Montana American Indian Student Achievement Data Report, Fall 2010

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Montana Office of Public Instruction, 2010

2010-01-01

The well-being and accomplishment of all Montana students is vital to the future success of the state. More specifically, increasing academic achievement and providing all students with a quality education will result in the opportunity for students to have more choices beyond their K-12 experience. This is what the business of education is all…

One-to-One Laptops in K-12 Classrooms: Voices of Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zheng, Binbin; Arada, Kathleen; Niiya, Melissa; Warschauer, Mark

2014-01-01

In planning educational technology initiatives, the concerns of many stakeholders are typically taken into account, including the concerns of administrators, teachers, parents, and employers. The perspective of students are recognized as valuable, but not often queried or considered. This paper explores the opinions of K-12 students about a…

The Influence of a Statewide Green School Initiative on Student Achievement in K-12 Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ghent, Cynthia; Trauth-Nare, Amy; Dell, Katie; Haines, Sarah

2014-01-01

This study investigates the influence of Green School designation on students' achievement in state-mandated standardized tests. Data were gathered 3 years pre- and post-Green schools designation, from test pass rates in reading and mathematics for Grade 5 and Grade 8 students, and from mathematics, English language arts, and biology scores for…

K-12 Students Flock To ToxTown In San Diego: Results of an SOT K-12 Education Outreach Workshop

EPA Science Inventory

Just prior to the start of the 2015 Annual Meeting in San Diego, hundreds of K-12 students, teachers, and science enthusiasts visited the ToxTown booth at the annual San Diego Festival of Science and Engineering grand finale event, EXPO Day. Over 20,000 attendees participated in ...

Will Public Pre-K Really Close Achievement Gaps? Gaps in Prekindergarten Quality between Students and across States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Valentino, Rachel

2018-01-01

Publicly funded pre-K is often touted as a means to narrow achievement gaps, but this goal is less likely to be achieved if poor and/or minority children do not, at a minimum, attend equal quality pre-K as their non-poor, non-minority peers. In this paper, I find large "quality gaps" in public pre-K between poor, minority students and…

Local Tax Limits, Student Achievement, and School-Finance Equalization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Matthew; Vedder, Andrea; Stone, Joe

2016-01-01

Evidence that local tax and expenditure limits (TELs) for public K-12 schools lower student achievement is widely attributed to the effects of reduced funding, but our results cast doubt on reduced funding as the primary explanation for negative effects of TELs and instead suggest the importance of the predictability of funding. Students in…

The Effectiveness of Educational Technology Applications for Enhancing Mathematics Achievement in K-12 Classrooms: A Meta-Analysis. Educator's Summary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Research and Reform in Education, 2012

2012-01-01

This review summarizes research on the effects of technology use on mathematics achievement in K-12 classrooms. The main research questions included: (1) Do education technology applications improve mathematics achievement in K-12 classrooms as compared to traditional teaching methods without education technology?; and (2) What study and research…

Project BioEYES: Accessible Student-Driven Science for K-12 Students and Teachers.

PubMed

Shuda, Jamie R; Butler, Valerie G; Vary, Robert; Farber, Steven A

2016-11-01

BioEYES, a nonprofit outreach program using zebrafish to excite and educate K-12 students about science and how to think and act like scientists, has been integrated into hundreds of under-resourced schools since 2002. During the week-long experiments, students raise zebrafish embryos to learn principles of development and genetics. We have analyzed 19,463 participating students' pre- and post-tests within the program to examine their learning growth and attitude changes towards science. We found that at all grade levels, BioEYES effectively increased students' content knowledge and produced favorable shifts in students' attitudes about science. These outcomes were especially pronounced in younger students. Having served over 100,000 students, we find that our method for providing student-centered experiences and developing long-term partnerships with teachers is essential for the growth and sustainability of outreach and school collaborations.

K-12 students with concussions: a legal perspective.

PubMed

Zirkel, Perry A; Brown, Brenda Eagan

2015-04-01

This article provides a multipart analysis of the public schools' responsibility for students with concussions. The first part provides the prevailing diagnostic definitions of concussions and postconcussive syndrome. The second and central part provides (a) the legal framework of the two overlapping federal laws--the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the varying state laws or local policies for individual health plans and (b) a summary of the developing body of hearing officer decisions, court decisions, and Office for Civil Rights rulings that have applied this framework to K-12 students with concussions. The final part offers recommendations for proactive return to school policies, with the school nurse playing a central supporting role. © The Author(s) 2014.

The K-12 Online Teaching Dynamic: A Study of Educators at Multiple Cyber Charter Schools in Pennsylvania

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Vooren, Scott E.

2017-01-01

This study harvested and synthesized information on K-12 online educators within the State of Pennsylvania through structured interviews and artifact evaluations. As parents, students, and the greater K-12 educational community look for innovative ways to increase rigor and student achievement in the 21st century, educational technology is viewed…

Student Recommendations for Improving Nutrition in America's K-12 Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

NCSSSMST Journal, 2006

2006-01-01

Co-hosted by the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science, and Technology (NCSSSMST) and The Keystone Center, the third annual Keystone Center Youth Policy Summit focused on Adolescent and Childhood Nutrition in America's K-12 Schools. In June 2006, 40 students from 10 math and science schools came together in…

Addressing the Nets for Students through Constructivist Technology Use in K-12 Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Niederhauser, Dale S.; Lindstrom, Denise L.

2006-01-01

The National Educational Technology Standards for Students promote constructivist technology use for K-12 students in U.S. schools. In this study, researchers reported on 716 cases in which teachers described technology-based activities they conducted with their students. Narrative analysis was used to examine case transcripts relative to the…

California K-12 Schools and Communities Collaborate to Support Student Mental Health

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodbridge, Michelle W.; Goldweber, Asha; Yu, Jennifer; Golan, Shari; Stein, Bradley D.

2013-01-01

Across the education, public health, and human and social services areas, there is renewed interest in bringing agency representatives together to work on the promotion of student mental health and wellness. One of the aims of California's Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) K-12 Student Mental Health (SMH) initiative funded under Proposition…

Students Doing Chemistry: A Hand-On Experience for K-12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Selco, Jodye I.; Bruno, Mary; Chan, Sue

2012-01-01

A hands-on, minds-on inquiry chemistry experiment was developed for use in K-12 schools that enables students to combine the chemicals of their choice and observe the results. The chemistry involved is water based and builds upon acid-base, double displacement, and iodometric detection of starch reactions. Chemicals readily available in the…

School Counselor and School Nurse Collaboration: Partnering for K-12 Student Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tuttle, Malti; Yordy, Morgan; Appling, Brandee; Hanley, Erika

2018-01-01

School counselors and school nurses strive to support the well-being of students in K-12 school settings. Both professionals often overlap and interact with the same students prompting the need for effective collaboration. The purpose of this article is to introduce a collaboration model to assist school counselors and school nurses in forming a…

Peer Mentoring and Peer Tutoring among K-12 Students: A Literature Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodrich, Andrew

2018-01-01

The purpose of this literature review is to examine research on peer mentoring among K-12 students to assist practitioners with how to incorporate these instructional techniques into their own music programs. Primary themes across the music education literature of peer mentoring include the role of music teachers, the role of students as they…

K-12 Online Learning and Students with Disabilities: Perspectives from State Special Education Directors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burdette, Paula J.; Greer, Diana L.; Woods, Kari L.

2013-01-01

K-12 special education policies and practices that ensure students with disabilities receive a free, appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment are coming under pressure from the rapid expansion of online learning. Forty-six state and non-state jurisdiction special education directors responded to a brief survey about K-12…

Connecting the Dots: Postsecondary's Role in Preparing K-12 Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, 2012

2012-01-01

For the first time in the nation's history 46 States and the District of Columbia have agreed that all K-12 students will be educated along a common continuum of high academic expectations known as the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Having clear, consistent standards in English language arts/literacy and mathematics will help ensure that all…

Educating K-12 Students about Glacier Dynamics in a Changing Climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stearns, L. A.; Hamilton, G. S.

2005-12-01

Public awareness of climate change is growing in the United States. Popular movies, books and magazines are frequently addressing the issue of global warming - some with careful scientific research, but many with unrealistic statements. Early education about the basic principles and processes of climate change is necessary for the general public to distinguish fact from fiction. The U.S. National Science Foundation's GK-12 program (GK-12; grades K to 12) currently in its sixth year, provides an opportunity for scientific enrichment for students and their teachers at the K-12 level through collaborative pairings with science and engineering graduate students (the Fellows). The NSF GK-12 program at the University of Maine has three goals: to enrich the scientific education of the students by providing role models, expertise, and equipment that may not be accessible otherwise; to provide professional development for the teachers through curriculum enrichment and participation at science conferences; and to improve the teaching and communication skills of the Fellows. The University of Maine is one of over 100 U. S. universities participating in this program. During the 2004-05 academic year, 11 graduate and one undergraduate student Fellows, advised by University faculty members, taught at schools across the state of Maine. Fellows from, biology, earth science, ecology, engineering, food science, forestry, and marine science, and taught in their area of expertise. We created a hands-on activity for middle and high school students that describes glacier mass balance in a changing climate. The students make a glacier using glue, water and detergent ('flubber') and construct a glacier valley using plastic sheeting. Flubber behaves in mechanically similar ways to glacier ice, undergoing plastic deformation at low stresses and exhibiting brittle failure at high stresses. Students are encouraged to run several tests with different values for valley slope, glacier mass

The Effects of Fiscal and Human Capital on Student Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koligian, Sarah Lynne

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of per-pupil funding, the amount allocated to fund students in K-12 public education, and how this funding related to student achievement. This is one of the most contentious issues in education, especially in light of the current economy in California, where the state budget crisis has…

Teaching Self-Determination and Arizona Standards for K-12 Students with Disabilities Lesson Plan Portfolio.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Libby, Amanda

This document presents eight lesson plans designed to teach self-determination and Arizona academic standards to students with disabilities in grades K-12. The lesson plans include: (1) an oral language lesson plan for students with learning disabilities in grades 1-2; (2) a reading acquisition lesson that teaches color words to students with…

Fostering Peace: A Comparison of Conflict Resolution Approaches for Students (K-12).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iowa Peace Inst., Grinnell.

This compilation of 12 conflict resolution models is an attempt to provide a comparable overview of approaches that teach conflict management and peacemaking skills to K-12 students, teachers, counselors, and administrators. They have been selected for inclusion because they have been used in many schools around the United States. Each is…

Empowering K-12 Students with Disabilities to Learn Computational Thinking and Computer Programming

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Israel, Maya; Wherfel, Quentin M.; Pearson, Jamie; Shehab, Saadeddine; Tapia, Tanya

2015-01-01

This article's focus is on including computing and computational thinking in K-12 instruction within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, and to provide that instruction in ways that promote access for students traditionally underrepresented in the STEM fields, such as students with disabilities. Providing computing…

The Platte River Corridor Project: A University/K-12 Collaboration to Meet the Needs of Latino Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hof, David D.; Lopez, Samuel T.; Dinsmore, Julie A.; Baker, Jessica; McCarty, Wendy L.; Tracy, Glenn

2007-01-01

This article discusses the development and impact of the Platte River Corridor Project, a successful university/K-12 partnership designed to address the inequality in learning outcomes for Latino students by increasing the effectiveness of K-12 classroom teachers in educating Latino English Language Learner (ELL) students and by facilitating…

K-12 Neuroscience Education Outreach Program: Interactive Activities for Educating Students about Neuroscience.

PubMed

Deal, Alex L; Erickson, Kristen J; Bilsky, Edward J; Hillman, Susan J; Burman, Michael A

2014-01-01

The University of New England's Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences has developed a successful and growing K-12 outreach program that incorporates undergraduate and graduate/professional students. The program has several goals, including raising awareness about fundamental issues in neuroscience, supplementing science education in area schools and enhancing undergraduate and graduate/professional students' academic knowledge and skill set. The outreach curriculum is centered on core neuroscience themes including: Brain Safety, Neuroanatomy, Drugs of Abuse and Addiction, Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders, and Cognition and Brain Function. For each theme, lesson plans were developed based upon interactive, small-group activities. Additionally, we've organized our themes in a "Grow-up, Grow-out" approach. Grow-up refers to returning to a common theme, increasing in complexity as we revisit students from early elementary through high school. Grow-out refers to integrating other scientific fields into our lessons, such as the chemistry of addiction, the physics of brain injury and neuronal imaging. One of the more successful components of our program is our innovative team-based model of curriculum design. By creating a team of undergraduate, graduate/professional students and faculty, we create a unique multi-level mentoring opportunity that appears to be successful in enhancing undergraduate students' skills and knowledge. Preliminary assessments suggest that undergraduates believe they are enhancing their content knowledge and professional skills through our program. Additionally, we're having a significant, short-term impact on K-12 interest in science. Overall, our program appears to be enhancing the academic experience of our undergraduates and exciting K-12 students about the brain and science in general.

K-12 Education

Science.gov Websites

reached out to elementary and high school students to expose them to earthquakes in a hands-on products laboratories publications nisee b.i.p. members education FAQs links education Education Program Internships K-12 Education Contact the PEER Education Program PEER's Educational Affiliates Student Design

Seizing the Moment: Community Colleges Collaborating with K-12 to Improve Student Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Association of Community Colleges, 2016

2016-01-01

With the national spotlight on community colleges, the sector has a unique opportunity to seize the moment and collaborate with K-12 to increase student success. Efforts to increase community college access and open doors to more students must include a complementary focus on improving readiness. Otherwise, remediation rates will remain…

An Empirical Evaluation of Distance Learning's Effectiveness in the K-12 Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris-Packer, Jerilyn D.; Ségol, Geneviève

2015-01-01

This study evaluated the effect of online instruction on the academic achievement of K--12 students in ten states as measured by the percentage of proficient students in reading and mathematics at the school level. We used publicly available data provided by the Department of Education in Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania,…

School Hopscotch: A Comprehensive Review of K-12 Student Mobility in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Welsh, Richard O.

2017-01-01

This article provides an integrative review of the extant literature on K-12 student mobility in the United States. Student mobility is a widespread phenomenon with significant policy implications. Changing schools is most prevalent among minority and low-income students in urban school districts. There is an ongoing debate about whether student…

Examining Cultural Capital and Student Achievement: Results of a Meta-Analytic Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tan, Cheng Yong

2017-01-01

This meta-analysis summarized the relationships between cultural capital and student achievement (155 effect sizes involving 685,393 K-12 students) published in education journals between 1981 and 2015. Results showed a small-to-medium overall mean effect size, and larger individual effect sizes for parental education and parental expectations…

Instituting a Standards-Based K--12 Science Curriculum Supplement Program at the National Institutes of Health: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Witherly, Jeffre

2010-01-01

Research on student achievement indicates the U.S. K-12 education system is not adequately preparing American students to compete in the 21st century global economy in the areas of science and mathematics. Congress has asked the scientific entities of the federal government to help increase K-12 science learning by creating standards-based…

How Do K-12 Students' Manage Applications on Their Mobile Devices?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aladjem, Ruthi; Hardof, Sharon

2016-01-01

Personal information management (PIM) is a research field that examines the activities by which users save, organize and retrieve personal information items. PIM is a one of the essential new literacies for learners in the 21st century. This paper reports results from a pilot study that explored PIM practices and strategies of K-12 students, on…

K-12 Students' Perceptions of Scientists: Finding a Valid Measurement and Exploring Whether Exposure to Scientists Makes an Impact

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hillman, Susan J.; Bloodsworth, Kylie H.; Tilburg, Charles E.; Zeeman, Stephan I.; List, Henrietta E.

2014-01-01

This study was launched from a National Science Foundation GK-12 grant in which graduate fellows in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) are placed in classrooms to engage K-12 students in STEM activities. The investigation explored whether the STEM Fellows' presence impacted the K-12 students' stereotypical image of a…

Informal Math Coaching by Instant Messaging: Two Case Studies of How University Students Coach K-12 Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hrastinski, Stefan; Edman, Anneli; Andersson, Fredrik; Kawnine, Tanvir; Soames, Carol-Ann

2014-01-01

The aim of this study is to describe and explore how instant messaging (IM) can be used to support informal math coaching. We have studied two projects where university students use IM to coach K-12 students in mathematics. The coaches were interviewed with a focus on how informal coaching works by examining coaching challenges, how coaching can…

A phenomenological case study concerning science teacher educators' beliefs and teaching practices about culturally relevant pedagogy and preparing K-12 science teachers to engage African American students in K-12 science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Underwood, Janice Bell

Due to the rising diversity in today's schools, science teacher educators (STEs) suggest that K-12 teachers must be uniquely prepared to engage these students in science classrooms. Yet, in light of the increasing white-black science achievement gap, it is unclear how STEs prepare preservice teachers to engage diverse students, and African Americans in particular. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to find out how STEs prepare preservice teachers to engage African American students in K-12 science. Thus, using the culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) framework, this phenomenological case study explored beliefs about culturally relevant science teaching and the influence of reported beliefs and experiences related to race on STEs' teaching practices. In the first phase, STE's in a mid-Atlantic state were invited to participate in an electronic survey. In the second phase, four participants, who were identified as exemplars, were selected from the survey to participate in three semi-structured interviews. The data revealed that STEs were more familiar with culturally responsive pedagogy (CResP) in the context of their post-secondary classrooms as opposed to CRP. Further, most of the participants in part one and two described modeling conventional ways they prepare their preservice teachers to engage K-12 students, who represent all types of diversity, without singling out any specific race. Lastly, many of the STEs' in this study reported formative experiences related to race and beliefs in various manifestations of racism have impacted their teaching beliefs and practices. The findings of this study suggest STEs do not have a genuine understanding of the differences between CRP and CResP and by in large embrace CResP principles. Secondly, in regards to preparing preservice teachers to engage African American students in science, the participants in this study seemed to articulate the need for ideological change, but were unable to demonstrate pedagogical changes

The Relationship between Teacher Training, Intervention Strategies, and Students' Academic Achievement in the Classroom with K-5 ADHD Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooper, Nancy A.

2014-01-01

The primary intent of this study was to explore the effect between teachers' training, intervention strategies, and the academic achievement of K-5 ADHD students. The study design employed a mixed research design. The quantitative method focused on collecting data from certified regular and special-education teachers. Additionally, effects were…

An Examination of High-Achieving First-Generation College Students from Low-Income Backgrounds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hébert, Thomas P.

2018-01-01

Experiences of 10 high-achieving first-generation college students from low-income backgrounds were the focus of this qualitative research study. Family adversity and difficult personal experiences during adolescence were major themes; however, students benefitted from emotionally supportive K-12 educators and academic rigor in high school.…

NASA Lewis' IITA K-12 Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1996-01-01

The NASA Lewis Research Center's Information Infrastructure Technology and Applications for Kindergarten to 12th Grade (IITA K-12) Program is designed to introduce into school systems computing and communications technology that benefits math and science studies. By incorporating this technology into K-12 curriculums, we hope to increase the proficiency and interest in math and science subjects by K-12 students so that they continue to study technical subjects after their high school careers are over.

K-12 Neuroscience Education Outreach Program: Interactive Activities for Educating Students about Neuroscience

PubMed Central

Deal, Alex L.; Erickson, Kristen J.; Bilsky, Edward J.; Hillman, Susan J.; Burman, Michael A.

2014-01-01

The University of New England’s Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences has developed a successful and growing K-12 outreach program that incorporates undergraduate and graduate/professional students. The program has several goals, including raising awareness about fundamental issues in neuroscience, supplementing science education in area schools and enhancing undergraduate and graduate/professional students’ academic knowledge and skill set. The outreach curriculum is centered on core neuroscience themes including: Brain Safety, Neuroanatomy, Drugs of Abuse and Addiction, Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders, and Cognition and Brain Function. For each theme, lesson plans were developed based upon interactive, small-group activities. Additionally, we’ve organized our themes in a “Grow-up, Grow-out” approach. Grow-up refers to returning to a common theme, increasing in complexity as we revisit students from early elementary through high school. Grow-out refers to integrating other scientific fields into our lessons, such as the chemistry of addiction, the physics of brain injury and neuronal imaging. One of the more successful components of our program is our innovative team-based model of curriculum design. By creating a team of undergraduate, graduate/professional students and faculty, we create a unique multi-level mentoring opportunity that appears to be successful in enhancing undergraduate students’ skills and knowledge. Preliminary assessments suggest that undergraduates believe they are enhancing their content knowledge and professional skills through our program. Additionally, we’re having a significant, short-term impact on K-12 interest in science. Overall, our program appears to be enhancing the academic experience of our undergraduates and exciting K-12 students about the brain and science in general. PMID:25565921

Author Reply to K12 Inc. Response

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Education Policy Center, 2012

2012-01-01

K12 Inc. enrolls more public school students than any other private education management organization in the U.S. Much has been written about K12 Inc. (referred to in this report simply as "K12") by financial analysts and investigative journalists because it is a large, publicly traded company and is the dominant player in the operation…

Integrating local environmental research into K-12 science classrooms and the value of graduate student-educator partnerships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ward, N. D.; Petrik-Finley, R.

2015-12-01

Collaboration between researchers and K-12 educators enables an invaluable exchange of teaching philosophies and educational tools. Programs that partner graduate students with K-12 educators serve the dual purpose of training future educators and providing K-12 students with unique opportunities and perspectives. The benefits of this type of partnership include providing students with enhanced educational experiences and positive student-mentor relationships, training STEM graduate students in effective teaching strategies, and providing teachers with a firsthand resource for scientific information and novel educational materials. Many high school students have had little exposure to science beyond the classroom. Frequent interactions with "real-life" scientists can help make science more approachable and is an effective strategy for promoting science as a career. Here I describe my experiences and several lessons designed as a NSK GK-12 fellow. For example, a month-long unit on biogeochemical principles was framed as a crime scene investigation of a fish kill event in Hood Canal, Washington, in which students were given additional pieces of evidence to solve the mystery as they satisfied checkpoints in their understanding of key concepts. The evidence pieces included scientific plots, maps, datasets, and laboratory exercises. A clear benefit of this investigation-style unit is that students were able to learn the material at their individual pace. This structure allowed for a streamlined integration of differentiated materials such as simplified background readings or visual learning aids for struggling students or more detailed news articles and primary literature for more advanced students. Although the NSF GK-12 program has been archived, educators and researchers should pursue new partnerships, leveraging local and state-level STEM outreach programs with the goal of increasing national exposure of the societal benefits of such synergistic activities.

Environmental Education and K-12 Student Outcomes: A Review and Analysis of Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ardoin, Nicole M.; Bowers, Alison W.; Roth, Noelle Wyman; Holthuis, Nicole

2018-01-01

Many practitioners and researchers describe academic and environmental benefits of environmental education for kindergarten through twelfth grade (K-12) students. To consider the empirical underpinnings of those program descriptions, we systematically analyzed the peer-reviewed literature (1994-2013), focusing on outcomes of environmental…

A Scientist's Guide to Achieving Broader Impacts through K-12 STEM Collaboration.

PubMed

Komoroske, Lisa M; Hameed, Sarah O; Szoboszlai, Amber I; Newsom, Amanda J; Williams, Susan L

2015-03-01

The National Science Foundation and other funding agencies are increasingly requiring broader impacts in grant applications to encourage US scientists to contribute to science education and society. Concurrently, national science education standards are using more inquiry-based learning (IBL) to increase students' capacity for abstract, conceptual thinking applicable to real-world problems. Scientists are particularly well suited to engage in broader impacts via science inquiry outreach, because scientific research is inherently an inquiry-based process. We provide a practical guide to help scientists overcome obstacles that inhibit their engagement in K-12 IBL outreach and to attain the accrued benefits. Strategies to overcome these challenges include scaling outreach projects to the time available, building collaborations in which scientists' research overlaps with curriculum, employing backward planning to target specific learning objectives, encouraging scientists to share their passion, as well as their expertise with students, and transforming institutional incentives to support scientists engaging in educational outreach.

What Do K-12 Teachers Think about Including Student Surveys in Their Performance Ratings?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dretzke, Beverly J.; Sheldon, Timothy D.; Lim, Alicia

2015-01-01

This study investigated K-12 teachers' opinions about the use of student surveys as a component of a teacher evaluation system. Surveys were administered to teachers at the beginning of the school year and again in the spring. Analyses of teachers' responses on the fall survey indicated tentative support for the inclusion of student feedback in…

Engineering in K-12 Education: Understanding the Status and Improving the Prospects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Katehi, Linda, Ed.; Pearson, Greg, Ed.; Feder, Michael, Ed.

2009-01-01

Engineering education in K-12 classrooms is a small but growing phenomenon that may have implications for engineering and also for the other STEM subjects--science, technology, and mathematics. Specifically, engineering education may improve student learning and achievement in science and mathematics, increase awareness of engineering and the work…

The Characteristics and Education Outcomes of American Indian Students in Grades 6-12 in North Carolina. REL 2017-202

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fuller, Sarah Crittenden; Davis, Cassandra R.

2016-01-01

In the 2012/13 school year American Indian students accounted for 1.1 percent of K-12 students nationwide and 1.4 percent of K-12 students in North Carolina (U.S. Department of Education, n.d.). Research has identified substantial achievement gaps between American Indian and other students on national tests, in graduation rates, and in…

K-12 Aerospace Education Programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

NASA, the United States Air Force Academy, the Air Force Space Command, the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS), and the United States Space Foundation teamed to produce a dynamic and successful graduate course and in-service program for K-12 educators that has a positive impact on education trends across the nation. Since 1986, more than 10,000 educators from across the United States have participated in Space Discovery and Teaching with Space affecting nearly a million students in grades K-12. The programs are designed to prepare educators to use the excitement of space to motivate students in all curriculum subjects.

Analysis of 3D Modeling Software Usage Patterns for K-12 Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Yi-Chieh; Liao, Wen-Hung; Chi, Ming-Te; Li, Tsai-Yen

2016-01-01

In response to the recent trend in maker movement, teachers are learning 3D techniques actively and bringing 3D printing into the classroom to enhance variety and creativity in designing lectures. This study investigates the usage pattern of a 3D modeling software, Qmodel Creator, which is targeted at K-12 students. User logs containing…

The Effectiveness of Educational Technology Applications for Enhancing Reading Achievement in K-12 Classrooms: A Meta-Analysis. Educator's Summary. Revised

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Research and Reform in Education, 2012

2012-01-01

This review examines research on the effects of technology use on reading achievement in K-12 classrooms. It applies consistent inclusion standards to focus on studies that met high methodological standards. A total of 84 qualified studies based on over 60,000 K-12 participants were included in the final analysis. Four major categories of…

An Evaluation of the Conditions, Processes, and Consequences of Laptop Computing in K-12 Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cavanaugh, Cathy; Dawson, Kara; Ritzhaupt, Albert

2011-01-01

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,…

NGSS-Aligned, K-12 Climate Science Curricula, taught with citizen science and teacher-led inquiry methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zainfeld, S.

2017-12-01

Teacher-led inquiry into student learning is a promising method of formative assessment to gain insight into student achievement. NGSS-aligned K-12 Climate Science curricula taught with citizen science and teacher-led inquiry methods are described, along with results from a scientist-teacher collaboration survey.

Preparing University Students to Lead K-12 Engineering Outreach Programmes: A Design Experiment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anthony, Anika B.; Greene, Howard; Post, Paul E.; Parkhurst, Andrew; Zhan, Xi

2016-01-01

This paper describes an engineering outreach programme designed to increase the interest of under-represented youth in engineering and to disseminate pre-engineering design challenge materials to K-12 educators and volunteers. Given university students' critical role as facilitators of the outreach programme, researchers conducted a two-year…

School District of Philadelphia Student Achievement as Related to 2008-2009 K-8 Teachers' Perceptions of Major Academic Indicators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mason-Dorman, Cheryl

2013-01-01

The School District of Philadelphia (SDP), established in 1818, is the eighth largest school district in the United States, with a student enrollment of 184,560 K-12 students. Like most of the other large urban school districts in the United States, its student population consists of more minority students than non-minority students. As the white…

Gauging the Gaps: A Deeper Look at Student Achievement. K-12 Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rowan, Anna Habash; Hall, Daria; Haycock, Kati

2010-01-01

Leaders in schools, districts, and states, along with policymakers in Washington, D.C., are focusing new energy on closing long-standing gaps in performance that separate low-income students and students of color from others. It's critically important that their efforts succeed--for students, their families, their communities, and for their…

An Examination of Dropout Rates for Hispanic or Latino Students Enrolled in Online K-12 Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corry, Michael; Dardick, William; Stella, Julie

2017-01-01

As the number of online K-12 educational offerings continues to grow it is important to better understand key indicators of success for students enrolled in these classes. One of those indicators is student dropout rates. This is particularly important for Hispanic or Latino students who traditionally have high dropout rates. The purpose of this…

simUfish: An Interactive Application to Teach K-12 Students About Zebrafish Behavior.

PubMed

Mwaffo, Violet; Korneyeva, Veronika; Porfiri, Maurizio

2017-10-01

As the zebrafish is rapidly becoming a species of choice in preclinical research, several efforts are being placed toward creating educational programs for K-12 students based on this promising model organism. However, as any other model organisms, the use of zebrafish in classroom settings requires additional experimental resources and poses ethical challenges related to animal use. To mitigate these factors, we have developed an application (app), simUfish, which implements a mathematical model of zebrafish behavior for generating multiple fish trajectories and animating their body undulations. simUfish is developed using a multiplatform game engine and is expected to promote the knowledge of zebrafish behavior to both K-12 students and the general public. Specifically, it demonstrates basic principles of fish individual and social behaviors, including environment interaction; fear response toward a predator; shoaling; and attraction toward a stimulus, which can be a food source or simply a finger placed on the touch screen. The effectiveness of the app as an accessible experimental tool for learning was tested in an outreach activity on middle school students from the New York City school system. The results from this activity show an immediate, tangible improvement of students' satisfaction and willingness to learn about key concepts on zebrafish behavior, accompanied by high level of interest in life sciences.

