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Professional references are widely used in hiring decisions, yet their effectiveness remains largely understudied. This study analyzes structured ratings collected from the professional references of teacher applicants and conduct an experiment to see whether the ratings influence hiring managers' assessments of applicants and hiring decisions. There is little evidence that providing reference ratings to hiring managers influences their evaluations of candidates or hiring choices in productive ways. However, the analysis suggests that reference ratings are predictive of future job performance independent of other applicant information available to hiring managers. The result is a paradox: reference ratings offer potentially low-cost, high-value information, but hiring managers do not appear to make productive use of them.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the implementation and impact of a computer science-integrated math curriculum, the Beauty and Joy of Computing (BJC), combined with curriculum and professional development support for Computer Science Principles (CSP) teachers, funded by an Innovation and Research (EIR) grant. Methods: The study used a randomized controlled trial design where schools from the IDEA public schools were randomly assigned to use the BJC curriculum (treatment) or, the business as usual, Code.org (comparison). The study compared AP CSP test scores and student attitudes towards CSP between students in the treatment and comparison group. Results: The study found that the average AP CSP scores were low in both the treatment and comparison groups. About one-quarter of test takers (25%) earned a passing score of 3 or higher (compared to national average of 64%). The results of the analyses show that there were no statistically significant differences between the BJC and comparison groups. The study also showed that students in the treatment group responded more favorably on all student engagement in CSP constructs than comparison students, the size of the differences between the treatment and comparison condition were small and none were statistically significant. Implications: Since the evaluation examined student outcomes in the same year that the new curriculum was implemented for this first time, finding significant impacts on student outcomes may require more time. Nevertheless, the results of this evaluation inform IDEA staff, practitioners, and other researchers on the intervention's effectiveness, and they provide insights on how to improve curriculum use to further improve student outcomes.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the implementation and impact of the IDEA Public Schools' Mathematics Curriculum Redesign (MCR) effort, funded by an Innovation and Research (EIR) grant. Methods: The study used a quasi-experimental matching design to examine the effect of MCR on student achievement outcomes. The study compared outcomes between the two cohorts of students at IDEA Public Schools that piloted the MCR and matched cohorts of students in IDEA schools that had delayed implementation of MCR. Results:?The study found statistically significant differences in IDEA Geometry test scores (ES = 0.39) between treatment and comparison group students in Grade 9 and on AP Calculus exam scores between treatment and comparison group students in Grade 12 (ES = 0.57). The study also found that the MCR program met the evaluation threshold for fidelity of implementation for the two out of three key program components (development of redesigned math curriculum and teacher use of math curriculum) in some years. The program did not meet the evaluation threshold for fidelity of implementation for the third key program components (teacher training and professional development to use redesigned math curriculum) in any of the years. Implications:?Because curriculum development and implementation are ongoing and iterative, realizing all of the benefits is not immediate and may take more time to achieve desired results. Continuous improvement of the curriculum and consistent supports to teachers will contribute to continued benefits for teachers and students while moving toward reaching anticipated student outcomes.

This report provides a summary of the full "First Look" report, which presents data on students in the United States in kindergarten through grade 12 in a physical or virtual school or are homeschooled for equivalent grades. The focus of the report is on parent and family involvement in the students' education during the 2022-2023 school year, as reported by the students' parents or guardians. It includes the percentage of students who participated in selected family activities. Demographic information about students and families is presented, including students' poverty status and parents' education and language spoken at home, as well as school characteristics, such as school size and school type. These data represent circumstances after the termination of most COVID-19 pandemic safety measures limiting in-person group activities. The data for this report come from the Parent and Family Involvement in Education (PFI) Survey, administered as part of the 2023 National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES:2023).

Logical predictions about relationships between school aptitude and standardized achievement, aptitude and teachers' grades, and teachers' grades and standardized achievement can be made from the literature. These predictions are that (1) conventional school aptitude measures should predict standardized achievement test scores equally well for boys and girls but better for advantaged than disadvantaged children; (2) teachers' marks are more accurate for girls than for boys when judged against the sexes' standardized achievement test scores; are more accurate for middle-class than for disadvantaged children; and are least accurate for disadvantaged black males; and (3) teachers consistently give girls higher grades than boys but there are no important differences between boys' and girls' achievement when measured by standard achievement tests. The present study was conducted to test the strength of the relationships between pupil aptitude, standardized achievement and teachers' grades and to determine the percent of variance in grade point average accounted for by aptitude and standardized achievement in a representative sample of fifth- and ninth-grade Mexican-American, Black and Anglo students. (Author/RC)

