Missing School-Based Data due to COVID-19: Some Guidelines

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica A. R. Logan
Keyword(s):  
Missing Data ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Educational Research ◽  
Research Note ◽  
School Buildings ◽  
Research Strategies ◽  
Critical Data ◽  
School Year ◽  
School Based ◽  
Global Pandemic

In the wake of a global pandemic, most school buildings closed for the 2019-2020 school year two or three months early, while universities and research firms forced all in-person data collection to stop. Education scientists testing the efficacy or effectiveness of particular interventions were forced to abruptly stop data collection prior to collecting the critical data on children’s end-of school year progress. Methodological researchers have spent years developing ways to accommodate missing data into research strategies, both retrospectively and prospectively. In this research note, I discuss the potential educational research scenarios, and how missing data theory and methods can be applied to data collected during COVID-19 school year, allowing researchers to maximize the time, effort, and resources invested in their previously collected data.

scholarly journals Research Note: School Reopenings During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Implications for Gender and Racial Equity

Demography ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liana Christin Landivar ◽  
Leah Ruppanner ◽  
Lloyd Rouse ◽  
William J. Scarborough ◽  
Caitlyn Collins
Keyword(s):  
Elementary School ◽  
School Districts ◽  
White Students ◽  
Research Note ◽  
Racial Equity ◽  
Elementary School Districts ◽  
Critical Data ◽  
School Year ◽  
Data Source

Abstract In the fall of 2020, school districts across the country reopened under a variety of instructional modes. Some districts returned to in-person instruction and some operated remotely. Others reopened under hybrid models, wherein students alternated times, days, or weeks of in-person instruction. To capture this variation, we developed the Elementary School Operating Status (ESOS) database. ESOS provides data on elementary school districts' primary operating status in the first grading period of the 2020–2021 school year, covering 24 million students in more than 9,000 school districts in all states. In this research note, we introduce these data and offer two analytical examples. We show that school districts with greater representation of Black and Hispanic students were less likely to offer in-person instruction than were districts with greater representation of White students. These racial disparities remained after accounting for geographic locale and COVID-19 prevalence. We also show that the number of in-person elementary school instruction days was associated with mothers' labor force participation relative to fathers and to women without children—that is, the fewer days of instruction, the less likely that mothers were employed. ESOS is a critical data source for evaluating the mid- and long-term implications for students who experienced reduced in-person learning and for mothers who exited employment in the absence of in-person instruction and care.

scholarly journals Research Note: School Reopenings During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Implications for Gender and Racial Equity

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liana Christin Landivar ◽  
Leah Ruppanner ◽  
Lloyd Rouse ◽  
William Scarborough ◽  
Caitlyn Collins
Keyword(s):  
Elementary School ◽  
School Districts ◽  
White Students ◽  
Research Note ◽  
Racial Equity ◽  
Elementary School Districts ◽  
Critical Data ◽  
School Year ◽  
Data Source

In the fall of 2020, school districts across the country reopened under varied instructional modes. Some school districts returned to in-person instruction; some operated remotely. Others reopened under hybrid models, wherein students alternated times, days, or weeks of in-person instruction. To capture this variation, we developed the Elementary School Operating Status (ESOS) database. ESOS provides data on elementary school districts’ primary operating status in the first grading period of the 2020-2021 school year, covering 24 million students in over 9,000 school districts in all states. In this research note, we introduce these data and offer two analytical examples. We show that school districts with greater representation of Black and Hispanic students were less likely to offer in-person instruction compared to districts with greater representation of White students. These racial disparities remained after accounting for geographic locale and COVID-19 prevalence. We also show that fewer in-person elementary school instruction days was negatively associated with mothers’ labor force participation relative to fathers and women without children. ESOS is a critical data source to evaluate the mid- and long-term implications for students who experienced reduced in-person learning and for mothers who exited employment in the absence of in-person instruction and care.

Reflections on conducting qualitative school-based research with children: A research note

2020 ◽  
pp. 003452372097099
Author(s):  
Caitríona Fitzgerald
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
School Setting ◽  
Research Note ◽  
School Year ◽  
School Based ◽  
Research With Children ◽  
Conducting Research

This research note offers a critical reflection of the process of conducting qualitative research in the Irish primary school setting. The research discussed took place during the school year 2016–2017. It explored primary school children’s understandings of citizenship and, the kinds of collective social actions they participated in as citizens and peers at school. I reflect upon this in terms of my experiences of gaining and maintaining access in Irish primary schools. I also draw attention to social and cultural contexts within the research setting and the influence this has over data collection. I aim to offer some useful insights into the process of conducting qualitative research within formal education settings and, to encourage conversation between researchers and educators to find solutions to issues associated with conducting research in schools.

