Assessing the Promise of California’s Early Assessment Program for Community Colleges

2014 ◽  
Vol 655 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michal Kurlaender
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Community College ◽  
Community Colleges ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Postsecondary Education ◽  
College Level ◽  
Early Assessment ◽  
School Students ◽  
Assessment Program ◽  
K 12

This article focuses on California’s efforts to improve the alignment between K–12 and postsecondary schooling through the Early Assessment Program (EAP). Implemented in 2004, the EAP was designed to give high school students information about their academic preparedness for postsecondary education and to encourage teachers to teach for college readiness. I describe the EAP and its evolution and presence at California’s community colleges. I then match EAP and other test score data for California high school juniors to administrative data from California community colleges to investigate the extent to which high school student participation in the EAP predicts their college course placement and influences their academic performance. I find that very few students enter the California community college system ready for college-level work based on the EAP exam, but that the EAP can better serve community college campuses in their efforts to place students in developmental coursework.

scholarly journals K–12 and Postsecondary Alignment: Racial/Ethnic Differences in Freshmen Course-taking and Performance at California’s Community Colleges

2013 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. 16
Author(s):  
Michal Kurlaender ◽  
Matthew Larsen
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Community Colleges ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
School Achievement ◽  
School Students ◽  
High School Achievement ◽  
And Performance ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Racial Ethnic

In this paper we focus on California high school students’ transition to community colleges. Our unique dataset tracks five cohorts of California high school juniors into their freshmen year at in-state community colleges. We evaluate the extent to which high school achievement tests (currently not utilized by community colleges in course placement decisions) are useful for predicting academic success at community college. In addition, given persistent disparities in college attainment by race, we explore whether this fundamental relationship between high school achievement, college course-taking, and performance differs for students from different racial/ethnic backgrounds.

A Triarchic Analysis of an Aptitude-Treatment Interaction

1999 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Sternberg ◽  
Elena L. Grigorenko ◽  
Michel Ferrari ◽  
Pamela Clinkenbeard
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Introductory Psychology ◽  
College Level ◽  
School Students ◽  
Treatment Interaction ◽  
Aptitude Treatment Interaction ◽  
Psychology Course

Summary: This article describes a triarchic analysis of an aptitude-treatment interaction in a college-level introductory-psychology course given to selected high-school students. Of the 326 total participants, 199 were selected to be high in analytical, creative, or practical abilities, or in all three abilities, or in none of the three abilities. The selected students were placed in a course that either well matched or did not match their pattern of analytical, creative, and practical abilities. All students were assessed for memory, analytical, creative, and practical achievement. The data showed an aptitude-treatment interaction between students' varied ability patterns and the match or mismatch of these abilities to the different instructional groups.

Asian American Dropouts: A Case Study of Vietnamese and Chinese High School Students in a New England Urban School District

2009 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phitsamay Uy
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
New England ◽  
Asian American ◽  
Dropout Rates ◽  
School Students ◽  
Study Support ◽  
Asian American Student ◽  
K 12

In the world of K–12 education, the growing numbers of dropouts are a major concern. This article examines the dropout rates of Chinese and Vietnamese high school students. Using logistic regression analysis, this article examines the influence of ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status (SES) on dropout rates. The distinct contribution of this analysis lies within the intraethnic comparisons within the Asian American student population and its use of longitudinal data. The results of the study support existing research that gender and SES are related to dropout rates. Moreover, an interesting interaction between ethnicity and SES exists.

Making Entrepreneurs? Makerspaces and Entrepreneurial Intent Among High School Students

2021 ◽  
pp. 097135572110256
Author(s):  
Eric Joseph van Holm
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
New Orleans ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
School Students ◽  
Important Resource ◽  
Socio Economic Status ◽  
Professional Goals ◽  
Entrepreneurial Intent ◽  
K 12

Makerspaces have grown over the last two decades and provide a potentially important resource to entrepreneurs. One area where the expansion of makerspaces has been the largest is in educational settings, at both K-12 schools and colleges. However, scant research to date has analysed whether students visiting a makerspace have any relationship with their professional goals or intentions. This study uses a survey conducted in New Orleans to analyse the predictors of what students use a makerspace, and the potential relationship visiting may have with entrepreneurial intent. The analysis finds that students with a higher socio-economic status appear to use makerspaces more often, and that students who visited makerspaces are more likely to express interest in starting their own businesses.

Impact of an intuitive eating education program on high school students’ eating attitudes

2015 ◽  
Vol 115 (2) ◽  
pp. 214-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Healy ◽  
Elana Joram ◽  
Oksana Matvienko ◽  
Suzanne Woolf ◽  
Kimberly Knesting
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Healthy Eating ◽  
Education Program ◽  
Eating Attitudes ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Intuitive Eating ◽  
School Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
K 12

Purpose – There is a growing need for school-based nutritional educational programs that promote healthy eating attitudes without increasing an unhealthy focus on restrictive eating or promoting a poor body image. Research suggests that intuitive eating (IE) approaches, which encourage individuals to focus on internal body signals as a guide for eating, have had a positive impact on eating-related psychological outcomes in adults. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects an IE education program on the eating attitudes of high school students. Design/methodology/approach – In a quasi-experimental study, 48 high school students (30 females) in a Midwest town in the USA received instruction on IE or a comparison program over seven days during health classes. Repeated measures analyses of covariance were conducted to examine changes in eating attitudes in sexes across conditions. Findings – Students who received the IE program made significantly greater gains in overall positive eating attitudes on the Intuitive Eating Scale than students in the comparison program (p=0.045), as well as on the Unconditional Permission to Eat subscale (p=0.02). There were no significant effects of sex on any of the analyses. Research limitations/implications – Because of the relatively small sample size and short duration of the program, the results should be generalized with caution. Practical implications – The results suggest that IE instruction may encourage the development of healthy eating attitudes in high school students, and health teachers may wish to consider including IE instruction in the health curriculum. Originality/value – This is the first study to examine the effectiveness of an IE program in a K-12 population, with instruction provided in the context of the school. The results are promising and suggest that this may be a fruitful area for future research in nutrition education.