Project Catch-Up is an ESEA Title I reading and math laboratory project for kindergarten through sixth-grade students, operating in Southern California's Newport-Mesa Unified School District. Its philosophy is that students having difficulty in reading and math can catch up with other students. Teachers take responsibility for the achievement gains of 18 low-achieving elementary students, and aides for the gains of 10 low-achieving elementary students. Staff members are free to use whatever techniques they choose and to purchase instructional materials, which they match to clearly defined objectives. Teachers and aides plan a variety of activities for each child focused on two or three specific skills that the child needs to work on. It is recommended that Project Catch-Up should be selected for a particular school district only if it can meet project requirements in the areas of instruction, management, and communication, and organization, and if resources in the following areas are available: (1) personnel, (2) material/equipment, and, (3) facilities. Project Catch-Up is one of six projects which have been selected by the U.S. Office of Education as unusually successful for teaching reading and/or math to underachieving students in low-income areas. (Author/AM)

This research was designed to develop and test a model of the Air Force manpower market. The study indicates that previous manpower supply studies failed to account for simultaneous determination of enlistments and retentions and misinterpreted regressions as supply equations. They are, instead, reduced form equations resulting from joint interaction of Air Force demand and enlistment supply activity. A stochastic process model is used to represent the Air Force manpower market. Variables determining manpower inventory levels, personnel turnover, and new enlistment flows are the mandated force level requirement, Air Force and civilian wages, the unemployment rate, and perceived civilian returns to Air Force-provided training. In the model it is possible to trace the impact of changes in the determining variables upon retention and enlistments. The empirical work supports the simultaneous demand and supply approach developed in the study. The results indicate that (1) changes in force level account for most enlistment rate changes during the all-volunteer force period, (2) higher Air Force wages have improved retention and reduce demand for new enlistments, (3) accessions show lower Air Force Qualifications Test scores, and (4) previous estimates of military manpower supply elasticities are biased downward from true elasticity. (Author/CSS)

Outstanding federal student loan debt exceeds $1.6 trillion and is owed by about 45 million borrowers. Since taking office, the Biden Administration has taken various actions to address student loan debt. These actions have ranged in scope (both in terms of borrower populations affected and associated modification costs), rationales, and the avenues through which they were taken (e.g., formal rulemaking procedures, issuance of guidance). A primary criticism of many of the actions the Biden Administration has taken relate to these actions' costs to the federal government. In contrast, supporters contend that these actions help address borrower difficulty in managing and repaying student loan debt. This report compiles executive actions taken during the Biden Administration that have affected the costs of outstanding federal student loans. It begins by briefly describing relevant federal student loan programs. It then explains the methodology CRS used to compile the list of executive actions. Next, the report discusses accounting for the costs of federal student loan programs, including discussion of the Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990 (FCRA) because CRS's methodology relies on how the U.S. Department of Education (ED) accounts for the costs of the student loan programs under this act. Finally, the report lists and describes executive actions taken in FY2021-FY2023 that ED recognized as affecting the cost of outstanding federal student loans and provides ED's cost estimate for each action. Table 1 summarizes each of these actions and their modification costs. Table 2 presents net modification costs for the relevant federal student loan programs for FY2021-FY2023.

The Houston Independent School District (HISD) is seeking a $4.4 billion bond aimed at addressing critical infrastructure and educational needs. Branded as "Renew HISD," the package would rebuild and modernize over 40 campuses, upgrade HVAC systems, improve campus security, and expand early childhood and career and technical education programs. As the district was preparing the proposal, the Kinder Institute for Urban Research fielded survey questions in January 2024 to the Greater Houston Community Panel to understand public support for a bond. Results of that survey were shared with district officials, and a follow-up survey was conducted in August 2024 to determine whether public support had changed. This brief summarizes the main findings of the January survey with additional discussion of what was learned in the August follow-up survey.

Across the nation, states and school districts face a persistent shortage of educators with expertise in promoting both the English proficiency and academic achievement of English learner (EL) students. To help improve educators' qualifications and classroom instruction for ELs, the National Professional Development (NPD) program has awarded grants for EL-focused educator professional development projects since 2002. This U.S. Department of Education-funded program allows grantees to serve the varied types of educators who work with ELs, including those preparing to join the educator workforce, and encourages grantees to focus on professional development topics and approaches supported by rigorous research evidence. In addition, the NPD program encourages grantees to engage in evaluation activities, including performance measurement and rigorous evaluations of project effectiveness, that may inform project improvement and contribute to evidence building. This study examines the extent to which NPD grantees implemented their projects in ways aligned with these program objectives, drawing primarily on a 2021 survey of all 2016 and 2017 NPD grantees.

