In April 2023, Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative (IWERC) conducted a survey of K-12 school districts within the state of Illinois to understand the efforts they undertook to contain and recover from pandemic-related learning disturbances. In partnership with the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), they collected more…

Although reading comprehension research and instruction commonly focus on individuals' ability to extract meaning from text, eighth-grade students whose teachers chose to focus on engaged volitional reading, rather than comprehension, demonstrated expansive forms of meaning-making and purpose. Interviews and observations across two school years…

This dissertation comprises three chapters. The first two address issues within the education system, focusing on strategies to attract and retain high-quality teachers in the public sector. The third chapter, a collaborative effort with Martin Martinez and Miguel Saldarriaga, explores the application of machine learning tools for nowcasting…

The purpose of "The State of Computer Science in Illinois High Schools Series" is to analyze the landscape, structures, and pathways to and through computer science (CS) education in Illinois and to create a baseline by which to measure the expansion of CS education in the coming years. The series will include five reports, each…

Abstract screening is one important aspect of conducting a high-quality and comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis. Abstract screening allows the review team to conduct the tedious but vital first step to synthesize the extant literature: winnowing down the overwhelming amalgamation of citations discovered through research databases to…

Written submissions are traditionally used in the assessment of applications for Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy, with dialogue offering an alternative approach. Quite why individuals elect for dialogue has received little attention. Using a mixed methods approach, data were gathered from two Universities offering dialogic and written…

Abstract screening is one important aspect of conducting a high-quality and comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis. Abstract screening allows the review team to conduct the tedious but vital first step to synthesize the extant literature: winnowing down the overwhelming amalgamation of citations discovered through research databases to…

In studies that generate course recommendations based on similarity, the typical enrollment data used for model training consists only of one record per student-course pair. In this study, we explore and quantify the additional signal present in course transaction data, which includes a more granular account of student administrative interactions…

There is a body of research which highlights the importance of students studying mathematics at an advanced level, hence policy-makers worldwide look for ways to increase the uptake of advanced mathematics. In Ireland, the Government announced the introduction of a Bonus Points Initiative which came into effect in 2012, in an attempt to increase…

As universities face unprecedented pressure to diversify, campus communities must reckon with the fact that nearly one-third of underrepresented and racially minoritized (URM) faculty are in an academic couple. Despite the prevalence of URM academic couples, research rarely captures their perspectives, which could shed light on their experiences…

In this study, the aim is to explore what genres can be found in applications used in preschool as a way to facilitate preschool teachers' informed choices and raise awareness concerning the importance of choosing digital content carefully. In particular, applications that facilitate communication beyond a verbal majority language are in focus in…

This paper investigates the effect of university prestige stratification on scholars' career achievements. We focus on 766 STEM PhD graduates hired by Mexican universities between 1992 and 2016. We rank university according to their prestige based on the pairwise assessment of quality contained in the PhD hiring networks. Further, we use a…

The form of Physical Education (PE) teacher selection matters in that, as a system of rules (i.e. institution), it shapes the practices of Initial Teacher Education (ITE), including pre-service PE teachers' daily preparation for teaching qualification and employment. This article examines the secondary PE teacher selection examination as one of…

Systems navigators help local educational agencies (LEAs) meet the needs of students experiencing homelessness and decrease barriers to their education by connecting them--and often their families--to resources and community organizations that can provide wraparound services. This National Center for Homeless Education brief: (1) provides…

University-based certificate programs for students with intellectual disabilities have grown in number since the passing of the Higher Education Opportunities Act (HEOA) in 2008. The Comprehensive Transition Program (CTP) designation and Transition and Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSID) grant were created…