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Research teams must collaborate with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to identify effective and inclusive responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and other public health emergencies. Collaborating remotely requires telecommunication and other technologies. We designed and evaluated a digital "Toolkit for Remote Inclusive Research" to provide research teams with evidence-informed strategies to make remote research accessible to and inclusive of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. First, we completed a rapid scoping review to identify technology used by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities on collaborative research teams. Second, we designed a digital toolkit featuring 23 strategies identified in the review. Third, six inclusive researchers evaluated the toolkit. We illustrate how our team used these evidence-informed strategies during the past year to develop this and other tools to support inclusive research.

To address local workforce needs and expand access to affordable bachelor's degrees, some states allow community colleges to offer bachelor's degree programs. Despite concerns that community college baccalaureate (CCB) programs will duplicate efforts and cut into the market share of nearby 4-year institutions, extant literature has yet to examine the impact of CCB adoption on bachelor's degree program enrollment and bachelor's degree production at 4-year institutions. Using program-level data, our findings show that local CCB degree programs have a negative effect on overall bachelor's degree enrollment and bachelor's degree production at 4-year institutions, but this effect is concentrated primarily within for-profit 4-year institutions. This study represents the first comprehensive evaluation of the impact of CCB degree programs on neighboring 4-year institutions.

The authors explore the possible relationship between student satisfaction with online learning and the theory of psychological contracts. The study incorporates latent trait models using the image analysis procedure and computation of Anderson and Rubin factors scores with contrasts for students who are satisfied, ambivalent, or dissatisfied with their online learning experiences. The findings identify three underlying satisfaction components: engaged learning, agency, and assessment. The factor score comparisons indicate that students in the general satisfaction categories characterize important differences in engaged learning and agency, but not assessment. These results lead the authors to hypothesize that predetermined, but unspecified expectations (i.e., psychological contracts) for online courses by both students and faculty members are important advance organizers for clarifying student satisfaction.

Background/Context: As of 2018, a total of 19 states allow at least one community college to offer baccalaureate degrees. Previous researchers have suggested that community college baccalaureate (CCB) adoption will lead to a host of unintended consequences, including decreases in associate degree production. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study: This study empirically examines the impact of CCB adoption on associate degree production and adds to conversations surrounding the consequences of CCB adoption. Research Design: We use a quantitative quasi-experimental research design to examine the effect of CCB adoption on associate degree production. Findings/Results: When comparing adopting and non-adopting community colleges within the state of Florida, the authors find that the adoption of CCB degree programs has a positive impact on overall associate degree production, but this impact varies considerably according to the type of academic degree program. Conclusions/Recommendations: Opponents of CCB legislation have argued that giving community colleges the authority to confer baccalaureate degrees will detract from the sub-baccalaureate institutional mission of community colleges, but our results suggest that the adoption of a CCB degree program is associated with an overall increase in associate degree production. Findings from this work should be an important consideration for policymakers seeking to increase baccalaureate degree production in addition to--not at the expense of--associate degree programs.

The growth of the public discourse on college completion and student debt has pushed policymakers and institutional leaders to implement a variety of policies aimed at incentivizing student completion. This article examines state-adopted excess credit hour (ECH) policies on student completion and median debt outcomes. Using a quasi-experimental approach, we find little evidence that ECH policies positively affect student completion. However, we find statistically large estimates that adoption of ECH policies increase median student debt. Students from marginalized backgrounds (i.e., first-generation and low-income) appear to be most adversely affected by ECH policies. As states face constant pressures for resources, the adoption of tuition-based surcharges does not significantly alter student course-taking behaviors, rather shifts the cost burdens from the state to the individual student for perceived inefficiencies in students' course-taking behaviors.

Responsibility center management (RCM) budgeting systems devolve budget responsibility while creating funding formulas that provide incentives for academic units to generate revenues and decrease costs. A growing number of public universities have adopted RCM. The desire to grow tuition revenue has often been cited as a rationale for adoption. Previous research has not assessed the effect of RCM on institution-level tuition revenue. Traditional regression methods that calculate "average treatment effects" are inappropriate because RCM policies differ across universities. This study employed a synthetic control method (SCM) approach. The SCM approximates the counterfactual for an RCM adopter by creating a synthetic control institution composed of a weighted average of nonadopters. The SCM estimates the effect of RCM separately for each adopter rather than estimating the average effect across multiple adopters. We used SCM to analyze the effect of RCM adoption on tuition revenue at 4 public research universities that adopted RCM during 2008 to 2010. We found a positive relationship between RCM and tuition revenue at Iowa State University, Kent State University, and the University of Cincinnati. The magnitude of this relationship was moderately large relative to placebo adopters. We found no relationship between RCM and tuition revenue at the University of Florida.

