Search

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professional societies (ProS) are uniquely positioned to foster national-level diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) reform. ProS serve broad memberships, define disciplinary norms and culture, and inform accrediting bodies, thus providing "excellent leverage with which to design and promote change" (National Academy of Sciences et al., 2005). ProS could be instrumental in achieving the DEI culture reform necessary to optimize engagement of all STEM talent by leveraging disciplinary excellence resulting from diverse teams. Inclusive STEM culture reform requires that underlying "mental models'' be examined (Kania et al., 2018). The "Inclusive Professional Framework for Societies (IPF:Societies)" can help ProS change leaders (i.e., "boundary spanners'") and organizations identify and address mental models hindering DEI reform. "IPF:Societies" uses four "I's"--Identity awareness and Intercultural mindfulness (i.e., equity mindset) on which Inclusive relationships and Influential DEI actions are scaffolded. We discuss how "IPF:Societies" complements existing DEI tools. We explain how "IPF:Societies" can be applied to existing ProS policy and practice associated with common ProS functions (e.g., leadership, membership, conferences, awards, and professional development). Next steps are to pilot "IPF:Societies" with a cohort of STEM ProS. Ultimately, "IPF:Societies" has potential to promote more efficient, effective, and lasting DEI organizational transformation, and contribute to inclusive STEM disciplinary excellence.

Despite the growing evidence on promising approaches to postsecondary instruction--and particularly on the benefits of student-centered, conceptually oriented instruction for underprepared students--there has been limited investment in supporting these approaches' widespread implementation. Most postsecondary instructors have limited training in pedagogy, and broad-access colleges have relatively few resources to invest in improving instruction and building high-quality curriculum. Moreover, the field has few documented models of scalable professional development that results in demonstrated improvements in teaching and student learning. To help address this gap in the literature, this paper describes the professional development model used in CUNY Start, a program developed at the City University of New York to support entering students identified as academically underprepared in literacy and mathematics. Using interview and survey data collected as part of a larger random assignment evaluation of CUNY Start, the paper explores how CUNY Start's multifaceted, coordinated system of professional development supports postsecondary instructors in enacting a student-centered, conceptually oriented instructional approach. CUNY Start's professional development model has several notable features: a staffing approach that values instructional expertise, an apprenticeship for new hires, coaching through classroom observations, and cross-college meetings. While this model is distinct from traditional approaches to professional development in higher education, elements of it can be applied in other higher education settings. The paper concludes by discussing how colleges and departments might structure professional development around a set of student learning goals, offer a system of ongoing supports, and create a staffing model that supports the development of instructional expertise. [The research reported here was supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, through Grant R305H140065 to MDRC.]

The Boston Charter Research Collaborative (BCRC) is a multiyear research-practice partnership (RPP) among six high-performing charter management organizations (CMOs). These organizations combine their expertise to conduct research and improve practice to support the development of students' social-emotional competencies (SEC) and the cognitive skills that are not directly captured by academic assessments. Research suggests that the surveys used to assess students' SEC in the BCRC provide valid reports of student mindsets, skills, and habits. Further, student scores from those SEC surveys are predictive of both academic and behavioral outcomes, suggesting that SEC are important contributors to students' academic success. Considering the promising findings that have emerged thus far from this RPP, this white paper seeks to address challenges common among RPPs, including: (1) finding effective ways to bridge the research-practice gap by building a common language around using new types of data to address urgent problems of practices; and (2) facilitating practitioner-centered dialogue about the data and its implications. The authors found that it is valuable to engage in practitioner-focused conversations that are grounded in data while deeply leveraging practitioners' expertise. Doing so can help researchers and educators collaborate to share actionable insights with one another and identify additional questions that require further exploration.

