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AERA Open
Number of Followers: 12  Open Access journalISSN (Online) 2332-8584 Published by Sage Publications  [1176 journals]
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- Does Knowing the Word Matter for Preschool DLLS' Individualized Vocabulary
Words on Phonological Awareness Performance
Authors: Kathleen A. Paciga, Christina M. Cassano
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
Early literacy assessment has become commonplace in the preschool years, with phonological awareness constituting one component of emergent literacy targeted by such practices. This within-subjects experimental study examines the role of word familiarity on 93 dual language preschoolers’ performance on phoneme-level awareness tasks in three-phoneme words. A researcher-designed digital tool created individualized test items (foils and target responses) for each child. Half of the items presented target responses that contained familiar words, and half contained unfamiliar words. Results suggest unknown/unfamiliar target words yield lower phonological awareness performance scores.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-08-24T11:34:52Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241267929
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Undergraduate Grading Practices of International and Domestic Faculty:
Evidence From Three Large U.S. Public Universities
Authors: Trang Pham, Stephanie Potochnick
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
Given the prominence of international instructors in higher education, understanding their grading practices is essential for informing college grading debates. This first large-scale assessment of undergraduate grading practices highlights how different demographic, classroom and departmental factors shape international instructors’ grading behaviors. Using a unique dataset of over 2,000 randomly selected instructors from three public universities, we examine (a) whether undergraduate-level grading practices differ between domestic and international instructors, (b) what factors contribute to the differences, and (c) whether the differences vary across key subgroups. We find that international instructors grade lower than domestic instructors—about 35% of a standard deviation lower on average. Part of this gap is explained by the concentration of international instructors in particular departments. International instructor grading practices differ across regions of origin, prior U.S. higher education experience, gender, and race. Our results provide insights into U.S. college grading debates and supporting the international instructor workforce.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-08-24T10:19:33Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241267910
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Silent Covenants and Structural Barriers: State Standards Committees and
the Maintenance of Race-Evasive Social Studies Standards
Authors: Christopher C. Martell, Lauren McArthur Harris, J’Shon Lee, Jennifer P. Chalmers, Jami Carmichael
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
In this qualitative study, researchers used critical race theory to examine the experiences of social studies standards committee members in 18 states and the District of Columbia. They found that while many participants articulated goals of increasing the teaching of race and racism in their state’s social studies standards, at least in part, numerous silent covenants and structural barriers existed to maintain the status quo through race-evasive standards. A smaller group of participants generally avoided advocating for race and racism topics altogether due to their perceived controversial or political status, while others did not mention race or racism as a priority. Recommendations are made for both the policy and practice related to state standards creation, and questions are raised about the ability of social studies standards to foster a racially just social studies curriculum.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-08-10T11:12:38Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241265303
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- School Climate, Teacher Characteristics, and School Discipline: Evidence
From New York City
Authors: Luis A. Rodriguez, Richard O. Welsh, Chelsea Daniels
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
School discipline is a salient problem of educational policy and practice. Teachers play an important role in the production and disruption of racial inequities in school discipline, yet there remains a need to disentangle the relationship between teacher characteristics, their perceptions of school climate, and school discipline patterns. This study uses longitudinal data representing over one thousand public middle and high schools in New York City and linear regression methods to examine the relationship between teachers’ perceptions of school climate, teacher characteristics, and the rates of and disparities in suspensions. Overall, results indicate more positive teacher perceptions of school climate, higher years of teaching experience, and a greater share of Black teachers are independently associated with lower rates of office referrals and suspensions, overall and especially for Black and Latinx students. The study concludes by discussing implications for teacher education and on-the-job support as well as school leadership.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-08-10T11:10:29Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241263860
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- A Continuum of Expressions of Hope and the Influence on Leadership Through
Times of Crisis
Authors: Patricia Virella
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
Given today’s crisis-laden context filled with educational challenges, it is critical to understand how principals express hope through their leadership to navigate these challenges. Through an extensive qualitative research study conducted in 2019–2022, I examined how 50 principals expressed and used hope in varying degrees to hinder or facilitate increased outcomes, inclusivity, and stable recovery post-crisis to design a better future for their school communities. In so doing, I describe (a) how the context in which principals lead lends itself to expressing high- or low-hope leadership attributes; (b) principals’ expressions of high-hope leadership during and post-crisis; and (c) principals’ expressions of low-hope leadership during and post-crisis. Identifying expressions of hope leadership practices with the potential to cultivate inclusive, equitable school climates proves vital, given the complexity of leadership today and the myriad crises leaders face.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-08-09T09:52:11Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241267785
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Protest and Resistance: Conceptualizing a Blackamerican Institutional
Schema and the Contemporary Relevance of Pre-Brown Educators
Authors: James Wright, Jennifer Karnopp
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
In the century following emancipation, Blackamericans developed robust and effective schools despite limited resources. Unfortunately, their successes and contributions to the education system are often overlooked. This interdisciplinary theoretical paper draws on historiographies of segregated school systems, examining the struggles of Blackamerican educators within segregated education systems through the lenses of coloniality and institutional work. This examination reveals a distinct Blackamerican institutional schema rooted in community, guiding educators in navigating structural and systemic dynamics that shape educational opportunities and successfully challenge dominant white education standards. We discuss the coloniality of schooling, a structural framework, and a mindset that continues to undergird our contemporary education system and then draw attention to an alternative perspective. Our goal is to work toward more inclusive and equitable education systems by recognizing and acknowledging the protest and resistance of Blackamerican educators, their contributions to alternative epistemologies, and the mindsets that guided their actions.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-08-07T09:37:47Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241269812
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- “We Still Have a Long Way to Go”: How State Education Leaders’
Understanding and Engagement Shapes English Learner Identification of
Indigenous Students
Authors: Ilana M. Umansky, Taiyo Itoh
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
Federal law defines English learner (EL) eligibility differently for Indigenous, compared to non-Indigenous, students, allowing for broader entry into the EL category, along with its accompanying resources and services. We interviewed EL leaders from 25 state departments of education to learn about their level of understanding of the differentiated definition and their work to interpret and implement it. Drawing upon and expanding recent conceptual frameworks, we explored how EL leaders’ knowledge about and engagement with EL constituents influence their ability to interpret and implement policy in equity-expansive ways. We found that many EL leaders had little understanding of the federal law and weak engagement with Indigenous Tribes and communities, both of which limited their work. In states where leaders had deeper knowledge and engagement, they were more actively interpreting and implementing federal law, particularly with the aim of increasing Indigenous EL-classified students’ access to heritage language and culturally-sustaining programs.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-07-31T05:05:38Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241263849
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Does Early Elementary Dual Language Instruction Deliver as Promised'
Authors: Natalia Palacios, Natalie L. Bohlmann, Bethany A. Bell, Min Hyun Oh, Yitong Yue
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
Utilizing Utah state data, the aim of this study is to examine the association between language program types programs (dual language programs [DLI], sheltered instruction [SEI], and English as a second language [ESL]) since first grade and third-grade basic literacy skills of Spanish-speaking English learners (ELs) in the United States. We employ propensity score matching (PSM) to generate matched samples using child and family factors known to be associated with children’s early literacy: child sex, immigrant status, unhoused status, special education status, child met Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) benchmark at start of first grade, as well as family income and parental language (DLI & ESL, n = 380; DLI & SEI, n = 380; SEI & ESL, n = 550). Regression models comparing early literacy outcomes for each matched group indicate small trends, based on effect sizes, in favor of DLI programs when compared to other program types, although differences were not statistically significant. Implications for policy and practice related bilingual education are addressed.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-07-26T11:20:35Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241264513