Active-learning approaches to teaching introductory physics have been found to improve student learning and affective gains on short-term outcomes [S. Freeman et al., "Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 111," 8410 (2014)]; however, whether or not the benefits of active learning impact women to the same degree as men has been a point of concern [A. Madsen, S. B. McKagan, and E. C. Sayre, "Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res." 9, 020121 (2013)]. Further, the long-term impacts of active-learning experiences are also understudied. At Florida International University, a Hispanic-majority institution, we have implemented Modeling Instruction (MI) and the Integrated Science Learning Environment (ISLE) in introductory physics classes for the past decade. In this empirical paper, we report on a longitudinal investigation of student performance and persistence in upper level physics courses after having previously experienced MI or ISLE in their introductory physics courses, and disaggregate students by gender. Using survival analysis methods, we find women who declare physics as a major are more likely than men to graduate with a physics degree. Women are also just as likely as men to pass through the upper division courses, with the highest failure risk for both men and women occurring in the first semester of upper-division course taking. These results reinforce the need to expand considerations of performance outcomes to be longitudinal to measure the effectiveness of the entire physics experience. [This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Gender in Physics.]

This study examines the impact of merit-aid programs on secondary course taking patterns. Specifically, this study uses difference-in-differences to analyze state-level Advanced Placement (AP) participation and examination data pre and post merit-aid adoption. Results indicate increases in AP participation and number of total examinations after the adoption for merit-aid program who initial eligibility requirements are solely high school performance rather than a combined initial eligibility of high school GPA and standardized test performance. Findings illustrate the potential rationality of student decisions as they take high school courses that not only maximize their admittance into college, but also increase probability of achieving the necessary GPA to receive the merit-aid scholarship.

Grounded in policy-relevant research, the Institute of Higher Education at the University of Florida is focused on supporting local, state, and national postsecondary policy development as well as training the next generation of institutional leaders. IHE conducts rigorous scholarship focused on postsecondary policy analysis and supporting the evaluation needs of local colleges/universities within the state of Florida. Given the current economic and political climate surrounding community colleges, two data points emerge as defining for the two-year sector. Specifically, data surrounding the financial support of community colleges as well as the number of community college students transferring between the two- and four-year sectors are crucial for future success. Both variables are especially important given the federal proposal for free community colleges and the growing focus on baccalaureate degree production.

We report on a multiyear study of student attitudes measured with the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey in calculus-based introductory physics taught with the Modeling Instruction curriculum. We find that five of six instructors and eight of nine sections using Modeling Instruction showed significantly improved attitudes from pre- to postcourse. Cohen's "d" effect sizes range from 0.08 to 0.95 for individual instructors. The average effect was "d" = 0.45, with a 95% confidence interval of (0.26-0.64). These results build on previously published results showing positive shifts in attitudes from Modeling Instruction classes. We interpret these data in light of other published positive attitudinal shifts and explore mechanistic explanations for similarities and differences with other published positive shifts. (Contains 4 figures, 2 tables, and 1 footnote.)

