This article reports the research findings of a qualitative study thatemploys case study research methods to examine a newly-formed university-district-teacher union partnership. Examination of the question ''How do we better prepare teachers'' led to the formation of a university-district-association (teacher union) partnership, which led to a…

The inequity of streaming as a method of organising classes was established by research conducted in the 1960s and 1970s. While the practice produces small advantages for limited groups of students, it hinders the academic and social advancement of the majority. Although streaming has declined, new forms of achievement grouping have emerged, with…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that educators in a large, suburban, public school district in the southeastern United States believe contribute to African American and English Language Learners (ELL) being referred to special education at a higher rate than traditional students by exploring the attitudes and perceptions…

Students are non-randomly assigned, or sorted, into classrooms in various ways across and within schools. In this study, we use longitudinal data sets from three districts to investigate a metric for the characterization of sorting at the school level. We analyze whether non-random student assignment is associated with value-added estimates for…

This dissertation investigates the implications of student-teacher racial/ethnic matching on two educational outcomes. The fourth chapter investigates whether assignment to same-race teachers affects students' math and reading achievement growth in early elementary grades and whether the overall racial/ethnic composition of the teaching workforce…

This study develops a multiple measure placement method (MMPM) that is comprised of predictor variables such as ACCUPLACER math (ACCM), ACCUPLACER reading (ACCR), arithmetic diagnostic test (ADT), high school grade point average (HSGPA), high school mathematics performance (HSMP), and duration since last mathematics course taken in high school…

This paper formally examines two competing methods of conducting a lottery in assigning students to schools, motivated by the design of the centralized high school student assignment system in New York City. The main result of the paper is that a single and multiple lottery mechanism are equivalent for the problem of allocating students to schools…

One of the author's most challenging and rewarding features in teaching AP Human Geography to high school-age thinkers is helping his students forge connections among the terms and concepts covered--"to see the connections among the dots." Too often, he finds his students first approach learning through the "memorize and regurgitate"…

Students at all levels often generate ideas that are not obviously right or wrong, and, when they do, it is productive to take time to explore the ideas as a group. Some of these ideas are really strange. Occasionally, they are so strange that even the teacher might not know what to think of them. This is the story of what Cosby's rule is, how it…

The cornerstone of evidence-centered assessment design (ECD) is an evidentiary argument that requires that each target of measurement (e.g., learning goal) for an assessment be expressed as a "claim" to be made about an examinee that is relevant to the specific purpose and audience(s) for the assessment. The "observable evidence" required to…

In rural areas, transition planning for young adults with disabilities presents considerable challenges, including linkage to employment upon completion of special education services. Two assessment programs, described in this article, work in concert to assist transition teachers and youth with disabilities in rural areas and include: (a)…

Gender has been a controversial issue which affects the language learning process. McNamara (1996) has proposed that there are some variables affecting second language performance one of which is sex. In much the same way, it has been reported that gender plays a role in the area of language testing (Brown, 2003; Lumley & O'Sullivan, 2005;…

Changes in the U.S. economy have made the attainment of a higher education credential more important than ever to ensure self-sufficiency. Therefore, it is critical that the child welfare, K-12, and higher education systems encourage and support the postsecondary educational aspirations of court wards. When the state makes the decision to remove a…

The first pretest-posttest hypothesis was tested using the dependent t test. Null hypotheses for test score improvement over time were rejected for the end of fifth-grade pretest compared to ending sixth-grade posttest math Essential Learner Outcome scores converted to standard scores for randomly selected sixth-grade girls meeting measured test…

This qualitative case study focused on the efficacy of International Baccalaureate Primary Years and Middle Years Programs in Texas schools and the extent to which the unique aspects of these programs contribute to positive student outcomes. The qualitative data were gathered as a complement to statistical, quantitative data our research team…