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Parsing Coaching Practice: A Systematic Framework for Describing Coaching
Discourse
Authors: Arielle Boguslav
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
Despite the common title of “coach,” definitions of high-quality coaching vary tremendously across models and programs. Yet few studies make comparisons between different models to understand what is most helpful, for whom, and under what circumstances. As a result, practitioners are left with many options and little evidence-based direction. This is exacerbated by the literature’s focus on more abstract features of coaching practice (e.g., building trust), leaving practitioners to figure out what concrete discourse strategies support these goals. This article begins to address these challenges by introducing a taxonomy of coaching “moves,” parsing the concrete details of coach discourse. While the taxonomy is informed by the literature, it highlights conceptual possibilities rather than providing a list of empirically grounded or “evidence-based” strategies. In doing so, this taxonomy may serve as a common language to guide future work exploring how coach discourse shapes teacher development, synthesizing across studies, and supporting coach practice.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-07-26T11:14:46Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241263861
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Inside the Black Box: Detecting and Mitigating Algorithmic Bias Across
Racialized Groups in College Student-Success Prediction
Authors: Denisa Gándara, Hadis Anahideh, Matthew P. Ison, Lorenzo Picchiarini
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
Colleges and universities are increasingly turning to algorithms that predict college-student success to inform various decisions, including those related to admissions, budgeting, and student-success interventions. Because predictive algorithms rely on historical data, they capture societal injustices, including racism. In this study, we examine how the accuracy of college student success predictions differs between racialized groups, signaling algorithmic bias. We also evaluate the utility of leading bias-mitigating techniques in addressing this bias. Using nationally representative data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 and various machine learning modeling approaches, we demonstrate how models incorporating commonly used features to predict college-student success are less accurate when predicting success for racially minoritized students. Common approaches to mitigating algorithmic bias are generally ineffective at eliminating disparities in prediction outcomes and accuracy between racialized groups.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-07-10T11:30:11Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241258741
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Do Teachers Perceive Absent Students Differently'
Authors: Michael Gottfried, Phil Kim, Tina L. Fletcher
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
When it comes to understanding the consequences of school absenteeism, how missing school might be linked to student-teacher relationships remains relatively unexplored. Our work helps to further detail this context by specifically investigating whether teachers’ perceptions of students are different based on how frequently those students are absent. We explore this in early elementary school—a period marked by high rates of student absenteeism not witnessed again until early adolescence. Using a nationally representative dataset of children in kindergarten through second grade, we found that teachers felt less close with students who had more absences compared to students with fewer absences. Findings also suggested teachers had lower perceptions of absent students’ classroom social skills compared to the perceptions that they held for less-absent students. Finally, teachers had lower ratings of learning approaches as well as lower ratings of language and math abilities for students who were more absent. Recommendations for policy and practice are discussed.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-06-24T11:30:10Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241259398
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Does Universal SEL Promote Academic Success' Examining Learner Outcomes
Under Routine Conditions in First-Grade Classrooms
Authors: Susan Crandall Hart, James C. DiPerna, Pui-Wa Lei, Hui Zhao, Tianying Sun, Xinyue Li, Kyle Husmann
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
Although proponents suggest that universal social-emotional learning (SEL) programs promote academic achievement, few studies have directly tested these outcomes under routine conditions in schools. Forty first-grade classrooms participated in an effectiveness trial in which schools (N = 13) were randomly assigned to implementation of a universal SEL program (SSIS SEL CIP) or control (business-as-usual practices) conditions within sites/regions. Teachers in the treatment condition prepared for and implemented the program in accordance with their typical local practices. There were no statistically significant main effects on teacher-rated student engagement, motivation, and academic skills. Effect sizes, however, were medium to large and positive for academic engaged time and math achievement. Students with lower teacher-rated academic motivation at pretest also were more likely to improve after program exposure. These findings help identify considerations for further studying the potential academic outcomes resulting from implementing universal SEL under typical conditions.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-06-24T08:50:53Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241262746
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Communities as Fraught Spaces
Authors: Michelle Frierson, Victoria Hand, Elizabeth Mendoza, Jihee Yoon
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
Collaborations between education stakeholders are increasingly prevalent due to the need for diverse perspectives on issues of justice in education. Less is known, however, about how stakeholders form heterogeneous communities where people from different backgrounds learn and take action together. This study examined the contours of a community that emerged from a three-year partnership between mathematics teachers, community educators, and university scholars. This racially- and gender-diverse community was marked by contention and affirmation, which illuminates the complex and politicized nature of the joint work. This study illuminates tensions across dimensions of the community including spaces as affirming and fraught, goals as shared and contested, belonging as ebbing and flowing, relationships as personal and political, and roles as imposed and amorphous.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-06-22T01:20:30Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241260737
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Exploring Queer and Trans Students’ Mathematics Identity in Relation to
STEM as a White Cisheteropatriarchal Space
Authors: Mario I. Suárez, Jason C. Garvey, C. V. Dolan, Musbah Shaheen
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
An emerging area of research on the diversification of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is that of queer and trans (QT) students who are interested in STEM education and disciplines. The purpose of our study was to identify differences in high school mathematics educational experiences by sexual orientation and gender identity. We used mathematics identity and Leyva’s STEM as a White cisheteropatriarchal space (WCHPS) as our theoretical frameworks to guide our study. Using data from Waves 1 and 2 of the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009, our exploratory analyses uncovered significant differences between QT and HC students’ mathematics identity. Regression results showed that ideological and relational dimensions of WCHPS in Grade 9 play a significant role in Grade 11 QT students’ mathematics identity. Given the exploratory approach for our study, we aim for our research to begin critical conversations in mathematics education concerning QT students to promote more enriching and welcoming learning environments.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-06-17T12:50:08Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241259406
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- IELTS and Written Syntactic Complexity as Predictors of GPA of
Multilingual International Graduate Students
Authors: Nihat Polat, Laura Mahalingappa, Rae Mancilla
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
Language proficiency policies act as critical gatekeepers for multilingual international students (MIS) who intend to pursue an education at English-medium universities. The current study revisits the question of the predictive validity of a standardized English proficiency exam—International English Language Testing System (IELTS)—in comparison with 10 indices of written syntactic complexity. This study addressed the following questions: (a) Do MIS’ overall proficiency and writing subtest scores (IELTS) predict their grade point averages (GPAs) in graduate school' (b) Which syntactic complexity indices in online written production (subordination, coordination, length of production, and degree of phrasal sophistication) predict MIS’ GPAs in graduate school' and (c) Which syntactic complexity indices remain predictive of their GPAs when participants’ English proficiency scores (overall and/or writing IELTS scores) are added into the model' Participants’ IELTS scores, GPAs, and asynchronous discussion postings (224) were analyzed through three linear regressions models. Results confirmed that while IELTS composite and writing subscores do predict academic success of graduate MIS, writing scores are better predictors. After accounting for the contributions of overall and writing subscores, mean length of sentence and T-unit remained significant predictors of academic outcomes, explaining a considerable amount of variance in GPAs, beyond that of IELTS. Equity implications for the admissions of MIS are considered.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-06-15T05:00:50Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241258729