This analysis plan proposes the specifications for analysis for various studies using the third cycle of the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS 2018) data. It serves as a link between the "TALIS 2018 Conceptual Framework" and the reporting plan. After a brief introduction in Section 1, Sections 2 and 3 suggest analyses for the eleven focal themes collected in the 2018 dataset. The analyses are grounded in literature discussed in detail in the conceptual framework and questions of interest based on the priorities set forth by the Board of Participating Countries (BPC) and later in subsequent TALIS Governing Board (TGB) meetings. Section 2 highlights, by theme, new items, items measured across TALIS cycles, scale constructs (when applicable), and within-theme multivariate analyses. Section 3 provides recommendations for research questions to test between thematic indicators and includes a reference look-up table that identifies the most appropriate aggregation unit for analysis (teacher-, school-, or system-level) based on the item construction and the policy questions of interest. Section 4 outlines the reporting standards for the TALIS 2018 data with subsections that discuss: defining the participants, estimation statistics, displaying statistical information, specifications for scales and specifications for statistical models. The target audience for this analysis plan are internal analysts working on the project, such as those at the OECD and, by extension, analysts in national centres.

Diana Wilkinson, Chief Social Researcher with the Scottish Government, assisted National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) to facilitate a forum to discuss the development of national research priorities for the vocational education and training sector. This paper summarises Diana Wilkinson's impression of the forum and uses two contrasting case studies of Scotland and Australia to consider the extent to which it is feasible to align academic research investment with medium-term priority-setting. (Contains 13 footnotes and 1 table.)

The role of community colleges in preparing the next generation of teachers in U.S. classrooms continues to evolve. In many states, community colleges are no longer playing an informal or tangential role in teacher preparation and instead are becoming critical leaders in efforts to develop a pool of highly effective teachers for states and regions that have demand which far exceeds supply. In August of 2006, the Education Commission of the States and the National Center for Teacher Transformation convened representatives from a variety of national organizations representing state higher education executive officers, community colleges, teacher preparation programs, teacher accreditation and K-12 education to discuss the role of community colleges in teacher education. The meeting focused on how community colleges can meet the needs of an increasingly diverse teaching industry and catalyze reform in teacher education. This paper describes a variety of forces in education policy and reform that are providing an important context to the role of community colleges in teacher education. In addition, the paper articulates how community colleges can capitalize on their unique attributes as responsive institutions that serve a diverse population of students and industry needs to meet critical workforce demand in local and regional communities and positively impact the field of teacher education. The following are appended: (1) Participants in Community Colleges and Teacher Preparation: Roles, Issues and Opportunities Meeting (August 8-9, 2006, Washington, DC); (2) Featured Community College Teacher Preparation Programs; and (3) Resources on Community Colleges and Teacher Preparation. (Contains 37 endnotes.) [This paper was a joint project of Education Commission of the States (ECS) and the National Center for Teacher Transformation.]

This document, which was developed by a task force whose members represent the instructional, student support service, administrative, and executive ranks of technical colleges with very diverse sizes, locations, and programs, lists 50 proposed indices of effectiveness regarding the program advisory committees (ACs) in Minnesota's technical colleges. The indices are divided in a manner designed to suggest a working format for the development of a leadership guide that will eventually be written to train AC members to plan and implement comprehensive curricular reviews. Specifically, the 50 indices of effectiveness are organized as follows: organizing an AC (purpose, function, structure, policy, practice); helping AC members become acquainted (relationship building); maintaining AC vitality by establishing definite member life-cycles and considering specified criteria when selecting members (occupational expertise, industry perspective, peer recognition, commitment, diversity); working together as a group to solve problems, make decisions, plan, forecast trends, and anticipate the future (knowledge/skills, facilitator competencies, group ownership); planning and conducting effective AC meetings; and developing an AC work plan. Appended is the task force membership roster. Contains 14 references. (MN)