What K-12 Leaders Can Learn from Accreditation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stader, David L.; Munoz, Ava J.; Rowett, Charles

2009-01-01

Community college Quality Enhancement Plans (QEPs) typically focus on improving student outcomes. QEPs are in many ways analogous to the campus improvement plans (CIPs) that have become standard practice for virtually all K-12 schools. K-12 campus and district leaders often seek school improvement ideas from other K-12 districts. However, much can…

South Carolina K-12 Online Schools: A Framework for Measuring Success in Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stone, Carmen Mellisa Boatwright

2013-01-01

In the United States, K-12-12 online schools are growing, but research on the topic is limited. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to determine if there was a relationship between teacher perceptions of the Effective Schools Correlates and student achievement within two South Carolina online high schools. The independent…

Achieving Success with More Students: Addressing the Problem of Students At Risk, K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pennsylvania State Dept. of Education, Harrisburg.

This resource book was developed to provide information that state and local leaders can use to stimulate discussion of the problem of students at risk and support the planning of initiatives that address the problem. An overview defines students at risk, summarizes the content of the book, and lists recent reports and publications on the problem…

The Effectiveness of Educational Technology Applications for Enhancing Mathematics Achievement in K-12 Classrooms: A Meta-Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheung, Alan C. K.; Slavin, Robert E.

2013-01-01

The present review examines research on the effects of educational technology applications on mathematics achievement in K-12 classrooms. Unlike previous reviews, this review applies consistent inclusion standards to focus on studies that met high methodological standards. In addition, methodological and substantive features of the studies are…

K-12 Students as Ground Observers of Contrails in Support of Scientific Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chambers, Lin H.; Moore, Susan W.; Fischer, Joyce D.; Sepulveda, Roberto; Clark, C.

2004-01-01

Scientists are very interested in the formation of contrails, both the type and the coverage. To be detected by a satellite-born instrument, the contrail must be of a certain size, which means that some contrails go undetected. The K-12 education community is assisting with the study of contrails by participating in a network of student observers. To provide a venue for student contrail observations, the GLOBE Contrails protocol was developed as part of the GLOBE Atmospheric Science protocols. The first year of observations has provided a rich resource for researcher.

Harnessing Technology to Improve K-12 Education. Discussion Paper 2012-05

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chatterji, Aaron; Jones, Benjamin

2012-01-01

Technological progress has consistently driven remarkable advances in the U.S. economy, yet K-12 education sees little technological change compared to other sectors, even as U.S. K-12 students increasingly lag behind students in other nations. This proposal considers how we can take a signature American strength--innovation--and apply it to K-12…

A meta-analysis of self-monitoring on reading performance of K-12 students.

PubMed

Guzman, Guadalupe; Goldberg, Taryn S; Swanson, H Lee

2018-03-01

The published single-case design (SCD) research (N = 19 articles) on self-monitoring and reading performance was synthesized. The following inclusion criteria were used: (a) the study must have been peer-reviewed, (b) implemented an intervention targeting student self-monitoring of reading skills, (c) included data on at least 1 reading outcome, (d) included visual representation of the data, and (f) the study must have used an SCD to assess the topic of interest. A total of 67 participants, 45 males and 22 females, ranging in age from 7:8 -18:7 were included in the current meta-analysis. Ethnicity was reported for 42 students: 23 were Caucasian, 12 were African American, and 7 were Latino/Hispanic. Studies were compared with those meeting What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) standards and those not meeting standards. The Tau-U effect size (ES) method was the main calculation method used; however, Phi ES estimates are included for comparison purposes. Results indicated that self-monitoring had an overall significant large positive effect on the reading performance of K-12 students, Tau-U = 0.79, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.64, 0.93], p < .0001. However, self-monitoring for studies that met WWC criteria yielded a larger overall positive ES, Tau-U = 0.93, 95% CI [0.79, 1.07], p < .0001. Although the current meta-analysis is limited to peer-reviewed SCD studies, the findings provide support for self-monitoring as an evidence-based reading intervention for students in Grades K-12. Furthermore, findings indicate that larger ES values were identified when consolidating studies based on WWC guidelines as compared with consolidating across all studies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

BiteScis: Connecting K-12 teachers with science graduate students to produce lesson plans on modern science research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Battersby, Cara

2016-01-01

Many students graduate high school having never learned about the process and people behind modern science research. The BiteScis program addresses this gap by providing easily implemented lesson plans that incorporate the whos, whats, and hows of today's scienctific discoveries. We bring together practicing scientists (motivated graduate students from the selective communicating science conference, ComSciCon) with K-12 science teachers to produce, review, and disseminate K-12 lesson plans based on modern science research. These lesson plans vary in topic from environmental science to neurobiology to astrophysics, and involve a range of activities from laboratory exercises to art projects, debates, or group discussion. An integral component of the program is a series of short, "bite-size" articles on modern science research written for K-12 students. The "bite-size" articles and lesson plans will be made freely available online in an easily searchable web interface that includes association with a variety of curriculum standards. This ongoing program is in its first year with about 15 lesson plans produced to date.

Comparing Achievement between K-8 and Middle Schools: A Large-Scale Empirical Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Byrnes, Vaughan; Ruby, Allen

2007-01-01

This study compares middle schools to K-8 schools, as well as to newly formed K-8 schools that are part of a K-8 conversion policy. The outcome is student achievement, and our sample includes 40,883 eighth-grade students from 95 schools across five cohorts. The analysis uses multilevel modeling to account for student, cohort, and school-level…

Economics in the School Curriculum, K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schug, Mark C., Ed.

Intended to help economics educators in grades K-12 foster in students the thinking skills and substantive economic knowledge necessary to become effective and participating citizens, this book is organized around four themes. Part I presents an introduction by Mark C. Schug and a section on "The Current Status of Economics in the K-12 Curriculum"…

Scientists and K-12: Experience from The Science House

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haase, David G.

2003-03-01

In working with K-12 science and mathematics education, scientists may take on many different roles - from presenter to full-time partner. These roles are illustrated in the activities of The Science House, a K-12 education program of North Carolina State University, (www.science-house.org) which partners with teachers and students across the state to promote inquiry-based learning in mathematics and science. While it is important to involve scientists in K-12, most universities do not have effective means to make the connections. In our efforts to do so, which began with a few teacher workshops and now encompasses six offices across NC, we have sought to join the interests of the university (research, teaching, student recruiting) to the needs of K-12. Our programs now include teacher training workshops, student science camps and curriculum projects in several states. We are reminded that K-12 science education is interdisciplinary; local and political; and a process, not a problem to be solved and forgotten. Partially supported by NSF (CHE-9876674 and DBI-0115462), the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.

The predictors of chemistry achievement of 12th grade students in secondary schools in the United Arab Emirates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khalaf, Ali Khalfan

2000-10-01

The purpose of this study is to explore variables related to chemistry achievement of 12th grade science students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The focus is to identify student, teacher, and school variables that predict chemistry achievement. The analysis sample included 204 males and 252 females in 66 classes in 60 schools from 10 districts or bureaus of education in the UAE. Thirty-two male and 33 female chemistry teachers and 60 school principals were included. The Khalaf Chemistry Achievement Test, GALT, the Student Questionnaire, Teacher Questionnaire, and School Information Questionnaire were administered. Descriptive statistics, correlations, analyses of variance, factor analysis, and stepwise multiple linear regression analyses were done. The results indicate that demographic, home environment, prior knowledge, scholastic ability, attitudes and perceptions related to chemistry and science, and student perception of instructional practices variables correlated with student chemistry achievement. The amount of help teachers received from the supervisor, class size, and courses in geology were teacher variables that correlated with class chemistry achievement. Nine school variables involving school, division, and class sizes correlated with school chemistry achievement. Analyses of variance revealed significant interaction effects: district by school size and district by student gender. In two districts, students in small schools achieved better than those in large schools. Generally female students achieved equal to or better than males. Three factors from the factor analysis: School Size, Prior Student Achievement, and Student Perception of Teacher Effectiveness, correlated with school chemistry achievement. The results of the multiple linear regression indicated that the factors of Prior Student Achievement, Student Perception of Teacher Effectiveness, and Teacher Experience and Expertise accounted for 45% of the variance in school chemistry

In Search of Voice: Theory and Methods in K-12 Student Voice Research in the Us, 1990-2010

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonzalez, Taucia E.; Hernandez-Saca, David I.; Artiles, Alfredo J.

2017-01-01

Student voice research is a promising field of study that disrupts traditional student roles by reorganizing learning spaces that center youth voices. This review synthesizes student voice research by answering the following questions: (a) To what extent has student voice been studied at the K-12 levels in the US? (b) What are the conceptual…

How Will Alberta's Second Language Students Ever Achieve Proficiency? ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines, the CEFR and the "10,000-Hour Rule" in Relation to the Alberta K-12 Language-Learning Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eaton, Sarah Elaine

2012-01-01

Students of second and international languages in Alberta do not receive sufficient hours of instruction through formal classroom time alone to achieve distinguished levels of proficiency (Archibald, J., Roy, S., Harmel, S., Jesney, K., Dewey, E., Moisik, S., et al., 2006). This research study uses a constructivist approach (Guba & Lincoln,…

K-12 Art Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Furney, Trudy; And Others

The development of students in various art fields is the focus of this K-12 art curriculum guide. The philosophy of the art program and the roles of administrator, teacher, and parent are outlined. The underlying school community relationships, and the objective, goals, and purposes of art education are described. Phases of child development in…

Ocean Science in a K-12 setting: Promoting Inquiry Based Science though Graduate Student and Teacher Collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lodico, J. M.; Greely, T.; Lodge, A.; Pyrtle, A.; Ivey, S.; Madeiros, A.; Saleem, S.

2005-12-01

The University of South Florida, College of Marine Science Oceans: GK-12 Teaching Fellowship Program is successfully enriching science learning via the oceans. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the program provides a unique opportunity among scientists and K-12 teachers to interact with the intention of bringing ocean science concepts and research to the classroom environment enhance the experience of learning and doing science, and to promote `citizen scientists' for the 21st century. The success of the program relies heavily on the extensive summer training program where graduate students develop teaching skills, create inquiry based science activities for a summer Oceanography Camp for Girls program and build a relationship with their mentor teacher. For the last year and a half, two graduate students from the College of Marine Science have worked in cooperation with teachers from the Pinellas county School District, Southside Fundamental Middle School. Successful lesson plans brought into a 6th grade Earth Science classroom include Weather and climate: Global warming, The Geologic timescale: It's all about time, Density: Layering liquids, and Erosion processes: What moves water and sediment. The school and students have benefited greatly from the program experiencing hands-on inquiry based science and the establishment of an after school science club providing opportunities for students to work on their science fair projects and pursuit other science interests. Students are provided scoring rubrics and their progress is creatively assessed through KWL worksheets, concept maps, surveys, oral one on one and classroom discussions and writing samples. The year culminated with a series of hands on lessons at the nearby beach, where students demonstrated their mastery of skills through practical application. Benefits to the graduate student include improved communication of current science research to a diverse audience, a better understanding of the

The Impact of Challenging Geometry and Measurement Units on the Achievement of Grade 2 Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gavin, M. Katherine; Casa, Tutita M.; Adelson, Jill L.; Firmender, Janine M.

2013-01-01

The primary goal of Project M[superscript 2] was to develop and field-test challenging geometry and measurement units for all K-2 students. This article reports on the achievement results for students in Grade 2 at 12 urban and suburban sites in 4 states using the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) mathematics concepts subtest and an open-response…

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Engaging K-12 Educators, Students, and the General Public in Space Science Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

The session "Engaging K-12 Educators, Students, and the General Public in Space Science Exploration" included the following reports:Training Informal Educators Provides Leverage for Space Science Education and Public Outreach; Teacher Leaders in Research Based Science Education: K-12 Teacher Retention, Renewal, and Involvement in Professional Science; Telling the Tale of Two Deserts: Teacher Training and Utilization of a New Standards-based, Bilingual E/PO Product; Lindstrom M. M. Tobola K. W. Stocco K. Henry M. Allen J. S. McReynolds J. Porter T. T. Veile J. Space Rocks Tell Their Secrets: Space Science Applications of Physics and Chemistry for High School and College Classes -- Update; Utilizing Mars Data in Education: Delivering Standards-based Content by Exposing Educators and Students to Authentic Scientific Opportunities and Curriculum; K. E. Little Elementary School and the Young Astronaut Robotics Program; Integrated Solar System Exploration Education and Public Outreach: Theme, Products and Activities; and Online Access to the NEAR Image Collection: A Resource for Educators and Scientists.

NSF GK-12 Fellows as Mentors for K-12 Teachers Participating in Field Research Experiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellins, K.; Perry, E.

2005-12-01

The University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) recognizes the value of providing educational opportunities to K-12 teachers who play a critical role in shaping the minds of young people who are the future of our science. To that end, UTIG established the "Texas Teachers in the Field" program in 2000 to formalize the participation of K-12 teachers in field programs that included UTIG scientists. In 2002, "Texas Teachers in the Field" evolved through UTIG's involvement in a University of Texas at Austin GK-12 project led by the Environmental Sciences Institute, which enabled UTIG to partner a subset of GK-12 Fellows with teachers participating in geophysical field programs. During the three years of the GK-12 project, UTIG successfully partnered four GK-12 Fellows with five K-12 teachers. The Fellows served as mentors to the teachers, as liaisons between UTIG scientists leading field programs and teachers and their students, and as resources in science, mathematics, and technology instruction. Specifically, Fellows prepared teachers and their students for the field investigations, supervised the design of individual Teacher Research Experience (TRE) projects, and helped teachers to develop standards-aligned curriculum resources related to the field program for use in their own classrooms, as well as broader distribution. Although all but one TRE occurred during the school year, Texas school districts and principals were willing to release teachers to participate because the experience and destinations were so extraordinary (i.e., a land-based program in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina; and research cruises to the Southeast Caribbean Sea and Hess Deep in the Pacific Ocean) and carried opportunities to work with scientists from around the world. This exceptional collaboration of GK-12 Fellows, K-12 teachers and research scientists enriches K-12 student learning and promotes greater enthusiasm for science. The level of mentoring, preparation and follow-up provided

Preparing university students to lead K-12 engineering outreach programmes: a design experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anthony, Anika B.; Greene, Howard; Post, Paul E.; Parkhurst, Andrew; Zhan, Xi

2016-11-01

This paper describes an engineering outreach programme designed to increase the interest of under-represented youth in engineering and to disseminate pre-engineering design challenge materials to K-12 educators and volunteers. Given university students' critical role as facilitators of the outreach programme, researchers conducted a two-year design experiment to examine the programme's effectiveness at preparing university students to lead pre-engineering activities. Pre- and post-surveys incorporated items from the Student Engagement sub-scale of the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale. Surveys were analysed using paired-samples t-test. Interview and open-ended survey data were analysed using discourse analysis and the constant comparative method. As a result of participation in the programme, university students reported a gain in efficacy to lead pre-engineering activities. The paper discusses programme features that supported efficacy gains and concludes with a set of design principles for developing learning environments that effectively prepare university students to facilitate pre-engineering outreach programmes.

Student Mental Health in California's K-12 Schools: School Principal Reports of Common Problems and Activities to Address Them.

PubMed

Kaufman, Julia H; Seelam, Rachana; Woodbridge, Michelle W; Sontag-Padilla, Lisa; Osilla, Karen Chan; Stein, Bradley D

2016-01-29

Reports results of a survey of K-12 principals to take inventory of student mental health and wellness needs and the types of programs schools are most often implementing to help students in California's public schools.

Interstellar Molecules in K-12 Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuiper, T. B. H.; Hofstadter, M. D.; Levin, S. M.; MacLaren, D.

2006-12-01

The Lewis Center for Educational Research (LCER) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) collaborate in a K-12 educational project in which students conduct observations for several research programs led by radio astronomers. The Goldstone-Apple Valley Radio Telescope (GAVRT) program provides participating teachers with curriculum elements, based on the students' observing experiences, which support national and state academic standards. The current program is based on 2.2-GHz and 8.4-GHz radiometric observations of variable sources. The research programs monitor Jupiter, Uranus, and a selected set of quasars. The telescope is a decommissioned NASA Deep Space Network antenna at Goldstone, California. In the next three years, a second telescope will be added. This telescope will at least operate at the above frequencies as well as 6 GHz and 12 GHz. Possibly, it will operate in a continuous band from 1.2 GHz to 14 GHz. In either case, the telescope will be able to observe at least the 6.6-GHz and 12.2-GHz methanol maser lines. The success of the GAVRT program depends critically on the participation of scientists committed to the research who have the ability and enthusiasm for interacting with K-12 students, typically through teleconferences. The scientists will initially work with the LCER staff to create curriculum elements around their observing program.

Extending the Pathway: Building on a National Science Foundation Workforce Development Project for Underserved k-12 Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slattery, W.; Smith, T.

2014-12-01

With new career openings in the geosciences expected and a large number of presently employed geoscientists retiring in the next decade there is a critical need for a new cadre of geoscientists to fill these positions. A project funded by the National Science Foundation titled K-12 Students, Teachers, Parents, Administrators and Higher Education Faculty: Partners Helping Rural Disadvantaged Students Stay on the Pathway to a Geoscience Career involving Wright State University and the Ripley, Lewis, Union, Huntington k-12 school district in Appalachian Ohio took led to dozens of seventh and eighth grade students traveling to Sandy Hook, New Jersey for a one week field experience to study oceanography with staff of the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium. Teachers, parent chaperones, administrators and university faculty accompanied the students in the field. Teachers worked alongside their students in targeted professional development during the weeklong field experience. During the two academic years of the project, both middle school and high school teachers received professional development in Earth system science so that all students, not just those that were on the summer field experience could receive enhanced science learning. All ninth grade high school students were given the opportunity to take a high school/college dual credit Earth system science course. Community outreach provided widespread knowledge of the project and interest among parents to have their children participate. In addition, ninth grade students raised money themselves to fund a trip to the International Field Studies Forfar Field Station on Andros Island, Bahamas to study a tropical aquatic system. Students who before this project had never traveled outside of Ohio are currently discussing ways that they can continue on the pathway to a geoscience career by applying for internships for the summer between their junior and senior years. These are positive steps towards taking charge of their

Super Searchers Go to School: Sharing Online Strategies with K-12 Students, Teachers, and Librarians

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Valenza, Joyce Kasman

2005-01-01

Twelve prominent K-12 educators and educator librarians share their techniques and tips for helping students become effective, life-long information users. Through a series of skillful interviews, Joyce Kasman Valenza--techlife@school columnist for the "Philadelphia Inquirer" and herself a tech-savvy high school librarian--gets the experts to…

The Impact of a School-Based Enterprise Program on the Achievement and Behavior of Special Education Students Attending High Schools in South Carolina

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pilot, Grover Cleve

2011-01-01

Our nation's K-12 schools are faced with numerous critical challenges that affect student achievement and consequently impact society. Key challenges, such as elevating academic achievement, meeting state and No Child Left Behind (NCLB) standards, high dropout rates, at-risk students, parental involvement, and the recruitment and retention of…

The Experiences of School Counselors in Reducing Relational Aggression among Female Students K-12: A Generic Qualitative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stringer, Tomeka C.

2014-01-01

The current generic qualitative study investigated the experiences of eight K-12 school counselors working with female students and relational aggression. School counselors can be a resource in schools to help students that may have been involved with relational aggression incidents. They can collaborate with administrators, teachers, parents, and…

The Impact of Advanced Geometry and Measurement Curriculum Units on the Mathematics Achievement of First-Grade Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gavin, M. Katherine; Casa, Tutita M.; Firmender, Janine M.; Carroll, Susan R.

2013-01-01

The goal of Project M2 was to develop and field-test challenging geometry and measurement units for K-2 students. The units were developed using recommendations from gifted, mathematics, and early childhood education. This article reports on achievement results for students in Grade 1 at 12 diverse sites in four states using the Iowa Tests of…

Development of K-12 Engineering Outreach Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jordan, William

2003-01-01

Six modules were created that can be used in K-12 classes to introduce students to what engineers can do at NASA.The purpose of this project was to create outreach materials for the classroom. To make it appealing to students, many color NASA photographs are used to illustrate NASA applications.Student experiments are described that can be performed to illustrate topics.

Survey on Teaching Science to K-12 Students with Disabilities: Teacher Preparedness and Attitudes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kahn, Sami; Lewis, Anna R.

2014-12-01

Students with disabilities are increasingly included in general education science classrooms and are expected to demonstrate academic proficiency on standardized assessments. Teacher preparation and attitudes have been cited as major factors contributing to either the success or failure of students with disabilities in science. In order to assess the current state of what could be facilitative or inhibitory influences, a national online survey to which 1,088 K-12 science teachers responded was conducted. Mixed methods' analyses suggest that science teachers receive little formal training and feel underprepared to teach students with disabilities. Results identify specific gaps in science teachers' education, as well as attitudinal and institutional barriers that may inhibit students with disabilities' success. However, science teachers remain highly receptive to training and collaboration. Implications for science teacher education are discussed.

African Immigrants, the "New Model Minority": Examining the Reality in U.S. K-12 Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ukpokodu, Omiunota N.

2018-01-01

African immigrants in the U.S. have been headlined as America's "new model minority." The purpose of this paper is to examine if evidence exists to support the claim of African immigrant students' (AIS) educational achievement and excellence (a core indicator of the "model minority" theory) in U.S. k-12 schools. Using a…

Teacher Perception of Barriers and Benefits in K-12 Technology Usage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carver, Lin B.

2016-01-01

This study explores K-12 teachers' perceptions of the benefits and barriers to technology integration by either teachers or students in K-12 instruction. The sample was composed of 68 students enrolled in online classes in the graduate studies in education department of a small private liberal arts institution in the southeast. Data was collected…

Saline Lakes: Platforms for Place-Based Scientific Inquiry by K-12 Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Godsey, H. S.; Chapman, D. S.; Hynek, S. A.; Jarrell, E.; Johnson, W. P.; Naftz, D. L.; Neuman, C. R.; Uno, K.

2006-12-01

WEST (Water, the Environment, Science and Teaching) is an NSF-funded GK-12 program at the University of Utah. WEST partners graduate students in the sciences with K-12 teachers to enhance inquiry and place- based science teaching in the Salt Lake City urban area. This region is unique in that habitats relating to the entire local hydrologic cycle are accessible within 30 minutes drive of the city. Great Salt Lake, a large closed-basin lake northwest of the city, generates lake-effect snows that fall on the mountains to the east and serves as the terminal point for rivers and streams that drain over 89,000 km2. The lake's salinity ranges from 14-25% and only a few halophilic species are able to survive in its waters. Despite the low diversity, brine shrimp, brine flies, algae and bacteria are abundant in Great Salt Lake and provide the basis of the food chain for millions of migratory shorebirds and waterfowl that feed in the open water, wetlands and saline flats. WEST has teamed up with researchers from the University of Utah, the USGS, the Utah State Dept. of Environmental Quality, local advocacy groups and a private consulting firm to develop a series of projects that involve K-12 students in an actual research project to study the effects of anthropogenic influences on the lake. The study will produce site-specific water-quality standards to protect the invertebrates, shorebirds, and waterfowl that utilize Great Salt Lake. Students will participate in a research cruise on the lake, collecting samples and data to contribute to an online database that will be shared among participating schools. Students will learn about navigation tools, collect and examine brine shrimp, and measure concentrations of optical brighteners and cyanobacteria as indicators of anthropogenic influences to Great Salt Lake. Parts of the southern arm of the lake are stratified into an upper and lower brine layer and the interface between the two layers can be identified by abrupt changes in

K-12 Mathematics: What Should Students Learn and When Should They Learn It? Conference Highlights

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for the Study of Mathematics Curriculum, 2007

2007-01-01

In the fall of 2006 several influential national groups (Achieve, American Statistical Association, College Board, and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) developed and released documents that recommended curriculum standards or focal points for K-12 mathematics. The timing of the release of these documents provided a unique and…

Student Success in Online K-12 Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ronsisvalle, Tammy; Watkins, Ryan

2005-01-01

While online education has made great strides in recent years to become an accepted component of higher education, with many colleges now offering accredited online degree programs, the current opportunities and challenges of online K-12 education are still awash in the turbulent waters of regional politics, temperamental technologies, changing…

SENDIT: North Dakota's K-12 Telecommunications Network.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sackman, Gleason

SENDIT is a telecommunications network for North Dakota educators and students in the K-12 environment. Through SENDIT, both teachers and students have access to the Internet, and some of the isolation associated with the rurality of North Dakota has been diminished. SENDIT was developed by the North Dakota State University School of Education and…

Evaluation of the National Science Foundation Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12) Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Julia; Levine, Roger; Gonzalez, Raquel; Bitter, Catherine; Webb, Norman; White, Paul

The GK-12 program of the National Science Foundation is an innovative program for enriching the value of graduate and advanced undergraduate students' education while simultaneously enriching science and mathematics teaching at the K-12 level. GK-12 is a fellowship program that offers graduate students and advanced undergraduates the opportunity…

Unified Science Approach K-12, Proficiency Levels 7-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oickle, Eileen M., Ed.

Presented is the second part of the K-12 unified science materials used in the public schools of Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Detailed descriptions are made of the roles of students and teachers, purposes of the bibliography, major concepts in unified science, processes of inquiry, a scheme and model for scientific literacy, and program…

K-12th grade students as active contributors to research investigations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rock, Barrett N.; Lauten, Gary N.

1996-12-01

The Earth Day: Forest Watch Program at the University of New Hampshire utilizes morphological and anatomical measurements made on branch and needle samples from eastern white pine ( Pinus strobus), collected by K-12 students throughout New Hampshire and Maine. White pine is considered to be a bio-indicator species for ozone exposure. A University research project which monitors the response of white pine to elevated levels of tropospheric ozone has been developed by the authors, who incorporate student-made measurements such as needle length, occurrence of diagnostic foliar symptoms, needle retention, and cellular levels of damage, into an on-going project which characterizes conifer response to a variety of air pollutants. The research team compares classroom measurements with laboratory spectral reflectance measurements made on student-collected branch samples, and infers state-of-health conditions in white pine from the two-state area. These state-of-health data are, in turn, compared with State-monitored tropospheric ozone measurements on a yearly basis, resulting in change-over-time analysis of both regional ozone levels and relative levels of tree health. Based on the work to data (1991-1996), student-derived data have been found to correlate well with spectral parameters and with spatial patterns of summer ozone levels, suggesting that student measurements represent an accurate and reliable source of data for research scientists. Specific examples of student datasets and comparisons with reflectance data and how these can be used for Landsat data verification are presented, along with a discussion of the importance of being able to assess the accuracy of student data. Research scientists need to recognize the tremendous potential for access to reliable data represented by student data-collection programs such as Earth Day:Forest Watch.

Development and Evaluation of Food Safety Modules for K-12 Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chapin, Travis K.; Pfuntner, Rachel C.; Stasiewicz, Matthew J.; Wiedmann, Martin; Orta-Ramirez, Alicia

2015-01-01

Career and educational opportunities in food science and food safety are underrecognized by K-12 students and educators. Additionally, misperceptions regarding nature of science understanding persist in K-12 students despite being emphasized as an important component of science education for over 100 y. In an effort to increase awareness…

Studies of the Effect of Formative Assessment on Student Achievement: So Much More Is Needed

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMillan, James H.; Venable, Jessica C.; Varier, Divya

2013-01-01

Kingston and Nash (2011) recently presented a meta-analysis of studies showing that the effect of formative assessment on K-12 student achievement may not be as robust as widely believed. This investigation analyzes the methodology used in the Kingston and Nash meta-analysis and provides further analyses of the studies included in the study. These…

Changes in K-12 Education: Implications for the BC Post-Secondary System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McQuarrie, Fiona A. E.

2016-01-01

It is generally assumed by educators that the K-12 curriculum--the curriculum used in primary, elementary, and secondary education--will affect students' post-secondary educational experiences and their ability to enter the workforce. This report takes a multi-faceted approach to addressing the impact of changes in the K-12 curriculum on students'…

K-12 Online Learning and the Training Needs for School Psychology Practitioners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tysinger, P. Dawn; Tysinger, Jeff; Diamanduros, Terry; Kennedy, Kathryn

2013-01-01

K-12 online learning is growing at an exponential rate in the United States and around the world. Students and teachers are entering and embracing the K-12 online learning environment. Thus, it becomes imperative for school psychologists to follow. In order to offer the most productive learning environment for all students, the services provided…

Earth system science K-12 scientist-student partnerships using paleontological materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harnik, P. G.; Ross, R. M.; Chiment, J. J.; Sherpa, J. M.

2001-05-01

Reducing the discrepancy between the dynamic science that researchers experience and the static fact-driven science education in which k-12 students participate at school is an important component to national science education reform. Scientist-student partnerships (SSPs) involving whole classes in Earth systems research provide a solution to this problem, but existing models have often lacked rigorous scientific data quality control and/or evaluation of pedagogical effectiveness. The Paleontological Research Institution has been prototyping two SSPs with an eye toward establishing protocols to insure both scientific and educational quality of the partnership. Data quality analysis involves making statistical estimates of data accuracy and employing robust statistical techniques for answering essential questions with noisy data. Educational evaluation takes into account affective variables, such as student motivation and interest, and compares the relative pedagogical effectiveness of SSPs with more traditional hands-on activities. Paleontology is a natural subject for scientist-student partnerships because of its intrinsic appeal to the general public, and because its interdisciplinary content serves as a springboard for meeting science education standards across the physical and life sciences. The "Devonian Seas" SSP involves classes in identifying fossil taxa and assessing taphonomic characteristics from Devonian-aged Hamilton Group shales in Central New York. The scientific purpose of the project is to establish at high stratigraphic resolution the sequence of dysoxic biofacies composition, which will shed light on the sensitivity of epeiric sea communities to environmental (e.g., sea level) changes. The project is undertaken in upper elementary school and secondary school Earth science classes, and in some cases has involved field-based teacher training and collection of samples. Students in small teams collaborate to identify taxa within the samples, then

Partnerships Between K-12 Schools and Universities: Who Benefits?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Regens, N.; Hall-Wallace, M. K.

