This article reports on findings based on analyses of a unique dataset collected by ACT that includes information on student achievement in a variety of subjects at the high-school level. The authors examine the relationship between teacher effect estimates derived from value-added model (VAM) specifications employing different student learning…

The push for accountability in public schooling has extended to the measurement of teacher performance, accelerated by federal efforts through Race to the Top. Currently, a large number of states and districts across the country are computing measures of teacher performance based on the standardized test scores of their students and using them to…

The purpose of this study was to determine what relationship exists between knowledge of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) to organizational position and training among faculty and administrators employed within complementary and alternative healthcare educational institutions. Within these knowledge levels, this study…

This report examines the implementation and effects of the academic summer program for middle school students offered by Building Educated Leaders for Life (BELL). BELL's middle school program serves rising sixth- through eighth-grade students who are performing one to two years below grade level. The goals of the program are to increase students'…

Educational institutions are required either by law or by necessity to maintain records on students. Prior to the passage of the "Buckley Amendment," more commonly known as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), K-12 and postsecondary school officials maintained, used, and shared records according to their own discretion.…

Universities have witnessed the consistent growth of increased college-level distance education programs with 32 percent of all students having taken at least one online course (Allen & Seaman, 2013). Key to this continued growth, however, is understanding the factors that contribute to the greatest growth and success in these programs.…

California legislature made a policy change with Senate Bill (SB) 1644 (2000), shifting Cal Grant Programs to focus on entitlement; counter to the national trend of merit based grant programs. This article describes a study examining effectiveness and extent to which SB 1644 is meeting its legislative objectives: increase in higher education…

Poor academic performance during childhood predicts later adverse outcomes, and could be targeted for improvement if detected early. This study used population-based record linkage to examine the association between early life risk factors and academic achievement at two different stages of development using two different cohorts: a kindergarten…

Evidence of disparate identification of autism at national and local levels is accumulating, but there is little understanding about disparate identification of autism at the state level. This study examined trends in state-level administrative identification of autism under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Prevalence rates and…

The focus of this research is to evaluate the relationship between advanced high school science courses and college outcomes, with a focus on the benefit of Advanced Placement Program® (AP®) participation and performance in comparison to other high school options (e.g., dual enrollment, honors, and regular science high school courses). Although…

We use a unique longitudinal sample of student teachers ("interns") from six Washington state teacher training institutions to investigate patterns of entry into the teaching workforce. Specifically, we estimate split population models that simultaneously estimate the impact of individual characteristics and student teaching experiences…

This paper provides an illustration of how schools can use their extensive student databases in a way that goes beyond comparing differences between demographic subgroups. The urban district was already aware of the extent and nature of achievement gaps "between" demographic subgroups as published in accountability reports. They were in…

It is the position of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) to support the collection of essential nursing data as listed in the Nursing Minimum Data Set (NMDS). The NMDS provides a basic structure to identify the data needed to delineate nursing care delivered to clients as well as relevant characteristics of those clients. Structure…

There is much focus at the state and national levels in graduating students that are prepared for college and careers. In order for students to be prepared at the end of their K-12 education, indicators are also needed along the way about whether students are on track. Using historical state data, nine different methods were used to align…

This article investigates the association between social capital and education in Jhabua, a tribal dominated district of central India. The case study analysis showed a disconnection between social capital and education in the majority of the villages. However, two of the fourteen villages showed that empowerment of the civil society made formal…