Using Covariates to Improve Precision for Studies That Randomize Schools to Evaluate Educational Interventions

2007 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Howard S. Bloom ◽  
Lashawn Richburg-Hayes ◽  
Alison Rebeck Black
Keyword(s):  
Student Achievement ◽  
Elementary Schools ◽  
High Schools ◽  
School Districts ◽  
Middle Schools ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Educational Interventions ◽  
Urban School Districts ◽  
School Level ◽  
Baseline Covariates

This article examines how controlling statistically for baseline covariates, especially pretests, improves the precision of studies that randomize schools to measure the impacts of educational interventions on student achievement. Empirical findings from five urban school districts indicate that (1) pretests can reduce the number of randomized schools needed for a given level of precision to about half of what would be needed otherwise for elementary schools, one fifth for middle schools, and one tenth for high schools, and (2) school-level pretests are as effective in this regard as student-level pretests. Furthermore, the precision-enhancing power of pretests (3) declines only slightly as the number of years between the pretest and posttests increases; (4) improves only slightly with pretests for more than 1 baseline year; and (5) is substantial, even when the pretest differs from the posttest. The article compares these findings with past research and presents an approach for quantifying their uncertainty.

Trends in Bicycle Helmet Use by Children: 1985 to 1990

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 89 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-80
Author(s):  
Barry D. Weiss
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Schools ◽  
High Schools ◽  
Middle Schools ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
School Level ◽  
University Campus ◽  
Project Staff ◽  
Helmet Use ◽  
The University

Research has demonstrated that helmets protect against head injury during bicycle crashes. Several investigators have shown that large-scale, community-wide programs can increase the rate of helmet use by children. The objective of this research was to determine whether helmet use had changed over a 5-year period in a community with no formal programs designed to increase the use of helmets. In 1985 and again in 1990, project staff observed student bicyclists arriving at four elementary schools, three middle schools, three high schools, and one university campus. The same schools were used both years. There was no significant increase in the percentage of students who used helmets at the middle schools (0 both years), the high schools (1.85% vs 1.45%), or the university (10.0% vs 4.0%). At the four elementary schools, helmet use increased from 1.85% in 1985 to 17.1% in 1990. Much of this increase was attributable to one school at which helmet use increased from 4.4% to 21.4%. This school, and no others, had begun teaching about helmet use in the classroom. The results suggest that (1) helmet use will not increase at the middle school level or higher without specific interventions and (2) slmple, low-cost, classroom interventions can increase helmet use by elementary school children.

Experiences of Stereotyping and Tracking in Appalachia: A Case in Consolidation and Social Class

2021 ◽  
pp. 155545892098233
Author(s):  
Connor J. Fewell ◽  
Michael E. Hess ◽  
Charles Lowery ◽  
Madeleine Gervason ◽  
Sarah Ahrendt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Elementary Schools ◽  
Social Class ◽  
School Districts ◽  
Critical Incident ◽  
School Setting ◽  
Social Classes ◽  
School Level ◽  
Diverse Backgrounds ◽  
First Time

This case explores the complexities of how consolidation perpetuates stereotypes among different social classes in a rural Appalachian school setting. Examined are the experiences at the intersection of social class in rural U.S. school districts when two communities—one affluent and one underresourced—are consolidated. We present a nuanced critical incident that focuses on how school leaders perceive and address students’ experiences with tracking and stereotyping—particularly at a middle school level where elementary schools from diverse backgrounds attend school together for the first time.

scholarly journals AN EXAMINATION OF ONE FACTOR IN SCHOOL REFORM: INCREASED TEACHER ACCOUNTABILITY IN TWO URBAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (27) ◽  
pp. 329-344
Author(s):  
Nadine Bonda
Keyword(s):  
Student Achievement ◽  
School Districts ◽  
School Reform ◽  
Standardized Testing ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
The United States ◽  
Urban School Districts ◽  
Case Study Approach ◽  
Study Approach

Beginning in 2009, and with the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, school districts across the United States began to be held to higher standards and their progress publicly reported.  Student achievement began to be measured by standardized testing and great efforts were being made to reduce the achievement gap. This paper is based on a five-year study of teacher evaluation in two urban districts in Massachusetts where improving teacher practice was seen as an important factor in raising student achievement. This research studied efforts to address those teachers who were identified as underperforming and were supported through individual improvement plans.  This paper used a case study approach to show what the practices of a sampling of these teachers looked like, teachers’ reactions to being rated unsatisfactory, and teachers’ reactions to the improvement planning process.