2001-05-01

Collaborations between K-12 schools and universities for the purpose of improving science education are growing in number, but many question their effectiveness. After many years of outreach to local teachers, schools and districts, we have developed a collaboration that more effectively addresses school district goals and needs while providing university faculty and graduate students with real opportunities to contribute to science education in the schools. Funded by the NSF GK-12 program, we are working directly with school district curriculum specialists and classroom teachers to implement inquiry-based science investigations. Projects range from developing long-term research projects in middle and high school classrooms to assisting K-6 teachers in using kit-based science curriculum. As part of our program, we have gathered several types of data to document the impact of our efforts. Using surveys of knowledge and attitudes, we measured significant improvements in college student's knowledge and attitudes about inquiry teaching methods and the K-12 education system. Through analysis of the college student's journals, we have also documented critical elements of an effective collaboration. These journals, combined with evaluations by classroom teachers, provide evidence of how the program impacts the graduate students professionally. We have also surveyed classroom teachers to measure the impact of the college students on their attitudes about teaching science and the long-term impact of the collaboration on their classroom teaching.

School Counselors' Systematic Perceptions of Change Agency through Primal Leadership and Empowerment: Critical Provisions towards K-12 Students' Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fay, Miriam Soler; Martin, Barbara Nell

2005-01-01

In this examination, 194 K-12 school counselors completed the Self-Perceptions of Effectiveness as Educational Change Agent (SPECA) survey. Analyses uncovered that Primal Leadership and personal power or empowerment both play a significant role in counselors' potential effectiveness to effect change regardless of gender or building level. Personal…

Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Science and Children, 2002

2002-01-01

Introduces a list of outstanding science trade books for grade levels K-12 in the areas of Archaeology, Anthropology, Paleontology, Biography, Life Sciences, Integrated Science, Physical Science, Science Related Careers, and Technology and Engineering. Includes information on the selection process. (YDS)

Astrobiobound! Search for Life in the Solar System: Scientists and Engineers Bringing their Challenges to K-12 Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klug Boonstra, S. L.; Swann, J.; Manfredi, L.; Zippay, A.; Boonstra, D.

2014-12-01

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) brought many dynamic opportunities and capabilities to the K-12 science classroom - especially with the inclusion of engineering. Using science as a context to help students engage in the engineering practices and engineering disciplinary core ideas is an essential step to students' understanding of how science drives engineering and how engineering enables science. Real world examples and applications are critical for students to see how these disciplines are integrated. Furthermore, the interface of science and engineering raise the level of science understanding, and facilitate higher order thinking skills through relevant experiences. Astrobiobound! is designed for the NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards) and CCSS (Common Core State Standards). Students also practice and build 21st Century Skills. Astrobiobound! help students see how science and systems engineering are integrated to achieve a focused scientific goal. Students engage in the engineering design process to design a space mission which requires them to balance the return of their science data with engineering limitations such as power, mass and budget. Risk factors also play a role during this simulation and adds to the excitement and authenticity. Astrobiobound! presents the authentic first stages of NASA mission design process. This simulation mirrors the NASA process in which the science goals, type of mission, and instruments to return required data to meet mission goals are proposed within mission budget before any of the construction part of engineering can begin. NASA scientists and engineers were consulted in the development of this activity as an authentic simulation of their mission proposal process.

Evaluating the Performance of Online K-12 Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carpenter, Dick; Kafer, Krista; Reeser, Kelly; Shafer, Sheryl

2015-01-01

This article examines K-12 online student and school performance across an entire state (Colorado) in the United States through two comparisons. First, state assessment scores of students in online schools are compared to those in traditional brick and mortar schools. Second, the accountability scores of online schools are compared to those of…

Education Imperatives for Ohio: K-12 Policy Priorities for the Next Biennium

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, 2010

2010-01-01

For the past two decades, lawmakers from both parties in Ohio have invested heavily in the public education sector. As a consequence, total K-12 education funding, measured in constant dollars, has grown by over 60 percent since 1997, even as Ohio's K-12 student enrollment has shrunk by more than 24,000 students (1.4 percent) during that same…

Integrating long-term science projects into K-12 curriculum: Fostering teacher-student engagement in urban environmental research through an NSF UCLA GK-12 program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hogue, T. S.; Moldwin, M.; Nonacs, P.; Daniel, J.; Shope, R.

2009-12-01

A National Science Foundation Graduate Teaching Fellows in K- 12 Education program at UCLA (SEE-LA; http://measure.igpp.ucla.edu/GK12-SEE-LA) has just completed its first year (of a five-year program) and has greatly expanded UCLA’s science and engineering partnerships with LA Unified and Culver City Unified School Districts. The SEE-LA program partners UCLA faculty, graduate students (fellows), middle and high school science teachers and their students into a program of science and engineering exploration that brings the environment of Los Angeles into the classroom. UCLA graduate fellows serve as scientists-in-residence at the four partner schools to integrate inquiry-based science and engineering lessons, facilitate advancements in science content teaching, and ultimately, to improve their own science communication skills. As part of their fellowship, graduate students are required to develop three inquiry-based lessons in their partner classroom, including a lesson focused on their dissertation research, a lesson focused on the environmental/watershed theme of the project, and a lesson that involves longer-term data collection and synthesis with the grade 6-12 teachers and students. The developed long-term projects ideally involve continued observations and analysis through the five-year project and beyond. During the first year of the project, the ten SEE-LA fellows developed a range of long-term research projects, from seasonal invertebrate observations in an urban stream system, to home energy consumption surveys, to a school bioblitz (quantification of campus animals and insects). Examples of lesson development and integration in the classroom setting will be highlighted as well as tools required for sustainability of the projects. University and local pre-college school partnerships provide an excellent opportunity to support the development of graduate student communication skills while also contributing significantly to the integration of sustainable

Investing in K-12 Technology Equipment: Strategies for State Policymakers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Good, Dixie Griffin

This report examines decisions regarding investments in K-12 technology. The first section presents an overview of technology in K-12 public schools, including a sampling of how technology is being used to further education goals for teachers, students, and administrators. The second section establishes a set of figures that indicate the current…

A Meta-Analysis of Dissertation Research on the Relationship between Professional Learning Community Implementation and Student Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patrick, Susan McClendon

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis of dissertation research that examined the implementation of professional learning communities (PLCs) and student achievement in preK-12 schools. An exhaustive search for such unpublished studies was conducted using the following criteria: 1) the studies were available on dissertation…

Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Science Teacher, 2016

2016-01-01

Science teachers and mentors continue to be challenged to meet the high expectations of "A Framework for K-12 Science Education" and the "Next Generation Science Standards." Indeed the Framework urges teachers to help learners "[build] progressively more sophisticated explanations of natural phenomena..." while the…

Riding light in the minority communities and how K-12 students can shine in physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gueye, Paul

2010-03-01

The National Society of Black Physicists, along with the National Society of Hispanic Physicists, has been reaching out to the minority K-12 population by revolutionizing its Science Ambassador program under its Pre-College Program Committee. Since 2005, both societies have been providing unique interactive physics demonstrations to predominantly minority schools to expose them to the exciting world of physics. In a four year span, the population of targeted students went from 25 (2005) to 400 (2009). During the 2009 joint annual meeting, a Physics Day camp was introduced during which eight physics societies combined their efforts to reach to a larger group of students in a short time period. This initiative has now tackled the unique feature to expand nationally by reaching out to the members of all physics societies. While the world of optics has been an integral part of the demonstrations being performed on stage or at individual booths, physics concepts and its applications in medical physics (such as imaging or therapy) is the focus of the 2010 effort as part of LaserFest. This talk will review the impact of this program in the minority community and the importance of physics department at minority institutions in changing the conception of science in K-12 arenas.

Soil Science Society of America - K-12 Outreach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindbo, David L.; Loynachan, Tom; Mblia, Monday; Robinson, Clay; Chapman, Susan

2013-04-01

The Soil Science Society of America created its K12 Committee in 2006 in part to compliment the Dig It! The Secrets of Soil exhibit that opened in July 2008 at the Smithsonian's Institution's Nation Museum of Natural History (of which SSS was a founding sponsor). The committee's work began quickly with a website designed to provide resources for K12 teachers. The first accomplishments included reviewing and posting links to web based information already available to teachers. These links were sorted by subject and grade level to make it easier for teachers to navigate the web and find what they needed quickly. Several presentations and lessons designed for K12 teachers were also posted at this time. Concurrent with this effort a subcommittee review and organized the national teaching standards to show where soils could fit into the overall K12 curriculum. As the website was being developed another subcommittee developed a soils book (Soil! Get the Inside Scoop, 2008) to further compliment the Dig It! exhibit. This was a new endeavor for SSSA having never worked with the non-academic audience in developing a book. Peer-reviews of this book included not only scientist but also students in order to make sure the book was attractive to them. Once the book was published and the website developed it became clear more outreach was needed. SSSA K12 Committee has attended both the National Science Teachers Association (since 2008) the USA Science and Engineering Festival (since 2010) with exhibits and workshops. It has cooperated and contributed to the American Geologic Institutes' Earth Science Week materials with brochures and lesson plans and with National Association of Conservation Districts by providing peer-review and distribution of materials. The most recent developments from the committee include a web redesign that is more student and teacher friendly, the development of a peer-review system to publish K12 Lesson Plans, and finally the publication of a new soils

Relationships between Access to Mobile Devices, Student Self-Directed Learning, and Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bartholomew, Scott R.; Reeve, Ed; Veon, Raymond; Goodridge, Wade; Lee, Victor; Nadelson, Louis

2017-01-01

Today's students are growing up in a world of constant connectivity, instant information, and ever-changing technological advancements. The increasingly ubiquitous nature of mobile devices among K-12 students has led many to argue for and against the inclusion of these devices in K-12 classrooms. Arguments in favor cite instant access to…

Using Data Mining to Predict K-12 Students' Performance on Large-Scale Assessment Items Related to Energy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Xiufeng; Ruiz, Miguel E.

2008-01-01

This article reports a study on using data mining to predict K-12 students' competence levels on test items related to energy. Data sources are the 1995 Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), 1999 TIMSS-Repeat, 2003 Trend in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), and the National Assessment of Educational…

The Next Generation Science Standards: An Historic Opportunity for K-12 Earth and Space Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, R. M.; Passow, M. J.; Holzer, M. A.; Moore, J.

2014-12-01

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) provide an historic opportunity to significantly improve Earth and space science (ESS) education nationally at the K-12 level. The increased emphasis on ESS related topics in the NGSS relative to previous standards provides a real opportunity for ensuring all K-12 students in adopting states learn about the ESS - allowing us to reach many more students than are currently are exposed to our discipline. The new standards are also exciting in that they explicitly couple science and engineering practice, cross-cutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas in such a way that student must actively demonstrate their understanding through actions rather than through mere regurgitation of memorized responses. Achieving mastery of NGSS Performance Expectations will require practice with higher-order learning skills - with students engaging in the practices of scientists and engineers. Preparing students for this mastery will be a challenging task for teachers, since in many states professional development support is limited at best for the current curriculum - let alone the curricula that will be developed to address the NGSS. As adoption of the NGSS expands across the country, states will be at various levels of implementation of the new standards over the next several years - and there is real concern that teachers must have sufficient professional development to be able to be successful in preparing their students - particularly in view of likely coupled assessments and teacher evaluations. NESTA strongly supports implementation of the NGSS, and the rigorous and compelling ESS education it will engender, when coupled with a strong emphasis nationwide on teacher professional development. For the past two years, the National Earth Science Teachers Association (NESTA) has continued our leadership in K-12 ESS education through workshops, web seminars, events and publications that emphasize implementation of the NGSS in ESS

Problem-Based Learning in the Life Science Classroom, K-12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McConnell, Tom; Parker, Joyce; Eberhardt, Janet

2016-01-01

"Problem-Based Learning in the Life Science Classroom, K-12" offers a great new way to ignite your creativity. Authors Tom McConnell, Joyce Parker, and Janet Eberhardt show you how to engage students with scenarios that represent real-world science in all its messy, thought-provoking glory. The scenarios prompt K-12 learners to immerse…

Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Science Scope, 2002

2002-01-01

Presents a list of outstanding science trade books published in 2001 for use in the K-12 grade levels. Includes the areas of archaeology, anthropology, and paleontology; biography; life sciences; integrated science; physical sciences; science related careers; and technology and engineering. Provides information on the books and the selection…

Interactive Teaching as a Recruitment and Training Tool for K-12 Science Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosenberg, J. L.

2004-12-01

The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Teacher Preparation (STEMTP) program at the University of Colorado has been designed to recruit and train prospective K-12 science teachers while improving student learning through interactive teaching. The program has four key goals: (1) recruit undergraduate students into K-12 science education, (2) provide these prospective teachers with hands-on experience in an interactive teaching pedagogy, (3) create an intergrated program designed to support (educationally, socially, and financially) and engage these prospective science teachers up until they obtain liscensure and/or their masters degree in education, and (4) improve student learning in large introductory science classes. Currently there are 31 students involved in the program and a total of 72 students have been involved in the year and a half it has been in existence. I will discuss the design of the STEMTP program, the success in recruiting K-12 science teachers, and the affect on student learning in a large lecture class of implementing interactive learning pedagogies by involving these prospective K-12 science teachers. J. L. Rosenberg would like to acknowledge the NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Fellowship for support for this work. The course transformation project is also supported by grants from the National Science Foundation.

Investigating the Potential of MOOCs in K-12 Teaching and Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nigh, Jennifer; Pytash, Kristine E.; Ferdig, Richard E.; Merchant, William

2015-01-01

The massive open online course (MOOC) is a relatively new concept in K-12 teaching and learning environments. Although significant work has been done with MOOCs since 2008, it has only been recently that MOOCs have been studied with K-12 populations. The purpose of this study was to further examine the motivation of K-12 students enrolled in a…

Science Communication versus Science Education: The Graduate Student Scientist as a K-12 Classroom Resource

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strauss, Jeff; Shope, Richard E., III; Terebey, Susan

2005-01-01

Science literacy is a major goal of science educational reform (NRC, 1996; AAAS, 1998; NCLB Act, 2001). Some believe that teaching science only requires pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Others believe doing science requires knowledge of the methodologies of scientific inquiry (NRC, 1996). With these two mindsets, the challenge for science educators is to create models that bring the two together. The common ground between those who teach science and those who do science is science communication, an interactive process that galvanizes dialogue among scientists, teachers, and learners in a rich ambience of mutual respect and a common, inclusive language of discourse . The dialogue between science and non-science is reflected in the polarization that separates those who do science and those who teach science, especially as it plays out everyday in the science classroom. You may be thinking, why is this important? It is vital because, although not all science learners become scientists, all K-12 students are expected to acquire science literacy, especially with the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). Students are expected to acquire the ability to follow the discourse of science as well as connect the world of science to the context of their everyday life if they plan on moving to the next grade level, and in some states, to graduate from high school. This paper posits that science communication is highly effective in providing the missing link for K-12 students cognition in science and their attainment of science literacy. This paper will focus on the "Science For Our Schools" (SFOS) model implemented at California State Univetsity, Los Angeles (CSULA) as a project of the National Science Foundation s GK-12 program, (NSF 2001) which has been a huge success in bridging the gap between those who "know" science and those who "teach" science. The SFOS model makes clear the distinctions that identify science, science communication, science

Development of the Advanced Energy Design Guide for K-12 Schools -- 50% Energy Savings

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bonnema, E.; Leach, M.; Pless, S.

2013-02-01

This Technical Support Document (TSD) describes the process and methodology for the development of the Advanced Energy Design Guide for K-12 School Buildings: Achieving 50% Energy Savings Toward a Net Zero Energy Building (AEDG-K12) (ASHRAE et al. 2011a). The AEDG-K12 provides recommendations for achieving 50% whole-building energy savings in K-12 schools over levels achieved by following ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2004, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings (Standard 90.1-2004) (ASHRAE 2004b). The AEDG-K12 was developed in collaboration with the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Illuminating Engineering Society of Northmore » America (IES), the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).« less

The Relationship between per Pupil Expenditure in Maricopa County K-12 Public School Districts and Student Preparedness at the Post-Secondary Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lamperez, Edmond Allen, Jr.; Dereshiwsky, Mary

2016-01-01

Student under preparedness is one of the major challenges facing community colleges in the United States. A contributing factor of student under preparedness at the postsecondary level is an inequitable and inadequate distribution of resources at the K-12 level. Students residing in socio-economically disadvantaged school districts that often…

Social Networking for the K-12 Set

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klein, Jim

2008-01-01

Education technology leaders are ever seeking new ways to eliminate the traditional social and geographic boundaries that hinder communication and collaboration for both K-12 students and educators. Larger districts with geographically dispersed schools often find that innovative ideas for technology use and integration are balkanized into…

Forest Watch: a K-12 Outreach Program to Engage Young Students in Authentic, Hands-On Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rock, B. N.; Gagnon, M.

2008-12-01

The Forest Watch Program is a K-12 science outreach program developed at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) in 1991. The program engages pre-college teachers and their students in assisting researchers at UNH in the assessment of the state-of-health of white pine (Pinus strobus), a known bio- indicator species for exposure to elevated levels of ground-level ozone. Students participate in three types of activities: 1. selection, collection, and analysis of needle samples from five permanently tagged white pine trees near their school; 2. Study of needles in their classroom and sending a set of needles to UNH for spectral analysis; and 3. analysis of remote sensing data (Landsat TM) provided of their local area using freeware software (MultiSpec). Student-derived foliar symptomology, needle length, needle retention, and tree biometrics, plus the spectral indices, allow UNH researchers to characterize annual variations in tree state-of-health, and to correlate that state-of-health with annual summer ozone levels collected by the EPA and state environmental monitoring networks. The results suggest that regional air quality and state- of-health of trees has improved since 1991. Annual student data and the yearly spectral variations, for the same trees, suggest that white pine health has improved dramatically since 1997/8. This improvement in tree health corresponds with improved regional air quality. An evaluation of student data reliability has been conducted and suggests that the DBH measurements are a most reliable indicator of tree growth. Student data are more reliable if multiple sets of measurements are made and averaged together, compared with single sets of measurements. Based on both student data and spectral analysis of student-provided branch samples, the greatest damage (chlorosis) occurs in trees located along the seacoast areas. Participation in Forest Watch introduces students to the scientific method via an authentic research program. The program is

Technical Feasibility Study for Zero Energy K-12 Schools

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pless, Shanti D.; Torcellini, Paul A.; Bonnema, Eric

A simulation-based technical feasibility study was completed to show the types of technologies required to achieve ZEB status with this building type. These technologies are prioritized across the building's subsystem such that design teams can readily integrate the ideas. Energy use intensity (EUI) targets were established for U.S. climate zones such that K-12 schools can be zero-ready or can procure solar panels or other renewable energy production sources to meet the zero energy building definition. Results showed that it is possible for K-12 schools to achieve zero energy when the EUI is between 20 and 26 kBtu/ft2/yr. Temperate climates requiredmore » a smaller percentage of solar panel coverage than very hot or very cold climates. The paper provides a foundation for technically achieving zero energy schools with a vision of transforming the school construction market to mainstream zero energy buildings within typical construction budgets.« less

A Vision in Aeronautics: The K-12 Wind Tunnel Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

A Vision in Aeronautics, a project within the NASA Lewis Research Center's Information Infrastructure Technologies and Applications (IITA) K-12 Program, employs small-scale, subsonic wind tunnels to inspire students to explore the world of aeronautics and computers. Recently, two educational K-12 wind tunnels were built in the Cleveland area. During the 1995-1996 school year, preliminary testing occurred in both tunnels.

C-MORE Science Kits: Putting Technology in the Hands of K-12 Teachers and Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Achilles, K.; Weersing, K.; Daniels, C.; Puniwai, N.; Matsuzaki, J.; Bruno, B. C.

2008-12-01

The Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education (C-MORE) is a NSF Science and Technology Center based at the University of Hawaii. The C-MORE education and outreach program offers a variety of resources and professional development opportunities for science educators, including online resources, participation in oceanography research cruises, teacher-training workshops, mini-grants to incorporate microbial oceanography-related content and activities into their classroom and, most recently, C- MORE science kits. C-MORE science kits provide hands-on classroom, field, and laboratory activities related to microbial oceanography for K-12 students. Each kit comes with complete materials and instructions, and is available free of charge to Hawaii's public school teachers. Several kits are available nationwide. C-MORE science kits cover a range of topics and technologies and are targeted at various grade levels. Here is a sampling of some available kits: 1) Marine Murder Mystery: The Case of the Missing Zooxanthellae. Students learn about the effect of climate change and other environmental threats on coral reef destruction through a murder-mystery experience. Participants also learn how to use DNA to identify a suspect. Grades levels: 3-8. 2) Statistical sampling. Students learn basic statistics through an exercise in random sampling, with applications to microbial oceanography. The laptops provided with this kit enable students to enter, analyze, and graph their data using EXCEL. Grades levels: 6-12. 3) Chlorophyll Lab. A research-quality fluorometer is used to measure the chlorophyll content in marine and freshwater systems. This enables students to compare biomass concentrations in samples collected from various locations. Grades levels: 9-12. 4) Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD). Students predict how certain variables (e.g., temperature, pressure, chlorophyll, oxygen) vary with depth. A CTD, attached to a laptop computer, is deployed into deep water

Improving Student Achievement in Math and Science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sullivan, Nancy G.; Hamsa, Irene Schulz; Heath, Panagiota; Perry, Robert; White, Stacy J.

1998-01-01

As the new millennium approaches, a long anticipated reckoning for the education system of the United States is forthcoming, Years of school reform initiatives have not yielded the anticipated results. A particularly perplexing problem involves the lack of significant improvement of student achievement in math and science. Three "Partnership" projects represent collaborative efforts between Xavier University (XU) of Louisiana, Southern University of New Orleans (SUNO), Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Stennis Space Center (SSC), to enhance student achievement in math and science. These "Partnerships" are focused on students and teachers in federally designated rural and urban empowerment zones and enterprise communities. The major goals of the "Partnerships" include: (1) The identification and dissemination of key indices of success that account for high performance in math and science; (2) The education of pre-service and in-service secondary teachers in knowledge, skills, and competencies that enhance the instruction of high school math and science; (3) The development of faculty to enhance the quality of math and science courses in institutions of higher education; and (4) The incorporation of technology-based instruction in institutions of higher education. These goals will be achieved by the accomplishment of the following objectives: (1) Delineate significant ?best practices? that are responsible for enhancing student outcomes in math and science; (2) Recruit and retain pre-service teachers with undergraduate degrees in Biology, Math, Chemistry, or Physics in a graduate program, culminating with a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction; (3) Provide faculty workshops and opportunities for travel to professional meetings for dissemination of NASA resources information; (4) Implement methodologies and assessment procedures utilizing performance-based applications of higher order

Understanding and Improving Full-Time Virtual Schools: A Study of Student Characteristics, School Finance, and School Performance in Schools Operated by K12 Inc. [with Appendices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miron, Gary; Urschel, Jessica L.

2012-01-01

K12 Inc. enrolls more public school students than any other private education management organization in the U.S. Much has been written about K12 Inc. (referred to in this report simply as "K12") by financial analysts and investigative journalists because it is a large, publicly traded company and is the dominant player in the operation…

Achieving Standards in a Fiber Optic Mathematics Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zbiek, Rose Mary; Foletta, Gina M.

1995-01-01

In response to standards set by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, K-12 teachers were interviewed to investigate issues related to implementing standards in K-12 fiber optic mathematics classes. Issues include: achieving student-centered classrooms; incorporating technology into distance education; and structuring assessment so more…

Developing an Environmental Education Program, K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stapp, William B.; Visse, Ellen Vande

Strategy for developing and implementing an environmental education program in grades K-12 is proposed in this booklet. Its goal is to help students become environmentally educated decision-makers; to understand the importance of relating ecological, economic, social, technological, and political information when working toward the solution of…

Achieving 50% Energy Savings in New Schools, Advanced Energy Design Guides: K-12 Schools (Brochure)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

This fact sheet summarizes recommendations for designing elementary, middle, and high school buildings that will result in 50% less energy use than conventional new schools built to minimum code requirements. The recommendations are drawn from the Advanced Energy Design Guide for K-12 School Buildings, an ASHRAE publication that provides comprehensive recommendations for designing low-energy-use school buildings (see sidebar). Designed as a stand-alone document, this fact sheet provides key principles and a set of prescriptive design recommendations appropriate for smaller schools with insufficient budgets to fully implement best practices for integrated design and optimized performance. The recommendations have undergone a thoroughmore » analysis and review process through ASHRAE, and have been deemed the best combination of measures to achieve 50% savings in the greatest number of schools.« less

The Effects of Professional Learning Communities on Student Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burdett, John M.

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study: Kindergarten Class of 1998-99 (ECLS-K) report, identify questions and statements that correlate to the dimensions of professional learning communities (PLCs), and determine the effect PLCs have on student achievement based on the ECLS-K data. In addition,…

Effects of Educational Technology on Mathematics Achievement for K-12 Students in Utah

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brasiel, Sarah; Jeong, Soojeong; Ames, Clarence; Lawanto, Kevin; Yuan, Min; Martin, Taylor

2016-01-01

Teaching mathematics has long required the use of technology due many powerful affordances. More recently, education technology has been developed to support personalized learning through the use of adaptive learning systems. Through the use of educational technology in online learning, there is great potential for improving students' mathematics…

Are K-12 school environments harming students with obesity? A qualitative study of classroom teachers.

PubMed

Kenney, Erica L; Redman, Morgan T; Criss, Shaniece; Sonneville, Kendrin R; Austin, S Bryn

2017-03-01

Weight bias can negatively impact health, and schools may be risky environments for students with obesity. We aimed to explore teachers' perceptions of the school experiences and academic challenges of students with obesity. We conducted interviews with 22 teachers in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, and Midwest in July-August 2014. All interviews were transcribed verbatim, coded, and analyzed for important themes by two researchers using the immersion/crystallization approach. Most teachers felt that students with obesity were more likely to have academic difficulties. Two main perceptions of the reasons for these difficulties emerged: (1) obesity led to lower self-esteem that caused students to participate less, and (2) poorer nutrition, increased screen time, and reduced physical activity were simultaneously causing obesity and poorer academic performance. A few teachers described colleagues who felt students with obesity were not as motivated to work hard in school as their peers. Many teachers described school health promotion efforts focused on weight reduction that could exacerbate weight stigma and risk of disordered eating. Students with obesity, particularly girls, may be at risk for negative social and academic experiences in K-12 schools and may be perceived as struggling academically by their teachers.

Integrating Data Mining in Program Evaluation of K-12 Online Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hung, Jui-Long; Hsu, Yu-Chang; Rice, Kerry

2012-01-01

This study investigated an innovative approach of program evaluation through analyses of student learning logs, demographic data, and end-of-course evaluation surveys in an online K-12 supplemental program. The results support the development of a program evaluation model for decision making on teaching and learning at the K-12 level. A case study…

Overcoming Constraints of Building Successful Partnerships Incorporating STEM Research Into K-12 Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radencic, S.; McNeal, K. S.; Pierce, D.; Hare, D.

2011-12-01

The Initiating New Science Partnerships in Rural Education (INSPIRE) program at Mississippi State University (MSU), funded by the NSF Graduate STEM Fellows in K-12 Education (GK12) program, focuses on the advancement of Earth and Space science education in K-12 classrooms. INSPIRE is currently in its second year of partnering ten graduate students from the STEM fields of Geosciences, Engineering and Chemistry at MSU with five teachers from local, rural school districts. The five year project serves to increase inquiry and technology experiences in science and math while enhancing graduate student's communication skills as they create interactive lessons linking their STEM research focus to the state and national standards covered in the classrooms. Each graduate student is responsible for the development of two lessons each month of the school year that are then published on the INSPIRE project webpage, www.gk12.msstate.edu, where they are a free resource for any K-12 classroom teacher seeking innovative activities for their classrooms. Many of the participating teachers and graduate students share activities developed with non-participating teachers, expanding INSPIRE's outreach throughout the local community. Numerous challenges were met during the formation of the program as well as throughout the first year in which the project management team worked together to find solutions ensuring that INSPIRE maintained successful partnerships for all involved. Proposed solutions of the following key components were identified by INSPIRE through the development, implementation, and continuous evaluation (internal and external) of the first year of the program as areas that can pose challenges to the construction of strong relationships between STEM research and K-12 classrooms: initializing the partnerships with the K-12 classrooms and STEM graduate fields at the university; maintaining strong partnerships; providing appropriate training and support; developing sound

A Crystal Ball for Student Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pascopella, Angela

2012-01-01

Predicting the future is now in the hands of K12 administrators. While for years districts have collected thousands of pieces of student data, educators have been using them only for data-driven decision-making or formative assessments, which give a "rear-view" perspective only. Now, using predictive analysis--the pulling together of data over…

K-12 Students, Teachers, Parents, Administrators and Higher Education Faculty: Partners Helping Rural Disadvantaged Students Stay on the Pathway to a Geoscience Career

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slattery, W.; Antonucci, C.; Myers, R. J.