The quantitative results of Sources of Self-Efficacy in Science Courses-Physics (SOSESC-P) are presented as a logistic regression predicting the passing of students in introductory Physics with Calculus I, overall as well as disaggregated by gender. Self-efficacy as a theory to explain human behavior change [Bandura [1977] "Psychological Review, 84(2)", 191-215] has become a focus of education researchers. Zeldin and Pajares [Zeldin & Pajares [2000] "American Educational Research Journal, 37(1)", 215] and Zeldin, Britner, and Pajares [2008] "Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 45(9)", 1036-1058] found evidence that men and women draw on different sources for evaluation of their self-efficacy in science fields. Further, self-efficacy is one of the primary dimensions of students' overall science identity and contributes to their persistence in physics [Hazari, Sonnert, Sadler, & Shanahan, 2010 "Journal of Research in Science Teaching" 47(8), 978-1003]. At Florida International University we have examined the self-efficacy of students in the introductory physics classes from the perspective of gender theory, with the intention of understanding the subtleties in how sources of self-efficacy provide a mechanism for understanding retention in physics. Using a sequential logistic regression analysis we uncover subtle distinctions in the predictive ability of the sources of self-efficacy. Predicting the probability of passing for women relies primarily on the vicarious learning experiences source, with no significant contribution from the social persuasion experiences, while predicting the probability of passing for men requires only the mastery experiences source. (Contains 10 tables and 1 figure.)

We present a method of analyzing the development of self-efficacy in real time using a framework of self-efficacy opportunities (SEOs). Considerable research has shown a connection between self-efficacy, or the confidence in one's own ability to perform a task, and success in science fields. Traditional methods of investigating the development of self-efficacy have required participants to recollect past events. This reliance on participant memory makes it difficult to understand what impact particular events may have on developing self-efficacy in the moment. We use video recordings of three undergraduate Modeling Instruction students solving a physics problem to characterize SEOs in a moment-by-moment analysis. We then validate these characterizations of the development of self-efficacy by reviewing the problem-solving session with the participants and find evidence that the SEOs identified are taken up and impact self-efficacy. This characterization and validation of SEOs in the moment represents a first step towards establishing a methodology for analyzing the development of self-efficacy in real time. (Contains 2 tables and 2 figures.)

Developing a sense of community among students is one of the three pillars of an overall reform effort to increase participation in physics, and the sciences more broadly, at Florida International University. The emergence of a research and learning community, embedded within a course reform effort, has contributed to increased recruitment and retention of physics majors. We utilize social network analysis to quantify interactions in Florida International University's Physics Learning Center (PLC) that support the development of academic and social integration. The tools of social network analysis allow us to visualize and quantify student interactions and characterize the roles of students within a social network. After providing a brief introduction to social network analysis, we use sequential multiple regression modeling to evaluate factors that contribute to participation in the learning community. Results of the sequential multiple regression indicate that the PLC learning community is an equitable environment as we find that gender and ethnicity are not significant predictors of participation in the PLC. We find that providing students space for collaboration provides a vital element in the formation of a supportive learning community. (Contains 4 figures, 3 tables, and 1 footnote.)

Florida International University has undergone a reform in the introductory physics classes by focusing on the laboratory component of these classes. We present results from the secondary implementation of two research-based instructional strategies: the implementation of the Learning Assistant model as developed by the University of Colorado at Boulder and the Open Source Tutorial curriculum developed at the University of Maryland, College Park. We examine the results of the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) for introductory students over five years (n = 872) and find that the mean raw gain of students in transformed lab sections was 0.243, while the mean raw gain of the traditional labs was 0.159, with a Cohen's "d" effect size of 0.59. Average raw gains on the FCI were 0.243 for Hispanic students and 0.213 for women in the transformed labs, indicating that these reforms are not widening the gaps between underrepresented student groups and majority groups. Our results illustrate how research-based instructional strategies can be successfully implemented in a physics department with minimal department engagement and in a sustainable manner. (Contains 2 figures and 1 table.)

Over the past decade, educators and policymakers have used a variety of approaches to designing and implementing teacher compensation programs. These approaches include federal incentive funds, state-level programs, and district initiatives. This article reviews 6 such programs in order to identify themes and draw conclusions relevant to educators, researchers and policymakers, including programs in Minnesota, Florida, New Mexico, Denver, Austin, and Houston. The programs varied in a number of ways, including the policy context in which they were conceived, how teachers were involved in program design, how accomplished teaching was defined, how specific program elements were used to reward teachers, and how student growth was rewarded. Two factors seemed to increase the success of programs in building teacher buy-in and in remaining sustainable: incorporating teachers at early stages of development, and basing teacher compensation on a range of elements in addition to standardized test scores. (Contains 2 tables and 1 note.)