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- The Revenue Implications of Community Colleges’ Reliance on Local
Funding
Authors: Justin C. Ortagus, Dominique Baker, Kelly Ochs Rosinger, Robert Kelchen, Olivia Morales, Anna Peters, Mitchell Lingo
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
In this study, we leverage national data sources to examine the relationship between community colleges’ level of reliance on local funding and their total institutional revenue, focusing specifically on community colleges educating the largest shares of low-income and racially minoritized students. We show that local funding is positively related to total institutional revenue for the pooled sample including all public community colleges, suggesting that local appropriations can supplement state appropriations in ways that benefit a historically underfunded sector of higher education. However, we also show that community colleges’ level of reliance on local funding is negatively related to their total institutional revenue for rural community colleges and community colleges serving an above-average share of low-income students. Our findings align with scholarship in K–12 finance, indicating that local appropriations, such as property taxes, may exacerbate inequities facing the institutions serving larger shares of economically disadvantaged students.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-06-15T04:58:53Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241258487
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Policy and Place: Immigration, Schooling, and the Local Context
Authors: Roberto G. Gonzales
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
Scholars have long sought to understand the mechanisms that promote and impede successful integration for immigrant children. Contemporary scholarship on immigration and education has made important inroads for understanding the role of immigration policy and place of residence in the incorporation experience of immigrant students. This AERA Open special topic collection adds to the growing body of knowledge in these burgeoning areas by examining how these contexts shape the experience of immigrant students and by focusing on the interplay between policy and place in the lives of immigrant students. The authors in this special topic collection make up a diverse range array of disciplinary perspectives in education and employ a range of methodological approaches.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-06-15T04:56:30Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241258449
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Where Are the English Learners and Students With Disabilities in Gifted
Education'
Authors: Scott J. Peters, Angela Johnson
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
Prior research documented disproportional representation across racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic lines within the population of students identified as gifted and talented (GT). Less research has focused on what predicts improved representation for English learners (ELs) or students with disabilities (SwDs), or how state GT policies facilitate such representation. This paper attempted to fill that void by analyzing data from the Civil Rights Data Collection and Stanford Education Data Archive along with original coding of state GT policies. We found that while ELs and SwDs are disproportionately underrepresented within the population of students identified as gifted, state mandates for schools to offer GT, requirements for formal gifted education plans, and regular audits for compliance were correlated with higher rates of GT service availability and greater representation among ELs and SwDs. We further describe the characteristics of the top 5% of schools with the highest GT representation for ELs and SwDs.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-06-12T08:38:06Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241258480
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Sources, Conceptualizations, and Mechanisms of Racism/Oppression for
Academic and Mental Health Outcomes
Authors: Whitney M. Polk, Nancy E. Hill, Diane L. Hughes
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
Interpersonal and systemic racism and discrimination persist in our educational system—from primary and secondary institutions through college, despite the forward strides of desegregation, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Black Lives Matter movement. This special topic collection identifies and applies empirically and theoretically grounded conceptualizations of racism to improve our understanding of the experience of racism, interventions to mitigate it, and protective factors. The papers in this collection reflect two themes: 1) racial and religious identities in classrooms, schools, and universities, focusing on how educators mitigate and perpetuate systemic racism, including how White teachers understand the impact of race, how inclusive and antiracism curricula are received and rejected by future educators and clinicians, and the impact of exclusionary social networks in the hiring of teachers of color and 2) school belonging and climate, including documenting that students of color feel less safe, are disproportionately exposed to harsh discipline, question their belonging, and question commitments to diversity. The negative sequelae are concurrent and last into adulthood. In addition, there are several advances in theory and measurement, including assessing gendered and racial biases in teachers’ attributions about students’ abilities, frameworks for mitigating colonial and racialized trauma, and domains of antiracist activism to bring racial justice and equity to schools.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-06-10T11:42:29Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241258464
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Teachers’ Knowledge and Preparedness for Retirement: Results From a
Nationally Representative Teacher Survey
Authors: Dillon Fuchsman, Josh B. McGee, Gema Zamarro
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
Adequately preparing for retirement requires planning and knowledge about available savings and investment options. Teachers participate in a complex set of plan designs, and many do not participate in Social Security. While teachers represent a large part of the public workforce, relatively little is known regarding their knowledge and preparation for retirement. We administered a survey to a nationally representative sample of teachers through RAND’s American Teacher Panel and asked teachers about their retirement planning and employer-sponsored retirement plans. We find that while most teachers are taking steps to prepare for retirement, many teachers do not currently possess the basic retirement knowledge necessary to plan effectively. Teachers struggled to identify their plan type, how much they contribute to their plans, retirement eligibility ages, and who contributes to Social Security. These results suggest that better education around teacher retirement plans has the potential to improve teachers’ retirement planning and preparation.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-06-03T12:41:32Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241253819
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- The Holistic Capital Model: Time and Body Capital as Sources of Inequity
Authors: Claire Wladis, Maggie P. Fay, Alyse C. Hachey
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
We present a model of capital that expands existing models to introduce two new forms of capital (time and body capital) as sources of inequity in education. The aim is to (a) make visible core resources that are relevant to educational outcomes and also (often hidden) sources of inequity, (b) identify commonalities across diverse empirical and theoretical research strands, and (c) reconceptualize existing research from an asset rather than deficit framework. We explain how time and physiological resources can be conceptualized as forms of capital and link this to extant empirical and theoretical research across fields. Then, we describe how students may have different amounts and types of time and body capital, as well as different drains on capital, and how this may lead to educational inequities. We close by describing the affordances of using this theory as a lens for analyzing existing educational structures, policies and practices.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-05-27T06:01:59Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241255626
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- “More About the Neighborhood Than the School”: Leveraging “Don’t
Know” Survey Responses to Probe Parental Evaluations of School Safety
Authors: Chase M. Billingham, Shelley M. Kimelberg, Matthew O. Hunt
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
We utilize original survey data to examine factors influencing parental assessment of schools. When asked a series of questions about their evaluation of hypothetical schools in a survey experiment, respondents were given the option to select “don’t know” and explain in their own words what additional information they would want to know about the school in order to make their decision. Respondents were especially likely to answer “don’t know” in response to a question about school safety. We explore patterns of “don’t know” responses through analysis of the open-ended answers that respondents provided. Rather than focusing solely on school characteristics, open-ended responses reveal that parents tend to worry about crime and safety issues in the neighborhoods surrounding schools. We discuss the implications of these findings for education policy, school practice, and education research methods.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-05-24T05:05:05Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241253562
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Rethinking College Transitions: Legitimate Peripheral Participation as a
Pathway to Becoming
Authors: Dallin George Young, Bryce D. Bunting
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
This paper’s purpose is to review theoretical explanations of college transitions, offer a critique of their utility, and make an explicit argument that the field of higher education would benefit from a shift from a view of transition as induction or development to transition as becoming. Moreover, we propose that the use of legitimate peripheral participation paired with transition as becoming as an emerging theoretical viewpoint that (1) points toward ways educators can shape environments that support transitions as becoming, (2) more effectively describes the lived experiences of students in transition, and (3) facilitates improved understanding, study, and implementation of student transition programs in the United States.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-05-23T05:54:45Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241255631