Beyond Academic Math: The Role of Applied STEM Course Taking in High School

2014 ◽  
Vol 116 (7) ◽  
pp. 1-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael A. Gottfried ◽  
Robert Bozick ◽  
Sinduja V. Srinivasan
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
National Level ◽  
School Students ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Els 2002 ◽  
Federal Initiatives ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
K 12

Background/Context Educational policymakers and researchers are concerned about the declining quantity and quality of U.S. students in line to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. As one policy response, a number of federal initiatives have been enacted to enhance STEM curriculum in schools. Part of this push has been to offer applied STEM courses in the K–12 curriculum to reinforce academic STEM material as well as motivate students to remain in these fields. Prior to this current study, no national-level research has evaluated the effectiveness of these courses. Purpose (a) What applied STEM courses are most commonly taken by high school students? (b) To what extent are high school students taking both academic math courses and applied STEM courses? (c) Do applied STEM courses in high school improve achievement in math? Participants To address the three research questions listed above, this study relies on a comprehensive longitudinal dataset: the Education Longitudinal Survey (ELS:2002). The present study is based on a sample of approximately 11,112 students who participated in the base-year (10th grade, 2002) and first follow-up (12th grade 2004) interviews, who completed math assessments in both years, and for whom valid transcript information was collected. Research Design This study begins with a descriptive analysis to evaluate which students have taken applied STEM courses and at which ability level. From this, a common set of applied STEM courses is determined across this nationally representative dataset. Next, this study relies on a linear regression model of math achievement where the dependent variable is a standardized math score. Independent covariates include measures as to whether or not a student had taken applied STEM courses, academic math courses taken by the student, and a range of controls. Findings Students who take an applied STEM course had higher math scores than their peers who did not take an applied STEM course, all else equal. These courses may be particularly beneficial for those students who are less oriented toward advanced math. Conclusions/Recommendations Applied STEM courses can be used to support learning in math instructed elsewhere in the curriculum, particularly for those students at the lower end of the math pipeline. In providing hands-on learning, often with technology and with direct application to concrete occupationally specific problems, applied STEM courses may serve as a critical means to support an understanding of concepts taught in lower level math pipeline courses.

A Maker Studio Model for High School Classrooms: The Nature and Role of Critique in an Electronic Textiles Design Project

2019 ◽  
Vol 121 (9) ◽  
pp. 1-34
Author(s):  
Breanne K. Litts ◽  
Sari A. Widman ◽  
Debora A. Lui ◽  
Justice T. Walker ◽  
Yasmin B. Kafai
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Project Work ◽  
Maker Movement ◽  
Electronic Textiles ◽  
School Students ◽  
Art Students ◽  
School Classroom ◽  
High School Classroom ◽  
K 12

Background/Context Though the maker movement has proliferated in out-of-school settings, there remains a design challenge of how to effectively integrate maker activities into K–12 classrooms. In other contexts, though, creative design and production have historically been successfully integrated in classrooms through studio models common to the arts, architecture, and engineering. Purpose/Objective In this paper, we leverage the features and practices of studio models from arts, architecture, and engineering education to integrate maker activities in a high school classroom. Within this Maker Studio model, students focus on designing a computational artifact and engage in practices more predominantly found in studio arts, architecture, and engineering classes such as feedback, critique, and reflection. Research Design We conducted a case study of how a class of 23 high school students participating in a STEM elective class in teams partnered with art students to develop an interactive installation. Our analyses focus on how the structure of the feedback, critique, and reflections in the Maker Studio informed and shaped students’ design processes. Conclusions We discuss affordances and implications of recognizing studio practices (particularly critique) as design features of maker activities, especially in high school classroom contexts, and present the Maker Studio as a viable model for integration of maker activities in classroom environments. We also characterize key features of the Maker Studio model, including the following: appreciation and support for maker processes in addition to or even above final products, integration of various structures for giving and receiving critique throughout the design process, support for interdisciplinary and collaborative project work, and engagement with diverse perspectives and expertise during critiques.

Equity in high school computer science: Beyond access

2021 ◽  
pp. 147821032110630
Author(s):  
Paul Bruno ◽  
Colleen M Lewis
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Native American ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Computer Science ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Racial Groups ◽  
School Students ◽  
Level Data ◽  
And Gender ◽  
K 12

Little is known about the extent to which expansions of K-12 computer science (CS) have been equitable for students of different racial backgrounds and gender identities. Using longitudinal course-level data from all high schools in California between the 2003–2004 and 2018–2019 school years we find that 79% of high school students in California, including majorities of all racial groups, are enrolled in schools that offer CS, up from 45% in 2003. However, while male and female students are equally likely to attend schools that offer CS courses, CS courses represent a much smaller share of course enrollments for female students than for male students. Non-Asian students enroll in relatively few CS courses, and this is particularly true for Black, Hispanic, and Native American students. Race gaps in CS participation are to a substantial degree explicable in terms of access gaps, but gender gaps in CS participation are not. Different groups of students have access to CS teachers with similar observable qualifications, but CS teachers remain predominantly white and male. Consequently, white and male CS students are much more likely than other students to have same-race or same-gender instructors. Our findings and the implications we draw for practice will be of interest to administrators and policymakers who, over and above needing to ensure equitable access to CS courses for students, need to attend carefully to equity-related course participation and staffing considerations.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document