Validating High-Stakes Testing Programs

Cronbach made the point that for validity arguments to be convincing to diverse stakeholders, they need to be based on assumptions that are credible to these stakeholders. The interpretations and uses of high-stakes test scores rely on a number of policy assumptions about what should be taught in schools, and more specifically, about the content standards and performance standards that should be applied to students and schools. For example, a high-school graduation test can be developed as a measure of readiness for the world of work, for college, or for citizenship and the activities of daily life. The assumptions built into the assessment need to be subjected to scrutiny and criticism if a strong case is to be made for the validity of the proposed interpretation and use.     

A post-occupancy evaluation of the impact of exhibit changes on conservation knowledge,attitudes, and behavior of zoo visitors

Abstract

Given that conservation education is a primary goal for zoos, it is important to study how changes in exhibit design in the same facility (with the same animals and visitor base) can impact short- and long-term conservation knowledge, attitudes, and behavior (KAB) amongst visitors. However, there is very limited research on this topic. Our goal was to conduct a comprehensive post-occupancy evaluation to study this impact at two exhibits that underwent renovations at Zoo Atlanta, using rigorous methodology and addressing limitations in previous research. We did not find significant differences in KAB scores when comparing the pre- and post-renovated exhibits. This is contrary to the existing view that renovations from non-naturalistic to naturalistic exhibits (and/or renovations to displays and signage) will improve KAB. Future researchers should continue to use rigorous methods to obtain valid and reliable measures of the impact of zoo exhibits and exhibit renovations on conservation-related KAB.     

Spirituality in Teacher Training at an Islamic College in Israel

This article looks at an Islamic teacher training college in Israel in an attempt to understand how religious revival shapes women’s understandings of being Muslim women professionals in Israel. The college grew out of Islamic revival in Israel; its teacher training program reflects the sensibilities that Islamic revival hopes to foster in women who study there and in the children they will teach. The article is based on ethnographic research at the college. Adopting a theoretical approach to spirituality as a cultural phenomenon, experienced as authentic, yet culturally informed, can serve as a powerful resource for creating social meaning and as a source of pedagogies of change. I illustrate the means by which the institution makes space for a spirituality that infuses teacher training with a sense of social purpose, civil commitment, and personal unity with the divine.     

The development of symbol-infused joint engagement

Fifty-six children were observed longitudinally from 18 to 30 months of age interacting with their mothers during a Communication Play that contained 8 scenes designed to encourage interacting, requesting, commenting, and narrating. Of primary concern was how often symbols infused the child's states of engagement with people and objects and how experience in such symbol-infused states related to language acquisition. Findings indicate that symbols increasingly infuse joint engagement, and that both the timing and the trajectory vary widely among typically developing toddlers, especially during the last half of the 2nd year. Moreover, variations in amount of symbol-infused supported joint engagement may both be influenced by variations in the onset of language and contribute to differences in language facility at 30 months.     

Teacher–Child Interactions and the Development of Executive Function in Preschool-Age Children Attending Head Start

Research Findings: The purpose of this study was to examine the potential contribution of teacher–child interactions to residualized Inhibitory Control (IC) gains over approximately a six-month period for preschoolers from predominantly low-income households. The study also explored whether the association between quality of teacher–child interactions and IC gains depends on children’s IC skills upon classroom entry and their household income-to-needs ratio. The study included 169 preschoolers from 51 classrooms in a Head Start program run by an agency in a large city in Oklahoma. Children’s IC skills were assessed in fall (time 1) and spring (time 2), and teacher–child interaction quality was observed at fall (i.e., September through November). Results from Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) did not show significant effects of high-quality teacher–child interactions on residualized IC gains over six months. However, results showed that children who initially presented poor IC skills displayed higher gains in their IC skills at spring when they were in classrooms practicing high-quality teacher–child interactions, as defined by emotional support and classroom organization. Practice or Policy: Emotionally supportive and well-organized classrooms in Head Start programs may benefit early IC development, especially for children presenting poor IC skills at classroom entry.     

Can environmental education increase student-athletes’ environmental behaviors?

Environmental education was incorporated within a mentoring program (i.e. treatment group) for student-athletes at the University of Georgia. These student-athletes’ environmental attitudes, behavioral intent, knowledge, self-efficacy, self-regulatory learning, motivation, and learning strategies were assessed before and after their environmental education mentoring program. Results indicated student-athletes in the treatment group improved their self-reported environmental behaviors (t(32)?=?2.34, p = 0.03) and self-efficacy (t(32)?=?2.07, p = 0.04). However, future research should seek to determine how traits of student-athletes, such as their gender and chosen sport, may impact their level of environmental literacy and any possible impacts due to their mentors’ environmental values.     

A systematic review of the teacher expectation literature over the past 30 years

ABSTRACT

This review aimed to illustrate the development in the teacher expectation literature and discuss the major avenues of research in the teacher expectation field from 1989 to 2018. Four analytical themes emerged from a narrative synthesis based on a systematic literature search: (1) influential factors on teacher expectations; (2) mediation mechanism of teacher expectations; (3) moderating factors of teacher expectation effects; (4) teacher expectation effects on student socio-psychological, behavioural, and achievement outcomes. On the whole, most studies confirmed earlier research findings regarding the 4 themes, although there were some studies that found results contradicting earlier work. In addition, new research topics and directions raised in the past 3 decades were identified in this review, especially regarding the mediation of teacher expectations and the socio-psychological and behavioural outcomes of the expectation effects. The review concludes with a set of recommendations for future research directions on teacher expectations.     

School exclusions and masculine,working‐class identities

In this paper attention will be paid to issues arising from school‐based research into the experience of working‐class boys who are excluded. National and local school exclusion statistics indicate an overall gender imbalance: in the secondary school sector, for every four boys who are excluded only one girl is excluded. Furthermore, statistics show that other groups such as pupils living in poverty (as indicated by receipt of free school meals) have an increased likelihood of being excluded from school. Explanations for the disproportionate exclusion of working‐class boys are considered here in relation to three pupil case studies drawn from a group of 20 case studies gathered in four secondary schools. There are indications that the processes by which some working‐class boys actively negotiate their masculinities are the same processes that lead to their exclusion from school. This paper uses empirical data from interviews and classroom observation to analyse these twin processes, considering how and why certain masculine identities are marginalized in school settings.