Teaching Yoga in Urban Elementary Schools

2010 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Cohen Harper
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Schools ◽  
School Districts ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Program Implementation ◽  
Urban School Districts ◽  
Emotional Impact ◽  
Specific Information ◽  
Urban Elementary Schools ◽  
Regular School ◽  
Successful Program

Teaching Yoga to children is a fulfilling but challenging journey, particularly in poverty-stricken urban school districts. The physical, mental, and emotional impact of poverty on children has serious implications for their academic achievement. Introducing Yoga as part of their regular school experience shows tremendous potential for helping students navigate challenges that interfere with learning. This article helps teachers and therapists understand the experience of providing Yoga and mindfulness programs in urban elementary schools and provides specific information on ways to ensure successful program implementation, including a sample class description, activity instructions, and best practices in training teachers and teaching.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Infections Following Physical School Reopening

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oren Miron ◽  
Kun-Hsing Yu ◽  
Rachel Wilf-Miron ◽  
Isaac S. Kohane ◽  
Nadav Davidovitch
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Elementary Schools ◽  
High Schools ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
School Level ◽  
High School Level ◽  
Incidence Increase

AbstractBackgroundSchool reopened in August-September 2020 and their effect on COVID-19 infections is unclear.MethodsWe examined Coronavirus Disease-19 incidence following school reopening in Florida.ResultsWe found that counties teaching physically had 1.2-fold incidence increase in elementary schools and 1.3-fold increase in high schools, while counties teaching remotely had no increase.ConclusionsOur results suggest that counties teaching physically could consider teaching remotely, especially in high school, until it is safe to teach physically.What was knownSchools reopened in August-September 2020, with some teaching remotely, since the effect of physical reopening on COVID-19 infections is unclear.What we addedcounties teaching physically had 1.2-fold incidence increase in elementary schools and 1.3-fold increase in high schools. This suggests that counties teaching physically could consider teaching remotely instead, especially at the high school level.

Academic Optimism of High School Teachers: Its Relationship to Organizational Citizenship Behaviors and Student Achievement

2011 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 893-926 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles A. Wagner ◽  
Michael F. Dipaola
Keyword(s):  
Student Achievement ◽  
High Schools ◽  
Organizational Citizenship ◽  
Organizational Citizenship Behaviors ◽  
Academic Optimism ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
School Level ◽  
Public High Schools ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Citizenship Behaviors

The purpose of this study is to build on an emergent research base for academic optimism by testing the construct and its relationship to student achievement and organizational citizenship behaviors in schools in a sample of public high schools. All participants in this study were full-time teachers guidance counselors, and other full-time professional instructional faculty from 36 public high schools in Virginia serving Grades 9–12. Although not random the sample comprised a demographic and geographic range of Virginia's 308 high schools featuring Grades 9–12. The data for this study were aggregated at the school level to support the school as the unit of analysis. The three dimensions of academic optimism were shown to correlate significantly with student achievement even when controlling for student family background. The findings in this study also confirm that academic optimism and organizational citizenship behaviors in schools are strongly correlated. Measuring teachers’ beliefs and perceptions about themselves, their colleagues, and their schools can provide important insights into the school's collective belief about instruction, learning, and student achievement and help principals improve the quality of schools’ learning contexts.

scholarly journals Charter School Closure in Ohio’s Largest Urban Districts: The Effects of Management Organizations, Enrollment Characteristics and Community Demographics on Closure Risk

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A. Gilblom ◽  
Hilla I. Sang
Keyword(s):  
Student Achievement ◽  
Logistic Regression ◽  
School Districts ◽  
Charter Schools ◽  
Charter School ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression ◽  
Urban School Districts ◽  
School Closure ◽  
Community Characteristics ◽  
Math Proficiency

This study builds on previous research investigating management organizations (MOs), charter school locations, and closure by examining the effects of MO type (EMO, CMO and freestanding schools), racial enrollment, student achievement, and the community characteristics surrounding each charter school in Ohio’s eight largest counties with the largest urban school districts on the likelihood of closure between 2009 and 2018. We conducted a discrete-time survival analysis using life tables and binary logistic regression. Findings indicated that freestanding charter schools experience higher risks of closure than EMO and CMO managed charter schools in those counties. Although they are more likely to close, freestanding schools have higher student achievement in math and reading. Higher math proficiency reduces the likelihood of closure by 2.8%. However, community and enrollment characteristics are not statistically significant predictors of closure.

Changing Course in Jefferson City: Reevaluating a District Initiative to Convert Under-Enrolled Elementary Schools

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-103
Author(s):  
Chad R. Lochmiller
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Schools ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
School Districts ◽  
The United States ◽  
School Enrollment ◽  
Urban School Districts ◽  
State Funding ◽  
Administrator Preparation ◽  
Preparation Programs ◽  
Administrator Preparation Programs

This case positions the reader as the superintendent of Jefferson City Public Schools (pseudonym). Like many urban school districts in the United States, Jefferson City faces a complex milieu of fiscal challenges attributed to inadequate state funding and declining student enrollment. Within this case, the superintendent must address the failing implementation of a district-wide initiative, which converted K-5 elementary schools to K-8 combination schools in response to declining middle school enrollment. The case invites the reader to consider how the district might engage in strategic planning to revise or eliminate the initiative. The case is appropriate for use in administrator preparation programs, particularly those preparing district-level administrators.

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