The mission of AONTAS to "advocate for the right of every adult in Ireland to quality learning" is a testament to its commitment to the adult learner as the central focus of further education and training services. In its current strategic plan which is underpinned by three key themes; voice, visibility and value AONTAS articulates as one of its key principles: to support and affirm the voice of adult learners as the core of its advocacy work. In order to support this principle AONTAS engages in a number of activities which are learner specific--these include information referral for learners and adults returning to education and training and capacity building opportunities for learners to become strong role models. This paper sets out AONTAS position on how the learner voice can best be represented in order to reflect the diversity of adult learning and to ensure that learners have more of a say in service delivery. In making a case for learner forums, NIACE, the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education in the UK has already outlined how learner engagement can provide for better decision making, more effective services and greater cost effectiveness in designing services. In this paper a number of activities and mechanisms are proposed which could support and enhance learner representation across the further education and training services. Appended are: (1) Charter for Learning (Limerick City Adult Learner Forum); and (2) The 9 Steps for Wales. (Contains 16 footnotes.)

The authors analyzed 283 papers dealing with astronomy education published in the IAU proceedings from 1988 to 2006. The analysis was conducted to determine both the characteristics and trends of published research studies in order to determine whether researchers should consider taking new directions. The authors conclude that educational research requires deeper treatments dealing with epistemological questions, as well as teaching and learning processes. The authors hope that this analysis will stimulate the development of scientific investigations more appropriate to the needs of astronomy education. (Contains 5 tables.)

Students need democratic models operating in their daily lives and opportunities to exercise their democratic rights and responsibilities. From 1995-1997 an action research project studied the effect "Judicious Discipline," a democratic citizenship model for school and classroom management, had on students, educators, and parents. "Judicious Discipline" is the only model for school/classroom management that is based on principles of democracy and operates at the principled level of moral development. Students and educators in two southwest Minnesota schools, an elementary school with 425 students, and a middle school with 300 students participated in the project. Quantitative data were collected through a questionnaire administered to all students in both schools at three separate times throughout the 1995-96 school year. Instruction was by the school principal, counselors, and other resource staff. The importance of conducting democratic class meetings emerged from the action research project findings. A different questionnaire was used to determine stages of social development at which students in various home rooms operated. Two teachers in the middle school conducted democratic class meetings and 10 teachers did not. A comparison of survey results indicated that the two teachers who conducted democratic class meetings generated a class climate that was more aligned with autonomous social development than did the 10 teachers with no meetings. Democratic class meetings have certain key elements that the model calls for, such as determining who can call a meeting, setting ground rules, having the teacher lead the meetings, writing down goals, and not coercing student participation. (Contains 3 tables and 15 references.) (BT)

The paper described the Input, Process, Product, and Impact (IPPI) model in preparation for a 1972 Management Information System for Occupational Education (MISOE) planning conference. The IPPI model is designed (1) to provide a structure for integrated State and local decision-making within occupational education and for decision-related descriptive information which accounts for reality by decision types within the model, and (2) to provide a framework for analysis of relationships between inputs and process with product and impact. The system also permits decision-makers to simulate the interactive effects of the total system over time. The model describes the totality of occupational education; links to the larger world occur with input and impact. The paper establishes some differentiations, distinctions, and definitions, and thereby provides a structure for project development which not only stipulates developmental tasks, but ties consultants and staff to development in a functional way. Eight tasks are described in the paper, related to space differentiations, variable selection, instrumentation, the sample, the information system, analysis types, simulation, and other information needs. The final section of the paper suggests an integrated procedure for task development, including a schedule for the planning conference. (Author/AJ)

Several ways in which the speech event may constitute a frame for performing and interpreting a particular speech genre are illustrated in the Samoan "fono," a meeting of chiefs and orators. In this event, both the organization of verbal interaction and the particular kind of language used by participants is distinct from the participants' conversations in other social situations. The turn-taking rules are different, the lexicon is specially suited for the context, different terms are used for differentiating statuses and ranks, and the morphology and syntax are distinctive. Within the event itself, native speakers differentiate two types of speech: "lauga" and "talanoaga," and the terms used for this distinction in the fono speeches also refer to but do not match types of speech found outside the fono, illustrating again that the speech event is a key to interpreting the genres in each case. This is related to the notion of verbal art as performance: despite their structural similarities, two instances of the same speech genre are both performed by the speechmaker and perceived by the audience in a different way. (MSE)