2013-12-01

The National Science Foundation funded project K-12 Students, Teachers, Parents, Administrators and Higher Education Faculty: Partners Helping Rural Disadvantaged Students Stay on the Pathway to a Geoscience Career is a research-based proof of concept track 1 pilot project that tests the effectiveness of an innovative model for simultaneous K-12 teacher professional development, student learning and workforce development. The project builds a network of science experiences designed to keep eighth and ninth grade students from the Ripley, Union, Lewis, Huntington (RULH) Ohio school district on the path to a geoscience career. During each summer of the ongoing two-year project teams of RULH students, parents, teachers, administrators and college faculty traveled to the facilities of the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium at Sandy Hook, New Jersey to study science from an Earth system perspective. Teachers had the opportunity to engage in professional development alongside their students. Parents participated in the science activities alongside their children. Administrators interacted with students, parents and their teachers and saw them all learning science in an engaging, collaborative setting. During the first academic year of the project professional development was provided to RULH teachers by a team of university scientists and geoscience educators from the Earth System Science Education Alliance (ESSEA), a National Science Foundation funded project. Teachers selected for professional development were from science disciplines, mathematics, language arts and civics. The teachers selected, taught and assessed ESSEA Earth system science modules to all eighth and ninth grade students, not just those that were selected to go on the summer trips to New Jersey. In addition, all ninth grade RULH students had the opportunity to take a course that includes Earth system science concepts that will earn them both high school and college science credits. Professional

The Green Pages: Environmental Education Activities K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clearing, 1990

1990-01-01

Presented are 20 science activities for students K-12. Topics include role playing, similarities between urban and forest communities, ecosystems, garbage, recycling, food production, habitats, insects, tidal zone, animals, diversity, interest groups, rivers, spaceship earth, ecological interactions, and the cost of recreation. (KR)

Evaluation of History Interest Inventory--Development and Evaluation of a History Interest Inventory for Chinese K-12 Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dan, Yongjun; Wei, Tianlan; Zhao, Wenjun

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a History Interest Inventory (HII) to measure Chinese K-12 students' history interest. In this study, data were drawn from two independent samples of a city in Eastern China, and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted to reduce instrument size…

Student achievement in science: A longitudinal look at individual and school differences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez, Alina

The importance of science in today's technological society necessitates continued attention to students' experiences in science and specifically their achievement in science. There is a need to look at gender and race/ethnicity simultaneously when studying students' experiences in science and to explore factors related to higher achievement among students. Using data from the Longitudinal Study of American Youth, this study contributes to existing literature on student achievement in science by simultaneously exploring the effects of race/ethnicity and gender. Capitalizing on the availability of yearly science achievement scores, I present trajectories of student achievement from 7th to 12th grade. This study also includes an exploration of school effects. Overall, student achievement in science increases from 7th to 12th grade, although some leveling is seen in later grades. Growth in achievement differs by both gender and race/ethnicity, but racial/ethnic differences are larger than gender differences. Hispanic, Black, Asian, and White males score higher, on average, throughout the secondary grades than their female counterparts. Achievement scores of Asian students are consistently higher than White students, who in turn score higher than Hispanic and finally Black students. Both background and science-related factors help explain variation in achievement status and growth in achievement. Parental education is positively associated with achievement status among all groups except Black students for whom there is no effect of parental education. Science related resources in the home are positively associated with student achievement and the effect of these resources increases in later grades. Student achievement in science is also positively related to student course taking and attitude toward science. Furthermore, both the negative effect of viewing science as a male domain, which exists for males and females, and the positive effect of parental support for

An Investigation of University Student and K-12 Teacher Reasoning about Key Ideas in the Development of the Particulate Nature of Matter

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robertson, Amy D.

2011-01-01

This dissertation describes a systematic investigation of university student and K-12 teacher reasoning about key ideas relevant to the development of a particulate model for matter. Written assessments and individual demonstration interviews have been used to study the reasoning of introductory and sophomore-level physics students, introductory…

The Green Pages: Environmental Education Activities K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clearing, 1990

1990-01-01

Presented are 37 environmental science activities for students in grades K-12. Topics include water pollution, glaciers, protective coloration, shapes in nature, environmental impacts, recycling, creative writing, litter, shapes found in nature, color, rain cycle, waste management, plastics, energy, pH, landfills, runoff, watersheds,…

A Parent's Guide to Achievement Matters Most: Maryland's Plan for PreK-12 Education, 2002-2003.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maryland State Dept. of Education, Baltimore.

To raise the achievement of every student in the state, Maryland implemented "Achievement Matters Most," a new plan for public elementary and secondary schools that sets goals in the areas of achievement, teaching, testing, safety, and family involvement in schools. This guide for parents outlines the goals and characteristics of the…

The influence of formative assessments on student motivation, achievement, and conceptual change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Yue

2005-07-01

This study connected research on formative assessment, motivation, and conceptual change. In particular, it examined three research questions: (1) Can formative assessment improve students' motivational beliefs? (2) Can formative assessment improve students' achievement in science and bring about conceptual change? and (3) Are students' science achievement and conceptual change correlated with their motivational beliefs? Formative assessment in this study refers to assessments embedded in an inquiry-based curriculum. To answer those questions, a randomized experiment was conducted. One thousand and two 6th or 7th graders of 12 teachers in 12 different schools in six states participated in the study. The 12 teachers were matched in pairs and randomly assigned to the experimental and control group. The experimental group employed embedded formative assessments while teaching a science curriculum unit and the control group taught the same unit without formative assessments. All the students were given a motivation survey and one or more achievement tests at pre- and posttest. By comparing the experimental and control students' motivation and achievement scores at pretest and posttest, I examined whether the formative assessment treatment affected students' motivation, learning, and conceptual change. By correlating students' posttest motivation, achievement as well as conceptual change scores, I examined whether students' motivation was related to their achievement and conceptual change. Analyses indicated that, the embedded assessments used by the experimental group did not significantly influence students' motivation, achievement, or conceptual change compared to students in the control group. Most motivation beliefs were correlated with students' achievement in a way similar to what has been reported in the literature. They were not correlated with students' conceptual change scores as hypothesized. Teachers, as well as some contextual factors associated with

Exploring the Effectiveness of Online Education in K-12 Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heafner, Tina L., Ed.; Hartshorne, Richard, Ed.; Petty, Teresa, Ed.

2015-01-01

The integration of technology in classrooms is rapidly emerging as a way to provide more educational opportunities for students. As virtual learning environments become more popular, evaluating the impact of this technology on student success is vital. "Exploring the Effectiveness of Online Education in K-12 Environments" combines…

Are K-12 learners motivated in physical education? A meta-analysis.

PubMed

Chen, Senlin; Chen, Ang; Zhu, Xihe

2012-03-01

Previous studies devoted to K-12 learner motivation in physical education share a general assumption that students may lack motivation. This meta-analytic study examined published original studies (n = 79) to determine students' motivation level and the association between motivation and outcomes. Original means of motivation measures were converted and aggregated to determine motivation levels. Correlation effect sizes were calculated to determine the association between motivation and outcome measures. The analyses revealed that K-12 students are motivated regardless of the theoretical constructs used in the studies (M > 50). The correlation effect sizes (r = .20-.30, p < .05) indicate a weak association between motivation and outcome. The findings suggest a need to involve meaningful learning and pedagogy variables in motivation research.

Quality Science Teacher Professional Development and Student Achievement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dubner, J.

2007-12-01

Studies show that socio-economic background and parental education accounts for 50-60 percent of a child's achievement in school. School, and other influences, account for the remaining 40-50 percent. In contrast to most other professions, schools require no real apprenticeship training of science teachers. Overall, only 38 percent of United States teachers have had any on-the-job training in their first teaching position, and in some cases this consisted of a few meetings over the course of a year between the beginning teacher and the assigned mentor or master teacher. Since individual teachers determine the bulk of a student's school experiences, interventions focused on teachers have the greatest likelihood of affecting students. To address this deficiency, partnerships between scientists and K-12 teachers are increasingly recognized as an excellent method for improving teacher preparedness and the quality of science education. Columbia University's Summer Research Program for Science Teachers' (founded in 1990) basic premise is simple: teachers cannot effectively teach science if they have no firsthand experience doing science, hence the Program's motto, "Practice what you teach." Columbia University's Summer Research Program for Science Teachers provides strong evidence that a teacher research program is a very effective form of professional development for secondary school science teachers and has a direct correlation to increased student achievement in science. The author will present the methodology of the program's evaluation citing statistically significant data. The author will also show the economic benefits of teacher participation in this form of professional development.

Achieve3000®. Adolescent Literacy. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

What Works Clearinghouse, 2018

2018-01-01

"Achieve3000®" is a supplemental online literacy program that provides nonfiction reading content to students in grades preK-12 and focuses on building phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, reading comprehension, vocabulary, and writing skills. "Achieve3000®" is designed to help students advance their nonfiction reading skills…

Achieve3000®. Beginning Reading. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

What Works Clearinghouse, 2018

2018-01-01

"Achieve3000®" is a supplemental online literacy program that provides nonfiction reading content to students in grades preK-12 and focuses on building phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, reading comprehension, vocabulary, and writing skills. "Achieve3000®" is designed to help students advance their nonfiction reading skills…

The SERC K12 Educators Portal to Teaching Activities and Pedagogic Approaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larsen, K.; Kirk, K. B.; Manduca, C. A.; Ledley, T. S.; Schmitt, L.

2013-12-01

The Science Education Resource Center (SERC) has created a portal to information for K12 educators to provide high-quality grade level appropriate materials from a wide variety of projects and topics. These materials were compiled across the SERC site, showcasing materials that were created for, or easily adaptable to, K12 classrooms. This resource will help support implementation of Next Generation Science Standards by assisting educators in finding innovative resources to address areas of instruction that are conceptually different than previous national and state science standards. Specifically, the K12 portal assists educators in learning about approaches that address the cross-cutting nature of science concepts, increasing students quantitative reasoning and numeracy skills, incorporating technology such as GIS in the classroom, and by assisting educators of all levels of K12 instruction in using relevant and meaningful ways to teach science concepts. The K12 portal supports educators by providing access to hundreds of teaching activities covering a wide array of science topics and grade levels many of which have been rigorously reviewed for pedagogic quality and scientific accuracy. The portal also provides access to web pages that enhance teaching practices that help increase student's system thinking skills, make lectures interactive, assist instructors in conducting safe and effective indoor and outdoor labs, providing support for teaching energy and climate literacy principles, assisting educators in addressing controversial content, provide guidance in engaging students affective domain, and provides a collection of tools for making teaching relevant in 21st century classrooms including using GIS, Google Earth, videos, visualizations and simulations to model and describe scientific concepts. The portal also provides access to material for specific content and audiences by (1) Supporting AGIs 'Map your World' week to specifically highlight teaching

Ground Truth Studies - A hands-on environmental science program for students, grades K-12

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Katzenberger, John; Chappell, Charles R.

1992-01-01

The paper discusses the background and the objectives of the Ground Truth Studies (GTSs), an activity-based teaching program which integrates local environmental studies with global change topics, utilizing remotely sensed earth imagery. Special attention is given to the five key concepts around which the GTS programs are organized, the pilot program, the initial pilot study evaluation, and the GTS Handbook. The GTS Handbook contains a primer on global change and remote sensing, aerial and satellite images, student activities, glossary, and an appendix of reference material. Also described is a K-12 teacher training model. International participation in the program is to be initiated during the 1992-1993 school year.

The Impact of Teacher-Student Relationships and Achievement Motivation on Students' Intentions to Dropout According to Socio-Economic Status

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bergeron, Julie; Chouinard, Roch; Janosz, Michel

2011-01-01

The main goal was to test if teacher-student relationships and achievement motivation are predicting dropout intention equally for low and high socio-economic status students. A questionnaire measuring teacher-student relationships and achievement motivation was administered to 2,360 French Canadian secondary students between 12 and 15 years old…

Social Perceptions of Achieving Students and Achievement Goals of Students in Malaysia and the Philippines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernardo, Allan B. I.; Ismail, Rosnah

2010-01-01

The study investigates the hypothesis that country differences in achievement goals of students are associated with differences in how students with different achievement goals are perceived by students in different cultures. University students from Malaysia and the Philippine were asked to complete questionnaires on their achievement goals and…

Language Arts: Exceptional Child Education Curriculum K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curran, Teresa; And Others

The Exceptional Child Education (ECE) program of Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Kentucky, presents this language arts curriculum for use with K-12 students who have learning problems. The ECE program uses the curriculum and materials of the general education program whenever appropriate, but has access to special instructional…

A Model Project in Career Education, K-12. Interim Report, December 1974.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wyoming State Dept. of Education, Cheyenne.

The document presents an interim report of a project to establish career education programs for K-12 students in the Natrona County School District of Casper, Wyoming. Project activities were divided into: (1) career awareness, grades K-6; (2) career exploration, grades 7-9; (3) career preparation, grades 10-12; and (4) guidance. To meet the…

K-12 Teachers' Perceptions of School Policy and Fear of School Violence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ricketts, Melissa L.

2007-01-01

Since the 1990s, schools have focused their attention on policies designed to improve school safety. Most researches on school violence policies have concentrated on the needs of students and administrators. This study investigated the impact of school violence policies on K-12 teachers' fear. Using self-report data from 447 K-12 teachers from a…

Mapping the Terrain: Educational Leadership Field Experiences in K-12 Virtual Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LaFrance, Jason A.; Beck, Dennis

2014-01-01

Opportunities for K-12 students to choose virtual and blended learning experiences continue to grow. All 50 states including Washington, D.C., now offer some virtual experience in K-12 education. Of these, 40 states have state virtual schools or state-led online learning initiatives. In addition, federal and state support for this type of learning…

The MOOC-CLIL Project: Using MOOCs to Increase Language, and Social and Online Learning Skills for 5th Grade K-12 Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Waard, Inge; Demeulenaere, Kathy

2017-01-01

This study comprises the outcomes and methods of a one year project using Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) embedded in K-12 classes. The Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) of 42 students enrolled in three 5th grade classes were monitored. The students took the MOOCCLIL class for one year…

Stories of Success: Understanding Academic Achievement of Hispanic Students in Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harris, Amanda

A review of the literature shows that there is much evidence to suggest the challenges facing Hispanic students in American public schools. Hispanic enrollment in K--12 public schools has increased from 6 to 19% in the last thirty years, yet schools have not made adequate adjustments to accommodate this changing population. Issues such as remedial tracking and cultural differences have led to low high school graduate rates for Hispanic students and inequities in schooling experiences (Gay, 2000). Particularly in the area of science, Hispanic students struggle with academic success (Cole & Espinoza, 2008). Despite these obstacles, some Hispanic students are academically successful (Rochin & Mello, 2007; Merisotis & Kee, 2006). This dissertation tells the stories of these Hispanic students who have been successful in science in secondary public schools. This study followed a grounded theory methodology and utilized individual interviews to collect data about Hispanics who have demonstrated achievement in the area of science. Through the analysis of these interviews, factors were identified which may have contributed to the success of these Hispanics in the field of science. Implications for future practice in public schools are also discussed.

Cool Science: K-12 Climate Change Art Displayed on Buses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, R. F.; Lustick, D. S.; Lohmeier, J.; Thompson, S. R.

2015-12-01

Cool science is an art contest where K12 students create placards (7" x 22") to educate the public about climate change. Students are prompted to create their artwork in response to questions such as: What is the evidence for climate change? How does climate change impact your local community? What can you do to reduce the impacts of climate change? In each of three years, 500-600 student entrees have been submitted from more than 12 school districts across Massachusetts. A panel of judges including scientists, artists, rapid transit representatives, and educators chooses elementary, middle, and high school winners. Winners (6), runners-up (6), and honorable mentions (12) and their families and teachers are invited to an annual Cool Science Award Ceremony to be recognized and view winning artwork. All winning artwork is posted on the Cool Science website. The winning artwork (2 per grade band) is converted into placards (11" x 28") and posters (2.5' x 12') that are placed on the inside (placards) and outside (posters) of buses. Posters are displayed for one month. So far, Cool Science was implemented in Lowell, MA where over 5000 public viewers see the posters daily on the sides of Lowell Rapid Transit Authority (LRTA) buses, making approximately 1,000,000 impressions per year. Cool Science acts to increase climate literacy in children as well as the public, and as such promotes intergenerational learning. Using art in conjunction with science learning about climate change appears to be effective at engaging not just traditionally high achieving science students, but also those interested in the creative arts. Hearing winners' stories about how they created their artwork and what this contest meant to them supports the idea that Cool Science attracts a wide diversity of students. Parents discuss climate change with their children. Multiple press releases announcing the winners further promotes the awareness of climate change throughout school districts and their

An Invaluable Resource for Supporting Transgender, Transsexual, and Gender-Nonconforming Students in School Communities: A Review of "Supporting Transgender and Transsexual Students in K-12 Schools"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martino, Wayne

2013-01-01

This essay provides a review of a resource guide written by Kristopher Wells, Gayle Roberts, and Carol Allan (2012) titled "Supporting Transgender and Transsexual Students in K-12 Schools: A Guide for Educators". The guide is an invaluable resource for educators in schools and teacher education programs.

Studying Teachers' Degree of Classroom Implementation, Teachers' Implementation Practices, and Students' Learning as Outcomes of K-12 STEM Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Peiyi

2013-01-01

With a growing demand for an enhanced K-12 education for strengthening students' conceptual learning, interest, and career awareness in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, teacher professional development projects have been viewed as an efficient approach. However, a variety of external and teacher factors may prevent such projects…

The Impact of Design-Based STEM Integration Curricula on Student Achievement in Engineering, Science, and Mathematics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Selcen Guzey, S.; Harwell, Michael; Moreno, Mario; Peralta, Yadira; Moore, Tamara J.

2017-04-01

The new science education reform documents call for integration of engineering into K-12 science classes. Engineering design and practices are new to most science teachers, meaning that implementing effective engineering instruction is likely to be challenging. This quasi-experimental study explored the influence of teacher-developed, engineering design-based science curriculum units on learning and achievement among grade 4-8 students of different races, gender, special education status, and limited English proficiency (LEP) status. Treatment and control students ( n = 4450) completed pretest and posttest assessments in science, engineering, and mathematics as well as a state-mandated mathematics test. Single-level regression results for science outcomes favored the treatment for one science assessment (physical science, heat transfer), but multilevel analyses showed no significant treatment effect. We also found that engineering integration had different effects across race and gender and that teacher gender can reduce or exacerbate the gap in engineering achievement for student subgroups depending on the outcome. Other teacher factors such as the quality of engineering-focused science units and engineering instruction were predictive of student achievement in engineering. Implications for practice are discussed.

Good Morning from Barrow, Alaska! Helping K-12 students understand the importance of research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shelton, M.

2010-12-01

This presentation focuses on how an educator experiences scientific research and how those experiences can help foster K-12 students’ understanding of research being conducted in Barrow, Alaska. According to Zhang and Fulford (1994), real-time electronic field trips help to provide a sense of closeness and relevance. In combination with experts in the field, the electronic experience can help students to better understand the phenomenon being studied, thus strengthening the student’s conceptual knowledge (Zhang & Fulford, 1994). During a seven day research trip to study the arctic sea ice, five rural Virginia teachers and their students participated in Skype sessions with the participating educator and other members of the Radford University research team. The students were able to view the current conditions in Barrow, listen to members of the research team describe what their contributions were to the research, and ask questions about the research and Alaska in general. Collaborations between students and scientist can have long lasting benefits for both educators and students in promoting an understanding of the research process and understanding why our world is changing. By using multimedia venues such as Skype students are able to interact with researchers both visually and verbally, forming the basis for students’ interest in science. A learner’s level of engagement is affected by the use of multimedia, especially the level of cognitive processing. Visual images alone do no promote the development of good problem solving skills. However, the students are able to develop better problem solving skills when both visual images and verbal interactions are used together. As students form higher confidence levels by improving their ability to problem solve, their interest in science also increases. It is possible that this interest could turn into a passion for science, which could result in more students wanting to become scientists or science teachers.

Student Enrollment Patterns and Achievement in Ohio's Online Charter Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahn, June; McEachin, Andrew

2017-01-01

We utilize state data of nearly 1.7 million students in Ohio to study a specific sector of online education: K-12 schools that deliver most, if not all, education online, lack a brick-and-mortar presence, and enroll students full-time. First, we explore e-school enrollment patterns and how these patterns vary by student subgroups and geography.…

Using Cue Cards throughout the K-12 Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conderman, Greg; Hedin, Laura R.

2015-01-01

As a flexible instructional tool, cue cards offer support for students with and without disabilities. By providing different amounts of support, they also can be used to differentiate instruction in a variety of subject areas and grade levels. This article describes various strategies for using cue cards and includes examples from K-12 classrooms.

Are K-12 Learners Motivated in Physical Education? A Meta-Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Senlin; Chen, Ang; Zhu, Xihe

2012-01-01

Previous studies devoted to K-12 learner motivation in physical education share a general assumption that students may lack motivation. This meta-analytic study examined published original studies (n = 79) to determine students' motivation level and the association between motivation and outcomes. Original means of motivation measures were…

A Parent's Guide to Achievement Matters Most: Maryland's Plan for PreK-12 Education, 2002-2003. (Arabic)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maryland State Dept. of Education, Baltimore.

To raise the achievement of every student in the state, Maryland implemented "Achievement Matters Most," a new plan for public elementary and secondary schools that sets goals in the areas of achievement, teaching, testing, safety, and family involvement in schools. This Arabic-language guide for parents outlines the goals and…

A Parent's Guide to Achievement Matters Most: Maryland's Plan for PreK-12 Education, 2002-2003. (Gujarati).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maryland State Dept. of Education, Baltimore.

To raise the achievement of every student in the state, Maryland implemented "Achievement Matters Most," a new plan for public elementary and secondary schools that sets goals in the areas of achievement, teaching, testing, safety, and family involvement in schools. This Gujarati-language guide for parents outlines the goals and…

A Parent's Guide to Achievement Matters Most: Maryland's Plan for PreK-12 Education, 2002-2003. (Chinese)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maryland State Dept. of Education, Baltimore.

To raise the achievement of every student in the state, Maryland implemented "Achievement Matters Most," a new plan for public elementary and secondary schools that sets goals in the areas of achievement, teaching, testing, safety, and family involvement in schools. This Chinese-language guide for parents outlines the goals and…

A Parent's Guide to Achievement Matters Most: Maryland's Plan for PreK-12 Education, 2002-2003. (Urdu)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maryland State Dept. of Education, Baltimore.

To raise the achievement of every student in the state, Maryland implemented "Achievement Matters Most," a new plan for public elementary and secondary schools that sets goals in the areas of achievement, teaching, testing, safety, and family involvement in schools. This Urdu-language guide for parents outlines the goals and…

A Parent's Guide to Achievement Matters Most: Maryland's Plan for PreK-12 Education, 2002-2003. (Korean).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maryland State Dept. of Education, Baltimore.

To raise the achievement of every student in the state, Maryland implemented "Achievement Matters Most," a new plan for public elementary and secondary schools that sets goals in the areas of achievement, teaching, testing, safety, and family involvement in schools. This Korean-language guide for parents outlines the goals and…

A Parent's Guide to Achievement Matters Most: Maryland's Plan for PreK-12 Education, 2002-2003. (Russian).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maryland State Dept. of Education, Baltimore.

To raise the achievement of every student in the state, Maryland implemented "Achievement Matters Most," a new plan for public elementary and secondary schools that sets goals in the areas of achievement, teaching, testing, safety, and family involvement in schools. This Russian-language guide for parents outlines the goals and…

Leadership Analysis in K-12 Case Study: "Divided Loyalties"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alsubaie, Merfat Ayesh

2016-01-01

This report mainly aims to provide a critical and in-depth analysis of the K-12 Case, "Divided Loyalty" by Holy and Tartar (2004). The case recounts how the manifestation of inadequate leadership skills in a school setting could affect negatively the performance of students.

Exploring Arizona K-12 Virtual Educator Experiences and Perspectives Developing Collaborative Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cross, Deborah Iyron

2015-01-01

Arizona Online Instruction (AOI) provided an instructional alternative to nearly fifty thousand K-12 students in Arizona during the 2012-2013 school year. Growth in online education underscores the importance of evolving the role of the K-12 virtual teacher as the human agent (Turvey, 2008) demonstrating social learning theory (Bandura, 1977) by…

K-12 Students' Perceptions of Scientists: Finding a valid measurement and exploring whether exposure to scientists makes an impact

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hillman, Susan J.; Bloodsworth, Kylie H.; Tilburg, Charles E.; Zeeman, Stephan I.; List, Henrietta E.

2014-10-01

This study was launched from a National Science Foundation GK-12 grant in which graduate fellows in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) are placed in classrooms to engage K-12 students in STEM activities. The investigation explored whether the STEM Fellows' presence impacted the K-12 students' stereotypical image of a scientist. Since finding a valid instrument is critical, the study involved (1) determining the validity of the commonly administered Draw-A-Scientist Test (DAST) against a newly designed six-question survey and (2) using a combination of both instruments to determine what stereotypes are currently held by children. A pretest-posttest design was used on 485 students, grades 3-11, attending 6 different schools in suburban and rural Maine communities. A significant but low positive correlation was found between the DAST and the survey; therefore, it is imperative that the DAST not be used alone, but corroboration with interviews or survey questions should occur. Pretest results revealed that the children held common stereotypes of scientists, but these stereotypes were neither as extensive nor did they increase with the grade level as past research has indicated, suggesting that a shift has occurred with children having a broader concept of who a scientist can be. Finally, the presence of an STEM Fellow corresponded with decreased stereotypes in middle school and high school, but no change in elementary age children. More research is needed to determine whether this reflects resiliency in elementary children's perceptions or limitations in either drawing or in writing out their responses.

In Search of the Active Site of PMMO Enzyme: Partnership between a K-12 Teacher, a Graduate K-12 Teaching Fellow, and a Research Mentor

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bearden, Katherine K.; Mainardi, Daniela S.; Culligan, Tanya

2009-01-01

The partnership between a K-12 teacher (Culligan), an NSF GK-12 Teaching Fellow graduate student (Bearden), and a Louisiana Tech faculty member (Mainardi) collaborating in a research and education project is described in this work. The unique grouping of these three researchers allows for maximum dissemination of developed modules. By the end of…

The Web as an Information Resource in K-12 Education: Strategies for Supporting Students in Searching and Processing Information

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuiper, Els; Volman, Monique; Terwel, Jan

2005-01-01

The use of the Web in K-12 education has increased substantially in recent years. The Web, however, does not support the learning processes of students as a matter of course. In this review, the authors analyze what research says about the demands that the use of the Web as an information resource in education makes on the support and supervision…

Addressing the NETS*S in K-12 Classrooms: Implications for Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Niederhauser, Dale S.; Lindstrom, Denise L.; Strobel, Johannes

2007-01-01

The National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS*S) were developed to provide guidelines for effective and meaningful technology use with K-12 students. In the present study we used the NETS*S as a framework to analyze ways that teachers integrated instructional technology use and provided opportunities for their students to…

Comprehension Across the Curriculum: Perspectives and Practices K-12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ganske, Kathy, Ed.; Fisher, Douglas, Ed.

2009-01-01

Successful students use comprehension skills and strategies throughout the school day. In this timely book, leading scholars present innovative ways to support reading comprehension across content areas and the full K-12 grade range. Chapters provide specific, practical guidance for selecting rewarding texts and promoting engagement and…

Perspectives on...Special Collections at ARL Libraries and K-12 Outreach: Current Trends

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Visser, Michelle

2006-01-01

This article examines the results of a survey sent to Association of Research Libraries (ARL) Special Collections requesting information on outreach to K-12 students. Over half of the respondents work with K-12 and many of those who currently do not are planning to. New pressures and changing philosophies contribute to this trend.

Polaris Undergraduates Connecting With K-12 Students Though Story Telling-Learning About Climate Change Using Web-Mapping Based Investigations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wood, J. H.; Natali, S.; Schade, J. D.; Fiske, G. J.; Linder, C.; Ramos, E.; Weber, L. R.; Kuhn, M. A.

2014-12-01

The Polaris Project is a unique undergraduate education, research, and outreach initiative that examines global climate change in the Siberian Arctic. The program focuses on permafrost and carbon processes in the boreal and tundra ecosystems of the Kolyma Watershed, the largest watershed underlain by continuous permafrost. Each summer, a diverse group of undergraduate students and faculty mentors spends one month living on the Kolyma River, developing independent projects that engage the students directly in the biogeosciences through authentic scientific research experiences in remote field sites. In all cases the student projects contribute to the overall goal of the Polaris Project to investigate the transport and transformations of carbon and nutrients as they move among terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and the atmosphere. Through the use of online interactive ArcGIS maps the students share their experiences and learning, while posing questions in a format that can be used to engage K-12 learners in the classroom. By embedding information; including databases, photographs and video, informational text, and geospatial data; into user-friendly maps the Polaris Project students will "tell the story" of studying climate change in the Siberian tundra in a way that allows the users to explore climate science through inquiry and web-map based investigation. Through performance expectation topics including Weather and Climate, Interactions, Earth's Systems, and Human impacts, this investigation uses consideration of the vast amounts of ancient organic matter locked up in permafrost in the region, and concerns about the fate of this ancient organic carbon as temperatures warm and permafrost thaws, to make K-12 climate change connections with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

Academic Achievements and Study Habits of College Students of District Pulwama

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bhat, Younis Illahi; Khandai, Hemant

2016-01-01

This study was undertaken to study the academic achievement and study habits of male and female college students of district Pulwama (J and k). The sample for the study was 410 including 193 male and 217 female college students .which was further divided into different groups of rural-urban dichotomy. For this purpose descriptive survey method was…

Academic Achievements and Study Habits of College Students of District Pulwama

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illahi, Bhat Younes; Khandai, Hemant

2015-01-01

This study was undertaken to study the academic achievement and study habits of male and female college students of district Pulwama (J and K). The sample for the study was 410 including 193 male and 217 female college students, which was further divided into different groups of rural-urban dichotomy. For this purpose descriptive survey method was…

Antecedents of students' achievement in statistics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Awaludin, Izyan Syazana; Razak, Ruzanna Ab; Harris, Hezlin; Selamat, Zarehan

2015-02-01

The applications of statistics in most fields have been vast. Many degree programmes at local universities require students to enroll in at least one statistics course. The standard of these courses varies across different degree programmes. This is because of students' diverse academic backgrounds in which some comes far from the field of statistics. The high failure rate in statistics courses for non-science stream students had been concerning every year. The purpose of this research is to investigate the antecedents of students' achievement in statistics. A total of 272 students participated in the survey. Multiple linear regression was applied to examine the relationship between the factors and achievement. We found that statistics anxiety was a significant predictor of students' achievement. We also found that students' age has significant effect to achievement. Older students are more likely to achieve lowers scores in statistics. Student's level of study also has a significant impact on their achievement in statistics.

Plickers: A Formative Assessment Tool for K-12 and PETE Professionals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krause, Jennifer M.; O'Neil, Kason; Dauenhauer, Brian

2017-01-01

Classroom response systems have become popular in K-12 and higher education settings in recent years in order to gauge student learning. The physical education environment is unique in that it is difficult to manage the technology associated with these systems, and therefore, student assessment can be cumbersome. A free classroom response system…

Student academic achievement in college chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tabibzadeh, Kiana S.

