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We use administrative panel data from seven states covering nearly 3 million students to document and explore variation in "academic mobility," a term we use to describe the extent to which students' ranks in the distribution of academic performance change during their public schooling careers. On average, we show that student ranks are highly persistent during elementary and secondary education--that is, academic mobility is limited in U.S. schools as a whole. Still, there is non-negligible variation in the degree of upward mobility across some student subgroups as well as individual school districts. On average, districts that exhibit the greatest upward academic mobility serve more socioeconomically advantaged populations and have higher value-added to student achievement.

Testing students and using test information to hold schools and, in some cases, teachers accountable for student achievement has arguably been the primary national strategy for school improvement over the past decade and a half. Tests are also intended to be used as a diagnostic tool to identify individual student needs, so that students can be set on a trajectory for long-term academic success. We use panel data from three states -- North Carolina, Massachusetts and Washington State -- to investigate how accurate early measures of achievement are in predicting later high school outcomes. We contribute to the literature in three distinct ways. First, the long panels we employ allow us to quantify the accuracy of models predicting how early (3rd and 4th grade) measures of student background and achievement predict several later schooling outcomes: 8th grade test achievement, high school course-taking, and high school graduation. Second, we test the extent to which predictions based on distinct segments of student data (e.g. grades 3 to 8, then 8 to 12) sacrifice forecast accuracy; this is of particular policy relevance for states or localities that do not yet have long administrative data panels. Finally, we test the degree to which the use of parameter estimates from models predicting schooling outcomes derived from one state diminish the accuracy of predicting outcomes in other states.

This study finds that, breaking with decades of slow improvement, U.S. reading and math scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and other assessments have seen historic declines since most states implemented national Common Core English and math curriculum standards six years ago. This descriptive analysis is designed to be understood by a general, non-technical readership. It primarily compares student achievement gains on the NAEP after implementation of Common Core to student achievement gains in the years preceding implementation of Common Core. Since test score results, by their nature, tend to "bounce" somewhat from one year to the next and gains are rarely perfectly smooth, a significant part of the analysis determines the average annual gain since implementation of Common Core and compares that to the average annual gain before implementation of Common Core. This report also includes a section addressing defenses by Common Core advocates denying responsibility for the poor results. The following state samples are included: (1) California; (2) Florida; (3) Georgia; (4) Illinois; (5) Kentucky; (6) Massachusetts; and (7) New York.

The inter-district school choice law in Massachusetts was passed in 1991. Its two main goals were to provide education options to Massachusetts parents and children, and to spur competition among districts. School choice allows school districts to enroll non-resident pupils from other districts at a tuition cost that starts at $5,000 but averages more than $6,000 when special education expenses are added in. The tuition is paid entirely by the students' home districts, at no cost to the parents. In fiscal year 2017, more than 16,000 of the Commonwealth's 950,000 students were enrolled as choice pupils. Nearly 60 percent (190) of the state's 322 school districts accepted students through the program. There is one common complaint about the program. The law says the tuition rate should be 75 percent of the receiving district's per pupil expenditure or $5,000, whichever is lower. The $5,000 cap has been in place since the program's inception 27 years ago. At this point all receiving districts are subject to that cap, which should be raised to levels high enough to incentivize more high-performing districts to accept non-residents. At the same time, consideration must be given to maintaining fiscal stability in the sending districts. Even those who are aware of the program may be uninformed about the specifics of how it actually works. The admission process is designed to be open and non-discriminatory. Treatment of students after admission is straightforward: the students treated just like residents. The funding is at first blush blessedly simple--$5,000 per pupil plus any special education charges--but if one digs deeper it becomes far more intricate. Recently, there has been little independent research published on the topic perhaps because it has changed very little since it's inception. This paper attempts to bring into focus not just the mechanics of how it functions, but some of the issues surrounding the program, and recommendations for how they might be resolved in the future.

UMass' flagship Amherst campus has become increasingly prestigious over the last decade and a half. The growing prominence of UMass Amherst has made the school competitive with the nation's most elite public universities. However, the policies that have largely driven the school's standings have controversial implications for Massachusetts residents seeking to enroll there. Massachusetts students are finding it increasingly difficult to gain admission, and some parents of rejected or waitlisted UMass applicants share concerns that the University has prioritized maximizing the financial benefit derived from accepting out-of-state students over serving in-state applicants. Based on information provided to Pioneer Institute by the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education in response to a public records request, there are notable differences when comparing the profiles of in-state and out-of-state students accepted at UMass Amherst. Admissions changes, taken from publicly reported UMass Amherst data, show a pattern in which a higher proportion of out-of-state students have been accepted to UMass each year for over a decade, with the exception of fall 2017, when more in-state than out-of-state students were accepted for the first time since 2014. The combined trends of increasing the volume of out-of-state acceptances and a slightly higher acceptance rate for this cohort suggest that it is getting easier for out-of-state students to matriculate at UMass Amherst, while admissions standards have become disproportionately more rigorous for Massachusetts residents. The UMass system has aggressively sought to increase its out-of-state population, and UMass Amherst in particular has defended its nonresident recruitment efforts. Data presented by the 2016 Pioneer reports combined with information in this paper delineate UMass' proactive out-of-state recruitment. Examples from other state university systems offer useful guidance to address these trends and ameliorate the harm to Massachusetts residents.

This report is drafted with state leaders and policy makers in mind, including those who work with or support these education leaders. The information shared in this report will likely be most relevant to states that have either not yet considered a new data system on teacher preparation providers, are only now starting to consider the idea, or are currently embarking on plans to design and implement such a system. This report offers two primary functions to readers. First, it illustrates the benefits of teacher preparation data systems as they have been experienced by states who have them or are building them. It makes the case for this work through "real-life" examples. Second, it offers best practices to help states in moving forward on planning and implementing such systems, drawn from the direct experiences of the featured states. Featured states in this report include: Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Illinois, and Louisiana. Each best practice is accompanied by at least one example of how a featured state chose to implement it. Readers should use the best practices offered in this report as a set of guideposts that every state that has done this work believes are critical elements of the process. States should execute each guidepost in the way that is most effective for their own needs. The various examples illustrate how a state could choose to execute the best practice while making clear that states take different approaches to the same practice.