scholarly journals Providing Telepractice in Schools During a Pandemic: The Experiences and Perspectives of Speech-Language Pathologists

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Shannon Hall-Mills ◽  
Lakeisha Johnson ◽  
Melissa Gross ◽  
Don Latham ◽  
Nancy Everhart
Keyword(s):  
Service Delivery ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
The United States ◽  
School Capacity ◽  
Speech Language Pathologists ◽  
Language Services ◽  
School Year ◽  
School Based ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Effective Delivery

Purpose: The main objective of this study was to gain insight into school-based speech-language pathologists' (SLPs') perspectives on and experiences with telepractice as a service delivery model at the onset of the COVID-19 global pandemic. A better understanding of the facilitating and challenging factors that belie telepractice-based services will guide the creation of training and resource development to further support remote speech-language services in schools. Method: Four focus group sessions using a semistructured format were conducted with 22 school-based SLPs from 14 states in the United States. The focus groups provided an opportunity for SLPs to reflect on their telepractice experiences, including pros and cons, necessary knowledge and skills, factors impacting telepractice service delivery, and student and family participation. Inductive thematic analysis was used to describe the collective experiences and perspectives of the participants. Results: Three themes regarding telepractice emerged: technology use, locus of control for decision making, and student and family engagement. Participants reported experiencing a range of successes and challenges when attempting to meet students' needs and identified gaps in resources and school capacity for telepractice. Conclusions: The findings revealed how school SLPs experienced telepractice service delivery during the remote learning portion of the 2019–2020 school year due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study increases our understanding of factors that facilitated and challenged the effective delivery of speech-language services via telepractice. To assist SLPs in future telepractice efforts, implications for professional development and further research are provided.

Reading Risk in Children With Speech Sound Disorder: Prevalence, Persistence, and Predictors

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (11) ◽  
pp. 3714-3726
Author(s):  
Sherine R. Tambyraja ◽  
Kelly Farquharson ◽  
Laura Justice
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Sound Production ◽  
Speech Therapy ◽  
Speech Sound ◽  
Reading Difficulties ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
Speech Sound Disorder ◽  
Word Decoding ◽  
School Year ◽  
School Based

Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which school-age children with speech sound disorder (SSD) exhibit concomitant reading difficulties and examine the extent to which phonological processing and speech production abilities are associated with increased likelihood of reading risks. Method Data were obtained from 120 kindergarten, first-grade, and second-grade children who were in receipt of school-based speech therapy services. Children were categorized as being “at risk” for reading difficulties if standardized scores on a word decoding measure were 1 SD or more from the mean. The selected predictors of reading risk included children's rapid automatized naming ability, phonological awareness (PA), and accuracy of speech sound production. Results Descriptive results indicated that just over 25% of children receiving school-based speech therapy for an SSD exhibited concomitant deficits in word decoding and that those exhibiting risk at the beginning of the school year were likely to continue to be at risk at the end of the school year. Results from a hierarchical logistic regression suggested that, after accounting for children's age, general language abilities, and socioeconomic status, both PA and speech sound production abilities were significantly associated with the likelihood of being classified as at risk. Conclusions School-age children with SSD are at increased risk for reading difficulties that are likely to persist throughout an academic year. The severity of phonological deficits, reflected by PA and speech output, may be important indicators of subsequent reading problems.

scholarly journals Effect of a health education intervention on intestinal parasitic infections in Bolivian children

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
V Lastrucci ◽  
M Spinicci ◽  
F Macchioni ◽  
S Gabrielli ◽  
A L Villagran ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Education ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Parasitic Infections ◽  
Education Intervention ◽  
Intestinal Parasitic Infections ◽  
School Year ◽  
School Based ◽  
Sanitation And Hygiene ◽  
Health Education Intervention ◽  
Key Events