The report "How a Federal Grant Program Is Training and Supporting Educators of English Learners" examines the extent to which National Professional Development (NPD) grantees implemented their projects in ways aligned with program objectives, drawing primarily on a survey of all 2016 and 2017 NPD grantees. This document provides background information about the NPD program (Appendix A), the data sources and measures used in this study (Appendix B), supporting statistical details and supplemental findings related to the findings presented in the report (Appendix C), and findings from additional analyses that are not discussed in the report but may help readers better understand the findings (Appendix D).

In April 2024, the School Finance Indicators Database released new estimates of school district funding gaps, which refer to the difference between how much per-pupil funding each district "receives" and how much per-pupil funding each district "needs." Linking these estimates to Texas Education Agency (TEA) student achievement ratings, this brief examines the extent of funding gaps in Texas school districts and how they impact student performance. The brief also identifies the gaps that are of greatest concern. Key findings include: (1) Overall, 73% of Texas school districts are underfunded, but the extent to which they are underfunded varies greatly; (2) Districts with larger funding gaps tend to have lower TEA student achievement ratings; and (3) About 17% of Texas school districts are considered "severely" underfunded, with funding gaps exceeding 40% of their needs. Severely underfunded districts are strongly associated with TEA student achievement ratings of C or lower.

In this brief, the authors examine changes in enrollments at the Los Angeles Community College District between fall 2017 and summer 2023 to document the extent of pandemic-era enrollment declines overall and across student populations.

Research for Action (RFA) in partnership with the University of Texas at Austin is engaged in a five-year mixed-methods study of the reforms associated with California AB 705. Over the course of the study, our team will assess the implementation, impact, and cost effectiveness of reforms associated with the law. This second interim report, presented at the conclusion of year three of the study, focuses on gaining a deeper understanding of on-campus implementation through a faculty survey administered to math and English departments across our study sample, an Interrupted Time Series analysis with nine cohorts of FTIC student data, and preliminary data collection for our cost effectiveness study. Collectively, these data highlight significant changes that colleges have made on campus regarding shifting enrollments from developmental education into transfer-level coursework in both English and math, and providing additional supports to students to promote retention and completion. We find that AB 705 has demonstrated notable successes in improving enrollment and completion rates in transfer-level courses, particularly in math, among FTIC students in California's community colleges. While our survey results suggest that faculty believe additional resources and supports would be helpful, most faculty report that implementation supports have been adequate.

We use student-level data on elementary special education identification from Washington state to explore student identification rates in the months immediately after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and over 2 subsequent years. Special education identification rates dropped dramatically in March 2020 through the end of the 2019-20 school year and remained below historical norms through 2020-21 before returning to pre-pandemic levels early in 2021-22. The magnitude of these effects implies that over 8,000 fewer elementary students were identified for special education services during the pandemic in Washington than would have been expected based on prior trends.

Math fact fluency--the ability to quickly and accurately recall basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts--is a foundational mathematical skill. "Zaner-Bloser Building Fact Fluency (BFF)" was designed to build students' conceptual understanding of arithmetic operations and increase procedural fluency among elementary school students, with the goal of strengthening math learning. LXD Research conducted a study to examine Grade 3 students' math proficiency levels on the standardized Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP) across five "Building Fact Fluency" participating schools and 20 similar Iowa comparison schools from spring 2021-spring 2023. One "Building Fact Fluency" pilot school began the program in fall 2021, and four additional schools began the program in fall of 2022. The pilot "Building Fact Fluency" school, Year 2-only "Building Fact Fluency" schools, and comparison schools had a similar percentage of students on grade level at baseline. However, Grade 3 students in "Building Fact Fluency" schools showed consistently greater improvements in the percentage of Grade 3 students on grade level in math.