This paper is the first in Pioneer Institute's UMass at a Crossroads series. In the opening study, the authors focus on UMass' significant growth in two areas, academic competitiveness and student enrollment, compared to other New England state universities, MA private universities, national private universities and national public universities. UMass has expanded enrollment more rapidly than other comparable university systems in the last ten years. As this paper will illustrate, UMass' enrollment expansion has continued against the backdrop of a projected decline in high school graduates in Massachusetts. The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) forecasts that the number of high school graduates will decline by 11.4 percent from 2015-16 to 2027-28. In spite of these projections, the school has continued to grow its enrollment and expand its capital facilities to historic levels. Through the past decade of enormous growth in enrollment, the university has significantly elevated its academic profile. This is evidenced by its rise in rankings--in just five years UMass Amherst, UMass' flagship campus, rose more than 20 in rank in the top 100 of U.S. News and World Report's 2014 rankings of national universities. UMass' rising academic rank and its growing national profile have led to increasingly competitive admissions, which has made it considerably more difficult for Massachusetts students to be admitted. One of the most significant contributing factors to this trend has been the university's admittance of a growing percentage of out-of-state and international students in recent years. While UMass has been accepting significantly higher volumes of out-of-state students relative to in-state enrollees, the school's enormous growth is also reflective of its growing popularity as a higher education option for in-state students. Pioneer raises the question of whether the continued expansion of UMass, based largely on increased enrollment of out-of-state students, is in the best interest of the commonwealth. With a comprehensive examination of trends in enrollment, Pioneer's aim is to illustrate the degree to which UMass' changing priorities in recruitment present a number of a grave concerns for in-state students and Massachusetts residents at-large. UMass is fundamentally changing, and this evaluation of the trends of the last ten years is part of a larger discussion about how the university can best serve the commonwealth while maintaining a sustainable fiscal course. [For "UMass at a Crossroads Part 2: Is UMass' Expansion Fiscally Sustainable? White Paper No. 146," see ED598659. For "UMass at a Crossroads Part 3: UMass' Growing Dependency on Tuition and Fees and Strategic Recruitment of Out-of-State Students. White Paper No. 147," see ED598661.]

Although the recent wave of mortgage foreclosures has clearly been accompanied by economic hardship, relatively little research has examined how foreclosures affect the academic performance of students. This paper investigates the relationship between mortgage foreclosures and the academic performance of students using a unique dataset that matches information on the standardized test scores and attendance of individual Boston Public School students with real estate records indicating whether the student lived at an address involved in foreclosure and whether that student's parent or guardian was the owner or a tenant in the property. Econometric analysis of this relationship suggests that foreclosures are associated with slightly lower test scores and attendance, controlling for the previous-year's test score and attendance as well as other student characteristics and environmental factors. The results suggest that both the foreclosure event and the diminished student outcomes stem from underlying economic stress within the family. School changes during the school year, which are sometimes induced by foreclosure-related residential moves but also occur independently of foreclosure, may be associated with more substantial negative effects on academic performance than foreclosures, although this causal relationship is not certain. This latter finding suggests that policies that decouple residential moves from school changes during the school year may help to mitigate this indirect effect of foreclosure on student performance. This Working Paper also includes a Data Appendix.

For two decades, researchers at the Economic Policy Institute have been tracking nine school districts, typical of districts nationwide, to understand how the spending levels and composition in elementary and secondary education have changed over time. The first report, "Where's the Money Gone?" (1995) tracked expenditures from 1967 to 1991. The second report, "Where's the Money Going?" (1997) carried the analysis forward to 1996. These reports concluded that conventional views of the rise of education spending are exaggerated because inflation in educational services is more rapid than inflation in the economy overall. When an appropriate education price deflator is applied, elementary and secondary school spending increases since 1967 have been substantial, but not as much so as commonly believed. The authors have now completed a new analysis that carries the data through 2005. They find that the trends identified in earlier reports have continued: real spending increases that are slower than conventionally believed when an appropriate price deflator is used, and a continued growth of special education as a share of total elementary and secondary expenditures. Publication of the full report, covering changes in the level and composition of spending from 1967 to 2005, is forthcoming. Until that time, to assist researchers and policy makers, this briefing paper contains the data tables that will eventually appear in that full report. (Contains 40 tables.)

This resource toolkit for working education service providers contains four sections. Section 1, "Roles Responsibilities, and Relationships," contains: (1) "Purchasing Services from an Educational Management Organization," excerpted from "The Charter School Administrative and Governance Guide" (Massachusetts Dept. of Education); (2) ESP Agreement Process (Central Michigan University); (3) Educational Service Provider Policies (Central Michigan University); (4) Legal Opinion Template (Central Michigan University); (5) Disclosure of Financial Interest Form (Massachusetts Dept. of Education); and (6) Annual Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form (Central Michigan University). Section 2, "The Charter Application Stage," contains: (1) Selected Questions, "Charter Schools Application Kit," 5th ed. (State University of New York); (2) Existing Design Applicant Evaluation (Mayor's Office of Indianapolis); (3) Excerpt, "Annotated Guide to the California State Board of Education Model Charter School Application"; (4) Public School Academy Board Application (Central Michigan University); and (5) Questions for Prospective Charter School Board Members, "Charter Schools Application Kit," 5th ed. (State University of New York). Section 3, "Reviewing School Management Contracts," contains: (1) Educational Service Provide Review Sheet (Central Michigan University); (2) Excerpt, "The Charter School Administration and Governance Guide" (Massachusetts Dept. of Education); and (3) Management Contract Review Checklist (Massachusetts Dept. of Education). Section 4, "Additional Resources and Sample Documents," contains: (1) Comprehensive Management Services Contract Requirements (Chicago Board of Education); (2) Charter Contract Provision Concerning Public Information (Ferris State University); (3) ESP Quality and Performance Assessment (School Lane Charter School); and (4) Sample School Management Contract (Chicago). Appended are: (1) Maintenance, Repairs and Improvements; (2) Certain Insurance Requirements; and (3) Dispute Resolution. Individual sections contain footnotes.