General Chemistry is required for variety of baccalaureate degrees, including all medical related fields, engineering, and science majors. Depending on the institution, the prerequisite requirement for college level General Chemistry varies. The success rate for this course is low. The purpose of this study is to examine the factors influencing student academic achievement and retention in General Chemistry at the college level. In this study student achievement is defined by those students who earned grades of "C" or better. The dissertation contains in-depth studies on influence of Intermediate Algebra as a prerequisite compared to Fundamental Chemistry for student academic achievement and student retention in college General Chemistry. In addition the study examined the extent and manner in which student self-efficacy influences student academic achievement in college level General Chemistry. The sample for this part of the study is 144 students enrolled in first semester college level General Chemistry. Student surveys determined student self-efficacy level. The statistical analyses of study demonstrated that Fundamental Chemistry is a better prerequisite for student academic achievement and student retention. The study also found that student self-efficacy has no influence on student academic achievement. The significance of this study will be to provide data for the purpose of establishing a uniform and most suitable prerequisite for college level General Chemistry. Finally the variables identified to influence student academic achievement and enhance student retention will support educators' mission to maximize the students' ability to complete their educational goal at institutions of higher education.

Starting from the Classroom: How an Inter-Segmental Faculty Group Works toward Increased K-16 Alignment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Roy, Tessa Carmen

2011-01-01

There is a lack of alignment between K-12 and higher education about the expectations for student skill and content knowledge. Too often, students leave the K-12 system ill prepared for success in higher education. One approach to increasing alignment has been supported by the California Partnership for Achieving Student Success (Cal-PASS), which…

Policy, Leadership, and Student Achievement: Implications for Urban Communities. The Achievement Gap, Research, Practice, and Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGuire, C. Kent, Ed.; Ikpa, Vivian W., Ed.

2008-01-01

This is the second book in the series examining student achievement. The chapters in this book reflect the scholarly papers presented at the July 2006 Education Policy, Leadership Summer Institute (EPLSI) by K-16 educators, researchers, community advocates, and policymakers who work in urban communities. The Institute serves as a place where…

Online System Adoption and K-12 Academic Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kimmons, R.

2015-01-01

This study seeks to understand the relationship between K-12 online system adoption (e.g., Blackboard, Edmodo, WordPress) and school-level academic achievement ratings. Utilizing a novel approach to data collection via website data extraction and indexing of all school websites in a target state in the United States (n?=?732) and merging these…

Teacher Evaluation and Student Achievement. Student Assessment Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stronge, James H.; Tucker, Pamela D.

This book discusses four approaches to incorporating student achievement in teacher evaluation. Seven chapters discuss: (1) "Teacher Evaluation and Student Achievement: An Introduction to the Issues"; (2) "What is the Relationship between Teaching and Learning?" (e.g., whether teachers are responsible for student learning and…

Unified Science Approach K-12, Proficiency Levels 1-6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oickle, Eileen M., Ed.

Presented are first-revision materials of the K-12 unified science program implemented in the public schools of Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Detailed descriptions are given of the roles of students and teachers, purposes of bibliography, major concepts in unified science, processes of inquiry, scheme and model for scientific literacy, and…

Framing K-12 partnerships in order to make a difference.

PubMed

Hamos, James E

2006-06-01

The Health Professions Partnership Initiative (HPPI) furthered the establishment of partnerships between academic health centers and K-12 school systems. The present article contends that partnerships in efforts such as the HPPI exist in varying degrees of depth with deeper partnerships being those based in a concept of mutuality even as partners continue to maintain institutional identity. In the context of K-12 schools, the article reinforces the view that K-12 students, teachers, and administrators can benefit through partnership contexts, but also suggests that institutions of higher education-including academic health centers-should enter into partnerships because they benefit when they commit as stakeholders in the outcomes, not principally as altruistic good neighbors to the schools. Partnerships can continue to grow when multiple stakeholders accept mutual dependence as a norm, with goals, processes, and outcomes impacting each partner.

Measuring the Level of Security in the K-12 IT Environment in Southern California

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Brandon R.

2016-01-01

Kindergartens through twelfth grade institutions (K-12) are susceptible to unauthorized breaches to the security of their networked systems. These systems house sensitive information for students and staff alike. K-12 organizations face a significant risk for loss of this information that can damage reputation and pose liability. Perpetrators have…

Blueprint for Student Success: A Guide to Research-Based Teaching Practices K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Susan J.

This book presents a reality-based approach to classroom instruction designed to help learners at all levels achieve lifelong success. It offers teaching strategies, activities, and applications to enhance student achievement, stressing the importance of learning through discovery, creativity, application, adaptation, and high level thinking. It…

Zero Energy Schools: Designing for the Future: Zero Energy Ready K-12 Schools

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Torcellini, Paul A

Designing, building, and operating zero energy ready K-12 schools provides benefits for districts, students, and teachers. Optimizing energy efficiency is important in any building, but it's particularly important in K-12 schools. Many U.S. school districts struggle for funding, and improving a school building's energy efficiency can free up operational funds that may then be available for educational and other purposes.

Finding Ways to Effectively Use Year 12 Achievement Data to Inform Practice in Secondary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Italiano, Frank; Hine, Gregory

2014-01-01

This action research explored how Year 12 achievement data were used by school personnel to inform practice within seven Catholic secondary schools. Deputy Principals of Curriculum from participating schools were interviewed regarding their perceptions of the improvement of Year 12 student achievement outcomes, and their insights into how to…

Forest Watch: A K-12 Outreach Program to Engage Pre-College Students in Authentic, Hands-On Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gagnon, M. T.; Rock, B. N.

2009-12-01

The Forest Watch Program is a K-12 hands-on science outreach program developed at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) in 1991. The program has engaged students and their teachers in assisting researchers at UNH in the assessment of the state-of-health of white pine (Pinus strobus), a known bio-indicator species for exposure to elevated levels of ground-level ozone. Students are introduced to the scientific method while participating in an authentic on-going research program. The program was designed in partnership with participating teachers, and thus the field and classroom activities meet specific New England state science and mathematics curricula standards for K-12 education. Student participation in Forest Watch has resulted in an improved understanding and characterization of inter-annual white pine response to changes in air quality across the region over the past two decades. Forest Watch, students participate in three types of activities: 1. the analysis of remote sensing data (Landsat TM) provided for their local area using MultiSpec freeware. Through image processing, students learn the concepts of spatial and spectral resolution; how to identify landcover features; how plants interact with visible and infrared energy; and how to use this information to determine vegetation types and identify vegetation conditions. 2. students select 5 white pine trees to be permanently tagged near their school within a 30x30 meter (pixel sized sampling plot - the spatial resolution of the TM dataset), followed by collection and analysis of needle samples, and a suite of forest plot biometric measurements such as tree height, diameter at breast height (DBH), and canopy closure and ground cover. 3. the students send a set of their needle samples to UNH for spectral analysis of key reflectance features such as the Red Edge Inflection Point (REIP), the TM 5/4 moisture stress index, and the NIR 3/1. Over 250 schools from all six New England states have participated in the

Teacher Field Research Experiences: Building and Maintaining the Passion for K-12 Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunton, K.; Schonberg, S.

2006-12-01

Academic scientists and researchers are increasingly encouraged to develop connections with K-12 educators to promote scientific literacy and bring excitement into the classroom. Such partnerships carry long-term benefits to both teachers and researchers. Teachers gain the tools, confidence, and knowledge to develop research activities with their students that promote scientific inquiry, and researchers benefit from outreach activities that improve communication skills for sharing scientific knowledge with the public. Our K-12 programs have been field based under a theme of Classrooms Without Walls, to take advantage of our local marine environment and a long-term research program on the Alaskan Arctic coast. Our professional development programs for teachers have included the creation of an annual summer graduate level course (Application of Field Research Experiences for K-12 Science and Math Educators) as an introduction to scientific methodology, observation, and inquiry based learning. We provide graduate students as resources in classrooms and for field trip experiences and provide supplies and instrumentation to teachers for K-12 field projects. Finally, teachers have an opportunity to join our researchers to remote sites under various competitive programs that receive federal support (e.g. GK-12, ARMADA). We provide examples of our activities, which are based on recent needs assessment surveys of science teachers; these included development of content knowledge and providing students with opportunities to connect concepts with experiences. Our goal is to provide field experiences to teachers and students that enable them to relate science concepts to the real world.

Tablets in K-12 Education: Integrated Experiences and Implications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

An, Heejung, Ed.; Alon, Sandra, Ed.; Fuentes, David, Ed.

2015-01-01

The inclusion of new and emerging technologies in the education sector has been a topic of interest to researchers, educators, and software developers alike in recent years. Utilizing the proper tools in a classroom setting is a critical factor in student success. "Tablets in K-12 Education: Integrated Experiences and Implications"…

Superintendent Tenure and Student Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simpson, Jennifer

2013-01-01

A correlational research design was used to examine the influence of superintendent tenure on student achievement in rural Appalachian Kentucky school districts. Superintendent tenure was compared to aggregated student achievement scores for 2011 and to changes in students' learning outcomes over the course of the superintendents' tenure. The…

Mathematics, Engineering Science Achievement (MESA). Washington's Community and Technical Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, 2014

2014-01-01

Growing Science, Technology, Education, and Mathematics (STEM) talent Washington MESA--Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement--helps under-represented community college students excel in school and ultimately earn STEM bachelor's degrees. MESA has two key programs: one for K-12 students, and the other for community and technical college…

Mathematics achievement and attitudes of senior secondary-school students in Transkei, South Africa.

PubMed

Kulubya, M M; Glencross, M J

1997-06-01

In a study of mathematics achievement and attitudes toward mathematics, a sample of 266 Standard 10 (Grade 12) students (98 boys and 168 girls) from 10 senior secondary schools in the Umtata district of Transkei, South Africa, were administered a mathematics achievement test and an attitude questionnaire. Contrary to other studies analysis showed no significant relationship between students' scores on measures of mathematics achievement and attitudes.

Effective Board Leadership: Factors Associated with Student Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Paul A.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to establish the content, construct, and predictive validity of the Effective Board Leadership Practices Survey (EBLPS). The EBLPS was designed to measure the leadership practices of boards of education that support student achievement. A literature review identified 12 board leadership practices supportive of student…

Engineering Education in K-12 Schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spence, Anne

2013-03-01

Engineers rely on physicists as well as other scientists and mathematicians to explain the world in which we live. Engineers take this knowledge of the world and use it to create the world that never was. The teaching of physics and other sciences as well as mathematics is critical to maintaining our national workforce. Science and mathematics education are inherently different, however, from engineering education. Engineering educators seek to enable students to develop the habits of mind critical for innovation. Through understanding of the engineering design process and how it differs from the scientific method, students can apply problem and project based learning to solve the challenges facing society today. In this talk, I will discuss the elements critical to a solid K-12 engineering education that integrates science and mathematics to solve challenges throughout the world.

An ecological perspective of science and math academic achievement among African American students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stewart, Endya Bentley

Using data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88), path analytic procedures were performed to test an ecological model of the effects of family, individual and school characteristics on the academic African American students. A distinctive study is the inclusion of school computer use in the model. The study results show that several of the variables directly or indirectly affected 12th grade academic achievement. Furthermore, most of the individual influence variables were directly related to 12 th grade achievement. Two surprising findings from this study were the insignificant effects of family income and school computer use on 12 th grade achievement. Overall, the findings support the notion that family, individual, and school characteristics are important predictors of academic success among African American students.

Print exposure, reading habits, and reading achievement among deaf and hearing college students.

PubMed

Marschark, Marc; Sarchet, Thomastine; Convertino, Carol M; Borgna, Georgianna; Morrison, Carolyn; Remelt, Sarah

2012-01-01

This study explored relations of print exposure, academic achievement, and reading habits among 100 deaf and 100 hearing college students. As in earlier studies, recognition tests for book titles and magazine titles were used as measures of print exposure, college entrance test scores were used as measures of academic achievement, and students provided self-reports of reading habits. Deaf students recognized fewer magazine titles and fewer book titles appropriate for reading levels from kindergarten through Grade 12 while reporting more weekly hours of reading. As in previous studies with hearing college students, the title recognition test proved a better predictor of deaf and hearing students' English achievement than how many hours they reported reading. The finding that the recognition tests were relatively more potent predictors of achievement for deaf students than hearing students may reflect the fact that deaf students often obtain less information through incidental learning and classroom presentations.

Females and STEM: Determining the K-12 Experiences that Influenced Women to Pursue STEM Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petersen, Anne Marie

In the United States, careers in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) are increasing yet there are not enough trained personnel to meet this demand. In addition, of those that seek to pursue STEM fields in the United States, only 26% are female. In order to increase the number of women seeking STEM based bachelor's degrees, K-12 education must provide a foundation that prepares students for entry into these fields. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to determine the perceived K-12 experiences that influenced females to pursue a STEM field. Twelve college juniors or seniors seeking a degree in Biology, Mathematics, or Physics were interviewed concerning their K-12 experiences. These interviews were analyzed and six themes emerged. Teacher passion and classroom characteristics such as incorporating challenging activities played a significant role in the females' decisions to enter STEM fields. Extra-curricular activities such as volunteer and mentor opportunities and the females' need to benefit others also influenced females in their career choice. Both the formal (within the school) and informal (outside of the traditional classroom) pipeline opportunities that these students encountered helped develop a sense of self-efficacy in science and mathematics; this self-efficacy enabled them to persist in pursuing these career fields. Several participants cited barriers that they encountered in K-12 education, but these barriers were primarily internal as they struggled with overcoming self-imposed obstacles in learning and being competitive in the mathematics and science classrooms. The experiences from these female students can be used by K-12 educators to prepare and encourage current female students to enter STEM occupations.

Correlation Between University Students' Kinematic Achievement and Learning Styles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Çirkinoǧlu, A. G.; Dem&ircidot, N.

2007-04-01

In the literature, some researches on kinematics revealed that students have many difficulties in connecting graphs and physics. Also some researches showed that the method used in classroom affects students' further learning. In this study the correlation between university students' kinematics achieve and learning style are investigated. In this purpose Kinematics Achievement Test and Learning Style Inventory were applied to 573 students enrolled in general physics 1 courses at Balikesir University in the fall semester of 2005-2006. Kinematics Test, consists of 12 multiple choose and 6 open ended questions, was developed by researchers to assess students' understanding, interpreting, and drawing graphs. Learning Style Inventory, a 24 items test including visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning styles, was developed and used by Barsch. The data obtained from in this study were analyzed necessary statistical calculations (T-test, correlation, ANOVA, etc.) by using SPSS statistical program. Based on the research findings, the tentative recommendations are made.

Formative Evaluation of Bugscope: A Sustainable World Wide Laboratory for K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thakkar, U.; Carragher, B.; Carroll, L.; Conway, C.; Grosser, B.; Kisseberth, N.; Potter, C. S.; Robinson, S.; Sinn-Hanlon, J.; Stone, D.; Weber, D.

Bugscope is an emerging educational technology project that allows students and teachers across grades K-12 to study insects and other arthropods through remote access and control of an environmental scanning electron microscope from their classroom computers. Teachers and students in 33 schools from 18 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands were…

The relationship between autonomous motivation and autonomy support in medical students' academic achievement.

PubMed

Feri, Rose; Soemantri, Diantha; Jusuf, Anwar

2016-12-29

This study applied self-determination theory (SDT) to investigate the relationship between students' autonomous motivation and tutors' autonomy support in medical students' academic achievement. This was a cross-sectional study. Out of 204 students in a fundamental medical science course, 199 participated in the study. Data was collected using two questionnaires: the Learning Self-Regulation and Learning Climate Questionnaires. The score of the course assessment was the measure of academic achievement. Data was analyzed and reported with descriptive and inferential statistics (mean, standard deviation and multiple regression analysis). Mean score (±standard deviation) of the autonomous motivation, tutors' autonomy support, and academic achievement were 5.48±0.89, 5.22±0.92, and 5.22±0.92. Multiple regression results reported students' autonomous motivation was associated with improvement of students' academic achievement (β=15.2, p=0.004). However, augmentation of tutors' autonomy support was not reflected in the improvement of students' academic achievement (β = -12.6, p = 0.019). Both students' autonomous motivation and tutors' autonomy support had a contribution of about 4.2% students' academic achievement (F = 4.343, p = 0.014, R 2 = 0.042). Due to the unique characteristic of our medical students' educational background, our study shows that tutors' autonomy support is inconsistent with students' academic achievement. However, both autonomous motivation and support are essential to students' academic achievement. Further study is needed to explore students' educational background and self-regulated learning competence to improve students' academic achievement.

Scientists Involved in K-12 Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robigou, V.

2004-12-01

The publication of countless reports documenting the dismal state of science education in the 1980s, and the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMMS) report (1996) called for a wider involvement of the scientific community in K-12 education and outreach. Improving science education will not happen without the collaboration of educators and scientists working in a coordinated manner and it requires a long-term, continuous effort. To contribute effectively to K-12 education all scientists should refer to the National Science Education Standards, a set of policies that guide the development of curriculum and assessment. Ocean scientists can also specifically refer to the COSEE recommendations (www.cosee.org) that led to the creation of seven regional Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence. Scientists can get involved in K-12 education in a multitude of ways. They should select projects that will accommodate time away from their research and teaching obligations, their talent, and their interest but also contribute to the education reform. A few examples of effective involvement are: 1) collaborating with colleagues in a school of education that can lead to better education of all students and future teachers, 2) acting as a resource for a national program or a local science fair, 3) serving on the advisory board of a program that develops educational material, 4) speaking out at professional meetings about the value of scientists' involvement in education, 5) speaking enthusiastically about the teaching profession. Improving science education in addition to research can seem a large, overwhelming task for scientists. As a result, focusing on projects that will fit the scientist's needs as well as benefit the science reform is of prime importance. It takes an enormous amount of work and financial and personnel resources to start a new program with measurable impact on students. So, finding the right opportunity is a priority, and stepping

Identifying achievement goals and their relationship to academic achievement in undergraduate pharmacy students.

PubMed

Alrakaf, Saleh; Sainsbury, Erica; Rose, Grenville; Smith, Lorraine

2014-09-15

To compare the achievement goal orientations of first-year with those of third-year undergraduate Australian pharmacy students and to examine the relationship of goal orientations to academic achievement. The Achievement Goal Questionnaire was administered to first-year and third-year students during class time. Students' grades were obtained from course coordinators. More first-year students adopted performance-approach and mastery-approach goals than did third-year students. Performance-approach goals were positively correlated with academic achievement in the first year. Chinese Australian students scored the highest in adopting performance-approach goals. Vietnamese Australian students adopted mastery-avoidance goals more than other ethnicities. First-year students were more strongly performance approach goal-oriented than third-year students. Adopting performance-approach goals was positively correlated with academic achievement, while adopting avoidance goals was not. Ethnicity has an effect on the adoption of achievement goals and academic achievement.

Consumer Education Resource Guide, K-12. A Multi-Disciplinary Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Calhoun, Calfrey C.; And Others

The guide suggests methods and resources for planning learning experiences in teaching consumer education to students at the K-12 levels. The major topics and related areas are: (1) financial planning (estimating income, estimating expenses, establishing goals, making decisions, and making the financial plan); (2) buying (importance of planned…

Value Added Models and the Implementation of the National Standards of K-12 Physical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seymour, Clancy M.; Garrison, Mark J.

2017-01-01

The implementation of value-added models of teacher evaluation continue to expand in public education, but the effects of using student test scores to evaluate K-12 physical educators necessitates further discussion. Using the five National Standards for K-12 Physical Education from the Society of Health and Physical Educators America (SHAPE),…

Problem-Based Learning in the Earth and Space Science Classroom, K-12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McConnell, Tom J.; Parker, Joyce; Eberhardt, Janet

2017-01-01

If you've ever asked yourself whether problem-based learning (PBL) can bring new life to both your teaching and your students' learning, here's your answer: Yes. This all-in-one guide will help you engage your students in scenarios that represent real-world science in all its messy, thought-provoking glory. The scenarios will prompt K-12 students…

THE HUMAN BEHAVIOR RATING SCALE-BRIEF: A TOOL TO MEASURE 21ST CENTURY SKILLS OF K-12 LEARNERS.

PubMed

Woods-Groves, Suzanne

2015-06-01

Currently there is a call for brief concise measurements to appraise relevant 21st century college readiness skills in K-12 learners. This study employed K-12 teachers' ratings for over 3,000 students for an existing 91-item rating scale, the Human Behavior Rating Scale, that measured the 21st century skills of persistence, curiosity, externalizing affect, internalizing affect, and cognition. Teachers' ratings for K-12 learners were used to develop a brief, concise, and manageable 30-item tool, the Human Behavior Rating Scale-Brief. Results yielded high internal consistency coefficients and inter-item correlations. The items were not biased with regard to student sex or race, and were supported through confirmatory factor analyses. In addition, when teachers' ratings were compared with students' academic and behavioral performance data, moderate to strong relationships were revealed. This study provided an essential first step in the development of a psychometrically sound, manageable, and brief tool to appraise 21st century skills in K-12 learners.

Problem-Based Learning in the Physical Science Classroom, K-12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McConnell, Tom J.; Parker, Joyce; Eberhardt, Janet

2018-01-01

"Problem-Based Learning in the Physical Science Classroom, K-12" will help your students truly understand concepts such as motion, energy, and magnetism in true-to-life contexts. The book offers a comprehensive description of why, how, and when to implement problem-based learning (PBL) in your curriculum. Its 14 developmentally…

Transforming K-12 Rural Education through Blended Learning: Teacher Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kellerer, Paula; Kellerer, Eric; Werth, Eric; Werth, Lori; Montgomery, Danielle; Clyde, Rozella; Cozart, Joe; Creach, Laura; Hibbard, Laura; LaFrance, Jason; Rupp, Nadine; Walker, Niki; Carter, Theresa; Kennedy, Kathryn

2014-01-01

A qualitative study exploring rural teacher perspectives on the impact of blended learning on students and teachers was conducted in Idaho during the Fall of 2013. Researchers from Northwest Nazarene University's DOCEO Center in partnership with Idaho Digital Learning Academy (IDLA) and the International Association for K-12 Online Learning…

Engaging Scientists in NASA Education and Public Outreach: K - 12 Formal Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartolone, Lindsay; Smith, D. A.; Eisenhamer, B.; Lawton, B. L.; Universe Professional Development Collaborative, Multiwavelength; NASA Data Collaborative, Use of; SEPOF K-12 Formal Education Working Group; E/PO Community, SMD

2014-01-01

The NASA Science Education and Public Outreach Forums support the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and its education and public outreach (E/PO) community through a coordinated effort to enhance the coherence and efficiency of SMD-funded E/PO programs. The Forums foster collaboration between scientists with content expertise and educators with pedagogy expertise. We present opportunities for the astronomy community to participate in collaborations supporting the NASA SMD efforts in the K - 12 Formal Education community. Members of the K - 12 Formal Education community include classroom educators, homeschool educators, students, and curriculum developers. The Forums’ efforts for the K - 12 Formal Education community include a literature review, appraisal of educators’ needs, coordination of audience-based NASA resources and opportunities, professional development, and support with the Next Generation Science Standards. Learn how to join in our collaborative efforts to support the K - 12 Formal Education community based upon mutual needs and interests.

An Environmental Education Program (K-12), Based on Environmental Encounters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stapp, William B.

1971-01-01

Describes a strategy for development and implementation of a comprehensive environmental education program (K-12) which can be integrated into existing curriculum of a school. Environmental encounters" stressed as meaningful approaches to goal achievement. Philosophy of spaceship earth" is fundamental to the program. (LK)

PA Student Achievement Rises for 8th Straight Year: 2010 Student Achievement Fast Facts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper presents some facts about Pennsylvania's student achievement for 2010. These facts are: (1) Eighty two percent of Pennsylvania schools are meeting all of their Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) targets--up from 78% of schools last year; (2) Pennsylvania students exceed state academic goals and achieve double digit gains since 2002; (3)…

Student Perceptions of Teacher Characteristics on Math Achievement for Middle School African American Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clayton, Otis, Jr.

2013-01-01

This causal-comparative research explored how African American students' perceptions of their math teachers affected their academic performance on the Math Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) Test during 2009-2010 academic year. When considering possible measures of teacher effectiveness in K-12 education, it can be argued that…

New K-12 Science Education Standards May Face Implementation Challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Mohi

2013-04-01

Kindergarten is not just a place to learn letters and numbers, practice finger painting, and listen to story time. If a new set of national science standards is adopted, it will also be the start of a carefully planned effort to engage students in science-based activities throughout their K-12 academic careers.

Types, Subjects, and Purposes of K-12 Online Learning Interactions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borup, Jered

2013-01-01

Although K-12 online learning has experienced exceptional growth, research in the area has lagged behind. This dissertation addressed this gap in the literature using a multiple article dissertation format. The first article used survey data from two online English courses at the Open High School of Utah (OHSU) to examine students' reported…

Addressing Excellence Gaps in K-12 Education. Position Statement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Association for Gifted Children, 2015

2015-01-01

Since the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001, a major objective of federal and state education policy has been to narrow K-12 achievement gaps. This position statement notes that the available data suggest that the singular focus on the most struggling learners has resulted in meaningful progress in closing minimum-competency…

Examination Regimes and Student Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cosentino de Cohen, Clemencia

2010-01-01

Examination regimes at the end of secondary school vary greatly intra- and cross-nationally, and in recent years have undergone important reforms often geared towards increasing student achievement. This research presents a comparative analysis of the relationship between examination regimes and student achievement in the OECD. Using a micro…

Technical Support Document: Development of the Advanced Energy Design Guide for K-12 Schools--30% Energy Savings

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pless, S.; Torcellini, P.; Long, N.

2007-09-01

This Technical Support Document describes the process and methodology for the development of the Advanced Energy Design Guide for K-12 School Buildings (K-12 AEDG), a design guidance document intended to provide recommendations for achieving 30% energy savings in K-12 Schools over levels contained in ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-1999, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings. The 30% energy savings target is the first step toward achieving net-zero energy schools; schools that, on an annual basis, draw from outside sources less or equal energy than they generate on site from renewable energy sources.

The effect of technology on student science achievement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hilton, June Kraft

2003-10-01

Prior research indicates that technology has had little effect on raising student achievement. Little empirical research exists, however, studying the effects of technology as a tool to improve student achievement through development of higher order thinking skills. Also, prior studies have not focused on the manner in which technology is being used in the classroom and at home to enhance teaching and learning. Empirical data from a secondary school representative of those in California were analyzed to determine the effects of technology on student science achievement. The quantitative analysis methods for the school data study included a multiple linear path analysis, using final course grade as the ultimate exogenous variable. In addition, empirical data from a nationwide survey on how Americans use the Internet were disaggregated by age and analyzed to determine the relationships between computer and Internet experience and (a) Internet use at home for school assignments and (b) more general computer use at home for school assignments for school age children. Analysis of data collected from the a "A Nation Online" Survey conducted by the United States Census Bureau assessed these relationships via correlations and cross-tabulations. Finally, results from these data analyses were assessed in conjunction with systemic reform efforts from 12 states designed to address improvements in science and mathematics education in light of the Third International Mathematics and Science Survey (TIMSS). Examination of the technology efforts in those states provided a more nuanced understanding of the impact technology has on student achievement. Key findings included evidence that technology training for teachers increased their use of the computer for instruction but students' final science course grade did not improve; school age children across the country did not use the computer at home for such higher-order cognitive activities as graphics and design or spreadsheets

The Science Achievement of Year 12 Students in Australia. ACER Research Monograph No. 40.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosier, Malcolm J.; Long, Michael G.

This report sets out results for Australia arising from its participation in the Second International Science Study (SISS). The focus is on Year 12 students, including those studying science and those not currently studying science. Most of the results for the science students are presented separately for those specializing in biology, chemistry,…

Winona State University Anthology of K-12 Action Research Papers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sherman, Thomas F., Ed.; Lundquist, Margaret, Ed.

2004-01-01

These papers are partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Science Degree in Education at Winona State University in Winona, Minnesota. The cohort included a variety of licenser areas that represent most levels and content areas of K-12 education. The students were encouraged to keep their questions and hypothesis directed at…

Classrooms and Courtrooms: Facing Sexual Harassment in K-12 Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stein, Nan

This book uses evidence gathered from legal, anecdotal, and survey-based sources to explore sexual harassment in K-12 schools. The text is divided into seven chapters. Chapters 1 and 2 use material from surveys, salient lawsuits, and students' stories to describe harassment and to elaborate on the contradictions and confusions that surround this…

Assessment Strategies for Implementing Ngss in K12 Earth System Science Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McAuliffe, C.

2016-12-01

Several science education researchers have led assessment efforts that provide strategies particularly useful for evaluating the threedimensional learning that is central to NGSS (DeBarger, A. H., Penuel, W. R., Harris, C. J., Kennedy, C. K., 2016; Knight, A. M. & McNeill, K. L., 2015; McNeill, K. L., KatshSinger, R. & Pelletier, P., 2015; McNeill K.L., et.al., 2015; McNeill, K.L., & Krajcik, J.S., 2011; Penuel, W., 2016). One of the basic premises of these researchers is that, "Assessment is a practice of argument from evidence based on what students say, do, and write" and that "the classroom is the richest place to gather evidence of what students know (Penuel, W., 2016). The implementation of the NGSS in Earth System Science provides a unique opportunity for geoscience education researchers to study student learning and contribute to the development of this research as well as for geoscience educators to apply these approaches and strategies in their own work with K12 inservice and preservice educators. DeBarger, A. H., Penuel, W. R., Harris, C. J., Kennedy, C. K. (2016). Building an Assessment Argument to Design and Use Next Generation Science Assessments in Efficacy Studies of Curriculum Interventions. American†Journal†of†Evaluation†37(2) 174192Æ Knight, A. M. & McNeill, K. L. (2015). Comparing students' individual written and collaborative oral socioscientific arguments. International Journal of Environmental and Science Education.10(5), 23647. McNeill, K. L., KatshSinger, R. & Pelletier, P. (2015). Assessing science practices-Moving your class along a continuum. Science Scope. McNeill, K.L., & Krajcik, J.S. (2011). Supporting Grade 5-8 Students in Constructing Explanations in Science: The Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning Framework for Talk and Writing. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson. Penuel, W. (2016). Classroom Assessment Strategies for NGSS Earth and Space Sciences. Implementing†the†NGSS†Webinar†Series, February 11, 2016.

