Latest News
July 26, 2018
Teacher Evaluation Overview (Wing Institute Original Paper)
Teachers contribute to student achievement. As a practice, teacher evaluation has developed over time. Today, the focus of teacher evaluation is to determine the impact of teaching on student outcomes and for use as professional development. Research on teacher evaluation has produced mixed results. This overview provides information about teacher evaluation as it relates to collecting information about teacher practice and using it to improve student outcomes. The history of teacher evaluation and current research findings and implications are included. (Read More)
Citation: Cleaver, S., Detrich, R. & States, J. (2018). Overview of Teacher Evaluation. Oakland, CA: The Wing Institute. https://www.winginstitute.org/assessment-summative.
Link: https://www.winginstitute.org/policy-initiatives-teacher-evaluation
July 24, 2018
Impact of In-Service Professional Development Programs for Early Childhood Teachers on Quality Ratings and Child Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis
News Summary: This meta-analysis examines the impact of professional development on program quality and educational outcomes for children in early childhood programs. The study attempts to answer three questions: (1) evaluate the impact of in-service programs for early childhood professional development, (2) identify program characteristics that moderate the effects of training on quality of service, and (3) identify the links between in-service training to childhood outcomes. To be included in this analysis a study must address staff development for early childhood instructors, be a quantitative experimental or quasi-experimental study, and report effect sizes or comparable data. The study reported a positive impact on the quality of services as evidenced by scores on Classroom Assessment Scoring System, Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation, Environmental Rating Scales, and Individualized Classroom Assessment Scoring System. A medium effect size of 0.68 was found for improving process outcomes. A second meta-analysis of nine studies provided data on both quality ratings and child development and showed a small effect at child outcomes ES = 0.14. The study found great variances across professional development programs. The researchers established that intensity, duration, and training formats were critical factors in the determination of which programs offering the most effective services. This is not surprising as professional development encompasses a myriad of different practices; some effective and others that produce poor outcomes. This study found programs offering 45-60 hours of training had the greatest impact on process and child outcomes. Programs that offered coaching as an integral component of the training were almost three times as effective as programs that did not.
Citation:Egert, F., Fukkink, R. G., & Eckhardt, A. G. (2018). Impact of in-service professional development programs for early childhood teachers on quality ratings and child outcomes: A meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 88(3), 401-433.
Link: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ruben_Fukkink/publication/322083401_Impact_of_In-Service_Professional_Development_Programs_for_Early_Childhood_Teachers_on_Quality_Ratings_and_Child_Outcomes_A_Meta-Analysis/links/5af01fd5458515f5998465d6/Impact-of-In-Service-Professional-Development-Programs-for-Early-Childhood-Teachers-on-Quality-Ratings-and-Child-Outcomes-A-Meta-Analysis.pdf
July 10, 2018
The Effect of Voucher Programs on Student Achievement: A Meta-Analysis
News Summary: This meta-analysis examines the effectiveness of school voucher programs for improving student achievement. The research is of special interest for three important reasons; (1) it examines an important policy issue relevant to educators and the public, (2) it is an example of a study designed to replicate previous research on an important topic, and (3) it highlights the importance of examining the cost effectiveness associated with implementing practices in real world settings.
The use of school vouchers as a means to improve the quality of education has been an attractive, although controversial. It has been touted as a way to use public funding to overcome academic deficits in school systems. Enabling parents to exercise choice as to where to send a child to school is enticing. It appeals to the belief that exercising “control” over where your child can go to school will have an impaction the quality of education. The important question is, does this type of structural intervention produce both statistically significant, but more importantly do school vouchers produce socially significant academic gains?
This study tries to answer this question by replicating a previous meta-analysis of school voucher programs by Shakeel, Anderson, and Wolf (2016). The studies included in both meta-analyses required that to be included in the research individual studies must use randomized control trials of school voucher programs reporting quantitative measures of reading and/or math performance. The Wing Institute chose to include this new item to feature the need for replicating research as means to increase confidence in the results and broaden our knowledge base on a topic. The results indicated that, compared to the original study, this meta-analysis obtained smaller effect sizes with larger standard errors. This is not surprising as most replication of original research report smaller effects. The results of this research although somewhat smaller are consistent with the Shakeel, Anderson, and Wolf (2016) study. More importantly, both studies found that although the effects were for the most part positive they were very small ranging from 0.080 effect size on reading to 0.135 effect size on math.
It is important to note these results are also similar to those found in the Yeh, S. S. (2007) research on this topic. Yeh goes beyond reporting on effect size to examine the importance of putting effect size in the context of cost-effectiveness. It becomes quite clear when one asks the question, are school vouchers a cost effective intervention designed to deliver significant change, this intervention is found wanting. Yeh in his research concludes that educators and the public will be better served by adopting a practice such as formative assessment, that has a greater effective size (0.90) and can be implemented at a much smaller cost.