We report the results of a five year evaluation of the reform of introductory calculus-based physics by implementation of Modeling Instruction (MI) at Florida International University (FIU), a Hispanic-serving institution. MI is described in the context of FIU's overall effort to enhance student participation in physics and science broadly. Our analysis of MI from a "participationist" perspective on learning identifies aspects of MI including conceptually based instruction, culturally sensitive instruction, and cooperative group learning, which are consistent with research on supporting equitable learning and participation by students historically under-represented in physics (i.e., Black, Hispanic, women). This study uses markers of conceptual understanding as measured by the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) and odds of success as measured by the ratio of students completing introductory physics and earning a passing grade (i.e., C- or better) by students historically under-represented in physics to reflect equity and participation in introductory physics. FCI pre and post scores for students in MI are compared with lecture-format taught students. Modeling Instruction students outperform students taught in lecture-format classes on post instruction FCI (61.9% vs 47.9%, p less than 0.001), where these benefits are seen across both ethnic and gender comparisons. In addition, we report that the odds of success in MI are 6.73 times greater than in lecture instruction. Both odds of success and FCI scores within Modeling Instruction are further disaggregated by ethnicity and by gender to address the question of equity within the treatment. The results of this disaggregation indicate that although ethnically under-represented students enter with lower overall conceptual understanding scores, the gap is not widened during introductory physics but instead is maintained, and the odds of success for under-represented students is not different from majority students. Women, similarly enter with scores indicating lower conceptual understanding, and over the course of MI this understanding gap increases, yet we do not find differences in the odds of success between men and women. Contrasting these results with the participationist view on learning indicates a movement toward greater equity in introductory physics but also indicates that the instructional environment can be improved. (Contains 5 figures and 3 tables.) [A 59-item list of references and notes is provided.]

Date Presented 03/22/24 The Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory–Patient Reported Outcome (PEDI–PRO) is a self-assessment of functional abilities for youth with developmental disabilities ages 14–22. A national sample of 307 established its structural, known-groups, and convergent validity. Results inform automatic scoring algorithms. Primary Author and Speaker: Andrew Persch Additional Authors and Speakers: Pengsheng Ni, Beth Pfieffer, Ariel Schwartz Contributing Authors: Fiorella Guerrero, Jessica M. Kramer [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses research on how water quality, habitat and special composition influence coral bleaching along the reef tract in southern Florida. It references a study by Daniel E. Wagner of the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida, and his colleagues, published in the June 3, 2010 issue of "Marine Ecology Progress Series." The researchers studied the coral bleaching along the reef tract in Florida Keys during a thermal-stress event in 2005 as well as the relation of the spatial pattern to the composition and habitat of the coral community. They conclude that the coral assemblages are not completely random assortments of corals.

The Florida Coastal Mapping Program (FCMaP) is a consortium of State, Federal and academic partners that is undertaking the coordination of the collection and dissemination of consistent, high-resolution seafloor data for Florida's coastal zone. The coastal zone in the context of FCMaP refers to the area extending from the shoreline to the 200-m isobath. The high-resolution data is critical for a myriad of ocean and coastal resource management applications. An existing data gap analysis revealed that less than 20% of Florida's coastal waters have been mapped using modern bathymetric methods (multibeam sonar or airborne lidar), and in some areas, less than 5% of the seafloor has modern data; where data do exist, they often date to the 1800s. Addressing the need for a more comprehensive modern map of the seafloor will take an enormous amount of effort and funding, coordination and prioritization will be critical to success. FCMaP also undertook a formal statewide seafloor mapping prioritization to solicit input from a variety of stakeholders. The results provide the first statewide perspective of user and stakeholder mapping prioritization needs for the State of Florida. The prioritization dataset identifies specific locations that would benefit the most users or stakeholders, which can help to refine targeted mapping strategies. We found that new, consistent data would greatly support and improve multiple management activities. The approach used for this effort demonstrates an effective and replicable approach to addressing the need for seafloor mapping. • Statewide coastal seafloor mapping prioritization was accomplished for Florida. • 80% of Florida's coastal seafloor has not been mapped with modern, high resolution technologies. • A novel online participatory GIS tool was developed to accomplished the prioritization process. • In addition to elevation information (bathymetry) the most desired data need is bottom type (hardness/smoothness). • A geospatial cluster analysis pinpoints specific areas where the highest numbers of respondents would benefit from data collection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]