Maine K-12 & School Choice Survey: What Do Voters Say about K-12 Education? Polling Paper Number 12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiPerna, Paul

2013-01-01

The "Maine K-12 & School Choice Survey" project, commissioned by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and conducted by Braun Research, Inc. (BRI), measures Maine registered voters' familiarity and views on a range of K-12 education topics and school choice reforms. The author and his colleagues report response levels and…

Commercially Available or Home-Grown: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of K-12 Online Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Proffitt, Susan

2014-01-01

Online learning in K-12 education is becoming a familiar option for students. By the end of 2011, all 50 states and the District of Columbia offered some form of online learning as an option for some students (Watson, Murin, Vashaw, Gemin, & Rapp, 2011). Online courses are appealing to students for a variety of reasons. The five most common…

Identifying and Reconstructing Common Cold Misconceptions among Developing K-12 Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Marcus Lee; Bungum, Timothy

2013-01-01

Background: Common cold misconceptions may contribute to ill-informed decisions and recommendations made by K-12 educators who often encounter infected students. Understanding the structure of educators' misconceptions can be used to improve health instruction in teacher professional preparation programs. Purpose: The purposes of this project were…

Using Scientific Visualizations to Enhance Scientific Thinking In K-12 Geoscience Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robeck, E.

2016-12-01

The same scientific visualizations, animations, and images that are powerful tools for geoscientists can serve an important role in K-12 geoscience education by encouraging students to communicate in ways that help them develop habits of thought that are similar to those used by scientists. Resources such as those created by NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio (SVS), which are intended to inform researchers and the public about NASA missions, can be used in classrooms to promote thoughtful, engaged learning. Instructional materials that make use of those visualizations have been developed and are being used in K-12 classrooms in ways that demonstrate the vitality of the geosciences. For example, the Center for Geoscience and Society at the American Geosciences Institute (AGI) helped to develop a publication that outlines an inquiry-based approach to introducing students to the interpretation of scientific visualizations, even when they have had little to no prior experience with such media. To facilitate these uses, the SVS team worked with Center staff and others to adapt the visualizations, primarily by removing most of the labels and annotations. Engaging with these visually compelling resources serves as an invitation for students to ask questions, interpret data, draw conclusions, and make use of other processes that are key components of scientific thought. This presentation will share specific resources for K-12 teaching (all of which are available online, from NASA, and/or from AGI), as well as the instructional principles that they incorporate.

Health as a Predictor of Students' Academic Achievement: A 3-Level Longitudinal Study of Finnish Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minkkinen, Jaana; Lindfors, Pirjo; Kinnunen, Jaana; Finell, Eerika; Vainikainen, Mari-Pauliina; Karvonen, Sakari; Rimpelä, Arja

2017-01-01

Background: Studies have shown a relationship between students' health and their academic achievements, but whether health of classmates and schoolmates impacts individual students' school achievement is less known. We studied these effects on students in lower secondary school in Finland. Methods: Students (seventh grade, age 12-13 years, N =…

Test Of Astronomy STandards TOAST Survey of K-12 Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slater, Timothy F.; Slater, Stephanie; Stork, Debra J.

2015-01-01

Discipline-based education research in astronomy is focused on understanding the underlying mental mechanisms used by students when learning astronomy and teachers when teaching astronomy. Systematic surveys of K-12 teacher' knowledge in the domain of astronomy are conducted periodically in order to better focus and improve professional development. These surveys are most often done when doing contemporary needs assessments or when new assessment instruments are readily available. Designed by Stephanie J. Slater of the CAPER Center for Astronomy & Physics Education Research, the 29-item multiple-choice format Test Of Astronomy STandards - TOAST is a carefully constructed, criterion-referenced instrument constructed upon a solid list of clearly articulated and widely agreed upon learning objectives. The targeted learning concepts tightly align with the consensus learning goals stated by the American Astronomical Society - Chair's Conference on ASTRO 101, the American Association of the Advancement of Science's Project 2061 Benchmarks, and the National Research Council's 1996 National Science Education Standards. Without modification, the TOAST is also aligned with the significantly less ambitious 2013 Next Generation Science Standards created by Achieve, Inc., under the auspices of the National Research Council. This latest survey reveals that K-12 teachers still hold many of the same fundamental misconceptions uncovered by earlier surveys. This includes misconceptions about the size, scale, and structure of the cosmos as well as misconceptions about the nature of physical processes at work in astronomy. This suggests that professional development in astronomy is still needed and that modern curriculum materials are best served if they provide substantial support for implementation.

Preparing for Online Teaching: Web-Based Assessment and Communication Skills in K12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeNisco, Alison

2013-01-01

Students are doing less hand-raising and more clicking as online classes become increasingly popular in K12 instruction, both in combination with brick-and-mortar classrooms and in independent full-time virtual schools. With online instruction comes a change in the nature of teaching, communicating with, and assessing students. As schools move to…

An Exploratory Study of the Perspectives of K-12 Latina School Administrators in One California Region

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodriguez, Helen

2017-01-01

This dissertation utilized a qualitative research design to explore the perceptions of Latina K-12 educational leaders in a southern geographic region within California. Current trends among K-12 public schools in California reflect a disproportionate ratio of Latino(a) students to Latino(a) school administrators. This disparity creates a need for…

Alabama Course of Study: Humanities, K-12. Bulletin 1983, No. 16.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alabama State Dept. of Education, Montgomery.

A scope and sequence for incorporating humanities into the existing K-12 curriculum contains 8 sections. Following an introduction, the first section outlines characteristics of an effective humanities program. The second and third sections contain teacher and student objectives for a humanities program, minimum requirements, and alternatives for…

Creating Access and Opportunity: Preparing African-American Male Students for STEM Trajectories PreK-12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Brian L.; Counsell, Shelly L.; Goings, Ramon B.; Freeman, Hollee; Peat, Felicia

2016-01-01

Purpose: Research often neglects the full continuum of the STEM pipeline in terms of underserved and underrepresented populations. African American males, in particular, experience limited access, opportunity, and preparation along STEM trajectories preK-12. The purpose of this paper is to challenge this gap by presenting examples of preK-12…

Tribal Colleges Reach Out to Future Students, Pre-K through 12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ambler, Marjane

1998-01-01

Identifies the problems faced by the Indian education system and lists the goals of the Indian Nations at Risk Task Force, which was created in 1991 to improve tribal education by the year 2000. Addresses the need for further change in K-12 schooling, stressing partnerships and research as necessary proponents of educational success. (YKH)

Leadership, self-efficacy, and student achievement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grayson, Kristin

This study examined the relationships between teacher leadership, science teacher self-efficacy, and fifth-grade science student achievement in diverse schools in a San Antonio, Texas, metropolitan school district. Teachers completed a modified version of the Leadership Behavior Description Question (LBDQ) Form XII by Stogdill (1969), the Science Efficacy and Belief Expectations for Science Teaching (SEBEST) by Ritter, Boone, and Rubba (2001, January). Students' scores on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) measured fifth-grade science achievement. At the teacher level of analysis multiple regressions showed the following relationships between teachers' science self-efficacy and teacher classroom leadership behaviors and the various teacher and school demographic variables. Predictors of teacher self efficacy beliefs included teacher's level of education, gender, and leadership initiating structure. The only significant predictor of teacher self-efficacy outcome expectancy was gender. Higher teacher self-efficacy beliefs predicted higher leadership initiating structure. At the school level of analysis, higher school levels of percentage of students from low socio-economic backgrounds and higher percentage of limited English proficient students predicted lower school student mean science achievement. These findings suggest a need for continued research to clarify relationships between teacher classroom leadership, science teacher self-efficacy, and student achievement especially at the teacher level of analysis. Findings also indicate the importance of developing instructional methods to address student demographics and their needs so that all students, despite their backgrounds, will achieve in science.

Will Flexible Learning Raise Student Achievement?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guest, Ross

2005-01-01

This paper presents both theoretical and survey evidence on the effect of flexible learning--in particular, the shift to a more student-centred approach to learning--on academic achievement by students. A survey was conducted of 577 business students at a major Australian university in order to elicit their preferences for academic achievement and…

The Aloha Telescope for K-12 STEM Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sowell, James R.

2015-01-01

How does one bring night-time astronomical observations into the classroom? How does a teacher - during the school day - show students the craters on the Moon, the rings of Saturn, or the four Galilean moons of Jupiter? One of the greatest drawbacks to teaching Astronomy is the lack of real-time telescopic observations during the school day, and yet this is a very exciting time for astronomical discoveries. The solution is to access a telescope in a substantially different time zone where it is still night. This facility - the Aloha Telescope - on Maui has already been established by a partnership between Georgia Tech and the Air Force Research Lab. This robotic telescope's sole purpose is for K-12 education, as it is equipped with a video-camera and is operated remotely via high-speed internet connections. This facility and its outreach program allow east-coast teachers and, in turn, students to have local daytime access to - and direct control of - the telescope. When observing the Moon, teachers and students will move the telescope wherever they wish across the highly-magnified lunar surface (~ 5 arcminute FOV). This telescope will enable night-time astronomical observations to come alive as day-time activities and will be an important tool for STEM education and activities. The use of the Aloha Telescope requires minimal training and is free after registering for a date and time.Dr. Sowell has written specific telescopic exercises and surface feature tours appropriate for K-12 and college-level users. These exercises, and other aspects of the Aloha Telescope and program, are posted on the website at http://aloha.gatech.edu

Mathematic Achievement of Canadian Private School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cadigan, Francoise Jane; Wei, Yichun; Clifton, Rodney A.

2013-01-01

Very little Canadian research has examined the academic achievement of private school students. Data from The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2003 were used to examine the achievement of private school students. The study found that private school students outperformed their public school peers. In addition, the students'…

The Engaged Microbiologist: Bringing the Microbiological Sciences to the K-12 Community.

PubMed

Westenberg, David J

2016-03-01

Exposing K-12 students to cutting edge science that impacts their daily lives can bring classroom lessons to life. Citizen-science projects are an excellent way to bring high-level science to the classroom and help satisfy one of the cornerstone concepts of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), "engaging in practices that scientists and engineers actually use." This can be a daunting task for teachers who may lack the background or resources to integrate these projects into the classroom. This is where scientific societies such as the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) can play a critical role. ASM encourages its members to engage with the K-12 community by providing networking opportunities and resources for ASM members and K-12 teachers to work together to bring microbiology into the classroom. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education.

A Comparison of Low Performing Students' Achievements in Factoring Cubic Polynomials Using Three Different Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ogbonnaya, Ugorji I.; Mogari, David L.; Machisi, Eric

2013-01-01

In this study, repeated measures design was employed to compare low performing students' achievements in factoring cubic polynomials using three strategies. Twenty-five low-performing Grade 12 students from a secondary school in Limpopo province took part in the study. Data was collected using achievement test and was analysed using repeated…

Global TIE: Developing a Virtual Network of Robotic Observatories for K-12 Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayo, L. A.; Clark, G.

2001-11-01

Astronomy in grades K-12 is traditionally taught (if at all) using textbooks and a few simple hands-on activities. In addition, most students, by High School graduation, will never have even looked through the eyepiece of a telescope. The possibility now exists to establish a network of research grade telescopes, no longer useful to the professional astronomical community, that can be made accessible to schools all across the country through existing IT technologies and applications. These telescopes could provide unparalleled research and educational opportunities for a broad spectrum of K-12 and college students and turns underutilized observatory facilities into valuable, state-of-the-art teaching centers. The NASA-sponsored Telescopes In Education (TIE, http://tie.jpl.nasa.gov) project has been wildly successful in engaging the K-12 education community in real-time, hands-on, interactive astronomy activities. Hundreds of schools in the US, Australia, Canada, England, and Japan have participated in the TIE program, remotely controlling the 24-inch telescope at the Mount Wilson Observatory from their classrooms. In recent years, several (approximately 20 to date) other telescopes have been, or are in the process of being, outfitted for remote use as TIE affiliates. Global TIE integrates these telescopes seamlessly into one virtual observatory and provides the services required to operate this facility, including a scheduling service, tools for data manipulation, an online proposal review environment, an online "Virtual TIE Student Ap J" for publication of results, and access to related educational materials provided by the TIE community. Global TIE provides unparalleled research and educational opportunities for a broad spectrum of K-12 and college students and turns essentially unused observatory facilities into valuable, state-of-the-art teaching centers. This presentation describes the Global TIE Observatory data and organizational systems and details the

Cataclysms and Catastrophes: A Case Study of Improving K-12 Science Education Through a University Partnership

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fennell, T.; Ellins, K. K.; Morris, M.; Christeson, G.

2003-12-01

The K-12 science teacher is always seeking ways of improving and updating their curriculum by integrating the latest research into their most effective classroom activities. However, the daily demands of delivering instruction to large numbers of students coupled with the rapid advances in some fields of science can often overwhelm this effort. The NSF-sponsored Cataclysms and Catastrophes curriculum, developed by scientists from the The University of Texas at Austin Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) and Bureau of Economic Geology (BEG), middle and high school teachers, and UT graduate students (NSF GK-12 fellows) working together through the GK-12 program, is a textbook example of how universities can facilitate this quest, benefiting education at both K-12 and university levels. In 1992, "The Great K-T Extinction Debate" was developed as an activity in the Planet Earth class at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy of Austin as an interdisciplinary approach to science. Taking advantage of the media attention generated by the impact scenario for the K-T extinction, the activity consists of students participating in a simulated senate hearing on the potential causes of the K-T extinction and their implications for society today. This activity not only exposes students to the wide range of science involved in understanding mass extinctions, but also to the social, political and economic implications when this science is brought into the public arena and the corresponding use of data in decision making and disaster preparedness. While "The Great K-T Extinction Debate" was always a popular and effective activity with students, it was in desperate need of updating to keep pace with the evolving scientific debate over the cause of the K-T extinction and the growing body of impact evidence discovered over the past decade. By adding two inquiry-based learning activities that use real geophysical data collected by scientists studying the buried Chicxulub feature as a

Increasing Diversity in K-12 School Leadership. Policy Brief 2018-3

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castro, Andrene; Germain, Emily; Gooden, Mark

2018-01-01

Principals represent the most "visible" form of leadership in schools, but current workforce data show that K-12 school principals are overwhelmingly white and fail to reflect the diversity within the student population. With increased policy focus on teacher diversity, equal attention must also be directed towards the lack of diversity…

Cohort versus Non-Cohort High School Students' Math Performance: Achievement Test Scores and Coursework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parke, Carol S.; Keener, Dana

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study is to compare multiple measures of mathematics achievement for 1,378 cohort students who attended the same high school in a district from 9th to 12th grade with non-cohort students in each grade level. Results show that mobility had an impact on math achievement. After accounting for gender, ethnicity, and SES, adjusted…

Dual Enrollment from Two Points of View: Higher Education and K-12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kilgore, Wendy; Wagner, Ellen

2017-01-01

While dual enrollment fills a similar student success niche in both higher and K-12 education, the administrative perspectives of these two entities do not always align. This article highlights the groups' similarities and differences in perspective and proposes implications for practice.

From Teacher to Teacher Educator: Should You Move from a K-12 Classroom into Higher Education?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clement, Mary C.

2011-01-01

College teaching can be as rewarding as a K-12 career and, whether in elementary school or college, students deserve good teachers. College professors who prepare teachers can have a tremendous impact on K-12 classrooms for decades into the future. However, career paths vary widely, and the path to teaching in higher education is as unique as the…

K-12 Education and the Internet: A Technical Report Prepared for Saskatchewan Education, Training and Employment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Proctor, L. F.; Allen, A. J.

This report examines the context and impact on the classroom of teacher and student access to the Internet in K-12 education in Saskatchewan (Canada) public schools. It begins with a description of the Internet, including funding and connectivity concerns. The following four basic services of the Internet are introduced with examples of K-12…

The relationships between spatial ability, logical thinking, mathematics performance and kinematics graph interpretation skills of 12th grade physics students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bektasli, Behzat

Graphs have a broad use in science classrooms, especially in physics. In physics, kinematics is probably the topic for which graphs are most widely used. The participants in this study were from two different grade-12 physics classrooms, advanced placement and calculus-based physics. The main purpose of this study was to search for the relationships between student spatial ability, logical thinking, mathematical achievement, and kinematics graphs interpretation skills. The Purdue Spatial Visualization Test, the Middle Grades Integrated Process Skills Test (MIPT), and the Test of Understanding Graphs in Kinematics (TUG-K) were used for quantitative data collection. Classroom observations were made to acquire ideas about classroom environment and instructional techniques. Factor analysis, simple linear correlation, multiple linear regression, and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the quantitative data. Each instrument has two principal components. The selection and calculation of the slope and of the area were the two principal components of TUG-K. MIPT was composed of a component based upon processing text and a second component based upon processing symbolic information. The Purdue Spatial Visualization Test was composed of a component based upon one-step processing and a second component based upon two-step processing of information. Student ability to determine the slope in a kinematics graph was significantly correlated with spatial ability, logical thinking, and mathematics aptitude and achievement. However, student ability to determine the area in a kinematics graph was only significantly correlated with student pre-calculus semester 2 grades. Male students performed significantly better than female students on the slope items of TUG-K. Also, male students performed significantly better than female students on the PSAT mathematics assessment and spatial ability. This study found that students have different levels of spatial ability, logical thinking

Using the van Hiele K-12 Geometry Learning Theory to Modify Engineering Mechanics Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharp, Janet M.; Zachary, Loren W.

2004-01-01

Engineering students use spatial thinking when examining diagrams or models to study structure design. It is expected that most engineering students have solidified spatial thinking skills during K-12 schooling. However, according to what we know about geometry learning and teaching, spatial thinking probably needs to be explicitly taught within…

Compilation of K-12 Action Research Papers in Language Arts Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sherman, Thomas F.; Lundquist, Margaret

The papers in this compilation are the result of K-12 action research projects and were submitted in partial fulfillment for a variety of degrees from Winona State University (Minnesota). The compilation contains the following nine papers: "Will Playing Background Music in My Classroom Help Increase Student Spelling Scores?" (Jonathan L.…

DC Rocks! Using Place-Based Learning to Introduce Washington DC's K-12 Students to the Geosciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayberry, G. C.; Mattietti, G. K.

2017-12-01

The Washington DC area has interesting geology and a multitude of agencies that deal with the geosciences, yet K-12 public school students in DC, most of whom are minorities, have limited exposure to the geosciences. Geoscience agencies in the DC area have a unique opportunity to address this by introducing the geosciences to local students who otherwise may not have such an opportunity, by highlighting the geology in the students' "backyard," and by leveraging partnerships among DC-based geoscience-related agencies. The USGS and George Mason University are developing a project called DC Rocks, which will give DC's students an exciting introduction into the world of geoscience with place-based learning opportunities that will make geoscience relevant to their lives and their futures. Both the need in DC and the potential for lasting impact are great; the geosciences have the lowest racial diversity of all the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, 89% of students in DC public schools are minorities, and there is no dedicated geoscience curriculum in DC. DC Rocks aims to give these students early exposure to the earth sciences, and encourage them to consider careers in the profession. DC Rocks will work with partner agencies to apply several methods that are recommended by researchers to increase the participation of minority students in the geosciences, including providing profoundly positive experiences that spark interest in the geosciences (Levine et al., 2007); increasing students' sense of belonging in the geosciences (Huntoon, et al, 2016); and place-based teaching practices that emphasize the study of local sites (Semken, 2005), such as DC's Rock Creek Park. DC Rocks will apply these methods by coordinating local geoscientists and resources to provide real-world examples of the geosciences' impact on students' lives. Through the DC Rocks website, educators will be able to request geoscience-related resources such as class presentations by

Research-infused K-12 Science at the "Uttermost Part of the Earth:" An NSF GK-12 Fellow's Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perry, E.; Ellins, K.; Ormiston, C.; Dovzak, N.; Anderson, S.; Tingle, D.; Knettel, P.; Redding, S.; Odle, K.; Dalziel, I.

2005-12-01

In March 2005, four students and three teachers from Boerne High School in Texas accompanied UTIG GK-12 Co-PIs Katherine Ellins and Ian Dalziel, and NSF GK-12 Fellow Ethan Perry to Tierra del Fuego to join an international team of scientists studying the climate-tectonic history recorded in Lago Fagnano, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. For two weeks, students and teachers engaged in authentic scientific research that included geologic field mapping and reconnaissance, and student/teacher developed water and soils sampling routines. The Lago Fagnano experience enabled: (1) the Boerne High School group to be integrated into an active field research program and to bring tangible experiences, knowledge and high-quality data back to the classroom; (2) participating research scientists to convey the importance of their science to a wider audience; and (3) the NSF GK-12 Fellow to gain valuable experience in communicating the essential scientific knowledge and field skills to high school participants before field deployment. The GK-12 Fellow's bridging role through the course of the project enhanced his scientific understanding of the climate-tectonic setting of Tierra del Fuego, fostered the development of new professional contacts with research scientists and led to a fresh perspective on how research science can be integrated in high school science curriculum. The GK-12 Fellow served as the primary mentor to the K-12 participants and the liaison between UTIG research scientists and the Boerne High School group. The Fellow helped prepare the Boerne group for the field research experience and to design a research project using water and soil analyses to assess chemical and isotopic trends within the lake's watershed. Preparatory activities began three months prior to field deployment and included workshops, classroom visits and teleconferences aimed at teaching field skills (reading and creating geologic maps, compass measurements, GPS, field notebooks) and increasing

Engineering design skills coverage in K-12 engineering program curriculum materials in the USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chabalengula, Vivien M.; Mumba, Frackson

2017-11-01

The current K-12 Science Education framework and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in the United States emphasise the integration of engineering design in science instruction to promote scientific literacy and engineering design skills among students. As such, many engineering education programmes have developed curriculum materials that are being used in K-12 settings. However, little is known about the nature and extent to which engineering design skills outlined in NGSS are addressed in these K-12 engineering education programme curriculum materials. We analysed nine K-12 engineering education programmes for the nature and extent of engineering design skills coverage. Results show that developing possible solutions and actual designing of prototypes were the highly covered engineering design skills; specification of clear goals, criteria, and constraints received medium coverage; defining and identifying an engineering problem; optimising the design solution; and demonstrating how a prototype works, and making iterations to improve designs were lowly covered. These trends were similar across grade levels and across discipline-specific curriculum materials. These results have implications on engineering design-integrated science teaching and learning in K-12 settings.

K-12 access to internet: Securing the legal framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blauassociate, Andrew

1993-09-01

While many people in government, education, and industry have lauded the potential educational value of Internet access for students in grades K-12, there is as yet no legal or regulatory framework within which this new medium is being offered to students. The Communications Policy Forum, a nonpartisan project of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, recently convened a roundtable to discuss some of the legal issues that arise when K-12 schools provide Internet access to their students. Approximately 15 people, representing carriers who provide connections to the Internet, schools or school systems who are connected to the Internet, and legal experts with expertise in this and related areas, met to discuss questions of legal liability as this new medium enters an educational setting for minors. The following attempts to capture the major issues, suggestions, and directions for further collaborative efforts raised during the course of that discussion. In brief, the group identified statutory language aimed at other types of electronic communication that may offer some guidance; was briefed on a host of state laws that could be used to prosecute providers of certain materials found on the Internet; and concluded that there is no case law that clearly applies to this setting. The discussion revealed an interest in anticipating issues and developing responses before problems arose, and the need for shared approaches to allow carriers to move forward in serving and expanding this field. Members of the group offered to pursue these issues jointly and agreed upon a handful of concrete steps for further exploration and discussion.

The South Carolina Comprehensive Career Development Program for Grades K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

South Carolina State Dept. of Education, Columbia.

This document presents a model Comprehensive Career Development Program for grades K-12 developed for the state of South Carolina. The model provides the framework for local school districts to evolve a program that will meet the specific career development needs for their district's students. The model is planned to organize, expand, and extend…

The Broadband Imperative: Recommendations to Address K-12 Education Infrastructure Needs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fox, Christine; Waters, John; Fletcher, Geoff; Levin, Douglas

2012-01-01

It is a simple fact that access to high-speed broadband is now as vital a component of K-12 school infrastructure as electricity, air conditioning, and heating. The same tools and resources that have transformed educators' personal, civic, and professional lives must be part of learning experiences intended to prepare today's students for college…

Winona State University Anthology of K-12 Language Arts Action Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sherman, Thomas F., Ed.; Lundquist, Margret, Ed.

2004-01-01

These papers are partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Science Degree in Education at Winona State University in Winona, Minnesota. The cohort included a variety of licensure areas that represent most levels and content areas of K-12 education. The students were encouraged to keep their questions and hypothesis directed at…

Coping with Mandated Restrictions on Intellectual Freedom in K-12 Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolf, Sara

2008-01-01

Access to information is an essential art of the educational system. The reality is, however, that there are laws and policies in effect that can restrict what information is available to students and teachers in K-12 schools. Selection policies, Acceptable Use Policies, Circulation Policies, as well as federal laws and acts, all place…

K-12 Online Teacher Beliefs: Relationships among Intelligence, Confidence, Teacher-Student Interactions, and Student Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vander Ploeg, Guadalupe

2012-01-01

The vigorous expansion of online learning in K-12 education is a recent change to the conceptualization of schooling that has been occurring for more than 10 years. However, methods used for recruiting, hiring, and preparing online teachers have not been altered beyond the current federal standard defined by No Child Left Behind of Highly…

High Enrollment Course Success Factors in Virtual School: Factors Influencing Student Academic Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Feng; Cavanaugh, Cathy

2011-01-01

This paper describes a study of success factors in high enrollment courses in a K-12 virtual school learning environment. The influence of variables: time student spent in the learning management system (LMS), number of times logged into the LMS, teacher comment, participation in free or reduced lunch programs, student status in the virtual school…

Family Decision-Making Style, Peer Group Affiliation and Prior Academic Achievement as Predictors of the Academic Achievement of African American Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engerman, Kimarie

2006-01-01

A study analyzed family decision-making style, peer group affiliation, and academic achievement in 10th grade as predictors of academic achievement of African American students in 12th grade. Findings indicated that though peer groups were known to influence academic performance, affiliation with learning oriented peers in 10th grade did not…

Colorado K-12 & School Choice Survey: What Do Voters Say about K-12 Education? Polling Paper No. 26

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiPerna, Paul

2015-01-01

The purpose of the "Colorado K-12 & School Choice Survey" is to measure public opinion on, and in some cases awareness or knowledge of, a range of K-12 education topics and school choice reforms. A total of 601 telephone interviews were completed from August 29 to September 16, 2015, with questions on the direction of K-12 education,…

U.S. Ed-Tech Plan Urges Rethinking in K-12 Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ash, Katie

2010-01-01

The Obama administration urged educators and policymakers last week to embrace a host of digital-learning approaches it says will make K-12 schools better, including putting a computing device in the hands of every student. Guided by an overarching goal set by President Barack Obama to raise national college-completion rates from 40 percent to 60…

Let's Recycle! Lesson Plans for Grades K-6 and 7-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC. Solid Waste Management Office.

The purpose of this guide is to inform students of solid waste problems and disposal options. Lesson plans deal specifically with waste and recycling and include interdisciplinary approaches to these problems. The manual is divided in two sections - K-6 and 7-12. Activities are designed to allow the teacher maximum flexibility, and plans may be…

Esteem Builders: A K-8 Self-Esteem Curriculum for Improving Student Achievement, Behavior and School Climate.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borba, Michele

A curriculum for enhancing student self-esteem in grades kindergarten through 12 is presented in this guide. An introduction discusses the background and research-based data as to why esteem building is essential for today's students. Chapter 1 explains the building blocks of self-esteem: security, self-hood, affiliation, mission, and competence.…

The effect of teacher education level, teaching experience, and teaching behaviors on student science achievement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Danhui

Previous literature leaves us unanswered questions about whether teaching behaviors mediate the relationship between teacher education level and experience with student science achievement. This study examined this question with 655 students from sixth to eighth grade and their 12 science teachers. Student science achievements were measured at the beginning and end of 2006-2007 school year. Given the cluster sampling of students nested in classrooms, which are nested in teachers, a two-level multilevel model was employed to disentangle the effects from teacher-level and student-level factors. Several findings were discovered in this study. Science teachers possessing of advanced degrees in science or education significantly and positively influenced student science achievement. However, years of teaching experience in science did not directly influence student science achievement. A significant interaction was detected between teachers possessing an advanced degree in science or education and years of teaching science, which was inversely associated to student science achievement. Better teaching behaviors were also positively related to student achievement in science directly, as well as mediated the relationship between student science achievement and both teacher education and experience. Additionally, when examined separately, each teaching behavior variable (teacher engagement, classroom management, and teaching strategies) served as a significant intermediary between both teacher education and experience and student science achievement. The findings of this study are intended to provide insights into the importance of hiring and developing qualified teachers who are better able to help students achieve in science, as well as to direct the emphases of ongoing teacher inservice training.

Nebraska Science Standards: Grades K-12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nebraska Department of Education, 2010

2010-01-01

This publication presents the Nebraska Science Standards for Grades K-12. The standards are presented according to the following grades: (1) Grades K-2; (2) Grades 3-5; (3) Grades 6-8; and (4) Grades 9-12.

Parental Engagement Using Effective Communication for K-2 Students in an Urban School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bradley, Lynn Renee'

2013-01-01

Parental involvement is a factor in student achievement. Low parental engagement at home and school has created a problem in an urban elementary school. Guided by Epstein's 6 types of parental involvement, the purpose of this case study was to examine and describe the perspectives of 17 parents of K-2 students in an urban school in Michigan. Few…

Achievement for African-American Students: Strategies for the Diverse Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reglin, Gary L.

This book has been designed to provide teachers of kindergarten through grade 12 with techniques and approaches for helping their African American students achieve in school. It presents a planned approach to four major initiatives: (1) to restructure the instruction and behaviors practiced in most classrooms today; (2) to provide teachers with…

The use of Global Positioning System units and ArcGIS Online to engage K-12 Students in Research Being Done in their Local Communities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butcher, C. E.; Sparrow, E. B.; Clucas, T.