Citation:
(1) Bennett, M., Banerjee, H. L., Doan, L. N., Geib, T., and Burley, A. (2018). The Effect of Voucher Programs on Student Achievement: A Meta-Analysis. AERA Conference New York, NY. 10.302/1302823.
(2) Shakeel, M., Anderson, K., & Wolf, P. (2016). The participant effects of private school vouchers across the globe: A meta-analytic and systematic review.
(3) Yeh, S. S. (2007). The cost-effectiveness of five policies for improving student achievement. American Journal of Evaluation, 28(4), 416-436.
Link:
(1) http://www.aera.net/Publications/Online-Paper-Repository/AERA-Online-Paper-Repository/Owner/997930
(2) https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED567044.pdf
(3)http://c2.derrytsd.schoolwires.net/cms/lib/PA09000080/Centricity/ModuleInstance/1496/cost_effect_of_rapid_assess_by_Yeh_(2007).pdf
July 2, 2018
Postsecondary Institutions and Cost of Attendance in 2017-18; Degrees and Other Awards Conferred, 2016-17; and 12-Month Enrollment, 2016-17
News Summary: The purpose of this preliminary report is examine the most recent data on the cost of sending students to college in the Unities States. During the 2017–18 academic year, there were 6,642 Title IV institutions of this total, 2,902 were classified as 4-year institutions, 1,932 were 2-year institutions, and the remaining 1,808 were less-than-2-year institutions. Average tuition and required fees for full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates at 4-year institutions increased across all institutional controls except private for-profit institutions from 2015-16 to 2017–18. Public institutions reported a roughly 2 percent increase for in-state students (to approximately $8,300) and for out-of-state students (to approximately $18,700). Private nonprofit institutions reported an increase of approximately 3 percent (to about $28,000). Private for-profit institutions reported average tuition and required fees of approximately $16,200 for 2017–18. This represents a decrease of over 1 percent when compared with the inflation-adjusted figure from 2015–16. Approximately 3.3 million students received degrees or certificates at 4-year degree-granting institutions with more than 58 percent obtained a bachelor’s degree.
Citation:Ginder, S. A., Kelly-Reid, J. E., & Mann, F. B. (2018). Postsecondary Institutions and Cost of Attendance in 2016-17; Degrees and Other Awards Conferred, 2015-16; and 12-Month Enrollment, 2015-16: First Look (Provisional Data). NCES 2017-075rev. National Center for Education Statistics.
Link: https://eric.ed.gov/?q=2018&ff1=dtyIn_2018&pg=6&id=ED583680
July 2, 2018
Preparing for Life after High School: The Characteristics and Experiences of Youth in Special Education. Findings from the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2012. Volume 2: Comparisons across Disability Groups. Full Report
News Summary:The United States has committed to improving the lives of students with disabilities for over 40 years. Since the advent of Federal Law PL 94-142 in 1975 that mandated a free and appropriate education for all students regardless of ability and six reauthorizations of legislation, the federal government has emphasized the need to prepare students with disabilities for post-secondary education, careers, and independent living. The federal investment in funding special education services exceeds $15 Billion annually. It is reasonable to ask, are student with disabilities substantially benefiting from these efforts? The National Longitudinal Transition Study (NLTS) provides the most recent data on youth with disabilities and efforts to address their needs. The study used surveys in 2012 and 2013 on a nationally representative set of nearly 13,000 students. The student included were mostly those with an individualized education program (IEP) and expected to receive special education services. The data reveal participation in key transition activities by youth with an IEP and their parents have declined, although they are just as likely to have gone to an IEP meeting. The findings from this report suggest a closer examination of current practices is warranted with a focus on achieving the stated outcomes the laws were designed to remedy.
Citation: Lipscomb, S., Hamison, J., Liu Albert, Y., Burghardt, J., Johnson, D. R., & Thurlow, M. (2018). Preparing for Life after High School: The Characteristics and Experiences of Youth in Special Education. Findings from the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2012. Volume 2: Comparisons across Disability Groups. Full Report. NCEE 2017-4018. National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance.
Link: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED580934.pdf
June 27, 2018
Four Domains for Rapid School Improvement: An Implementation Framework
The National Implementation Research Network (NIRN) and the National Center for School Turnaround published the “Four Domains for Rapid School Improvement: An Implementation Framework” as a companion to the Center for School Turnaround’s publication of “The Four Domains for Rapid School Improvement: A Systems Framework“. This paper describes “how” to effectively implement lasting school improvement initiatives that maximize leadership, develop talent, amplify instructional transformation, and shift the culture.
Citation:Jackson, K., R., Fixsen, D., and Ward, C. (2018). Four Domains for Rapid School Improvement: An Implementation Framework. The Center on School Turnaround.