The Alberta Initiative for School Improvement (AISI) is a province-wide partnership program whose goal is to improve student learning and performance by fostering initiatives that reflect the unique needs and circumstances of each school authority. It is currently ending its third cycle and ninth year of implementation. "The Colloquium on Large Scale Improvement: Implications for AISI" took place in Edmonton, October 20-22, 2008. The purposes of the colloquium were to share information about AISI from multiple perspectives and to set a strategic direction for the future of the program. The colloquium brought together three perspectives on the program--that of AISI partners, school authorities, and experts in areas of strategic importance to AISI. Representatives from these groups made presentations, participated in the deliberations, and wrote chapters for this report. This report divides into three parts. Part 1: Partner Perspectives, contains: (1) AISI: from Inception to Transformation (Nelly McEwen and Dianna Millard); (2) Has AISI Run Out of Gas? (Heather Welwood); (3) ASCA Thoughts on AISI--Past, Present, and Future (Tina Boymook); (4) Getting to the Heart(h) of AISI (J.C.. Couture); (5) Experiencing AISI from a School Business Officials Perspective (Christine L. Lee and Alberta Hutchings); (6) AISI: The College of Alberta School Superintendents Perspective (Paulette Hanna;) and (7) Enhancing Professional Practice and Mobilizing Knowledge (Philip McRae). Part 2: School Authority Perspectives, contains: (8) AISI --Winds of Change: Shifting to Collaboration (Ian Osborne and Sheldon Rowe); (9) AISI: Growing from Good to Great (Jenise Bidulock, Corrie Ziegler, and Debbie Jackson); (10) AISI Footprints in Pembina Hills (Judy Lefebvre and Richard Harvey); (11). From the Inside Out: An AISI Journey (Del Litke and Gerry Varty); (12) Looking Back / Planning Forward (Judy MacKay and Lucy Miller); and (13) Systemic Change for School Improvement (Brian Andjelic). Part 3: External Perspectives, contains: (14) Evidence for Educational Policy and Practice: What is Credible? What is Useful? (Robert Crocker); (15) The Present and Possible Theory of Change for AISI (Andy Hargreaves); (16) I Have a Dream: School Improvement for Enriching Communities (Pasi Sahlberg); and (17) Educational Innovation and Complexity 2.0: Some Implications for AISI (Brent Davis and Dennis Sumara). (Contains 53 footnotes and 27 figures.)

This document is a summary of the "First Experts' Meeting: Defining Areas of Action to Enhance Learning--From Access to Success," which took place at UNESCO Headquarters from March 26 to 28, 2007. The meeting brought together some 30 experts from around the world including researchers, educators, educational planners, representatives of United Nations Agencies and selected government officials, with the intention of stimulating critical thought and discussion on how to enhance learning and critically examine the internal and external factors influencing the learning process. The report provides ideas for expanding existing initiatives and developing new ones while improving cooperation and partnership at all levels. Annexes provide: (1) Agenda; (2) List of Participants; and (3) Background Note.

One of the indicators of the health of an organization is the number of individuals participating in its annual meeting. Factors influencing meeting attendance and the relationships between positive attendance indicators and registration were studied for the Mid-South Educational Research Association, using participant data for 1984 through 1992. Possible attendance factors considered were paper submissions, accepted papers, number of participants, proceedings listings, number of registrants, host city population, and recency. Changing the location of the annual meeting does not appear to cause major shifts in the geographic composition of those who attend. Site rotation does have a tendency to produce positive effects on participation in the host state both during the host year and the subsequent year. Initial attempts to predict registration on the basis of information available from previous years (numbers of submissions, accepted papers, participants, and individuals in the proceedings) were less than successful. Required advance registration of participants may provide the best indicator of meeting registration, while it minimizes on-site registration efforts and delays. Five tables present study data, and a map depicts meeting sites. (SLD)