The purpose of this paper is to showcase new research that seeks to provide guidance on the heterogeneity of treatment effects by utilizing the variance of demographic differences in state assessments. This study is focused on a simple randomized block design where students are nested within schools, and within each school students are randomized into treatment or control conditions. The data utilized come from several states: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. From these states, the authors examined the difference between demographic groups in grades 3-8 in both math and reading scores. While the online resource will include all these grades and subjects, the authors present tables for 4th and 8th grade only for brevity. [SREE documents are structured abstracts of SREE conference symposium, panel, and paper or poster submissions.]

Boston Public Schools is at a crossroads. Nearly one-third of the system's schools operate under one of several "autonomy" structures, where school leaders have increased flexibility regarding staffing and other resources, and choice data indicate parents are far more likely to prefer these schools over so-called "traditional" schools. This paper explores the question of how Boston Public Schools can strengthen and support autonomy and accountability across its portfolio to promote innovation for equity and high performance. The findings and recommendations draw on detailed investigations of how five other urban school systems are navigating many of the same challenges that Boston faces today. The paper divides the research into six chapters. Chapter One: Introduction; Chapter Two: Methodology and Approach; Chapter Three: Findings from Boston; Chapter Four: Findings from Peer Districts; Chapter Five: A Proposed Path Forward; and Chapter Six: Conclusion. The paper also includes nineteen appendices: (1) Growth of Autonomous Schools in the Boston Public Schools; (2) Growth of Boston Student Population; 1990-2012, (3) Members of BPS Cross-Functional Working Group; (4) Boston Public Schools and Related Staff Interviewed for the Research; (5) Current Boston Public Schools School-Based Autonomies; (6) Growth in Scores by School Type and Subject; (7) Case Studies of BPS "Top Quadrant Schools";;(8) Case Studies of Peer Districts; (9) Members of the Advisory Group; (10) Student Choice and Assignment by School Type; (11) Flexibilities Available through School Site Council Waivers; (12) BPS Principal Survey Results--Preferred Autonomies,; (13) School-by-School Demographic and Incoming Proficiency Data, SY2013-2014; (14) Extended Learning Time Analysis; (15) Time in School for Commonwealth Charters vs. BPS; (16) Teacher Demographics and Compensation Across School Types; (17) School Leader Experience, by School Type; (18) BPS Principal Survey Results--Evaluation of District Services, and (19) BPS Teacher Survey.

TNTP has been investigating the importance of school environment and leadership practices using a survey tool called "Instructional Culture Insight," which measures teachers' perceptions of their school environments. In "Greenhouse Schools: How Schools Can Build Cultures Where Teachers and Students Thrive (2012)," TNTP found that school culture matters for the retention of high-performing teachers and for student achievement overall, and a handful of elements that seem to be consistent across schools with particularly positive environments were identified. Those places are referred to as "greenhouse schools." Greenhouse practices in Boston include: (1) Consistent learning environments that enable a focus on student growth; (2) Teacher development through observation, feedback, and peer modeling; (3) Early hiring with a high bar; and (4) Right responses to Good and poor performance. Research has found that on average, students perform 16 percentage points higher in numeracy and 14 percentage points higher in literacy in greenhouse schools, compared to schools in the same district or charter sector that perform toward the bottom. Based on those findings, TNTP researchers wondered if part of the explanation for Boston charter schools' robust student growth could be stronger climates for excellent teaching. This paper revisits the original premise of "Greenhouse Schools" by looking closely at what's happening in Boston's charter sector. To do this, TNTP used the Instructional Culture Insight tool to measure school culture in around two-thirds of Boston's charter schools. The hope was that exploring school cultures--and the school leadership practices that contribute to those cultures--in a set of high-performing schools could provide strategies that school leaders in both charter and district schools elsewhere could use. The paper compares Boston charter schools with more than 200 charter schools across the country to identify what they do differently to achieve such different results. One result is clear: Boston's success with students isn't just good luck. Smart, strategic choices on the part of school leaders are contributing to the development of school environments where teachers can do their best work, and students are benefitting as a result. Case studies are contained in the Appendix. [For this report, Leslie Gabbianelli and Melissa Wu led research and analysis, with support from Kymberlie Schifrin. Several members of the TNTP leadership team--Amanda Kocon, Karolyn Belcher, Daniel Weisberg, Ariela Rozman, Timothy Daly, and David Keeling--shared their insights. Kate McGovern led writing and Keith Miller led design. The report, graphics and figures were designed by Kristin Girvin Redman and Michael Sambar at Cricket Design Works in Madison, Wisconsin. For more information about the research methodology behind this paper, a technical appendix is available at www.tntp.org/greenhouse-schools-in-boston. To view "Greenhouse Schools: How Schools Can Build Cultures Where Teachers and Students Thrive" see ED533216.]

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education commissioned this paper to explore several questions about students who are English language learners (ELL) in Massachusetts: (1) For how many years is a typical ELL student in Massachusetts classified as limited English proficient (LEP)?; (2) How much variation is there in a the number of years it takes to exit a student from ELL services and LEP status, and does this suggest different policies and practices at the district level?; (3) How do formerly LEP students perform better if they exited LEP status relatively sooner than later; and (4) How predictive are MEPA scores in determining when ELL students transition out of LEP status? This paper reviews the data that bear on these questions to help identify successful approaches for transitioning ELL students out of LEP status and into the general education program. Tables are appended.