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Head Start Children’s Dual Enrollment in State Pre-K: Prevalence and
Child Outcomes
Authors: Ji-Young Choi, Laura C. Betancur, Heather L. Rouse
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
The current study investigated the prevalence and outcomes related to Head Start (HS) children’s dual enrollment in state-funded prekindergarten (state Pre-K) using a secondary analysis of a statewide integrated administrative dataset (N = 2,986). It also explored whether a program partnership between HS and the local school district (within the same geographic service area) was associated with HS children’s higher enrollment in Pre-K. Findings showed that over half of the children attending HS additionally participated in Pre-K. Such dual enrollment, which reflects more daily hours of center-based early care and education, predicted higher teacher-reported school readiness skills, including cognitive, language, literacy, math, physical, and social-emotional skills. The rate of HS children’s dual enrollment was higher when their HS grantee had a stronger partnership with the local school district. Our findings highlight the importance of systematic efforts to maximize the utilization of ECE-allocated resources for low-income children.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-05-23T05:52:47Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241255612
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Uncovering the Connections Among Rural Science Teachers: A Social Network
Analysis
Authors: Tracy Poulsen, Heather Leary, Alan Daly, Rebecca Sansom
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
Using social network analysis, we sought to characterize the professional collaboration and advice networks among rural science teachers. Furthermore, we explored how the characteristics of individual teachers and distance between teachers affected the likelihood of forming connections. Science teachers in publicly funded rural schools were asked whom they collaborate with and seek advice from and the mode and frequency of their communications. Results were analyzed using UCINET to calculate statistical significance of tie formation. Ties among rural teachers were sparse, with a quarter of teachers having no connections within the bounded network. In contrast to other social network studies, characteristics of individual teachers were not a significant predictor of tie formation in our population, but geographic proximity was a strong predictor. Our findings suggest that districts can support teachers in forming supportive ties by providing time, funding, and/or technology tools and training.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-05-23T05:49:47Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241253821
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Major Selection as Iteration: Observing Gendered Patterns of Major
Selection Under Elective Curriculums
Authors: Tobias Dalberg, Kalena E. Cortes, Mitchell L. Stevens
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
Social scientists have long recognized field of study as an important mechanism of gender differentiation and stratification in U.S. higher education, but they have rarely attended to how elective curriculums mediate gender differentiation in major selection. Under elective curriculums, major selection is an iterative process, in which students select courses in stepwise fashion at the beginning of each academic term, and are able to change majors early in their undergraduate careers. We observe how an elective curriculum mediates gendered patterns of major selection, using a novel data set describing 11,730 students at a large public research university. We find (a) gender and intended major are strongly correlated upon college entry; (b) large proportions of students change majors between entry and declaration; (c) because most changes are to academically adjacent fields, gendered patterns in field of study persist through the undergraduate career. Findings suggest the value of an iterative conception of major selection and offer tractable means for intervening in the process through which students select majors.JEL codes: I21, I24, I26, J16.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-05-18T06:25:23Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241249600
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Exploring Whether and How Teacher Residencies Offer a Different Kind of
Preparation
Authors: Matthew Truwit, Matthew Ronfeldt, Emanuele Bardelli
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
The past two decades have seen the rise of the residency model, another nontraditional pathway to certification that offers an intensive, practice-based, context-specific preparation designed to address shortages in hard-to-staff districts. Although advocates call the model innovative, research examining residencies at scale warrants skepticism around whether they truly offer a distinctive preparation. Surveying all programs across Tennessee about their adoption of features that characterize the model, we find that residencies offer a unique pathway to teaching in some expected ways though not all. Specifically, residencies reported longer clinical placements, more financial support for residents, and higher rates of mentor training, though they mostly did not report unique practices of candidate recruitment, district partnership, mentor selection, or curricular design. Moreover, we see that the distinctiveness of the model is in decline, with evidence of its dilution among newer residencies and the spread of its features among traditional programs.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-05-07T10:45:34Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241231937
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Preliminary Development of the Racial Equity-Oriented Social-Emotional
Learning Practices Measure
Authors: Deborah Rivas-Drake, Jozet Channey, Gina McGovern, Bernardette J. Pinetta
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
This article delineates the development of a measure to assess teachers’ reported engagement in practices that center on issues of racial equity as part of their SEL instruction. An iterative mixed-method approach included theoretical grounding, literature reviews, content expert evaluation, focus groups, cognitive interviews, and multiple survey administrations. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted using data from three independent samples of fifth- to eighth-grade teachers (N range = 240–260; White = 67–89%; Black = 3–7%; Latinx = 5–23%). Test-retest reliability was assessed in a fourth national sample from the RAND American Education Panels (N = 482; Black/African American = 19.9%, Latino/Hispanic = 16.2%, Asian/Asian American = 2.7%, American Indian/Native American = 1.9%, White = 66.0%, Middle Eastern/North African = 0.6%, and Other = 2.7%). Results suggest (1) evidence of strong internal consistency for the 41-item Racial Equity-oriented Social Emotional Learning (REQSEL) measure; (2) REQSEL scores correlated with multiple relevant measures of teachers’ beliefs and behaviors regarding race, ethnicity, culture, and social justice; and (3) REQSEL scores correlated with teachers’ own ethnic-racial identity beliefs.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-05-06T11:28:28Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241246717
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Within-Year Teacher Turnover in Head Start and Children’s School
Readiness
Authors: Anna J. Markowitz
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
Teachers in early childhood education (ECE) settings are central to providing children with high-quality experiences that promote both early development and long-term well-being; unfortunately, rates of teacher turnover are high in ECE settings. There are strong theoretical reasons to assume turnover is negatively linked with children’s academic and socioemotional development, but few empirical studies test this hypothesis. Using an econometric fixed effects approach in two waves of data from the nationally representative Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey, this study provides the first national estimate of the relationship between within-year lead teacher turnover and children’s development in Head Start. I find an annual within-year turnover rate of ~9%, about twice that of K–12, and that turnover is negatively associated with children’s language outcomes alongside suggestive evidence for behavioral outcomes.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-05-06T09:25:36Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241245094
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Racialized Patterns in the Distribution of Congressional Pork:
Implications for Postsecondary Equity and Organizational Transformation
Authors: Heather McCambly, Stephanie Aguilar-Smith
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
Troubled by the inequities in competitive grantmaking, we use critical quantitative methods to analyze the FY2023 federal academic earmarks as a potential mechanism for racialized change work. Specifically, we ask: To what extent does Congress distribute academic earmarks in ways that reinforce or weaken the racialized stratification of resources across organizations in the field' Accordingly, we identify distribution patterns of academic earmarks, considering the allocation of dollars and types of earmarks (i.e., general capacity-building versus specialized grants) across colleges and universities, between White-serving institutions and minority-serving institutions (MSIs), and among MSIs. Based on our analysis, Congress favored a racially reproductive funding portfolio, driven by smaller and more restrictive allocations, not fewer earmarks. However, the distribution of earmarks among MSIs defied normed expectations, as Congress did not privilege whiter, more prestigious MSIs, signaling the potential of pork-barrel politics for racially reparative work.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-05-04T12:40:41Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241245973
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Equity Intersections: Teachers’ Experiences with Student Wellness
Support During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Kate L. Phillippo, Elizabeth Levine Brown, Linda Galib, Ken A. Fujimoto, Aidyn L. Iachini, Naomi Brown, Crystal Lennix, Audra Parker, Tasha M. Childs
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