This report provides a brief summary of the status of FY2025 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS) appropriations as of the cover date of this report. It also provides background on the scope of the LHHS bill generally and the context for congressional appropriations decisions, including the submission of the President's budget request for FY2025 and budget enforcement in the absence of a budget resolution. On May 23, 2024, the House Appropriations Committee voted to report its draft initial suballocations for all 12 subcommittees, including LHHS (30-22). (These draft suballocations, and subsequent revised suballocations, have not yet been reported to the House.) The Senate Appropriations Committee reported to the Senate its full set of suballocations (S.Rept. 118-190) on July 11, 2024 (15-11). On July 10, the House Appropriations Committee marked up its version of the FY2025 LHHS bill in full committee, and voted to report the bill (31-25). The bill (H.R. 9029) was reported to the House on July 12, 2024 (H.Rept. 118-585). Previously, the LHHS subcommittee had approved the draft LHHS bill on June 27, 2024 (voice vote).

There's a rise in the employment of uncertified teachers, driven by acute staffing shortages and the flexibility offered by Texas' District of Innovation plans. This reliance on uncertified educators is raising alarms among educators and policymakers alike. Concerns are mounting over whether these teachers, often entering the classroom having never worked in public schools, are equipped to meet the demands of today's classrooms. This brief presents new evidence showing that uncertified teachers are linked to declines in student achievement. The study examines the prevalence, backgrounds, and impacts of uncertified teachers on student achievement and draws attention to significant differences within this diverse group of educators. As schools continue to hire uncertified teachers to address staffing shortages, knowing the backgrounds of these teachers and how they shape student achievement helps stakeholders prioritize transition points, such as hiring individuals with previous classroom experience in non-teaching roles. This brief outlines findings from the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years and provides recommendations for policymakers and stakeholder groups.

Using data from the Quarterly Workforce Indicators, this brief explores changes in the Los Angeles County labor market and in the working-age population as a plausible explanation for some of the enrollment decline at the county's community college campuses.

Get A Skill, Get A Job, Get Ahead (G3) is a state-funded last-dollar scholarship program for students enrolling in eligible associate degree, certificate, and noncredit occupational training programs in the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) in five high-demand fields: early childhood education, healthcare, information technology, public safety, and skilled trades (construction and manufacturing). Launched in the 2021-22 academic year, the G3 initiative aims to increase enrollment, persistence, completion, and labor market success for low-to-middle-income learners. G3 has evolved over the past two years along with VCCS priorities to include a specific focus on boosting college enrollment and success of adult, Black and Hispanic, and low-income learners. In this brief, the authors highlight early insights from a study of G3 implementation and outcomes. Early analysis by VCCS shows that colleges are making progress in increasing enrollment in the five high-demand fields listed above. The authors draw on published enrollment and outcome data from VCCS and interview data collected from eight of the 23 community colleges implementing the G3 program to examine college-level G3 outreach, recruitment, and enrollment strategies and the process for awarding G3 aid.

Along with changing industry market conditions and emerging technologies, federal investments in new energy and transportation infrastructure targeted at limiting the effects of climate change are predicted to dramatically reshape the workforce. In the next ten years, as many as 9 million high-quality jobs will be created to implement new energy infrastructure and help communities adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change. Notably, these will include new jobs (e.g., in wind turbine manufacturing) and existing jobs with new skill components (e.g., automotive technician). What is the role of the nation's community and technical colleges in preparing for this workforce transition? To begin to answer this question, the CCRC hosted a symposium in April 2024 that brought together community colleges, workforce development organizations, funders, policymakers, and others to discuss the opportunities and challenges of starting, expanding, and sustaining green workforce programs. In this Call to Action, whose goal is to support work currently underway and galvanize further efforts at community colleges to prepare workers for the green economy, CCRC shares five insights from the symposium: (1) Community colleges are uniquely positioned to address challenges posed by climate change and to prepare students for jobs in the green economy; (2) Green jobs are already here; (3) Green jobs appeal to people across the political spectrum; (4) Green jobs have the potential to advance racial and economic equity; and (5) This is an optimal time for colleges to invest in green workforce training programs.

This paper examines the impact, characteristics, and entrepreneurial proclivities of foreign-born college graduates in the United States. A significant body of research has found that immigrants are more likely to start businesses than those born in the U.S., and the propensity of international students to concentrate in STEM fields indicates enormous potential for economic contributions and innovation. Yet the static nature of the immigration system, with visa pathways and restrictions that discourage business creation, hamper the nation's ability to take full advantage of the benefits immigrants can provide. In fact, this study finds that the U.S. immigration system likely delays foreign-born graduates from creating incorporated firms by as many as five years. The authors estimate that the creation of 150,000 incorporated firms and 580,000 jobs were delayed between 2013 and 2021. Without reform, the U.S. will continue to depress high-value firm creation by international students and cease to be the primary destination of global talent.