People of color make up a vital and growing part of Metro Boston's workforce, yet they face substantial challenges in obtaining employment (especially in faster-growing and higher-paying sectors), in reaching locations of rapid job growth, and in earning a livable income. Latinos and blacks face the greatest hurdles, yet certain Asian populations struggle as well--especially those with less education and those working in the shrinking manufacturing sector or low-paying service jobs. Previous work by the Metro Boston Equity Initiative of The Civil Rights Project at Harvard University has examined the related challenges of segregated housing patterns and unequal educational opportunities faced by racial and ethnic minorities in Metro Boston. This paper takes the next logical step--exploring how segregated living patterns limit minority access to fast growing job areas and how unequal educational opportunities and high drop-out rates handicap minorities in a labor market where the gap between the economic returns to those workers with education and skills and those without is widening. The paper makes several recommendations to promote equity and opportunity for workers of color in Metro Boston. (Contains 16 exhibits and 37 footnotes.)

This report presents a conceptual framework for developing a multitype resource sharing library network utilizing automated technologies in Massachusetts. Sections describe the need for a resource sharing network plan; past planning efforts; current library automation and cooperative activities; goals and objectives related to meeting the information needs of Massachusetts residents; user and library needs; activities and advantages of resource sharing networks; barriers to networking; automated networking; the mission statement for developing automated library networking in Massachusetts; principles which should be employed in designing the resource sharing network; the designated structure of the network; activities relating to the resource sharing mission statement; adherence to standards; network funding and governance; legislation needed to facilitate resource sharing in Massachusetts; the role of the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners in an automated resource sharing network; the need for and methods of bibliographic record conversion to machine readable form; making the public aware of the network; and network evaluation. Also presented are 10 recommendations for establishing an automated resource sharing network, a 106-item bibliography, a position paper by Roland R. Piggford, and a policy report on resource sharing among libraries within the Massachusetts higher education system. (ESR)

As state education agencies turn their focus to preparing students for both college and careers, work-based learning is becoming an increasingly popular strategy for students to reinforce and deepen their classroom learning, explore future career fields and demonstrate their skills in an authentic setting. While much of the hard work to identify, establish and sustain work-based learning is a local endeavor between schools and employers, the state does have a role in creating the right environment that enables opportunities to grow, flourish and multiply. States must set a clear vision for work-based learning and provide guidance as to how it should be defined, delivered, integrated into existing efforts and made accessible to all students. This comprehensive guide builds on research from the "Connecting the Classrooms to Careers" series to help states develop and implement a statewide vision for work-based learning. The guide provides key considerations and guiding questions to walk states through the steps of building and scaling a high-quality work-based learning system, drawing on examples from states such as Tennessee and West Virginia to highlight innovative solutions to common challenges. The paper not only builds upon earlier briefs in the "Connecting the Classrooms to Careers" series, but also ties them together into one comprehensive and easy-to-use guide. Readers can learn about the strategic and deliberate work required in five key areas: (1) establishing a clear and ambitious statewide vision for the work, and using that vision to drive work and coordinate efforts throughout the entire process; (2) creating statewide intermediary organizations or establishing relationships with existing organizations who can serve as intermediaries in order to leverage the expertise and capacity of multiple stakeholders in the most efficient way. States may also leverage school-based intermediaries and coordinators; (3) addressing any major barriers to successful implementation, notably legal barriers and perceptions of legal barriers that might discourage employers from participating; (4) deciding the desired outcomes for work-based learning programs and how those outcomes will be measured. Structures and processes must also be put in place around those measures to ensure continuous improvement of programs; and (5) scaling the program so that it is available to all high school students throughout the state. [For the other reports in this series, see ED580979, ED581094, and ED581093.]

The first operational administration of the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) took place during the 2014-2015 school year. In addition to the traditional paper-and-pencil format, the assessments were available for administration on a variety of electronic devices, including desktop computers, laptop computers, and tablets. This report describes a study of the comparability of PARCC assessments administered on tablets and non-tablet devices, such as notebook and desktop computers. The goal of this study was to investigate whether assessment tasks were of similar difficulty on tablets and non-tablet devices, whether the psychometric properties of test scores were similar when comparing testing on tablets and non-tablet devices, and whether overall test performance was similar for students testing on tablets and non-tablet devices. This study examined performance on eight PARCC assessments: grade 5 mathematics, grade 7 mathematics, Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, grade 3 English language arts/literacy (ELA/L), grade 7 ELA/L, and grade 9 ELA/L. Any student who took one of the study forms on a tablet or non-tablet device in spring 2015 was eligible for inclusion in this study. Students were matched on demographic variables to create samples that would be comparable, thereby providing an unbiased comparison of performance on tablet and non-tablet devices. Overall, this study revealed consistent evidence of comparability between testing on tablets and non-tablet devices.

Background: Cluster randomized experiments that assign intact groups such as schools or school districts to treatment conditions are increasingly common in educational research. Such experiments are inherently multilevel designs whose sensitivity (statistical power and precision of estimates) depends on the variance decomposition across levels. This variance decomposition is usually summarized by the intraclass correlation structure and, if covariates are used, the effectiveness of the covariates in explaining variation at each level of the design. Objectives: This paper provides a compilation of school and district level intraclass correlation values of academic achievement and related covariate effectiveness based on state longitudinal data systems. These values are designed to be used for planning group-randomized experiments in education. The use of these values to compute statistical power and plan 2 and 3 level group randomized experiments is illustrated. Research Design: We fit several hierarchical linear models to state data by grade and subject to estimate intraclass correlations and covariate effectiveness. We then compare our average of state estimates with the national work by Hedges and Hedberg (2007). [This article was published in "Educational Review," v37 n6 p445-489 Dec 2013, see EJ1034857.]