This paper, which presents some ideas about establishing a consortium of institutes for development and research in Europe, is aimed at institute management personnel and was written especially for a meeting in The Hague, the Netherlands, in December 1989. The word "consortium" expresses organizers' view that institutes can profit from each others' work and can attain common goals through cooperation. Institutes can use each others' products such as curriculum materials, procedures and approaches, information and documentation, and staff training facilities. The proposed consortium's core function is to bring together expertise, experience, results, and know-how concerning educational improvement through research and development. After providing some background information, the paper discusses feasibility issues and the need to develop a formula embracing intended aims, forecasted problems, financing possibilities, and ways to encourage institutional participation. Responsibilities of the proposed council, executive committee, and advisory committees are detailed, as well as the consortium's role in expanding relationships with existing networks, programs, and international organizations. Ideally, the consortium should remain independent of these international organizations while establishing good working relationships with program managers. Finally, important practical issues are discussed concerning membership eligibility, funds and operating expenses, communication and language choices, decision-making procedures, and consortium name and status. (MLH)

This Project COPERNICUS (Cooperation Programme in Europe for Research on Nature and Industry through Coordinated University Studies) Round Table report considers efforts to identify priorities and objectives of the new alliance between the higher education community, industry, and international organizations in addressing today's environmental issues. The report provides the working documents from the Round Table, a summary of the proceedings, conclusions and recommendations from the discussions, the Round Table agenda, a list of the participants, and a selected bibliography of 87 items. Working documents include: "The Role of the Universities in Building Tomorrow's Europe" (Richard Perusse--in English and French); and "A Discussion Guide on Environmental Education and Training" (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization). A summary of the introductory paper by Grzegorz Bialkowski is also provided. (GLR)

During the 1983-84 school year the Office of Equal Educational Opportunity (OEEO) of the Chicago (Illinois) Board of Education organized 11 Desegregation Town Meetings to enlist parents and citizens in carrying out a court-mandated school desegregation plan. The meetings provided the following information: (1) the priorities of the desegregation plan; (2) the functions of the OEEO; (3) the relationship of parents to the local schools; and (4) the allocation of OEEO funds. Each meeting included presentations on several of the following topics: (1) effective schools; (2) magnet schools/student transfers; (3) finance and budget; (4) bilingual education; (5) affirmative action; (6) special education; (7) the High School Renaissance Program; and (8) the Uniform Discipline Code. Audience size varied according to the location of the meeting, and the racial composition of the audience generally reflected the racial composition of the respective neighborhood. Questions and comments from the audiences reflected the problems of the particular districts. An observer who attended 10 of the 11 meetings reported that all of the panelists at all of the meeetings were well-prepared and that informational packets were distributed at every meeting. Problems included the failure to provide a translator and information packets in Spanish at a meeting in a predominantly Hispanic American neighborhood, the inability of panelists to answer some questions, and the difficulty of drawing large audiences. Statistical data are presented in two tables. (FMW)

According to participants at Northern Illinois' Spring Colloquium on Adventure Education, adventure programs can spark enthusiasm, inspire vision, and bring to the level of consciousness the underlying questions of life and meaning. Such programs can prepare people to seek adventure safely and without damage to the environment and can be defined broadly enough to incorporate programs and experiences that lack physical risk. These three basic philosophies were considered of equal value by participants who responded to a questionnaire dealing with the philosophy, values and goals of Adventure Education and the value of the colloquium itself. Respondents felt that experiences of the nature presented at the colloquium belong in the public schools. Participants were asked to indicate the extent to which they felt prepared to take part in or lead adventure experiences. Those who felt well prepared considered adventure experiences as unique opportunities to develop one's potential and worth. They also felt the colloquium was well done and actually provided an opportunity to develop leadership skills. Those who did not feel well prepared tended to feel that the colloquium fell short of their expectations. Overall, however, participants indicated that the concerns of risk, liability and insurance were well covered and that the program provided an adequate rationale for adventure programs and enough actual outdoor experiences. (DS)