2015-12-01

Incorporating K-12 students in scientific research processes and opportunities in their communities is a great way to bridge the gap between research and education and to start building science research capacity at an early age. One goal of the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Alaska Adapting to Changing Environments project is to engage the local community in the research as well as to share results with the people. By giving K-12 students Global Positioning System (GPS) units, and allowing them to collect and map their own data, they are being exposed to some of the research methods being used by scientists in the Alaska ACE project. This hands-on, minds-on method has been successfully used in formal education settings such as a Junior High School classroom in Nuiqsut, Alaska as well as in informal education settings such as summer camps in Barrow, Alaska and Kenai, Alaska. The students progress from mapping by hand to collecting location data with their GPS units and cameras, and imputing this information into ArcGIS Online to create map products. The data collected were from sites ranging from important places in the community to sites visited during summer camps, with students reflecting on data and site significance. Collecting data, using technology, and creating map products contribute to science skills and practices students need to conduct research of their own and to understand research being done around them. The goal of this education outreach implementation is to bring students closer to the research, understand the process of science, and have the students continue to collect data and contribute to research in their communities. Support provided for this work from the Alaska EPSCoR NSF Award #OIA-1208927 and the state of Alaska is gratefully acknowledged.

Attitudes and Achievement of Bruneian Science Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dhindsa, Harkirat S.; Chung, Gilbert

2003-01-01

Evaluates attitudes towards and achievement in science of Form 3 students studying in single-sex and coeducational schools in Brunei. Results demonstrated significant differences in attitudes towards and achievement in science of male and female students in single-sex schools and students in coeducational schools. (Contains 46 references.)…

Making the Economic Concept of Scarcity Oh-so-Sweet: An Activity for the K-12 Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marks, Melanie; Davis, Cheryl

2006-01-01

The authors outline an innovative activity that helps teachers make the abstract concepts of scarcity and allocation concrete in the K-12 classroom. Students evaluate the scarcity of chocolate and often determine, incorrectly, that the candy is not scarce because there is enough for each student to have one piece. After students reveal their…

Motivation and academic achievement in medical students.

PubMed

Yousefy, Alireza; Ghassemi, Gholamreza; Firouznia, Samaneh

2012-01-01

Despite their ascribed intellectual ability and achieved academic pursuits, medical students' academic achievement is influenced by motivation. This study is an endeavor to examine the role of motivation in the academic achievement of medical students. In this cross-sectional correlational study, out of the total 422 medical students, from 4th to final year during the academic year 2007-2008, at School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, 344 participated in completion of the Inventory of School Motivation (ISM), comprising 43 items and measuring eight aspects of motivation. The gold standard for academic achievement was their average academic marks at pre-clinical and clinical levels. Data were computer analyzed by running a couple of descriptive and analytical tests including Pearson Correlation and Student's t-student. Higher motivation scores in areas of competition, effort, social concern, and task were accompanied by higher average marks at pre-clinical as well as clinical levels. However, the latter ones showed greater motivation for social power as compared to the former group. Task and competition motivation for boys was higher than for girls. In view of our observations, students' academic achievement requires coordination and interaction between different aspects of motivation.

Factors Influencing Student Achievement in Reading

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dawkins, Lakeshia Darby

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to understand the reasons, as perceived by elementary school teachers at the target Title I school, for low student achievement in reading. The conceptual framework that guided this study was the ecological theory that postulates that students' academic achievement is influenced by several subsystems that affect human…

The Performance Cycle: The Association between Student Achievement and State Policies Tying Together Teacher Performance, Student Achievement, and Accountability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alexander, Nicola A.; Jang, Sung Tae; Kankane, Shipi

2017-01-01

This article explores the associations between student performance and the presence of state policies that include student achievement in teacher evaluations. We examined performance among states from 2007 through 2013. Including student performance in state teacher evaluation policies is modestly associated with higher reading achievement but had…

How to Personalize Learning in K-12 Schools: Five Essential Design Features

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Dabae

2014-01-01

Personalized learning (PL) is spotlighted as a way to transform K-12 educational systems. PL customizes learning pace, instructional methods, and learning content to individual students. As much as PL sounds promising and complex, little guidance is available to educators and policymakers about how to effectively design PL. Five essential features…

Strengthening Local K-12 Accountability: The Role of County Offices of Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warren, Paul

2016-01-01

The Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), enacted in 2013, simplified the state's K-12 financial system and increased funding for low-income, English Learner, and foster care students. This is the second report examining the implementation of the LCFF. In 2015, the Public Policy Institute of California published "Implementing Local…

Teachers, Please Learn Our Names!: Racial Microagressions and the K-12 Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kohli, Rita; Solorzano, Daniel G.

2012-01-01

Many Students of Color have encountered cultural disrespect within their K-12 education in regards to their names. While the racial undertones to the mispronouncing of names in schools are often understated, when analyzed within a context of historical and current day racism, the authors argue that these incidents are racial…

Science Curriculum Resource Handbook: A Practical Guide for K-12 Science Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheek, Dennis W., Ed.; And Others

This handbook is one of a series of practical references for curriculum developers, education faculty, veteran teachers, and student teachers. The handbook is designed to provide basic information on the background of the science curriculum, and current information on publications, standards, and special materials for K-12 science. Part 1 contains…

Instituting a standards-based K--12 science curriculum supplement program at the National Institutes of Health: A case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Witherly, Jeffre

Research on student achievement indicates the U.S. K-12 education system is not adequately preparing American students to compete in the 21st century global economy in the areas of science and mathematics. Congress has asked the scientific entities of the federal government to help increase K-12 science learning by creating standards-based learning tools for science classrooms as part of a "voluntary curriculum." One problem facing federal entities, such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is the need to create science-learning tools that conform to the National Science Education Standards (NSES) for curriculum materials and, therefore, are standards-based and applicable to the K-12 curriculum. This case study sought to better understand the change process at one federal agency as it went from producing K-12 learning tools that were educational in nature to a program that produced K-12 standards-based learning tools: the NIH Science Curriculum Supplement Program (NIH SCSP). The NIH SCSP was studied to gain insight into how this change in educational approach occurred, what factors enabled or inhibited the change process, and what the long-term benefits of the NIH SCSP are to the NIH. Kurt Lewin's three-step theory of change guided data gathering and data analysis. Semi-structured interviews and programmatic document review served as the major data gathering sources. Details describing the process of organizational change at the NIH were revealed during analysis of these data following the coding of interview transcripts and written record documents. The study found the process of change at the NIH proceeded in a manner generally predicted by the Lewinian change model. Enablers to the change were cost-sharing with individual institutes, support of senior leadership, and crediting the role of individual institutes prominently in each supplement. The cost of creating a supplement was reported as the single inhibitor to the program. This case study yielded a

School Districts and Student Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chingos, Matthew M.; Whitehurst, Grover J.; Gallaher, Michael R.

2015-01-01

School districts are a focus of education reform efforts in the United States, but there is very little existing research about how important they are to student achievement. We fill this gap in the literature using 10 years of student-level, statewide data on fourth- and fifth-grade students in Florida and North Carolina. A variance decomposition…

Scientific Participation at the Poles: K-12 Teachers in Polar Science for Careers and Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crowley, S.; Warburton, J.

2012-12-01

PolarTREC (Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating) is a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded program in which K-12 teachers participate in hands-on field research experiences in the polar regions. PolarTREC highlights the importance of involving teachers in scientific research in regards to their careers as educators and their ability to engage students in the direct experience of science. To date, PolarTREC has placed over 90 teachers with research teams in the Arctic and Antarctic. Published results of our program evaluation quantify the effect of the field experience on the teachers' use of the real scientific process in the classroom, the improvement in science content taught in classrooms, and the use of non-fiction texts (real data and science papers) as primary learning tools for students. Teachers and students both report an increase of STEM literacy in the classroom content, confidence in science education, as well as a markedly broadened outlook of science as essential to their future. Research conducted with science teams affirms that they are achieving broader impacts when PolarTREC teachers are involved in their expeditions. Additionally, they reported that these teachers making vital contributions to the success of the scientific project.

Schoolhouses, Courthouses, and Statehouses: Solving the Funding-Achievement Puzzle in America's Public Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanushek, Eric A.; Lindseth, Alfred A.

2009-01-01

Spurred by court rulings requiring states to increase public-school funding, the United States now spends more per student on K-12 education than almost any other country. Yet American students still achieve less than their foreign counterparts, their performance has been flat for decades, millions of them are failing, and poor and minority…

Learning Styles and Formative Assessment Strategy: Enhancing Student Achievement in Web-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, K. H.; Wang, T. H.; Wang, W. L.; Huang, S. C.

2006-01-01

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of formative assessment and learning style on student achievement in a Web-based learning environment. A quasi-experimental research design was used. Participants were 455 seventh grade students from 12 classes of six junior high schools. A Web-based course, named BioCAL, combining three…

A Review of Resources for Evaluating K-12 Computer Science Education Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Randolph, Justus J.; Hartikainen, Elina

2004-01-01

Since computer science education is a key to preparing students for a technologically-oriented future, it makes sense to have high quality resources for conducting summative and formative evaluation of those programs. This paper describes the results of a critical analysis of the resources for evaluating K-12 computer science education projects.…

Survey of K-12 Science Teachers' Educational Product Needs from Planetary Scientists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slater, Stephanie J.; Slater, Timothy F.; Olsen, Julia K.

2009-01-01

Most education reform documents of the last two decades call for students to have authentic science inquiry experiences that mimic scientific research using real scientific data. In order for professional planetary scientists to provide the most useful data and professional development for K-12 teachers in support of science education reform, an…

Unified Science Approach K-12, Proficiency Levels 13-21 and Semester Courses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oickle, Eileen M., Ed.

Presented is the third part of the K-12 unified science materials used in the public schools of Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Detailed descriptions are presented for the roles of students and teachers, purposes of bibliography, major concepts in unified science, processes of inquiry, scheme and model for scientific literacy, and program…

NGSS and the Landscape of Engineering in K-12 State Science Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Tamara J.; Tank, Kristina M.; Glancy, Aran W.; Kersten, Jennifer A.

2015-01-01

Recent documents pertaining to K-12 education have fostered a connection between engineering and science education to help better prepare our students and future citizens to better meet the current and future challenges of our modern and technological society. With that connection, there has been a concerted effort to raise the visibility of…

What Is (Or Should Be) Scientific Evidence Use in K-12 Classrooms?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNeill, Katherine L.; Berland, Leema

2017-01-01

Research and reform efforts frequently identify evidence as an essential component of science classroom instruction to actively engage students in science practices. Despite this agreement on the primacy of evidence, there is a lack of consensus around what counts as "evidence" in k-12 classrooms (e.g., ages 5-18): scholarship and…

Technical Feasibility Study for Zero Energy K-12 Schools

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bonnema, Eric; Goldwasser, David; Torcellini, Paul

This technical feasibility study provides documentation and research results supporting a possible set of strategies to achieve source zero energy K-12 school buildings as defined by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) zero energy building (ZEB) definition (DOE 2015a). Under this definition, a ZEB is an energy-efficient building in which, on a source energy basis, the actual annual delivered energy is less than or equal to the on-site renewable exported energy.

Socioemotional self-perceptions, family climate, and hopeful thinking among students with learning disabilities and typically achieving students from the same classes.

PubMed

Idan, Orly; Margalit, Malka

2014-01-01

This study aimed at examining the adjustment of students with learning disabilities (LD) and at exploring the mediating role of hope. By means of a multidimensional approach, the interactions between risk and protective factors emerging from internal and external resources among 856 high school students (10th to 12th grades) were analyzed. A total of 529 typically achieving students and 327 students with LD attending general education classes in seven high schools completed seven instruments measuring sense of coherence, basic psychological needs, loneliness, family climate, hope, academic self-efficacy, and effort. The students' achievements in English, history, and mathematics were collected. The analysis used structural equation modeling, and the results emphasized the significant role of hope as a mediator between risk and protective factors and academic self-efficacy and its significance for students with and without LD in explaining achievements and effort investment.

K-12 Online Lesson Alignment to the Principles of Universal Design for Learning: The Khan Academy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Sean J.; Harvey, Evelyn E.

2014-01-01

The field of K-12 education is being transformed, with an influx of students, including those with identified disabilities, engaging in blended and fully online learning. While online learning shows promise for students with disabilities through flexible content and personalised instruction, concerns regarding accessibility and appropriateness of…

Attitudes and achievement of Bruneian science students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhindsa, Harkirat S.; Chung, Gilbert

2003-08-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate attitudes towards and achievement in science of Form 3 students studying in single-sex and coeducational schools in Brunei. The results demonstrated significant differences in attitudes towards and achievement in science of male and female students in single-sex schools and students in coeducational schools. These differences were at moderate level. In single-sex schools, the girls achieved moderately better in science than the boys despite their attitudes were only marginally better than the boys. However, there were no gender differences in attitudes towards and achievement in science of students in coeducational schools. The attitudes towards and achievement in science of girls in single-sex schools were moderately better than those of girls in coeducational schools. Whereas the attitudes towards and achievement in science of boys in single-sex schools were only marginally better than the boys in coeducational schools. However, further research to investigate (a) if these differences are repeated at other levels as well as in other subjects, and (b) the extent to which school type contributed towards these differences is recommended.

NAGC Pre-K-Grade 12 Gifted Education Programming Standards: A Guide to Planning and Implementing High-Quality Services

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnsen, Susan K., Ed.

2012-01-01

The new Pre-K-Grade 12 Gifted Education Programming Standards should be part of every school district's repertoire of standards to ensure that the learning needs of advanced students are being met. "NAGC Pre-K-Grade 12 Gifted Education Programming Standards: A Guide to Planning and Implementing High-Quality Services" details six standards that…

Telling Your Story: Ocean Scientists in the K-12 Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McWilliams, H.

2006-12-01

Most scientists and engineers are accustomed to presenting their research to colleagues or lecturing college or graduate students. But if asked to speak in front of a classroom full of elementary school or junior high school students, many feel less comfortable. TERC, as part of its work with The Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence-New England (COSEE-NE) has designed a workshop to help ocean scientists and engineers develop skills for working with K-12 teachers and students. We call this program: Telling Your Story (TYS). TYS has been offered 4 times over 18 months for a total audience of approximately 50 ocean scientists. We will discuss the rationale for the program, the program outline, outcomes, and what we have learned. ne.net/edu_project_3/index.php

Minnesota K-12 Education: The Current Debate, the Present Condition. A Report of the CURA/College of Education Project on the Future of K-12 Public Education in Minnesota.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peek, Thomas R.; And Others

The purpose of this report is to provide an accurate picture of the nature and condition of Minnesota's K-12 public education system and the challenges it faces in the coming years. Section I describes the major concerns about Minnesota education (centering on excellence and student performance, system accountability and responsiveness, and…

K-12 Student Use of Web 2.0 Tools: A Global Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Toledo, Cheri; Shepard, MaryFriend

2011-01-01

Over the past decade, Internet use has increased 445% worldwide. This boom has enabled widespread access to online tools and digital spaces for educational practices. The results of this study of Web 2.0 tool use in kindergarten through high school (K-12) classrooms around the world will be presented. A web-based survey was sent out through online…

Teacher Feedback and Student Academic Achievement: Teacher Use of Student Information Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bishop, Daniel J.

2013-01-01

In an era of professional standards for educators and teacher evaluations linked to measures of student achievement, researchers use data from student information systems to address research questions linking teacher feedback to student achievement. A quantitative study of teacher use of the Skyward student information system (SIS) was conducted…

What factors determine academic achievement in high achieving undergraduate medical students? A qualitative study.

PubMed

Abdulghani, Hamza M; Al-Drees, Abdulmajeed A; Khalil, Mahmood S; Ahmad, Farah; Ponnamperuma, Gominda G; Amin, Zubair

2014-04-01

Medical students' academic achievement is affected by many factors such as motivational beliefs and emotions. Although students with high intellectual capacity are selected to study medicine, their academic performance varies widely. The aim of this study is to explore the high achieving students' perceptions of factors contributing to academic achievement. Focus group discussions (FGD) were carried out with 10 male and 9 female high achieving (scores more than 85% in all tests) students, from the second, third, fourth and fifth academic years. During the FGDs, the students were encouraged to reflect on their learning strategies and activities. The discussion was audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed qualitatively. Factors influencing high academic achievement include: attendance to lectures, early revision, prioritization of learning needs, deep learning, learning in small groups, mind mapping, learning in skills lab, learning with patients, learning from mistakes, time management, and family support. Internal motivation and expected examination results are important drivers of high academic performance. Management of non-academic issues like sleep deprivation, homesickness, language barriers, and stress is also important for academic success. Addressing these factors, which might be unique for a given student community, in a systematic manner would be helpful to improve students' performance.

Some Current Trends Toward Solving Curriculum Problems in English Education--K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Armstrong, Leon R.; And Others

This guide is intended to assist curriculum committees and instructors by defining some existing problems in language arts curricula (K-12) and by offering insights into a few major curricula in use around the country. Sections deal with (1) reasons for and methods of effecting curriculum change, (2) requirements to be made of students, (3) the…

Integrating the iPod Touch in K-12 Education: Visions and Vices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Banister, Savilla

2010-01-01

Advocates of ubiquitous computing have long been documenting classroom benefits of one-to-one ratios of students to handheld or laptop computers. The recent sophisticated capabilities of the iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad have encouraged further speculation on exactly how K-12 teaching and learning might be energized by such devices. This paper…

Teacher-Student Cognitive Style and Achievement in Biology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jolly, Pauline E.; Strawitz, Barbara M.

1984-01-01

Investigated the consequences of teacher-student cognitive style (field dependence- FD and independence- FI) matches and mismatches on student achievement in biology. Results suggest that whereas FI students may be taught by and achieve equally well with either FI or FD teachers, FD students are more successfully taught by FI teachers. (JN)

The New Digital Advance Team--America's K-12 Students Leading the Way to Transforming Learning with 21st Century Technology Tools. Selected National Findings: Speak Up 2008 for Students, Teachers, Parents and Administrators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Project Tomorrow, 2009

2009-01-01

Since 2003, the Speak Up National Research Project has collected and shared the ideas and views of more than 1.5 million K-12 students, teachers, parents and administrators on education and technology. This dataset provides national education leaders and policy makers with the largest collection of authentic, unfiltered stakeholder feedback to…

K-12 Teachers' Preparedness for Utilizing Technology to Reduce Classroom Administrative Workload

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parizo, Daniel C.

2013-01-01

Research on technology in the K-12 classroom has focused on student learning initiatives. Few studies, however, have addressed whether technology is being used to reduce classroom administrative workload or whether teachers are prepared to utilize technology for reducing administrative workload. The problem this study addressed was the unclear…

CESAME: Providing High Quality Professional Development in Science and Mathematics for K-12 Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hickman, Paul

2002-04-01

It is appropriate that after almost half a century of Science and Mathematics education reform we take a look back and a peek forward to understand the present state of this wonderfully complex system. Each of the components of this system including teaching, professional development, assessment, content and the district K-12 curriculum all need to work together if we hope to provide quality science, mathematics and technology education for ALL students. How do the state and national standards drive the system? How do state policies on student testing and teacher licensure come into play? How do we improve the preparation, retention and job satisfaction of our K-12 teachers? What initiatives have made or are making a difference? What else needs to be done? What can the physics community do to support local efforts? This job is too big for any single organization or individual but we each can contribute to the effort. Our Center at Northeastern University, with support from the National Science Foundation, has a sharply defined focus: to get high quality, research-based instructional materials into the hands of K-12 classroom teachers and provide the support they need to use the materials effectively in their classrooms.

Teacher Dispositions and Student Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vaughn, Kathleen Adams

2012-01-01

In an effort to close the achievement gap between students of minority and majority populations and between students in higher and lower economic circumstances, the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) added instruction and evaluation of teacher dispositions to its requirements for credentialing prospective teachers.…

Student Achievement: Improving Our Focus.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawkins, Amber

An efficient way to help students achieve academically is to maximize the consistent attendance of permanent teachers in the classroom. Students nationwide are spending increased amounts of time with instructors other than their permanent teachers. A large contributor to the problem of teacher absenteeism is mandatory leave for professional…

Libraries, the MAP, and Student Achievement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Cherri; Singer, Marietta; Miller, David W.; Makemson, Carroll; Elliott, Kara; Litsch, Diana; Irwin, Barbara; Hoemann, Cheryl; Elmore, Jennifer; Roe, Patty; Gregg, Diane; Needham, Joyce; Stanley, Jerri; Reinert, John; Holtz, Judy; Jenkins, Sandra; Giles, Paula

2002-01-01

Includes 17 articles that discuss the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) and the role of school library media centers. Highlights include improving student achievement; improving student scores on the MAP; graphic organizers; programs for volunteer student library workers; research process; research skills; reading initiatives; collaborative…

Art Education Curriculum Guide, K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naperville Public Schools, IL.

GRADES OR AGES: K-12. SUBJECT MATTER: Art. ORGANIZATION AND PHYSICAL APPEARANCE: The guide is divided into numerous sections, one each for grades K-8, and one section for grades 9-12. Each section is in list form. The guide is mimeographed and spiral-bound with a paper cover. OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES: Each section contains four sample lessons…

Standards for K-12 Engineering Education?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Academies Press, 2010

2010-01-01

The goal of this study was to assess the value and feasibility of developing and implementing content standards for engineering education at the K-12 level. Content standards have been developed for three disciplines in STEM education--science, technology, and mathematic--but not for engineering. To date, a small but growing number of K-12…

Developing a nationwide K-12 outreach model: Physiology Understanding (PhUn) Week 10 years later.

PubMed

Stieben, Margaret; Halpin, Patricia A; Matyas, Marsha Lakes

2017-09-01

Since 2005, nearly 600 Physiology Understanding Week (PhUn Week) events have taken place across the U.S., involving American Physiological Society (APS) members in K-12 outreach. The program seeks to build student understanding of physiology and physiology careers, assist teachers in recognizing physiology in their standards-based curriculum, and involve more physiologists in K-12 outreach. Formative goals included program growth (sites, participants, and leaders), diversification of program models, and development of a community of practice of physiologists and trainees involved in outreach. Eleven years of member-provided data indicate that the formative goals are being met. Nearly 100,000 K-12 students have been reached during the last decade as an increasing pool of physiologists took part in a growing number of events, including a number of international events. The number and types of PhUn Week events have steadily increased as a community of practice has formed to support the program. Future program goals include targeting regional areas for PhUn Week participation, establishing research collaboratives to further explore program impacts, and providing on-demand training for physiologists. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Elementary Students' Effortful Control and Academic Achievement: The Mediating Role of Teacher-Student Relationship Quality

PubMed Central

Hernández, Maciel M.; Valiente, Carlos; Eisenberg, Nancy; Berger, Rebecca H.; Spinrad, Tracy L.; VanSchyndel, Sarah K.; Silva, Kassondra M.; Southworth, Jody; Thompson, Marilyn S.

2017-01-01

This study evaluated the association between effortful control in kindergarten and academic achievement one year later (N = 301), and whether teacher–student closeness and conflict in kindergarten mediated the association. Parents, teachers, and observers reported on children's effortful control, and teachers reported on their perceived levels of closeness and conflict with students. Students completed the passage comprehension and applied problems subtests of the Woodcock–Johnson tests of achievement, as well as a behavioral measure of effortful control. Analytical models predicting academic achievement were estimated using a structural equation model framework. Effortful control positively predicted academic achievement even when controlling for prior achievement and other covariates. Mediation hypotheses were tested in a separate model; effortful control positively predicted teacher–student closeness and strongly, negatively predicted teacher–student conflict. Teacher–student closeness and effortful control, but not teacher–student conflict, had small, positive associations with academic achievement. Effortful control also indirectly predicted higher academic achievement through its positive effect on teacher–student closeness and via its positive relation to early academic achievement. The findings suggest that teacher–student closeness is one mechanism by which effortful control is associated with academic achievement. Effortful control was also a consistent predictor of academic achievement, beyond prior achievement levels and controlling for teacher–student closeness and conflict, with implications for intervention programs on fostering regulation and achievement concurrently. PMID:28684888

Elementary Students' Effortful Control and Academic Achievement: The Mediating Role of Teacher-Student Relationship Quality.

PubMed

Hernández, Maciel M; Valiente, Carlos; Eisenberg, Nancy; Berger, Rebecca H; Spinrad, Tracy L; VanSchyndel, Sarah K; Silva, Kassondra M; Southworth, Jody; Thompson, Marilyn S

This study evaluated the association between effortful control in kindergarten and academic achievement one year later ( N = 301), and whether teacher-student closeness and conflict in kindergarten mediated the association. Parents, teachers, and observers reported on children's effortful control, and teachers reported on their perceived levels of closeness and conflict with students. Students completed the passage comprehension and applied problems subtests of the Woodcock-Johnson tests of achievement, as well as a behavioral measure of effortful control. Analytical models predicting academic achievement were estimated using a structural equation model framework. Effortful control positively predicted academic achievement even when controlling for prior achievement and other covariates. Mediation hypotheses were tested in a separate model; effortful control positively predicted teacher-student closeness and strongly, negatively predicted teacher-student conflict. Teacher-student closeness and effortful control, but not teacher-student conflict, had small, positive associations with academic achievement. Effortful control also indirectly predicted higher academic achievement through its positive effect on teacher-student closeness and via its positive relation to early academic achievement. The findings suggest that teacher-student closeness is one mechanism by which effortful control is associated with academic achievement. Effortful control was also a consistent predictor of academic achievement, beyond prior achievement levels and controlling for teacher-student closeness and conflict, with implications for intervention programs on fostering regulation and achievement concurrently.

FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohio State Dept. of Education, Columbus. Trade and Industrial Education Service.

FACTORS WHICH MIGHT CONTRIBUTE SIGNIFICANTLY TOWARD STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT IN SELECTED TRADE AND INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION AREAS WERE EXAMINED -- WHAT IS THE BACKGROUND AND PREPARATION OF OHIO'S TEACHER IN TRADE AND INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION, IS THERE ANY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE AMOUNT OF MONEY SPENT PER STUDENT AND QUALITY PROGRAMS, DO LOCAL SUPERVISORS'…

Cisco Networking Academy: Next-Generation Assessments and Their Implications for K-12 Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Meredith

2014-01-01

To illuminate the possibilities for next-generation assessments in K-12 schools, this case study profiles the Cisco Networking Academy, which creates comprehensive online training curriculum to teach networking skills. Since 1997, the Cisco Networking Academy has served more than five million high school and college students and now delivers…

Development of Problem Sets for K-12 and Engineering on Pharmaceutical Particulate Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Savelski, Mariano J.; Slater, C. Stewart; Del Vecchio, Christopher A.; Kosteleski, Adrian J.; Wilson, Sarah A.

2010-01-01

Educational problem sets have been developed on structured organic particulate systems (SOPS) used in pharmaceutical technology. The sets present topics such as particle properties and powder flow and can be integrated into K-12 and college-level curricula. The materials educate students in specific areas of pharmaceutical particulate processing,…

Tobacco Use Prevention Education. K-12 Lesson Plans from the Montana Model Curriculum for Health Enhancement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Montana State Office of Public Instruction, Helena.

This publication presents K-12 tobacco use prevention lesson plans for schools in the state of Montana. Lessons for students in grades K-6 include: family connections; body tracing; smokeless tobacco; prenatal development; tobacco look-alikes; tobacco chemicals; analyzing tobacco and alcohol ads; tobacco use and the lungs; and a personal health…

Information Technology Diffusion: Impact on Student Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Gregory M.; Lind, Mary L.

2011-01-01

For student achievement, the diffusion and adoption of information technology (IT) infrastructure enabled by special funding was posited to have a positive impact on student achievement. Four urban school districts provided the context for this study to assess the impact of IT adoption on standardized test scores.

Professional Learning Communities Impact on Student Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamilton, Jan L.

2013-01-01

This study examined the impact of the Professional Learning Community model on student achievement in the state of California. Specifically, the study compared student achievement between two school types: Professional Learning Community schools and Non Professional Learning schools. The research utilized existing API scores for California schools…

K-12 Categorical Entitlement Funding for English Language Learners in California: An Intradistrict Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jimenez-Castellanos, Oscar; Okhremtchouk, Irina

2013-01-01

The K-12 student population is becoming increasingly diverse in the United States. In particular, the number of English Language Learners (ELLs) rose from 4.7 million in 1980 to 11.2 million in 2009, more than doubling from 10% to 21% of the student population (U.S. Department of Education n.d.). At approximately 1.8 million, the state of…

Policing in Schools: Developing a Governance Document for School Resource Officers in K-12 Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Catherine Y.; Geronimo, India

2010-01-01

K-12 public schools across the country have begun to deploy law enforcement agents on school grounds in growing numbers. In 2004, 60% of high school teachers reported armed police officers stationed on school grounds, and in 2005, almost 70% of public school students ages 12 to 18 reported that police officers or security guards patrol their…

Student Achievement in Identified Workforce Clusters: Understanding Factors that Influence Student Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

D'Amico, Mark M.; Morgan, Grant B.; Robertson, Thashundray C.

2011-01-01

This study blends elements from two South Carolina Technical College System initiatives--Achieving the Dream and a workforce cluster strategy. Achieving the Dream is a national non-profit organization created to help technical and community college students succeed, particularly low-income students and students of color. This initiative, combined…

Community College Faculty Development Program and Student Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perez, Aaron M.; McShannon, Judy; Hynes, Pat

2012-01-01

Community college administrators look for strategies to help students. GRASP (Gaining Retention and Achievement for Students Program) is a semester-long faculty development program that coaches community college instructors about simple, effective teaching strategies that promote student academic achievement. GRASP is founded on the belief that…

Teacher Certification and Student Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moss, Patricia Lewis

2012-01-01

The purpose of this mixed-method study was to determine if there is a significant difference between the achievement of students who are taught by traditionally prepared teachers and that of students who are taught by alternatively prepared teachers. The study further addressed the perspectives of both groups of teachers regarding selected…

Emotions in the classroom: the role of teachers' emotional intelligence ability in predicting students' achievement.

PubMed

Curci, Antonietta; Lanciano, Tiziana; Soleti, Emanuela

2014-01-01

School days can be a difficult time, especially when students are faced with subjects that require motivational investment along with cognitive effort, such as mathematics and sciences. In the present study, we investigated the effects of teachers' emotional intelligence (El) ability, self-efficacy, and emotional states and students' self-esteem, perceptions of ability, and metacognitive beliefs in predicting school achievement. We hypothesized that the level of teacher EI ability would moderate the impact of students' self-perceptions and beliefs about their achievements in mathematics and sciences. Students from Italian junior high schools (N = 338) and their math teachers (N = 12) were involved in the study, and a multilevel approach was used. Findings showed that teachers' EI has a positive role in promoting students' achievement, by enhancing the effects of students' self-perceptions of ability and self-esteem.These results have implications for the implementation of intervention programs on the emotional, motivational, and metacognitive correlates of studying and learning behavior.