The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2011 is the fifth administration of this international comparative study since 1995 when first administered. TIMSS is used to compare over time the mathematics and science knowledge and skills of fourth- and eighth-graders. TIMSS is designed to align broadly with mathematics and science curricula in the participating countries. The results, therefore, suggest the degree to which students have learned mathematics and science concepts and skills likely to have been taught in school. In 2011, there were 54 countries and 20 other educational systems that participated in TIMSS, at the fourth- or eighth-grade level, or both. This paper is an appendix to the "Highlights From TIMSS 2011: Mathematics and Science Achievement of U.S. Fourth- and Eighth-Grade Students in an International Context" report. It contains the report's standard error tables. (Contains 42 tables.) [For the full report, "Highlights from TIMSS 2011: Mathematics and Science Achievement of U.S. Fourth- and Eighth-Grade Students in an International Context. NCES 2013-009," see ED537756.]

This paper describes Massachusetts' progress in implementing a comprehensive and coherent approach to education reform from the time of application through June 30, 2011. In particular, it highlights key accomplishments over the reporting period in the four reform areas: standards and assessments, data systems to support instruction, great teachers and leaders, and turning around lowest-achieving schools. Massachusetts has made substantial progress on its education reform priorities during Year 1 of its Race to the Top program. The state has build a workforce of effective educators. The state has provided curriculum and instruction resources. The state has prepared students for college and career. The state has turned around its lowest performing schools. [For the state summary report, "Race to the Top. Massachusetts Report. Year 1: School Year 2010-2011. [State-Specific Summary Report]," see ED529318. For "Race to the Top Annual Performance Report," see ED529267.]

Annually, ACT provides each state with "The Condition of College & Career Readiness," a report that details the college readiness of students who took the ACT[R] test. This report is a companion to "The Condition of College & Career Readiness." This paper traces the college enrollment, retention, re-enrollment, and migration patterns of the 2010 ACT-tested high school graduates in the state of Massachusetts. It also provides a snapshot of the impact that benchmark-meeting behavior has on those patterns and, ultimately, on success in college. ACT's research on the knowledge and skills necessary for success in college courses resulted in the establishment of ACT's College Readiness Benchmarks. These benchmarks are ACT subject area scores that represent the level of achievement required for students to have a 50% chance of obtaining a B or higher or about a 75% chance of earning a C or higher in corresponding credit-bearing first-year college courses. The report also provides recommendations for policymakers and retention recommendations for institutional practice. (Contains 4 footnotes.) [For related report, "The Condition of College & Career Readiness, 2012," see ED534761.]

"Identifying Success in Schools and Programs for English Language Learners in Boston Public Schools," of which this report is one part, is a project commissioned by the Boston Public Schools as part of this process of change set in motion by the intervention of the state and the federal governments on behalf of Boston's English language learners. The project is being conducted at the request of the Office for English Language Learners and is a collaboration among this Office, the Mauricio Gaston Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy at the University of Massachusetts Boston, and the Center for Collaborative Education in Boston. The research aspect of this project entails two parts. The first, contained in this report, is a quantitative analysis of enrollment and educational outcomes for Boston's ELLs in SY2009 (with selected analyses of trends between SY2006 and SY2009). This analysis supports aspects of the required monitoring of English language learner programs and provides the district with the 2009 baseline that will support its ongoing assessment of programmatic strengths and weaknesses as it undertakes the brisk process of improvement in the programs offered to English language learners. The project also entails a close, qualitative examination of the practices at four BPS schools which are "beating the odds" in educating ELLs. Detailed case studies of the four schools were conducted: two of the schools performed substantially above the level that would be predicted by their demographic characteristics alone and two showed recent, steady improvement in outcomes controlling for any changes in student demographics. These case studies appear in a companion report entitled "Learning from Consistently High Performing and Improving Schools for English Language Learners in Boston Public Schools." This report begins with an explanation of the approach taken to conduct the quantitative analysis, followed by its findings regarding the enrollment and demographics of students in different types of programs and schools of different characteristics. This is followed by a discussion of the educational outcomes of LEP students that considers their demographic characteristics, the characteristics of the schools in which they are enrolled, and the types of programs in which they participate. Appended are: (1) Methods; (2) Additional Tables for Chapters III to VIII; (3) Characteristics and Outcomes of LEP Students with Disabilities; and (4) Additional HLM Results. Individual chapters contain endnotes. (Contains 15 figures and 75 tables.) [This paper was written with Eileen de los Reyes and Antonieta Bolomey. For "Improving Educational Outcomes of English Language Learners in Schools and Programs in Boston Public Schools. Executive Summary," see ED540996.

Is the United States getting it wrong when it comes to educating tomorrow's innovators in critical fields? It has been known for years that the only way to compete globally in information technology, engineering, nanotechnology, robotics and other fields is to give students the best educational opportunities possible. But do individuals have a successful formula when it comes to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education? In this report, the authors challenge the nation's approach to STEM education and argue that reforms are urgently needed to better match the talents of students, the needs of employers, and its goals. (Contains 19 tables, 42 figures, and 623 endnotes.) [Funding for this paper was provided by the Intel Corporation. For "Refueling the U.S. Innovation Economy: Fresh Approaches to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education. Executive Summary," see ED521736.]

This paper profiles the student subgroup achievement and gap trends in Massachusetts for 2010. In grade 8 (the only grade in which subgroup trends were analyzed by achievement level), Massachusetts showed across-the-board gains--improvements in both reading and math at the basic, proficient and advanced levels for all racial/ethnic subgroups, low income students, and boys and girls. Results on achievement gaps were mixed. Comparable data were available for reading from 2006 through 2009 for grade 8, and from 2005 through 2009 for grade 4 and 10. Math data were available from 2001 through 2009, but the data were not disaggregated for all subgroups in math until 2005. (Contains 7 tables.) [For the main report, "State Test Score Trends through 2008-09, Part 2: Slow and Uneven Progress in Narrowing Gaps", see ED513914.]