Link: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED583980.pdf
June 26, 2018
The Impact of Reading Recovery at Scale: Results From the 4-Year i3 External Evaluation
A recent large-scale evaluation of Reading Recovery, a supplemental reading program for young struggling readers, supports previous research that found it to be effective. In a 4 year, federally funded project, almost 3,500 students in 685 schools found that generally students benefitted from the intervention. Students receiving Reading Recovery receive supplemental services in a 1:1 instructional setting for 30 minutes 5 days a week from an instructor trained in Reading Recovery. In the study reported here, students who received Reading Recovery had effect sizes of .35-.37 relative to a control group across a number of measures of reading. These represent moderate effect sizes and account for about a 1.5 month increase in skill relative to the control group. Even though the research supports the efficacy of the intervention, it also raises questions about its efficiency. The schools that participated in the study served about 5 students and the estimated cost per student has ranged from $2,000-$5,000. These data raise questions about the wisdom of spending this much money per student for growth of about a month and a half.
Citation: Sirinides, P., Gray, A., & May, H. (2018). The Impacts of Reading Recovery at Scale: Results From the 4-Year i3 External Evaluation. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 0162373718764828.
Link: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.3102/0162373718764828
May 11, 2018
2017-18 Wing Institute Student Research Grant Results
Title: Evaluating a Multimedia Professional Development Package for Improving Implementation of Evidence-Based Instructional Practices
Author: John Elwood Romig, Ph.D.
Research Proposal: Explicit modeling is an effective instructional strategy in a wide spectrum of academic and behavioral skills (Hughes, Morris, Therrien, & Benson, 2017). Specifically, in the area of writing instruction, modeling is widely regarded as an evidence-based instructional strategy to improve students’ achievement (Troia, 2014). However, teachers rarely use modeling or other high quality instructional practices during writing instruction (Graham, Capizzi, Harris, Hebert, & Morphy, 2014; Gillespie, Graham, Kiuhara, & Hebert, 2014; Grisham & Wolsey, 2011).
The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a professional development package designed using cognitive apprenticeship (i.e., Collins, Brown, & Newman, 1989) as a guiding framework. This professional development package, Content Acquisition Podcast – Professional Development (CAP-PD), consisted of modeling videos, performance feedback, and instructional scaffolds in the form of customizable curricular materials. To determine the effectiveness of this package, I conducted a single case multiple baseline across participants experiment. Read more
May 1, 2018
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has been assessing what American students know and can do in various subject areas since 1969. Subjects include: mathematics, reading, science, writing, the arts, civics, economics, geography, U.S. history, and in Technology and Engineering Literacy (TEL). NAEP generates the Nation’s Report Card every two years summarizing test scores by subject area, grade levels (4th, 8th, and 12th), student demographics, school characteristics, etc. With very few exceptions, the 2017 national results did not show any gains in test scores from previous years. One of the more critical metrics is the percentage of students who score at or above proficiency. Proficiency is the target academic performance benchmark for students. The 2017 results show that few students are at or above proficiency in all subjects. In reading, only 37% of fourth graders, 36% of eighth graders, and 357% of twelfth grader were at or above proficiency. In math, each subsequent assessed grade showed lower percentages of students at or above proficiency (4thgrade at 40%, 8thgrade at 34%, 12thgrade at 25%). Such scores are disappointing given the efforts made towards school improvement.
Citation: Institute of Education Sciences. (2018). The Nation’s Report Card, 2017. NCES 2006-451. National Center for Education Statistics.
Link: https://www.nationsreportcard.gov
April 23, 2018
The Wing Institute is recruiting contract-based content writers in the field of evidence-based education. We are looking for professionals who can: 1) conduct literature reviews; 2) analyze the relevant data, research, and policies; and 3) write succinct overviews for publication on our web site.
- Positions to be filled by November 1, 2018.
- Please send resume to Jack States at the Wing Institute: jstates@winginstitute.org
Research topics will focus on the eight education drivers associated with student achievement and success in school. These drivers encompass essential practices, procedures, resources, and management strategies. Specific topics include but are not limited to: skills for effective teaching, effective teacher training, quality of leadership, and external influences affecting student outcomes.
Those interested must be able to analyze both the quality and quantity of evidence studies to determine if current research meets a threshold of evidence for providing information to support the work of educators.
Criteria for inclusion is based on:
- Quality: A continua of evidence prioritizing well designed randomized trials and single subject designed studies.
- Quantity: A continua of evidence spotlighting meta-analyses and replications of single subject designed studies.
Each Overview consists of a summary of the research, graphics as needed, and citations, and supporting conclusions.
Compensation
- $1,000 for each Overview (1,500 to 2,500 words)
- Author’s name on the publication
- Working with other professional is the field of evidence-based education
Expectations
- Work with internal teams to obtain an in-depth understanding of evidence-based research.
- Work remotely and supply your own equipment (computer)
- Plan, develop, organize, write the above documents.
- Analyze documents to maintain continuity of style of content and consistency with prior Wing Institute documents.
- Recommend updates and revisions derived from updates in research.
Education
- Master’s degree in Education, Behavior Analysis, English, Psychology, Communication, or related degrees, is required.
Skills
Ability to deliver high quality documentation
- Ability to communicate complex or technical information easily
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English
- Ability to write from the perspective of education policy makers, school administrators, teachers, and parents