Teachers often address student wellness concerns such as health and mental health. Yet, this work goes largely unacknowledged and unsupported by professional preparation. COVID-19 intensified these concerns amid disrupted systems of student support and increased student distress. Our national survey (N = 1398) pursued the powerful opportunity present during the pandemic to understand the extent and distribution of demands on teachers to address student wellness and the support they receive for such work. We found that the demand for teachers’ wellness work was inequitably distributed across teachers, varying largely by their schools’ sociodemographic characteristics. Additionally, access to support for this work did not align with demand levels. We discuss these findings’ implications for teacher preparation, support, and workload equity.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-04-30T10:04:13Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241245385
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Differential Prediction for Disadvantaged Students and Schools: The Role
of High School Characteristics
Authors: Preeya P. Mbekeani, Daniel Koretz
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
Validity studies of college admissions tests have found that, on average, students who are Black or Hispanic earn lower freshman grade-point averages (FGPAs) than predicted by these test scores. This differential prediction is used as a measure of bias. These studies, however, conflate student and school characteristics. The differential prediction affecting minoritized groups may arise in part because they attended high schools in which college enrollees, regardless of race, perform worse than predicted. Using data on students who graduated from New York City public high schools in 2011 and enrolled in the City University of New York, we examined this using college admissions and high school test scores. There was no differential prediction based on race/ethnicity among students within high schools when school characteristics were accounted for. Instead, overprediction of FGPA was associated with the school proportion of enrolled Black and Hispanic students. Overprediction was larger in models with high school test scores.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-04-29T12:31:00Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241245088
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- From Deficit to Difference: Understanding the Relationship Between K–12
Teacher Training and Disability Discussion
Authors: Christa S. Bialka, Nicole Hansen, Irene P. Kan, Danielle Mackintosh, Rebecca Jacobson
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
One major responsibility of K–12 teachers in United States public schools is to meet the needs of disabled students. While many preservice and in-service teacher training programs present educators with information related to service delivery as outlined in a student’s Individualized Education Program or 504 plan, they rarely address how to talk about disability with all students. This qualitative study examines 50 in-service teachers’ experiences related to disability training and explores the implications of this training on teachers’ disability discussion practices. Findings reveal that teacher training is primarily focused on compliance and “fixing” disability; training and prior experiences affect how teachers define disability; and training affects the framework that teachers use when discussing disability with their students. Based on the findings of this study, we offer recommendations to help programs reimagine training and view disability as a minoritized identity. Results of this study address a significant gap in preparing teachers for disability discussion.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-04-27T10:45:16Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241245089
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Latinx/a/o Senior Leaders in U.S Higher Education: A Systematic Review of
the Literature
Authors: Jorge Burmicky, Antonio Duran, Natalie Muñoz
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
Latinx/a/o senior leaders remain underrepresented in the executive ranks, and more research is needed to adequately address equity gaps in higher education leadership. By employing a systematic literature review approach, we examined 57 pieces of scholarship that focused on the experiences of senior Latinx/a/o leaders in postsecondary education. This exploration was aimed at equipping higher education scholars and practitioners with the tools to understand how Latinx/a/o leaders navigate challenges and opportunities in higher education. We identified three major themes: 1) scholarship focusing on individual traits and important identity-based differences; 2) research describing the environmental and structural conditions that shape these leaders’ realities; and 3) literature describing these individuals’ leadership pathways. As an effort to make this body of work more accessible to researchers and decision-makers, we provided implications for research and practice to shape the field of Latinx/a/o leadership in higher education.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-04-13T04:56:57Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241242752
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- It’s About Time, Part II: Does Time Poverty Contribute to Inequitable
College Outcomes by Gender and Race/Ethnicity'
Authors: Claire Wladis, Alyse C. Hachey, Katherine M. Conway
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
Existing research demonstrates gender- and race/ethnicity-based inequities in college outcomes. Separately, recent research suggests a relationship between time poverty and college outcomes for student parents and online students. However, to date, no studies have empirically explored whether differential access to time as a resource for college may explain differential outcomes by gender or race/ethnicity. To address this, this study explored the relationship between time poverty, gender or race/ethnicity, and college outcomes at a large urban public university with two and four year campuses. Time poverty explained a significant proportion of differential outcomes (retention and credit accumulation) by gender and race/ethnicity. More time-poor groups also dedicated a larger proportion of their (relatively limited) discretionary time to their education, suggesting that inequitable distributions of time may contribute to other negative outcomes (e.g., reduced time for sleep, exercise, healthcare). This suggests that time poverty is a significant but understudied equity issue in higher education.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-03-22T07:26:36Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241237971
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Testing a Holistic Framework of Early Care and Education and K–12
Leaders’ Working Conditions and Well-Being
Authors: Timothy G. Ford, Kyong-Ah Kwon, Alyson L. Lavigne, Tom McHugh
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
The importance of leadership for key educational outcomes is well documented, yet leaders’ working conditions and well-being have received considerably less attention, particularly in the early care and education (ECE) sector. Job-Demands-Resources (JD-R) theory was used to develop a holistic conceptualization of leader well-being for the purpose of examining the associations among various job demands, resources, and well-being (i.e., physical, psychological, and professional well-being) for leaders of birth to 12th grade (B–12). We tested our conceptual model via structural equation modeling (SEM) with over 2,000 ECE and K–12 building leaders across the United States. We found substantially stronger effects between job demands and well-being relative to job resources and well-being, though resources were found to be directly associated with professional well-being. Further, our tested model was similar for both ECE and K–12 leaders. Overall findings suggest that a reduction in demands—not just increased resources—is needed to ensure improved leader well-being.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-03-15T04:30:55Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241235923
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Are Changes in Reported Social-Emotional Skills Just Noise' The Predictive
Power of Longitudinal Differences in Self-Reports
Authors: Klint Kanopka, Susana Claro, Susanna Loeb, Martin West, Hans Fricke
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
Prior work has shown that students’ self-reported levels on social-emotional measures predict achievement levels and gains, but we have little evidence on whether within-student changes in self-reports on social-emotional surveys are predictive of changes in theoretically related academic and behavioral outcomes. We use large-scale data from the California CORE districts to examine whether changes in individual reports on social-emotional measures from one school year to the next predict changes in state math and English language arts test scores and attendance. We show that changes in self-reported social-emotional measures predict changes in both achievement and attendance. These results are robust across model specifications. Moreover, the relationships between SEL and achievement and attendance outcomes are consistent across student subgroups.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-03-13T05:55:15Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241233277
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- How and Why Teachers Taught About the 2020 U.S. Election: An Analysis of
Survey Responses From Twelve States
Authors: Paul G. Fitchett, Brett L. M. Levy, Jeremy D. Stoddard
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
This study explores social studies teachers’ self-reported instruction about teaching the 2020 election in U.S. secondary schools. We analyzed survey responses from 1,723 secondary social studies teachers from 12 states (3 left-leaning, 3 right-leaning, 6 battleground) collected in the weeks after the election, examining self-reported pedagogies, topics taught, and overall frequency of teaching about the election. Respondents reported teaching about the election more frequently if they taught courses in civics or government and/or if they had greater control over their curricula. Analyses indicated that teachers’ demographic characteristics, teaching contexts, and ideologies about civic education were related to the election-related topics they taught and the instructional practices they employed. Our findings have important implications for educators, administrators, policymakers, and others interested in strengthening civic learning.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-03-09T05:10:37Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241234884
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Bridging the Gap Between Imagined and Plausible Futures for Refugees: What
Students Wish Their Teachers Knew