The American Association of Community Colleges' (AACC) Plus 50 Initiative (2008-2011), funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies, was created to build the capacity of community colleges nationwide to develop programming that engages the plus 50 learner. The Initiative supported a pilot group of 13 two-year institutions to develop or expand college offerings in three areas: workforce training and career development; learning and enrichment; and volunteering. It was later expanded to include affiliate colleges that were paired in learning partnerships with experienced Plus 50 colleges. AACC engaged LFA Group (LFA, "Learning for Action") to conduct the Plus 50 evaluation. LFA developed a mixed-method evaluation designed to collect both quantitative and qualitative data to assess the Initiative and support continuous improvements over the course of the three-year Initiative. Results in this report focus primarily on the 13 pilot grantees; however, the impact on affiliate colleges is discussed as well. (Contains 22 exhibits and 11 footnotes.) [This paper was prepared by the Learning for Action Group.]

The Plus 50 Initiative is a three-year initiative of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), launched in June 2008 and funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies. It was created to support a pilot group of two-year institutions to develop or expand campus programs that engage plus 50 learners. The overarching goal of the Plus 50 Initiative is to support community colleges' ability to substantively and continuously engage in helping plus 50 learners lead purposeful lives through education, work, and service. To reach this goal, the initiative focuses on developing and expanding the program offerings of the pilot colleges, striving to reach more plus 50 students by expanding plus 50 offerings to additional community colleges, and putting the interests of plus 50 students at community colleges on the public agenda. Another aspect of the initiative's goal to support the expansion of plus 50 programs is growing the number of community colleges offering this programming beyond the initial grantee cohort. A long-term goal of the initiative is that 300 community colleges will implement and sustain plus 50 programs. This evaluation seeks to quantify the extent to which pilot colleges have expanded their offerings for the plus 50 student. Description of Evaluation Methods is appended. (Contains 64 exhibits and 7 footnotes.) [This paper was prepared by the Learning for Action Group.]

The Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP) is a bold effort to create a network of charter schools designed to transform and improve the educational opportunities available to low/income families. KIPP schools seek to actively engage students and parents in the educational process, expand the time and effort students devote to their studies, reinforce students' social competencies and positive behaviors, and dramatically improve their academic achievement. Ultimately, the goal of KIPP is to prepare students to enroll and succeed in college. The KIPP Foundation is guiding this effort by selecting and training school leaders, promoting the program model, and supporting the KIPP network schools. This report presents preliminary findings from a matched, longitudinal analysis designed to estimate KIPP's effect on student achievement. The author's preliminary work estimates effects in 22 KIPP middle schools--making this the first report that applies a rigorous (nonexperimental) methodological approach across a nationwide sample of KIPP schools. They selected schools for which they were able to collect longitudinal, student/level data, and that were established by the 2005/06 school year or earlier to ensure that a minimum of two entering cohorts of students per school would be observed for multiple years. They find that students entering these 22 KIPP schools typically had prior achievement levels that were lower than average achievement in their local school districts. For the vast majority of KIPP schools studied, impacts on students' state assessment scores in mathematics and reading are positive, statistically significant, and educationally substantial. Estimated impacts are frequently large enough to substantially reduce race/ and income/based achievement gaps within three years of entering KIPP. They describe these findings in more detail in this report. Appendices include: (1) Administrative Data; (2) Supplemental Tables for Chapter II; (3) Analytic Methods; (4) Alternative Specifications; and (5) Subgroup Analyses. (Contains 34 tables, 21 figures and 28 footnotes.) [This paper was submitted to KIPP Foundation. For the accompanying report, see ED511108.]

This year, an experimental group of 31 academically average high school sophomores were dual enrolled in both high school and college and will earn nine college credits by June. This paper presents a mid-year evaluation of student academic outcomes, which will be used for program improvement and future planning. The researcher is a member of the design team. Both quantitative (student transcripts and surveys) and qualitative (interviews and classroom documents) data were collected and analyzed. Specifically, the report demonstrates that the students match the middle two academic quartiles of the school, that the dual enrollment courses match or exceed college standards in almost every respect and that most of the students are thriving and committed to remaining with the project next year. Student Survey and First Quarter Syllabus are included. (Contains 7 tables and 1 figure.)

The 2009 "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" provided a comprehensive review of states' policies that impact the teaching profession. As a companion to last year's comprehensive state-by-state analysis, the 2010 edition provides each state with an individualized "Blueprint for Change," building off last year's "Yearbook" goals and recommendations. State teacher policy addresses a great many areas, including teacher preparation, certification, evaluation and compensation. With so many moving parts, it may be difficult for states to find a starting point on the road to reform. To this end, this paper provides a state-specific roadmap, organized in three main sections. Section 1 identifies policy concerns that need critical attention, the areas of highest priority for state policymakers. Section 2 outlines "low-hanging fruit," policy changes that can be implemented in relatively short order. Section 3 offers a short discussion of some longer-term systemic issues that states need to make sure stay on the radar. In the 2009 "State Teacher Policy Yearbook", Massachusetts had the following grades: (1) Delivering Well Prepared Teachers (C+); (2) Expanding the Teaching Pool (C); (3) Identifying Effective Teachers (D-); (4) Retaining Effective Teachers (D+); and (5) Exiting Ineffective Teachers (D). Massachusetts has an overall grade of D+ for 2009. In the last year, many states made significant changes to their teacher policies, spurred in many cases by the Race to the Top competition. Based on a review of state legislation, rules and regulations, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) has identified a recent policy change in Massachusetts. In a school deemed chronically low performing, a nonprobationary teacher can be dismissed for "good cause" so long as the teacher is given written notice five days prior to the dismissal. The teacher has the right to appeal. States were asked to review NCTQ's identified updates and also to comment on policy changes that have occurred in the last year, other pending changes or teacher quality in the state more generally. Massachusetts confirmed that the identified update represents a complete and accurate list of recent policy changes. Individual sections contain footnotes. (Contains 4 figures.) [For the related reports, see "Blueprint for Change: National Summary. State Teacher Policy Yearbook, 2010" (ED515614) and "State Teacher Policy Yearbook, 2009. Massachusetts" (ED511919).]