Effects of a Collaborative Science Intervention on High Achieving Students' Learning Anxiety and Attitudes toward Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Zuway-R.

2010-10-01

This study investigated the effects of a collaborative science intervention on high achieving students' learning anxiety and attitudes toward science. Thirty-seven eighth-grade high achieving students (16 boys and 21 girls) were selected as an experimental group who joined a 20-week collaborative science intervention, which integrated and utilized an innovative teaching strategy. Fifty-eight eighth-grade high achieving students were selected as the comparison group. The Secondary School Student Questionnaire was conducted to measure all participants' learning anxiety and attitudes toward science. In addition, 12 target students from the experimental group (i.e., six active and six passive students) were recruited for weekly classroom observations and follow-up interviews during the intervention. Both quantitative and qualitative findings revealed that experimental group students experienced significant impact as seen through increased attitudes and decreased anxiety of learning science. Implications for practice and research are provided.

Engineering Design Skills Coverage in K-12 Engineering Program Curriculum Materials in the USA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chabalengula, Vivien M.; Mumba, Frackson

2017-01-01

The current "K-12 Science Education framework" and "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS) in the United States emphasise the integration of engineering design in science instruction to promote scientific literacy and engineering design skills among students. As such, many engineering education programmes have developed…

The Relationship between Collective Student Trust and Student Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Casper, David Carl

2012-01-01

The relationship between collective student trust and student achievement was tested in a sample of 1,748 5th grade students in 34 Title I elementary schools in an urban and urban fringe district. Trust was defined, the conditions of trust described, and the facets of trust discussed. Collective trust was distinguished from relational trust and…

NASA-OAI HPCCP K-12 Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

The NASA-OAI High Performance Communication and Computing K- 12 School Partnership program has been completed. Cleveland School of the Arts, Empire Computech Center, Grafton Local Schools and the Bug O Nay Ge Shig School have all received network equipment and connections. Each school is working toward integrating computer and communications technology into their classroom curriculum. Cleveland School of the Arts students are creating computer software. Empire Computech Center is a magnet school for technology education at the elementary school level. Grafton Local schools is located in a rural community and is using communications technology to bring to their students some of the same benefits students from suburban and urban areas receive. The Bug O Nay Ge Shig School is located on an Indian Reservation in Cass Lake, MN. The students at this school are using the computer to help them with geological studies. A grant has been issued to the friends of the Nashville Library. Nashville is a small township in Holmes County, Ohio. A community organization has been formed to turn their library into a state of the art Media Center. Their goal is to have a place where rural students can learn about different career options and how to go about pursuing those careers. Taylor High School in Cincinnati, Ohio was added to the schools involved in the Wind Tunnel Project. A mini grant has been awarded to Taylor High School for computer equipment. The computer equipment is utilized in the school's geometry class to computationally design objects which will be tested for their aerodynamic properties in the Barberton Wind Tunnel. The students who create the models can view the test in the wind tunnel via desk top conferencing. Two teachers received stipends for helping with the Regional Summer Computer Workshop. Both teachers were brought in to teach a session within the workshop. They were selected to teach the session based on their expertise in particular software applications.

State Capacity to Link K-12/Postsecondary Data Systems and Report Key Indicators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Data Quality Campaign, 2016

2016-01-01

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provides an opportunity to produce high quality postsecondary indicators and, as available, publicly report them in ways that inform, engage, and empower communities. As first "required" in 2009's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) stimulus law, almost every state has linked its K-12 and…

Online K-12 Teachers' Perceptions and Practices of Supporting Self-Regulated Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huh, Yeol; Reigeluth, Charles M.

2018-01-01

With growing interest in and popularity of online learning and lifelong learners, students' ability to be engaged in self-regulated learning (SRL) has become more important. Moreover, online learning is becoming an important feature of K-12 education. Although SRL is known to be important and teachable, little research has been conducted on…

How to Launch an Energy Star Energy Efficiency Competition for K-12 Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Utebay Kudret; McArthur, Ashley

2012-01-01

In recent years, schools have been forced by rising costs and shrinking budgets to stretch their resources further than ever before in order to meet the educational needs of today's students. EPA's ENERGY STAR program helps K-12 schools and districts improve energy efficiency, reduce operating costs and redirect critical resources into the…

Idaho K-12 & School Choice Survey: What Do Voters Say about K-12 Education. Polling Paper No. 5

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiPerna, Paul

2012-01-01

The "Idaho K-12 & School Choice Survey" project, commissioned by The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and conducted by Braun Research Incorporated (BRI), measures Idaho registered voters' familiarity and views on a range of K-12 education issues and school choice reforms. We report response "levels" and…

Biomedical and Biochemical Engineering for K-12 Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Madihally, Sundararajan V.; Maase, Eric L.

2006-01-01

REACH (Reaching Engineering and Architectural Career Heights) is a weeklong summer academy outreach program for high school students interested in engineering, architecture, or technology. Through module-­based instruction, students are introduced to various engineering fields. This report describes one of the modules focused on introducing…

Flipping College Algebra: Effects on Student Engagement and Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ichinose, Cherie; Clinkenbeard, Jennifer

2016-01-01

This study compared student engagement and achievement levels between students enrolled in a traditional college algebra lecture course and students enrolled in a "flipped" course. Results showed that students in the flipped class had consistently higher levels of achievement throughout the course than did students in the traditional…

Goal Setting and Student Achievement: A Longitudinal Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moeller, Aleidine J.; Theiler, Janine M.; Wu, Chaorong

2012-01-01

The connection between goals and student motivation has been widely investigated in the research literature, but the relationship of goal setting and student achievement at the classroom level has remained largely unexplored. This article reports the findings of a 5-year quasi-experimental study examining goal setting and student achievement in…

"It's worth our time": a model of culturally and linguistically supportive professional development for K-12 STEM educators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charity Hudley, Anne H.; Mallinson, Christine

2017-09-01

Professional development on issues of language and culture is often separate from professional development on issues related to STEM education, resulting in linguistic and cultural gaps in K-12 STEM pedagogy and practice. To address this issue, we have designed a model of professional development in which we work with educators to build cultural and linguistic competence and to disseminate information about how educators view the relevance of language, communication, and culture to STEM teaching and learning. We describe the design and facilitation of our model of culturally and linguistically responsive professional development, grounded in theories of multicultural education and culturally supportive teaching, through professional development workshops to 60 K-12 STEM educators from schools in Maryland and Virginia that serve African American students. Participants noted that culturally and linguistically responsive approaches had yet to permeate their K-12 STEM settings, which they identified as a critical challenge to effectively teaching and engaging African-American students. Based on pre-surveys, workshops were tailored to participants' stated needs for information on literacy (e.g., disciplinary literacies and discipline-specific jargon), cultural conflict and mismatch (e.g., student-teacher miscommunication), and linguistic bias in student assessment (e.g., test design). Educators shared feedback via post-workshop surveys, and a subset of 28 participants completed in-depth interviews and a focus group. Results indicate the need for further implementation of professional development such as ours that address linguistic and cultural issues, tailored for K-12 STEM educators. Although participants in this study enumerated several challenges to meeting this need, they also identified opportunities for collaborative solutions that draw upon teacher expertise and are integrated with curricula across content areas.

Minnesota K-12 & School Choice Survey: What Do Voters Say about K-12 Education? Polling Paper No. 23

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiPerna, Paul

2015-01-01

The "Minnesota K-12 & School Choice Survey" project, commissioned by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and conducted by Braun Research, Inc. (BRI), measures Minnesota registered voters' familiarity and views on a range of K-12 education topics and school choice reforms. The author and his colleagues report response…

Washington K-12 & School Choice Survey: What Do Voters Say about K-12 Education? Polling Paper Number 6

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiPerna, Paul

2012-01-01

The "Washington K-12 & School Choice Survey" project, commissioned by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and conducted by Braun Research Incorporated (BRI), measures Washington registered voters' familiarity and views on a range of K-12 education topics and school choice reforms. The author and his colleagues report…

Alaska K-12 & School Choice Survey: What Do Voters Say about K-12 Education? Polling Paper No. 3

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiPerna, Paul

2011-01-01

The "Alaska K-12 & School Choice Survey" project, commissioned by The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and conducted by Braun Research Incorporated (BRI), measures Alaska registered voters' familiarity and views on a range of K-12 education issues and school choice reforms. The author and his colleagues report response…

Personality, Motivation, and Math Achievement Among Turkish Students.

PubMed

Akben-Selcuk, Elif

2017-04-01

Using the Turkish portion of the Programme for International Student Assessment dataset ( N = 4,848; 51% boys, 49% girls; age, M = 15.81 years, SD = 0.28), this study investigated factors associated with mathematics achievement among Turkish students. Three different models were estimated using the method of balanced repeated replication with Fay's method and taking into account the presence of five plausible values of the dependent variable. Results showed that male students and older students had better mathematics proficiency. Socio-economic status and school resources also played a significant role in explaining student achievement in mathematics. Finally, students who were more open to problem solving, who attributed their failure to external factors, and who were intrinsically motivated to learn mathematics achieved higher scores. Policy implications are provided.

The implementation of discovery learning model based on lesson study to increase student's achievement in colloid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suyanti, Retno Dwi; Purba, Deby Monika

2017-03-01

The objectives of this research are to get the increase student's achievement on the discovery learning model based on lesson study. Beside of that, this research also conducted to know the cognitive aspect. This research was done in three school that are SMA N 3 Medan. Population is all the students in SMA N 11 Medan which taken by purposive random sampling. The research instruments are achievement test instruments that have been validated. The research data analyzed by statistic using Ms Excell. The result data shows that the student's achievement taught by discovery learning model based on Lesson study higher than the student's achievement taught by direct instructional method. It can be seen from the average of gain and also proved with t-test, the normalized gain in experimental class of SMA N 11 is (0.74±0.12) and control class (0.45±0.12), at significant level α = 0.05, Ha is received and Ho is refused where tcount>ttable in SMA N 11 (9.81>1,66). Then get the improvement cognitive aspect from three of school is C2 where SMA N 11 is 0.84(high). Then the observation sheet result of lesson study from SMA N 11 92 % of student working together while 67% less in active using media.

K-12 Professional Development at the Harvard Forest LTER

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bennett, K.

2012-12-01

As part of the Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) program, the Harvard Forest in Petersham, Massachusetts seeks to train the next generation of researchers, by involving K-12 grade students and their teachers in hands-on, field-based, ecological research in their own schoolyard and community. Students learn to collect data on important long-term ecological issues and processes. Student data are then shared on the Harvard Forest website. To prepare teachers for project protocols, teachers are given direct access to Harvard ecologists with professional development workshops and on-line resources. With the Harvard Forest Schoolyard LTER program, students can participate in three different research projects focusing on phenology, invasive insects, and vernal pools. Teachers attend the Summer Institute for Teachers to learn project content and methods. They return in fall to participate in one of three levels of data workshops to learn how to input, manage, and analyze project data. In the spring, teachers again meet with the Harvard ecologists about project protocols, and to share, through a series of teacher presentations, the ways these project themes are being integrated into class curricula. These professional development opportunities result in long term collaborative partnerships with local schools and the Harvard Forest LTER. In addition to the LTER Schoolyard Ecology Program, the Harvard Forest has supported a successful Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program for the last six years. Throughout the summer, teachers work on research projects alongside Harvard Forest and affiliated scientists, post-docs, graduate students, and REU's (Research Experience for Undergraduates). The RET program provides teachers with the opportunity to build scientific knowledge, develop an understanding of research methods, and translate their new knowledge and experiences into cutting edge classroom lessons. The past two summers I have worked with Dr. Andrew Richardson

The Broadband Imperative: Recommendations to Address K-12 Education Infrastructure Needs. Executive Summary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fox, C.; Waters, J.; Fletcher, G.; Levin, D.

2012-01-01

It is a simple fact that access to high-speed broadband is now as vital a component of K-12 school infrastructure as electricity, air conditioning, and heating. The same tools and resources that have transformed educators' personal, civic, and professional lives must be part of learning experiences intended to prepare today's students for college…

Delaware K-12 & School Choice Survey: What Do Voters Say about K-12 Education? Polling Paper No. 21

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiPerna, Paul

2014-01-01

The "Delaware K-12 & School Choice Survey" project, commissioned by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and conducted by Braun Research, Inc. (BRI), measures Delaware registered voters' familiarity and views on a range of K-12 education topics and school choice reforms. The author and his colleagues report response levels…

Nevada K-12 & School Choice Survey: What Do Voters Say about K-12 Education? Polling Paper No. 22

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiPerna, Paul

2015-01-01

The "Nevada K-12 & School Choice Survey" project, commissioned by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and conducted by Braun Research, Inc. (BRI), measures Nevada registered voters' familiarity and views on a range of K-12 education topics and school choice reforms. The author and his colleagues report response levels and…

Texas K-12 & School Choice Survey: What Do Voters Say about K-12 Education? Polling Paper Number 14

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiPerna, Paul

2013-01-01

The "Texas K-12 & School Choice Survey" project, commissioned by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and conducted by Braun Research, Inc. (BRI), measures Texas registered voters' familiarity and views on a range of K-12 education topics and school choice reforms. The author and his colleagues report response levels and…

Missouri K-12 & School Choice Survey: What Do Voters Say about K-12 Education? Polling Paper No. 19

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiPerna, Paul

2014-01-01

The "Missouri K-12 & School Choice Survey" project, commissioned by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and conducted by Braun Research, Inc. (BRI), measures Missouri registered voters' familiarity and views on a range of K-12 education topics and school choice reforms. The author and his colleagues report response levels…

Oklahoma K-12 & School Choice Survey: What Do Voters Say about K-12 Education? Polling Paper No. 18

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiPerna, Paul

2014-01-01

The "Oklahoma K-12 & School Choice Survey" project, commissioned by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and conducted by Braun Research, Inc. (BRI), measures Oklahoma registered voters' familiarity and views on a range of K-12 education topics and school choice reforms. The author and his colleagues report response levels…

Montana K-12 & School Choice Survey: What Do Voters Say about K-12 Education? Polling Paper Number 10

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiPerna, Paul

2012-01-01

The "Montana K-12 & School Choice Survey" project, commissioned by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and conducted by Braun Research, Inc. (BRI), measures Montana registered voters' familiarity and views on a range of K-12 education topics and school choice reforms. The author and his colleagues report response levels…

Louisiana K-12 & School Choice Survey: What Do Voters Say about K-12 Education? Polling Paper Number 7

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiPerna, Paul

2012-01-01

The "Louisiana K-12 & School Choice Survey" project, commissioned by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and conducted by Braun Research Incorporated (BRI), measures Louisiana registered voters' familiarity and views on a range of K-12 education topics and school choice reforms. In this paper the author and his colleagues…

Tennessee K-12 & School Choice Survey: What Do Voters Say about K-12 Education? Polling Paper Number 9

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiPerna, Paul

2012-01-01

The "Tennessee K-12 & School Choice Survey" project, commissioned by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and conducted by Braun Research Inc. (BRI), measures Tennessee registered voters' familiarity and views on a range of K-12 education topics and school choice reforms. The author and his colleagues report response levels…

A Teaching Guide and Experience Units K-12. Social Studies. Grade One.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arapahoe County School District 6, Littleton, CO.

The unit experiences for the K-12 curriculum, including these for grade 1, were designed by the district staff to achieve a more comprehensive knowledge of the world in which we live; to develop the ability to think critically and creatively; to use inquiry and problem solving skills in human relations situations; to understand major social…

Student Monitoring through Performance Matters and the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Exam: A Regression Analysis of Student Reading Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cassidy-Floyd, Juliet

2017-01-01

Florida, from 1971 to 2014 has used the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) as a yearly accountability tool throughout the education system in the state (Bureau of K-12 Assessment, 2005). Schools use their own assessments to determine if students are making progress throughout the year. In one school district within Florida, Performance…

The Effectiveness of the Consistency Management & Cooperative Discipline (CMCD) Model as a Student Empowerment and Achievement Enhancer: The Experiences of Two K-12 Inner-City School Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Opuni, Kwame A.

2006-01-01

Consistency Management and Cooperative Discipline (CMCD) is a research-based K-12 discipline management program that builds on shared responsibility for learning and classroom organization through the cultivation of democratic and participatory practices that are fair, inclusive, and caring. CMCD seeks to provide a stable and orderly learning…

A Case Study of the Progressive Impact of School-Wide Positive Behavior Support on Five Selected Student Performance Factors in a Missouri K-12 Alternative Public School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Becker, Colleen Gilday

2013-01-01

The purpose of this case study was to examine the School-Wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS) impact on five selected student performance factors. A literature review revealed there have been many SWPBS research studies regarding traditional public schools. However, there have not been any published empirical SWPBS studies involving K-12…

Preparing Students for Future Learning with Teachable Agents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chin, Doris B.; Dohmen, Ilsa M.; Cheng, Britte H.; Oppezzo, Marily A.; Chase, Catherine C.; Schwartz, Daniel L.

2010-01-01

One valuable goal of instructional technologies in K-12 education is to prepare students for future learning. Two classroom studies examined whether Teachable Agents (TA) achieves this goal. TA is an instructional technology that draws on the social metaphor of teaching a computer agent to help students learn. Students teach their agent by…

Measuring Achievement Goal Orientations of Pharmacy Students

PubMed Central

Muthart, Thomas; Khan, Ghous M.

2014-01-01

Objectives. To measure the achievement goal orientations of pharmacy students attending a 3-year (accelerated) doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) program. Methods. A 16-item survey based on the Achievement Goal Questionnaire (AGQ) was administered to first-year (P1) and second-year (P2) pharmacy students at the Appalachian College of Pharmacy (ACP). Students were instructed to indicate to what degree each statement was true for them using a 7-point Likert scale (1=not true of me, 7=very true of me). Results. One hundred twenty of the 155 students (77%) completed the survey. Most students had mastery-approach, mastery-avoidance, performance-approach, and/or performance-avoidance goal orientations; few had work-avoidance goal orientations. Second-year students and male students had higher work-avoidance mean scores than did P1 students and female students (p<0.05). Conclusion. Pharmacy students were mastery- and performance-oriented learners, and most did not have work-avoidance goal orientations. Male students and P2 students had higher work-avoidance than did female students and P1 students, respectively. More longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these findings. PMID:24761015

Effects of Interim Assessments on Student Achievement: Evidence from a Large-Scale Experiment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Konstantopoulos, Spyros; Miller, Shazia R.; van der Ploeg, Arie; Li, Wei

2016-01-01

We use data from a large-scale, school-level randomized experiment conducted in 2010-2011 in public schools in Indiana. Our sample includes more than 30,000 students in 70 schools. We examine the impact of two interim assessment programs (i.e., mCLASS in Grades K-2 and Acuity in Grades 3--8) on mathematics and reading achievement. Two-level models…

Indiana K-12 & School Choice Survey: What Do Voters Say about K-12 Education? Polling Paper No. 27

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiPerna, Paul

2016-01-01

The purpose of the "Indiana K-12 & School Choice Survey" is to measure public opinion on, and in some cases awareness or knowledge of, a range of K-12 education topics and school choice reforms. The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice developed this project in partnership with Braun Research, Inc., who conducted the live phone…

Initiating New Science Partnerships in Rural Education: STEM Graduate Students Bring Current Research into 7th-12th Grade Science Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radencic, S.; Dawkins, K. S.; Jackson, B. S.; Walker, R. M.; Schmitz, D.; Pierce, D.; Funderburk, W. K.; McNeal, K.

2014-12-01

Initiating New Science Partnerships in Rural Education (INSPIRE), a NSF Graduate K-12 (GK-12) program at Mississippi State University, pairs STEM graduate students with local K-12 teachers to bring new inquiry and technology experiences to the classroom (www.gk12.msstate.edu). The graduate fellows prepare lessons for the students incorporating different facets of their research. The lessons vary in degree of difficulty according to the content covered in the classroom and the grade level of the students. The focus of each lesson is directed toward the individual research of the STEM graduate student using inquiry based designed activities. Scientific instruments that are used in STEM research (e.g. SkyMaster weather stations, GPS, portable SEM, Inclinometer, Soil Moisture Probe, Google Earth, ArcGIS Explorer) are also utilized by K-12 students in the activities developed by the graduate students. Creativity and problem solving skills are sparked by curiosity which leads to the discovery of new information. The graduate students work to enhance their ability to effectively communicate their research to members of society through the creation of research linked classroom activities, enabling the 7-12th grade students to connect basic processes used in STEM research with the required state and national science standards. The graduate students become respected role models for the high school students because of their STEM knowledge base and their passion for their research. Sharing enthusiasm for their chosen STEM field, as well as the application techniques to discover new ideas, the graduate students stimulate the interests of the classroom students and model authentic science process skills while highlighting the relevance of STEM research to K-12 student lives. The measurement of the student attitudes about science is gathered from pre and post interest surveys for the past four years. This partnership allows students, teachers, graduate students, and the public to

Investigating the Relationship between Science Self-Efficacy Beliefs, Gender, and Academic Achievement, among High School Students in Kenya

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aurah, Catherine

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to explore the relationships between science self-efficacy, gender, and academic achievement in genetics among form four (12th grade) students in Kenya and to investiPSTe gender differences in science self-efficacy and academic achievement in genetics. A total of 2,139 students responded to a science self-efficacy…

A Longitudinal Assessment of Early Acceleration of Students in Mathematics on Growth in Mathematics Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ma, X.

2005-01-01

Early acceleration of students in mathematics (in the form of early access to formal abstract algebra) has been a controversial educational issue. The current study examined the rate of growth in mathematics achievement of accelerated gifted, honors, and regular students across the entire secondary years (Grades 7-12), in comparison to their…

The State of 21st Century Learning in the K-12 World of the United States: Online and Blended Learning Opportunities for American Elementary and Secondary Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greene, Kimberly; Hale, William

2017-01-01

This paper is an examination of the current state of blended and online learning throughout the K-12 world in the United States. The analysis is predicated upon the potential of electronically-mediated learning (e-learning) to effectively prepare students for the demands of 21st century citizenship through the affordances of such learning…

Nucleoli in human early erythroblasts (K2, K1, K1/2 cells).

PubMed

Smetana, K; Jirásková, I; Klamová, H

2005-01-01

Human early erythroid precursors classified according to the nuclear size were studied to provide information on nucleoli in these cells using simple cytochemical procedures for demonstration of RNA and proteins of silver-stained nucleolar organizers. K2 cells with nuclear diameter larger than 13 microm and K1 cells with nuclear diameter larger than 9 microm corresponding to proerythroblasts and macroblasts (large basophilic erythroblasts) mostly possessed large irregularly shaped nucleoli with multiple fibrillar centres representing "active nucleoli". K1/2 cells with nuclear diameter smaller than 9 microm corresponding to small basophilic erythroblasts were usually characterized by the presence of micronucleoli representing "inactive nucleolar types". On the other hand, a few K1/2 cells contained large nucleoli with multiple fibrillar centres similar to those present in K2 cells and thus appeared as "microproerythroblasts". The nucleolar asynchrony expressed by the presence of large irregularly shaped nucleoli with multiple nucleoli (active nucleoli) and ring-shaped nucleoli (resting nucleoli) in one and the same nucleus of K2 or K1 cells was not exceptional and might reflect a larger resistance of these cells to negative factors influencing the erythropoiesis. The intranucleolar translocation of silver-stained nucleolus organized regions was noted in K2 cells and might indicate the premature aging of these cells without further differentiation. More studies, however, are required in this direction.

Faculty Designers and Instructional Design Skills for Developing Learning Opportunities in K-12 Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nativio, Alaine

2014-01-01

As K-12 environments discover different avenues to offer the best learning experiences available to students, schools are utilizing existing staff members to develop and teach traditional face-to-face, blended and online courses. The purpose of the study was to discover similarities and differences in processes, principles and strategies for…

Introducing Algebraic Structures through Solving Equations: Vertical Content Knowledge for K-12 Mathematics Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wasserman, Nicholas H.

2014-01-01

Algebraic structures are a necessary aspect of algebraic thinking for K-12 students and teachers. An approach for introducing the algebraic structure of groups and fields through the arithmetic properties required for solving simple equations is summarized; the collective (not individual) importance of these axioms as a foundation for algebraic…

Development of Design Guidance for K-12 Schools from 30% to 50% Energy Savings: Preprint

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pless, S.; Torcellini, P.; Long, N.

2008-07-01

This paper describes the development of energy efficiency recommendations for achieving 30% whole-building energy savings in K-12 schools over levels achieved by following the ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1. These design recommendations look at building envelope, fenestration, lighting systems (including electrical lights and daylighting), HVAC systems, building automation and controls, outside air treatment, and service water heating.

Protecting K-12 Student Privacy in a Digital Age

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levin, Douglas

2015-01-01

The last decade has seen many exciting innovations in education. Educators have developed new instructional models that accelerate and deepen student learning by tailoring instruction to each student's individual needs, skills, and interests. In recent years nearly every state in the nation has responded by considering new student data privacy…

Guided by Principles. Shaping the State of California's Role in K-12 Public School Facility Funding. Full Policy Research Working Paper

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vincent, Jeffrey M.; Gross, Liz S.

2015-01-01

K-12 public school facilities need regular investment to ensure student health and safety and support educational programming. Yet, the future of K-12 school facility funding in California is uncertain. A strong state-local partnership has existed that funded new construction, modernization, and other investments in public school facilities across…

Online High School Student Achievement on State-Issued Standardized Tests: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gifford, William M., III

2017-01-01

Online education has increased greatly in recent years among K-12 learners and post-secondary learners. Online learning provides opportunities such as course remediation or access to courses not typically offered, which have benefited many learners. The growth of online learning has also presented educators with challenges as well. Students in…

Review of "High-Achieving Students in the Era of NCLB"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Camilli, Gregory

2008-01-01

A recent report from the Fordham Institute considers potential instructional policies for high-achieving students that should be considered in the forthcoming reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act. The report finds: 1) achievement growth among high-achieving students has been slower than that of low-achieving students; 2) this trend can…

Early Academic Achievement Among American Low-Income Black Students from Immigrant and Non-Immigrant Families

PubMed Central

Calzada, Esther; Barajas-Gonzalez, R. Gabriela; Dawson-McClure, Spring; Huang, Keng-Yen; Palamar, Joseph; Kamboukos, Dimitra

2015-01-01

At least half of the well-documented achievement gap for low-income Black children is already present in kindergarten, due in part to limited opportunities for acquiring foundational skills necessary for school success. There is some evidence that low-income minority children from immigrant families have more positive outcomes than their non-immigrant counterparts, although little is known about how the immigrant paradox may manifest in young children. This study examines foundational school readiness skills (academic and social-emotional learning) at entry into pre-kindergarten (pre-k) and achievement in kindergarten and second grade among Black children from low-income immigrant and non-immigrant families (N=299). Immigrant and non-immigrant children entered pre-k with comparable readiness scores; in both groups, reading scores decreased significantly from kindergarten to second grade and math scores decreased significantly for non-immigrant children and marginally for immigrant children. Regardless of immigrant status, pre-k school readiness and pre-k classroom quality were associated with elementary school achievement. However, declines in achievement scores were not as steep for immigrant children and several predictive associations were moderated by immigrant status, such that among those with lower pre-k school readiness or in lower quality classrooms, immigrant children had higher achievement test scores than children from non-immigrant families. Findings suggest that immigrant status provides young Black students with some protection against individual- and classroom-level risk factors for early underachievement in elementary school. PMID:26048254

Homework Involvement and Academic Achievement of Native and Immigrant Students.

PubMed

Suárez, Natalia; Regueiro, Bibiana; Epstein, Joyce L; Piñeiro, Isabel; Díaz, Sara M; Valle, Antonio

2016-01-01

Homework is a debated issue in society and its relationship with academic achievement has been deeply studied in the last years. Nowadays, schools are multicultural stages in which students from different cultures and ethnicities work together. In this sense, the present study aims to compare homework involvement and academic achievement in a sample of native and immigrant students, as well as to study immigrant students' relationship between homework involvement and Math achievement. The sample included 1328 students, 10-16 years old from Spanish families (85.6%) or immigrant students or students of immigrant origin (14.4%) from South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. The study was developed considering three informants: elementary and secondary students, their parents and their teachers. Results showed higher involvement in homework in native students than in immigrant. Between immigrants students, those who are more involved in homework have better academic achievement in Math at secondary grades. There weren't found gender differences on homework involvement, but age differences were reported. Immigrant students are less involved in homework at secondary grades that students in elementary grades. The study highlights the relevance of homework involvement in academic achievement in immigrant students.

The New State Achievement Gap: How Federal Waivers Could Make It Worse--or Better. Education Sector Reports

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chubb, John; Clark, Constance

2013-01-01

With the adoption of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in 2002, the federal government signaled its intention to close achievement gaps in K-12 education, particularly for minority students. While there has been surprising progress in educating disadvantaged students since the law was passed, according to a new report released today by Education…

K-12 Educational Outcomes of Immigrant Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crosnoe, Robert; Turley, Ruth N. Lopez

2011-01-01

The children from immigrant families in the United States make up a historically diverse population, and they are demonstrating just as much diversity in their experiences in the K-12 educational system. Robert Crosnoe and Ruth Lopez Turley summarize these K-12 patterns, paying special attention to differences in academic functioning across…

K-12 Online and Blended Teacher Licensure: Striking a Balance between Policy and Preparedness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Archambault, Leanna; DeBruler, Kristen; Freidhoff, Joseph

2014-01-01

As the number of K-12 students participating in various forms of online learning steadily rises, teacher quality is of paramount concern. This article explores the theoretical underpinnings surrounding quality teaching in online settings as well as practical considerations for what teachers should know and be able to do in online environments.…

Community Engagement in K-12 Tutoring Programs: A Research-Based Guide for Best Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mozolic, Jennifer; Shuster, Julia

2016-01-01

This report on historical trends and recent findings in the literature on academic tutoring is the first step in a community-based research collaboration between faculty and students at a small liberal arts college, the local public school district, and a nonprofit foundation that supports public K-12 education. Each year, this nonprofit…