Authors: Vidur Chopra, Sarah Dryden-Peterson, Joumana Talhouk, Carmen Geha
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
There is a gap between the futures that refugee young people imagine will be possible through their education and the plausible futures in exile, where opportunities are truncated by social, economic, and political exclusions. Our study examines how education can narrow this gap. Through interviews with Syrian students in Lebanon, we document fixed and malleable elements of education that refugee students identify as bridging their current education and their futures. Students experience the structures and content of schooling in Lebanon as both exclusionary and immutable, yet their teachers use what we call relational pedagogies rooted in predictability, explaining, fairness, and care to support students’ learning and navigation toward future opportunities. While our research focuses on refugees, it has conceptual implications for educators and school systems in other settings where teachers support their marginalized students to make sense of disconnects between what they imagine is possible through school and their future opportunities.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-03-08T01:03:18Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241230062
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Estimates of Teach for America Effects on Student Test and Nontest
Academic Outcomes Over Time
Authors: Ben Backes, Michael Hansen
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
This article examines the impact of Teach for America (TFA) on following-year student test and nontest outcomes in Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Using data from 2010 through 2021, this article measures the extent to which student exposure to TFA is followed by improved outcomes in the future, relative to students with other early-career teachers in the same school. In particular, this article measures days missed due to absences or suspensions, course grades in each core subject, and progression in math courses. We find that students taught by TFA math teachers go on to have higher grades in math courses in the following year and are less likely to miss school due to being absent or suspended. However, while students in TFA classrooms score higher on math and ELA assessments in a given year, these test score gains fade out by the following year.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-03-06T09:07:23Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241234874
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Teacher Use of an Online Platform to Support Independent Practice in
Middle School Mathematics During COVID-19 Disruptions
Authors: Eben B. Witherspoon, Max Pardo, Kirk Walters, Rachel Garrett, Matthew Hilbert, Jennifer Ford, Lisa B. Hsin, Melissa A. Rodgers, Dionisio Garcia Piriz, Lauren Burr, Leslie Thornley
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
Schools experienced unprecedented disruptions to instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic, largely driven by the abrupt transition to online learning in the spring of 2020. Often, this shift created a “black box” around remote learning and instruction. However, data generated by educational technology platforms can provide a window into instruction during this time. Here, we report on the amount and frequency of usage of an online platform for independent practice used by 58 grade 7 math teachers from seven school districts across multiple U.S. states between August 2019 and July 2021, providing insight into instruction just prior to and during COVID-19 disruptions. Results showed an increased proportion of teachers using the platform at least twice a week over the study period, from 22.2% to 44.1%. Further, platform usage was related to teachers’ level of experience and the amount of coach support received, suggesting areas for teacher support during remote instruction.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-03-04T07:40:47Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241230054
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Multiplying Disadvantages in U.S. High Schools: An Intersectional Analysis
of the Interactions Among Punishment and Achievement Trajectories
Authors: Jason Jabbari, Odis Johnson
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
We examined recent process models of accumulated disadvantage with an intersectional lens in order to provide a more complete picture of how disadvantages across punishment and math trajectories can accumulate over time and disparately affect marginalized race-gender groups. Using structural equation modeling (SEM) with a nationally representative longitudinal study of high school students (HSLS-09), we found that punishment trajectories were influenced by math and vice versa, as well as that these relationships differed across math performance and various aspects of math attitudes, including efficacy, utility, and identity. Furthermore, we found that gender, race, and race-gender groups experienced significantly different relationships. When considering the intersection of punishment and math disadvantages, these differences appear to not only accumulate disadvantages within punishment and math trajectories but also across them for marginalized race-gender groups. This was especially true for Black males. We conclude with a discussion of implications for policy and practice.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-03-04T07:26:07Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241230971
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Methodological Complexity: A Both/And Approach to Address Tool Validity
and Reliability for Assessment of Cultural Responsiveness in Indigenous
Serving Schools
Authors: Darold H. Joseph, Chesleigh N. Keene, Angelina E. Castagno, Pradeep M. Dass, Crystal Macias
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
This article presents the first psychometric validation of the Culturally Responsive Assessment of Indigenous Schooling (CRAIS) tool, alongside a call for methodological complexity when engaged in research with and in Indigenous contexts. We examined the 23 culturally responsive schooling (CRS) principles underlying the newly created CRAIS tool in independent samples of curriculum units produced by teachers. Of these, 22 principles loaded into two factors. We further investigated the rationale for all 23 items through a review of the literature and robust discussions about the lived experiences of the authors and the Indigenous teachers with whom we work. We suggest that this both/and approach of quantitative and qualitative analysis results in a richer and more nuanced tool, as compared to what one single method would have rendered. Embracing this methodological complexity allows us to both center Indigenous lived experiences and maintain fidelity to the statistical implications of our work.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-03-01T06:20:10Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241232958
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Lottery-Based Evaluations of Early Education Programs: Opportunities and
Challenges for Building the Next Generation of Evidence
Authors: Christina Weiland, Rebecca Unterman, Susan Dynarski, Rachel Abenavoli, Howard Bloom, Breno Braga, Anne-Marie Faria, Erica Greenberg, Brian A. Jacob, Jane Arnold Lincove, Karen Manship, Meghan McCormick, Luke Miratrix, Tomás E. Monarrez, Pamela Morris-Perez, Anna Shapiro, Jon Valant, Lindsay Weixler
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
Lottery-based identification strategies offer potential for generating the next generation of evidence on U.S. early education programs. The authors’ collaborative network of five research teams applying this design in early education settings and methods experts has identified six challenges that need to be carefully considered in this next context: (a) available baseline covariates that may not be very rich; (b) limited data on the counterfactual; (c) limited and inconsistent outcome data; (d) weakened internal validity due to attrition; (e) constrained external validity due to who competes for oversubscribed programs; and (f) difficulties answering site-level questions with child-level randomization. The authors offer potential solutions to these six challenges and concrete recommendations for the design of future lottery-based early education studies.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-03-01T06:14:30Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241231933
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Consequential Intersections: Examining Equity Expressions and Experiences
Within Special Education Ecosystems
Authors: Catherine Kramarczuk Voulgarides, Sarah L. Woulfin, Natasha Strassfeld, Isabel Meltzer
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
We employ the metaphor of an educational ecosystem to explain how racial inequity in special education manifests in a midsized urban school district via equity expressions and experiences. We focus on two ecosystems operating at the mesol-evel within school districts:1) special education and 2) equity ecosystems. We show how these educational ecosystems converge and diverge when a state education agency (SEA) cites a local education agency (LEA) via federal disability legislation for racial disparities in special education outcomes—commonly referred to as racial disproportionality. Using document analysis and semistructured interview data, we empirically examine how equity and special education ecosystems converge and diverge and discuss the implications for addressing racialized inequities. We highlight that there was limited equity absorption across the two ecosystems and how racism and ableism are implicated in the convergences and divergences between the two systems. We conclude with recommendations for policy and practice.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-02-29T09:09:52Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241230056
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Discourse in Research-Practice Partnership Meetings: A Comparison of
Conditions Across Contexts
Authors: Enikö Zala-Mezö, Amanda Datnow
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
Research-practice partnerships (RPPs) are gaining international attention as they promise to close the gap between research and practice in education. As RPPs bring together participants with diverse expertise, how people dialogue to collectively learn and address problems of practice is critically important. Analyzing video data from RPP meetings in Switzerland and the United States, this micro-analytic study examines the extent of generative discourse in RPP meetings and the conditions under which it occurs. Since RPPs vary significantly along a number of dimensions, it is useful to compare them to see how these features influence discourse and learning. Across the Swiss and US contexts, almost half of the meeting time was generative—altering meanings and/or creating new knowledge and perspectives. Discourse patterns varied, however, reflecting the different sizes, purposes, and activity structures of the RPPs. Examining meeting discourse across conditions may help promote knowledge generation and continuous improvement in RPPs.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-02-29T08:53:35Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241230051