This year the Center on Education Policy analyzed data on the achievement of different groups of students in two distinct ways. First, it looked at grade 4 test results to determine whether the performance of various groups improved at three achievement levels--basic and above, proficient and above, and advanced. Second, it looked at gaps between these groups at the proficient level across three grades (grade 4, grade 8 in most cases, and a high school grade). These two types of analyses show whether elementary school achievement has generally gone up for different groups of students and whether achievement gaps at different grade levels have narrowed, widened, or stayed the same. This paper profiles the student subgroup achievement and gap trends in Massachusetts. All major student groups showed a clear trend of gains at three achievement levels in grade 4 math, but trends in grade 4 reading were mixed. Achievement gaps narrowed more often than they widened, although gap trends in math were somewhat mixed. (Contains 7 tables.) [For the main report, "State Test Score Trends through 2007-08, Part 3: Are Achievement Gaps Closing and Is Achievement Rising for All?", see ED507909.]

This paper presents the results of two coordinated surveys of Massachusetts adolescents, the 2007 Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey (ESE) and the Massachusetts Youth Health Survey (DPH). These two surveys were supported by funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and administered in a random selection of 124 public secondary schools by the University of Massachusetts Center for Survey Research in the spring of 2007. Combining results from both surveys, Health and Risk Behaviors of Massachusetts Youth, 2007: The Report presents key indicators of the behavioral and health risks reported by middle school and high school youth. The report provides important information about behaviors and conditions that may compromise the health, safety, and wellbeing of young people across the Commonwealth. These behaviors include tobacco, alcohol, and other drug use; behaviors leading to injuries, such as drinking and driving, fighting, and suicide attempts; dietary behaviors and physical inactivity, and sexual behaviors that may lead to sexually transmitted disease or pregnancy. The report also discusses the prevalence of health-related conditions such as overweight, chronic disease, oral health problems, and mental health concerns among the youth. Results presented in this report show continued improvements in many important areas including tobacco use, alcohol and drug use, violent behavior, and suicidality. These improvements attest to the success of efforts by schools, community programs, healthcare workers, and families to foster the healthy development of young people in Massachusetts. Even so, despite clear successes, there are still behaviors in which improvements have not been seen, most notably nutrition and physical activity, and areas that warrant continued concern and attention. Stronger efforts to address these problems and to promote the health of all young people remain a priority. (Contains 2 footnotes and 41 figures.) [Funding for this report was supported in part by an appointment to the Applied Epidemiology Fellowship Program administered by the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) and funded by CDC's Cooperative Agreement, U60/CCU007277.]

This paper presents the Massachusetts edition of the National Council on Teacher Quality's 2008 "State Teacher Policy Yearbook". The 2008 "Yearbook" focuses on how state policies impact the retention of effective new teachers. This policy evaluation is broken down into three areas that encompass 15 goals. Broadly, these goals examine the impact of state policy on 1) identifying effective teachers, 2) retaining those deemed effective and 3) exiting those deemed ineffective. While Massachusetts is making progress toward meeting some of the goals, significant room for improvement remains in many others. The state completely missed seven goals, met a small portion of four, partially met one, nearly met one and fully met two. Massachusetts's best performances are in its effective induction for new teachers and its support of differential pay in shortage subject areas and high-needs schools. The state has the most work to do in making tenure decisions meaningful, articulating consequences for teachers with unsatisfactory evaluations, ensuring its pension system is neutral and fair, and strengthening some policies regarding teacher compensation issues. Massachusetts's progress toward meeting these goals is summarized. The body of the report provides a more detailed breakdown of the state's strengths and weaknesses in each area. Massachusetts has an overall performance of D for 2008. Goals for each area are appended. (Contains 57 tables.) [Additional support for the 2008 "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" was provided by the Teaching Commission. For the national report, see ED514690.]

The purpose of this thesis is to address disproportionate "discipline" of minorities, i.e. ethnic/racial minorities and children with disabilities, discrimination against ethnic/racial minorities and children with disabilities in the form of verbal and physical abuse, and draconian zero tolerance policies with their one-size-fits-all punishment approach to discipline and classroom management. This paper focuses primarily on the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, but also using wider cultural and legal contexts when appropriate. First, questionnaires were distributed among educators and disability rights advocates surveying the pre-thesis topic. Second, a survey was administered to all Massachusetts schools in the 33 districts with ten or more student exclusions students in 2003 and districts with four or more student exclusions per 1000 in 2003, with a 4% response rate. Because of the poor response rate, school codes of conduct were requested from these 33 identified school districts in an attempt to find at least some answers to the questions posed in the survey. Third, exclusion data collected from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Education was be added to and questioned. Fourth, the counterpart to the exclusion issue, inclusion, generally speaking, was explored by looking at the current research on best practices in positive disciplinary interventions that are safe, protective, and inclusive. The findings provide some evidence that the Commonwealth's highest rates of exclusion can be found in school districts where higher levels of low-income, absence, in-school and out-of-school suspension, retention. dropout, and "Warning/Failing" MCAS rates are prevalent. These districts also have higher than average rates of special education, except for charter and regional vocational schools. The targeted districts did not significantly vary on average from the statewide rates for per pupil expenditure and limited English proficient rates. Further to examine this data with more rigorous statistical methods may be helpful for policy analysts. (Contains 10 tables, 4 figures, and 48 appendices.) [Master's Thesis, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.]

