Most existing studies on the relationship between factor analysis (FA) and principal component analysis (PCA) focus on approximating the common factors by the first few components via the closeness between their loadings. Based on a setup in Bentler and de Leeuw (Psychometrika 76:461-470, 2011), this study examines the relationship between FA…

News aggregator databases offer different content and features, but there is little guidance on how these databases compare. This article compares the coverage scope, availability of 35 U.S. newspaper titles, and features of six news aggregators available to U.S. academic libraries: "Newspaper Source Plus" (EBSCO), "Factiva,"…

This note demonstrates that the widely used Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) need not be generally viewed as a routinely dependable index for model selection when the bifactor and second-order factor models are examined as rival means for data description and explanation. To this end, we use an empirically relevant setting with…

This study delves into writing scores in both tests, aiming to uncover the reasons behind score differences. Through comprehensive comparative analysis, this research explores scoring patterns, criteria, and score distributions in IELTS and PTE writing sections. It investigates sources of score variation, including task design, rating criteria,…

Background: Attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) is a leading mental disorder among adolescents globally and is associated with premature mortality. Knowing the trends and key determinants of ADHD in youth are critical for earlier diagnosis and interventions. Methods: We retrospectively examined all hospitalizations in patients aged 11 to…

This study investigates the evolving landscape of green universities by analyzing and comparing rankings from 2018 to 2022. It expands beyond the single score offered by the UI GreenMetric, employing Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) techniques to evaluate universities from diverse perspectives. Focusing on the top 50 universities from 2022,…

There is a perception that charter schools in the United States enroll students with disabilities at a lower rate than traditional public schools despite federal laws that require charter schools to provide the same services as traditional public schools. This systematic review answers the question: What research exists that explores the…

This study investigates the validity and reliability of generative large language models (LLMs), specifically ChatGPT and Google's Bard, in grading student essays in higher education based on an analytical grading rubric. A total of 15 experienced English as a foreign language (EFL) instructors and two LLMs were asked to evaluate three student…

Higher education is often framed as a means to social mobility and increased earnings. However, the value of university education in the United States is coming under scrutiny in regard to its costs. This article examines a university education's return on investment (ROI) from attending different types of universities in the United States. Unlike…

School and district leaders make annual decisions about investing their budgets in a multitude of educational programs. Policy directives set expectations for investing in programs that show evidence of improving student outcomes. However, evaluating many simultaneously-implemented programs under typical school operating conditions is challenging.…

This paper proposes to use depth perception to represent raters' decision in holistic evaluation of ESL essays, as an alternative medium to conventional form of numerical scores. The researchers verified the new method's accuracy and inter/intra-rater reliability by inviting 24 ESL teachers to perform different representations when rating 60…

We present two types of validity evidence to support inferences and decisions about use of easyCBMs in relation to state testing programs. The first type involves the use of Benchmarks in reading to use in making predictions of performance on the Smarter Balanced (SB) test. These predictions can be made both well in advance (several months) or…

The primary goal of this project is to assess the students' better communication attainment after applying a series of five interactive strategies to an experiment group of subjects. This class will be compared with a control group of other participants, and in their class, the interactive approaches are not emphasized and practiced openly. The…