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- “Kids Have Taught Me. I Listen to Them”: Principals Legitimizing
Student Voice in Their Leadership
Authors: Osly J. Flores, Joonkil Ahn
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
Few studies have shared insights on how principals invite student voice to enact equitable leadership practice. The purpose of this study was to explore the ways in which principals demonstrated their commitment to equity via advocating for student voice using in-depth interview data from six school principals in the United States. We present three findings that contribute to the field of leadership and student voice: (a) motivation for student voice, (b) desires and concerns for student future, and (c) student voice for authentic learning. This study advances how school leaders develop student democratic agency and critical consciousness through pursuing and welcoming student voice.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-02-28T10:00:41Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241232596
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Exploring Patterns of Absenteeism from Prekindergarten Through Early
Elementary School and Their Associations With Children’s Academic
Outcomes
Authors: Wendy Wei
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
Using statewide administrative data from a sample of children enrolled in public prekindergarten (pre-K) programs in Massachusetts, I examined heterogeneity in children’s absenteeism patterns from pre-K to Grade 3 and linked these patterns to their Grade 3 academic outcomes. After latent class growth analysis, six absenteeism patterns emerged. The vast majority of children (85%) had consistently low absenteeism, and only a small percentage of children (1%) demonstrated consistently high absenteeism. Four patterns showed variation in absenteeism over time, with two characterized by high absenteeism in only the pre-K year, another with a peak during kindergarten, and a final one with rising absenteeism across grades. Children with always low absenteeism had higher average English language arts and math scores than did children in the other patterns, and children in the two high pre-K absenteeism patterns and peak in kindergarten pattern had higher math scores than those with rising and always high absenteeism patterns.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-02-21T08:52:25Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241228212
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- A Novel Approach for Evaluating a Schoolwide Antiracist Curriculum
Intervention
Authors: Jacqueline Cerda-Smith, Paula K.S. Yust, Molly S. Weeks, Steven R. Asher, Kelly Lynn Mulvey
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
This manuscript describes our effort to apply a novel approach to understanding student outcomes associated with a schoolwide antiracist intervention. We report a multimethod quantitative approach to evaluate a 10-week antiracist intervention designed and implemented by school staff by examining patterns of student intervention engagement and measures of key constructs that connect to antiracism, psychological well-being, and school connectedness. Our novel approach combines schoolwide surveys with smaller samples of daily diary participants, documenting variation in intervention engagement and examining postintervention outcomes. Our findings are limited by high attrition rates, small sample size, and data collection during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, our methods offer a promising transferable approach to evaluate school-based antiracist interventions by examining patterns and predictors of intervention engagement, as well as daily fluctuations in student experience throughout the intervention period.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-02-19T12:12:14Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584231223476
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Public Preschool Predicts Stronger Third-Grade Academic Skills
Authors: Anna D. Johnson, Anne Partika, Anne Martin, Ian Lyons, Sherri Castle, Deborah A. Phillips
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
Public preschool boosts academic skills in kindergarten, but little is known about whether that boost lasts to third grade because many studies stop directly assessing children after kindergarten. The current study tests for sustained associations between preschool attendance and an array of repeatedly measured, directly assessed language and math skills; we do this separately for public pre-K and Head Start, the two major publicly funded preschool programs. We draw on a large, racially diverse sample of children from families with low incomes in Tulsa, OK (N = 689, Mage at 3rd = 8.5 years). Using propensity score weighting, we compare children who attended school-based pre-K or Head Start to those who did not attend preschool. Both school-based pre-K and Head Start attenders outperformed preschool nonattenders on numeracy in third grade. There was weaker evidence of a sustained preschool advantage on language and literacy skills, and no evidence that associations differed by preschool program.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-02-19T10:30:38Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584231223477
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Is It Any Better' A Comparison of PhD Students’ Experiences and Degree
Completion Plans Between the Summers of 2020 and 2021
Authors: Rachel A. Smith, Garrett H. Gowen, Rosemary J. Perez, Jennifer A. Tipton, Craig A. Ogilvie, Thomas R. Brooks
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
PhD students’ experiences in graduate school and associated outcomes vary by field of study, learning environment conditions, and support structures. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic specifically, PhD students’ individual educational trajectories were potentially rendered more uncertain, as disruptive conditions for learning and research have continued over the past several years. We compared the reports of 422 PhD students at 12 U.S. institutions in terms of their experiences of support or marginalization and educational plans from the summer of 2020 with follow-up data gathered during the summer of 2021. We then examined factors related to PhD students’ changes in their estimated times to degree. We found lower, but still on average moderate, levels of depression symptoms compared to the previous year and continued experiences of emotional, financial, educational, and career stressors. Findings point to the importance of institutional material and psychological structural supports over time.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-02-15T06:23:58Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241228222
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- More Than One Way: Fifth-Graders’ Varied Digital Reading Behaviors
and Comprehension Outcomes
Authors: Amanda Yoshiko Shimizu, Michael Havazelet, Amanda P. Goodwin
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
Digital reading is ubiquitous, yet understanding digital reading processes and links to comprehension remains underdeveloped. Guided by new literacies and active reading theories, this study explored the reading behaviors and comprehension of thirteen fifth graders who read static digital texts. We coded for the quantity and quality of digital reading behaviors and employed action path diagrams to connect behaviors to comprehension. We used timescape analyses to visualize how behaviors were orchestrated differently across readers. Findings showed no single behavior was related directly to comprehension, indicating varying pathways to digital reading success. Occasional rereading seemed to support active reading and improved comprehension. Instances of students subverting expected digital tools were observed. Minor distractions like mind-wandering did not link to poor performance. This research deepens our understanding of self-monitoring and active reading in static digital contexts, offering insights for future study of more complex digital reading contexts like reading on the internet.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-02-12T12:58:58Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241226633
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Critical Quantitative Literacy: An Educational Foundation for Critical
Quantitative Research
Authors: Michael B. Frisby
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
Education research has recently seen the emergence of two distinct frameworks guiding the application of quantitative methods through a more critical and equity-oriented lens. These two frameworks are critical quantitative (CritQuant) studies and quantitative critical race theory (QuantCrit). Although different in their intellectual traditions, they both acknowledge the oppressive history of quantitative methods and the need to improve the criticality of quantitative research in education. For applied quantitative research in education to become more critical, it is imperative that learners of quantitative methodology be made aware of its historical and modern misuses. This directive calls for an important change in the way quantitative methodology is taught in educational classrooms. Critical quantitative literacy (CQL) is introduced in this manuscript as a paradigm for teaching, learning, understanding, and applying quantitative methods in a way that supports the application of CritQuant and QuantCrit frameworks in educational research.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-02-12T07:04:18Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584241228223
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Racialized Early Grade (Mis)Behavior: The Links Between
Same-Race/Ethnicity Teachers and Discipline in Elementary School
Authors: NaYoung Hwang, Patrick Graff, Mark Berends
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