The Commonwealth's Executive Office of Elder Affairs (EOEA) regulates assisted living facilities in Massachusetts. Prior to active employment, all staff and contracted providers who have direct contact with residents must receive a six-hour orientation. Also, employees must receive on-going training and in-service education to reinforce the initial training. No clear passage exists as to who is responsible for the enforcement of these regulations and it appears that assisted living facilities stand alone in their responsibility to comply with the regulations. Included in this paper is a syllabus for a training course for all employees of the assisted living community. Section 1 includes the introduction, the essential principles of seniors' health care, and six strategies seniors can use to maintain or regain health. The second section encompasses specific health-related physical problems and health- related psychological problems. Section 3 covers common chronic diseases of seniors and interventions for staying healthy. Information is also included on a training video, a workbook and unit tests that accompany the course material. (Contains 14 references.) (Author/JDM)

As entitlements for students, "Average Daily Attendance" funding (ADA), Title I and Pell Grants can provide a stable funding base to support college bridge programs targeted to at-risk students and dropouts. In most states, school districts can re-enroll out-of-school students and draw additional ADA money from the state. College bridge programs draw from the current base of funding for traditional school activities, and principals may oppose use for purposes outside schools, but the programs may also increase retention of at-risk students and thus ultimately school enrollment and revenue base. Pell Grants can be linked to ADA-funded college bridge programs and easily accessed by the economically disadvantaged, but they are limited to 16 successful quarters of postsecondary education. Development of college preparation initiatives is directly in line with Title I program goals, but funding is often used to support designated school staff making reallocation difficult. Research suggests a significant opportunity for states to move forward with a college/bridge initiative for at-risk and out-of-school youth. State experience in Minnesota, Utah, Washington, and Massachusetts, suggests key components of a program model that: links community colleges and high schools; provides on-campus experience; provides college credit; includes direct transition to college degree programs; and provides basic skills and ongoing support.(YLB)

This volume of policies related to children with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) or Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) describes appropriate ways to guarantee students' rights while maintaining public health, and answers questions for parents, educators, and caregivers. Section 1 presents policy guidelines for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with HIV infection or AIDS in early childhood settings. Guidelines cover the appropriateness of early childhood setting attendance, enrollment in a specific setting, restrictions, continued attendance, sharing medical information with child care providers, confidentiality, medical records, infection control, HIV screening, and consultation availability. Section 2 contains updated medical policy guidelines for children and adolescents with HIV infection or AIDS in school settings. This section includes facts about the transmission of HIV, guidelines for disclosure, and an overview of statutes governing disclosure. Medical guidelines regarding students who bleed uncontrollably in school and universal precautions for school settings are included. Section IV presents the Massachusetts Board of Education Policy on AIDS/HIV Prevention Education, which offers recommendations to local school districts on policies and educational programs to reduce the risk of HIV infection among students and staff. New guidelines for handling medical wastes in a school setting are included in section 4. A public health fact sheet on HIV/AIDs is attached. (AC)

The Metropolitan Educational Trends and Research Outcomes Center has identified seven projects in the southwestern United States and one in Massachusetts that exemplify the educational practices important in today's ethnolinguistically diverse classrooms. Preliminary findings indicate that each of these programs contains several critical elements that serve as the basis for curriculum and instruction. These elements include primary language instruction and support, a strong focus on English language development, the use of meaning-centered activities, and a strong staff development component. In this paper, an attempt is begun to translate the descriptions of effective practices into guidelines and procedures for program developers and teachers working with ethnolinguistically diverse student populations. An overview is provided of the programs studied, and their critical elements are outlined and arrayed into a framework for guidelines and procedures. In these programs, diversity has been regarded as an asset, rather than a problem. In addition, the theoretical belief that all children can learn is pervasive at the program sites. Three tables present study findings, and a 9-item list of references is included. (SLD)

Twenty-four questions regarding school choice concerns are answered in this document, which advocates school choice in public schools for Massachusetts. The following issues are included: the rationale for school choice; drawbacks to currently available choice options; components of an effective choice plan; the definition and maintenance of common standards and accountability; the impact of choice on teaching; administration and transportation; parental decision-making information; and maintenance of racial balance. The elements of a public education system based on diversity and choice within individual school systems and state- or region-wide plans are described. The roles of the school board, superintendent, principal, and state government in school choice are also examined. (LMI)

With the establishment of the Bureau of Institutional Schools (BIS) within the Division of Special Education, educational specialists have been appointed to represent the bureau in each of the division's six regional offices. The primary role of the BIS representative is one of assistance in the development of educational programs for children residing in state institutions. In addition, the BIS representative serves a liaison and coordination role between local education agencies, collaboratives, and parents. This individual also serves in a linkage capacity between the departments of education, mental health, public health, office for children, and the other human service agencies. These educational specialists are expected to assist in transforming the BIS philosophically based objectives into reality for the benefit of children presently in state institutions. It is the intent of this concept paper to establish guidelines for the BIS regional representatives to follow in an effort to clarify the specialists' role in relationship to his/her regional responsibilities. (Author)

This paper profiles Massachusetts's test score trends through 2008-09. In 2006, 59% of non-Title I 4th graders and 29% of Title I 4th graders scored at the proficient level on the state reading test. In 2009, 64% of non-Title I 4th graders and 31% of Title I 4th graders scored at the proficient level in reading. Between 2006 and 2009, the percentage proficient improved at an average rate of 1.7 percentage points per year for non-Title I students and 0.7 percentage points per year for Title I students, indicating a widening of the achievement gap for Title I students at grade 4. [For the main report, "State Test Score Trends through 2008-09, Part 4: Is Achievement Improving and Are Gaps Narrowing for Title I Students?," see ED522866.]

This paper profiles Massachusetts' test score trends through 2008-09. Between 2005 and 2009, the percentages of students reaching the proficient level on the state test and the basic level on NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) increased in grade 4 reading and math and grade 8 math. Average annual gains were larger on the state test than on NAEP for all three grade/subject combinations with comparable data. Massachusetts did not provide average (mean) score data. (Contains 1 footnote.) [For the main report, "State Test Score Trends through 2008-09, Part 1: Rising Scores on State Tests and NAEP", see ED513962.]