectives Set Up 130.1 29.2 100.9 345.5% 58.0
Schools
Observations Performed 3120.7 2149.0 971.7 45.2% 56.0 Higher Engagement
Percent Registered Users 87.8% 83.2% 0.0 5.5% 54.0 56.9
52.0
Schools
Percent of Users in Communities 43.0% 36.5% 6.5% 17.8%
50.0
Educator Utilization Pre Post
Minutes Viewed 359.9 80.6 279.3 346.5%
Forums Viewed 138.7 87.0 51.7 59.4%
Programs Viewed 588.7 223.5 365.2 163.4% Figure 4. Comparative gains in reading performance
Segments Viewed 2298.0 528.9 1769.1 334.5%
Links Viewed 12.2 10.6 1.6 15.1%
Educator Engagement Percent of Students Proficient or Advanced:
Follow-up Questions Answered 359.6 167.0 192.6 115.3%
Reflection Questions Answered 588.3 340.4 247.9 72.8%
Math
Focus Objectives Set Up 3120.7 2149.0 971.7 45.2% 72.0
69.5
Forums Posted 28.5 23.4 5.1 21.8% 70.0
68.0
Downloaded Files 45.2 35.4 9.8 27.7%
66.0 Lower Engagement
Uploaded Files 46.3 29.3 17.0 58.0%
64.0 62.7 63.0 Schools
Participation in Communities 43.0% 36.5% 6.5% 17.8%
62.0
60.0 58.4 Higher Engagement
58.0 Schools
56.0
Pre Post
The implication was that video viewing alone, or other
more passive metrics (e.g. % users registered), were
not as great of predictors or discriminators of educator Figure 5. Comparative gains in math performance
engagement as were measures of utilization reflecting
more active engagement. School-Related Engagements: Results revealed statis-
tically significant relationships between key metrics of
Student Performance: Higher engagement schools educator/school-related success and higher and more
collectively began at a significant performance disad- active utilization of the on-demand professional learn-
vantage in both reading (p.001) and math (p.001) in ing. Both higher and lower engagement school cohorts
terms of the percentage of students classified as either saw statistically significant gains in school-related
proficient or advanced. However, in reading, higher en- metrics. However, higher engagement schools, which
gagement schools successfully closed the performance were consistently those with higher utilization rates for
gap with the lower engagement schools (see Figure 4). on-demand professional learning, also achieved better
improvement year over year versus lower engagement
4
5. schools in every measure of educator- and school-relat- success, including teacher retention, student discipline,
ed success available, including the following: dropout rates, and the number of students reported as
college bound.
• 0.0% lower dropout rates (p.001) versus 4.9%
2
lower dropout rates for the lower engagement Additionally, video viewing alone was not as great an
schools (p.01), representing 4-times greater in gains indicator of student and educator- and school-relat-
(see Figure 6) ed gains as the other host of utilization, participation,
• .6% gain in rate of students with goals to attend col-
9 and engagement metrics. Performance on the other
lege (p.001) versus flat gains for lower engagement metrics of engagement far exceeded those found for
schools (p=ns), or 12-times the gains video viewing alone, generally by magnitudes of 10 to
• 3.2% lower rate for student discipline occurrences
3 20 times. Several interpretations might fit to explain
(p.001) versus 7.4% lower for the lower engagement the finding, perhaps best expressed as questions: Does
schools (p.01), greater than 4-times the gains video viewing alone possibly include multi-tasking by
• .8% higher teacher retention rates (p.001) versus
2 the participants who may be reading, updating grade
1.7% lower for the lower engagement schools (p.01), books, or emailing while videos are streaming? Do
nearly 2/3 greater gains metrics of more active participation reflect higher levels
of personal engagement, and therefore more active
learning and focus and higher likelihood of application
Dropout Rate of things learned? While other explanations may apply,
5.5 5.3
5.0 these data support conclusions that the gains achieved
5.0 for students, educators, and school-related impacts
5.1
4.5 Lower Engagement support leveraging professional learning programs that
Schools
4.0 go far beyond video watching alone.
4.1 Higher Engagement
3.5 Schools
Taken as a whole, results reveal significant predictive
3.0
Pre Post correlations between the quantity of educator utiliza-
tion, participation, and engagement with better student
Figure 6. Comparative gains/reductions in dropout rates
results and school-related outcomes. While correlation
cannot prove causation, the systematic and consistent
findings within these data clearly support a conclu-
IV. Discussion Conclusions sion that participation and engagement in this form of
teacher development resulted in the advantages and
Results substantiated significant and substantive gains found. It is intuitive that highly active and more
advantages to the use of on-demand and comput- frequent participation in professional learning should
er-based professional learning. Further, results clearly lead to educators more focused on critical behaviors
indicated that the more engaged the user is beyond and techniques that would help them teach better, and
video participation alone, the greater the impact of the help their students achieve more proficiency.
professional learning. All five research objectives were
achieved. Higher, more frequent on-demand activity, combined
with the perception of improved student success
Higher engagement schools—those with higher uti- before quantified, also resulted in the higher teacher
lization and participation—outperformed their lower retention rates observed, another indicator of educator
engagement counterparts in the majority of the metrics satisfaction and greater enthusiasm for teaching. While
analyzed, and never underperformed on any other met- it could be argued that retention is a prescient indicator
rics. Higher engagement schools experienced signifi- of improved success—better teachers stay—the oppo-
cantly greater gains for students in math and reading, site causal perspective is at least equally supported in
equaling or exceeding 18% gains over prior-year per- this study. In each measurement area, higher engage-
formance levels. For school-related measures, higher ment schools outperformed the corresponding lower
engagement schools experienced significantly great- engagement cohort, even when student performance
er gains in critical measures of educator and school began at comparatively lower levels. Thus, the data
support the conclusion that higher engagement in
5
6. on-demand learning results in higher teacher percep- Gus ey, Thomas R. “Professional Development and Teacher
k
Change.” Teachers and Teaching 8, no. 3 (08/01; 2012/11,
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