Studies persistently show disparities in exclusionary discipline across racial/ethnic groups in U.S. schools. Using administrative data from kindergarteners through fifth graders in Indiana, we examine the effects of student-teacher race/ethnicity matching on disciplinary outcomes. We find that Black students exhibit lower rates of suspension and expulsion when they study with Black teachers—driven mainly by fewer defiance and profanity offenses. By contrast, for Latinx and White students, having a teacher of the same race/ethnicity is not associated with suspension and expulsion. In light of the shortage of Black teachers in the teacher workforce, our findings underscore the vulnerability of Black students to exclusionary discipline in the early stages of schooling.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-02-06T07:20:25Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584231222185
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Transforming Political Divides: How Student Identities and Campus Contexts
Shape Interpartisan Friendships
Authors: Alyssa N. Rockenbach, Tara D. Hudson
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
Recent evidence suggests that only about 1 in 5 U.S. adults has a friend on the political “other side” (Dunn, 2020). Although these interpartisan friendships are uncommon, they play a critical role in catalyzing empathy, reducing prejudice, furthering justice, and even restoring democracy, as suggested by the theory of civic friendship (Goering, 2003; Kahane, 1999; Rawlins, 2009). In the present study, we drew on national data from the Interfaith Diversity Experiences and Attitudes Longitudinal Survey (IDEALS) to examine the personal and contextual factors that predict interpartisan friendship formation among 5,762 college students attending 118 higher education institutions in the United States. The findings revealed the constellation of individual, social, and institutional contributors to students’ capacities to reach across political differences in their friendships. We offer guidance for how college educators can support the development of these relationships that may open a path toward empathy and healing in our polarized society.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-01-30T07:44:01Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584231222475
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- A Dakota Cultural Intervention’s Influence on Native Students’ Sense
of Belonging: A CBPR Case Study
Authors: Heather J. Peters, Teresa R. Peterson, The Dakota Wicoḣaƞ Community
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
This community-based participatory research case study demonstrates how Dakota Wicoḣaƞ utilized Indigenous and feminist epistemologies to create, implement, and evaluate a cultural intervention, the Mni Sota Makoce: Dakota Homelands Curriculum, to increase Native 6th- and 10th-grade social studies students’ peoplehood sense of belonging (Tachine et al., 2017). Findings demonstrate Native students liked the curriculum and reported an increase in support and a decrease in invalidation of their sense of belonging. While the curriculum provided a source of racial-ethnic socialization, some European American students criticized the curriculum, which likely negatively impacted 6th-grade students psychological sense of school membership (Goodenow, 1993). Results indicate Indigenous culture, epistemologies, and pedagogies should be infused throughout all curricula, teachers need to be prepared to effectively deal with racist and discriminatory behavior, and Indian education is important to Native students’ belonging. Implications and recommendations for funders, schools, researchers, teacher education programs, and Native communities are discussed.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-01-17T07:22:58Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584231221793
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Are Teachers Satisfied With Their Evaluations' The Importance of Teaching
Context and Trends Over Time
Authors: Lauren Sartain, Wesley T. Morris
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
Nationally, teachers have experienced major changes in how their performance is evaluated. Teacher satisfaction with the evaluation system likely influences whether they will use the evaluation data to make instructional improvements, yet we know little about teachers’ perceptions of their evaluations. Using survey data from Chicago Public Schools, we explore teacher satisfaction with the evaluation system and their perceptions of its fairness and accuracy. Sixty percent of teachers reported being satisfied with the district’s reformed teacher evaluation. However, satisfaction declined following the implementation of the district’s more rigorous evaluation system, driven by tenured teachers’ differentially negative impressions. Notably, teacher satisfaction was higher in schools with strong climates, particularly where teachers perceived instructional leadership as effective. These findings underscore the importance of school leaders in the implementation of teacher evaluation policies and suggest that some principals need support fostering school climates focused on instructional improvement and building strong relationships with staff.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-01-11T08:55:54Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584231221539
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- The Geography of Principal Internships in North Carolina
Authors: Timothy A. Drake, Kevin C. Bastian
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
Principal preparation programs play an important role in developing future school leaders’ skills and practices. Internships, or structured opportunities for future leaders to engage in the work of school leadership in hands-on, authentic ways, are among the most essential components of principal preparation. Using longitudinal data from 12 programs in North Carolina, this study extends research on internships by examining the pathways of interns from prior- to post-internship employment. We find that internships are highly localized around interns’ prior- and post-employment schools but not their preparation program, with wide variability in placements between programs. Interns’ demographics do not play a large role in shaping the geography of internship placements. However, we find that preparation program type is strongly related to the geography of internship placements, suggesting that differences in program structure may shape internship placements. We conclude by highlighting the limitations and discussing implications for future research.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-01-08T10:39:43Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584231219994
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- On the Interplay of Motivational Characteristics and Academic Achievement:
The Role of Need for Cognition
Authors: Anja Strobel, Alexander Strobel, Franzis Preckel, Ricarda Steinmayr
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
While intelligence and motivational variables are well-established predictors of academic achievement, Need for Cognition (NFC), the stable intrinsic motivation to engage in and enjoy challenging intellectual activity, has not yet been considered comprehensively in this field, especially not longitudinally. By applying latent change score modeling, we examined the incremental value of NFC, considering well-established motivational constructs and prior achievement in the prediction of academic achievement across different subjects in a longitudinal approach across two time points in a sample of secondary school students ([math] = 271, [math] = 255). Correlations of NFC with grades were comparable to those of established predictors. NFC incrementally predicted academic achievement over and above prior achievement and ability self-concept. A mutual influence of NFC and academic achievement was found pointing to skill development as well as self-enhancement processes taking place in this interplay. Consequently, we propose to include NFC in models for the comprehensive explanation of academic achievement in school.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-01-03T12:45:48Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584231218961
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Are Law Schools Cream-Skimming to Bolster Their Bar Exam Pass Rates' A
Multilevel Regression Approach to Estimate How Attrition and Transfer
Rates Affect Bar Passage
Authors: Jason M. Scott, Joshua L. Jackson, Andrea M. Pals
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
Law schools are held accountable on many fronts to achieve and maintain high bar passage rates. While the course of legal education itself, along with various interventions, is a key driver of bar exam performance, Bahadur et al. (2021) suggests that obscure institutional practices might be inflating institutional bar passage performance. Such practices could include recruitment and admission of transfer students and academic attrition. We examine this hypothesis to assess the influence of both attrition and transfer on law schools’ bar passage differential using fixed-effects and between-within models. We also utilize Poisson regression to explore the effect of geographical proximity to other law schools on transfer rates. We find that, on average, neither attrition nor transfer activity substantively affect bar passage performance, and that although geographic proximity to other schools is related to transfer rates, this relationship does not result in notable differences in bar passage.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-01-03T09:08:08Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584231214526
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
- Measuring the Interdisciplinarity and Collaboration Perceptions of U.S.
Scientists, Engineers, and Educators
Authors: Katherine R. McCance, Margaret Blanchard
Abstract: AERA Open, Volume 10, Issue , January-December 2024.
Interdisciplinarity has the potential to lead to more innovation and advances in knowledge than are possible from a single discipline. Yet, little is known about interdisciplinary collaborations and the perceptions of those involved. This quantitative study investigated the perceptions of U.S. faculty, staff, postdocs, and graduate students involved in education and science/engineering collaborations. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted for two modified scales, Collaboration Perceptions (CP; n = 117; 17 items; α = .923) and Interdisciplinarity Perceptions (IP; n = 119; 11 items; α = .852). Participants’ perceptions of collaboration and interdisciplinarity were strongly positive and did not significantly differ based on demographic factors (e.g., gender, discipline, role). Perceptions were influenced by collectivist orientation; the high collectivism group had significantly more positive perceptions of collaboration and interdisciplinarity, and collectivist orientation was positively and significantly correlated with CP and IP scores. Implications and recommendations for interdisciplinary collaborations will be discussed.
Citation: AERA Open
PubDate: 2024-01-03T05:14:48Z
DOI: 10.1177/23328584231218952
Issue No: Vol. 10 (2024)