Abstract Backgrounds Intestinal parasitic infections (IPI) are a major health issue for children of low- and middle-income countries. Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) practices are crucial for preventing IPI. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of a school-based health education intervention on handwashing behavior and IPI prevalence in children Methods This is a randomized intervention trial in 8 primary schools in rural communities over the course of 3 school years; preliminary results from the first two years of the trial are here presented. Schools were randomly selected and assigned in a 1:1 ratio to intervention or control (no intervention) groups. For each school year, the intervention included 14 school-based educational sessions and 2 skit events, involving children aged 8-12 years. Knowledge, attitude and practice questionnaire and handwashing at key events was assessed at the beginning and end of each school year. IPI prevalence was assessed with repeated cross-sectional parasitology surveys 12 months apart, involving a minimum of 50 children for each school Results At baseline, no significant differences between intervention and control schools were present in the proportion of children who washed their hands at key events (7.2% vs 9.3%, p = 0.28), in IPI (79.4% vs 75.3%, p = 0.3) and multiple parasitic infections (MPI) prevalences (47.6 vs. 38.6; p = 0.051). At the end of the second year, the percentage of children who washed their hands at key events was significantly higher in the intervention schools (75.4% vs 12.1%, p < 0.001), and the prevalence of IPI and MPI in the intervention schools were respectively about 25% and 15% lower than in the control schools (respectively, 42.9% vs 67.8%, p < 0.001; 16.1% vs 31.6%, p < 0.001) Conclusions A school-based health education intervention could achieve significant changes in hand-washing behaviors and reduction in the prevalence of IPI in children. The third year survey results are needed to confirm these findings Key messages An health education intervention on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) practices can reduce the risk of IPI infection in children. An health education intervention on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) practices could be configured as a sustainable long-term approach to intestinal parasitic infections control in children.

School-based obesity interventions in the metropolitan area of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil: pooled analysis from five randomised studies

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Renata da R. M. Rodrigues ◽  
Bruna K. Hassan ◽  
Michele R. Sgambato ◽  
Bárbara da S. N. Souza ◽  
Diana B. Cunha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Eating Habits ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Pooled Analysis ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Intention To Treat ◽  
School Year ◽  
School Based ◽  
Obesity Interventions ◽  
The One ◽  
And Control

Abstract School-based studies, despite the large number of studies conducted, have reported inconclusive results on obesity prevention. The sample size is a major constraint in such studies by requiring large samples. This pooled analysis overcomes this problem by analysing 5926 students (mean age 11·5 years) from five randomised school-based interventions. These studies focused on encouraging students to change their drinking and eating habits, and physical activities over the one school year, with monthly 1-h sessions in the classroom; culinary class aimed at developing cooking skills to increase healthy eating and attempts to family engagement. Pooled intention-to-treat analysis using linear mixed models accounted for school clusters. Control and intervention groups were balanced at baseline. The overall result was a non-significant change in BMI after one school year of positive changes in behaviours associated with obesity. Estimated mean BMI changed from 19·02 to 19·22 kg/m2 in the control group and from 19·08 to 19·32 kg/m2 in the intervention group (P value of change over time = 0·09). Subgroup analyses among those overweight or with obesity at baseline also did not show differences between intervention and control groups. The percentage of fat measured by bioimpedance indicated a small reduction in the control compared with intervention (P = 0·05). This large pooled analysis showed no effect on obesity measures, although promising results were observed about modifying behaviours associated with obesity.

scholarly journals Developing and Validating a Novel Anonymous Method for Matching Longitudinal School-Based Data

2020 ◽  
pp. 001316442093845 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon Agley ◽  
David Tidd ◽  
Mikyoung Jun ◽  
Lori Eldridge ◽  
Yunyu Xiao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Longitudinal Data ◽  
Willingness To Participate ◽  
Identification Code ◽  
School Based ◽  
Birth Month ◽  
Longitudinal Data Collection ◽  
Standard Solution ◽  
Prospective Longitudinal ◽  
Collection Methods

Prospective longitudinal data collection is an important way for researchers and evaluators to assess change. In school-based settings, for low-risk and/or likely-beneficial interventions or surveys, data quality and ethical standards are both arguably stronger when using a waiver of parental consent—but doing so often requires the use of anonymous data collection methods. The standard solution to this problem has been the use of a self-generated identification code. However, such codes often incorporate personalized elements (e.g., birth month, middle initial) that, even when meeting the technical standard for anonymity, may raise concerns among both youth participants and their parents, potentially altering willingness to participate, response quality, or generating outrage. There may be value, therefore, in developing a self-generated identification code and matching approach that not only is technically anonymous but also appears anonymous to a research-naive individual. This article provides a proof of concept for a novel matching approach for school-based longitudinal data collection that potentially accomplishes this goal.

scholarly journals Children’s Weight Gain and Cardiovascular Fitness Loss over the Summer

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. 2770 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy Brusseau ◽  
Ryan Burns
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Physical Activity Intervention ◽  
Cardiovascular Fitness ◽  
The Body ◽  
School Year ◽  
School Based ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Physical Activity Programming ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health Related Fitness

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of summer breaks on the body composition and cardiovascular fitness of elementary school children who participated in a multi-year school-based physical activity intervention. Participants were 404 children who had their height and weight measured and completed the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER) during physical education classes at the beginning and end of the school year for three consecutive years. To examine the effects of time on health-related fitness data, general linear mixed effects models were employed. The results indicate that there was a trend toward an increase in body mass index (BMI) after the summer of 2015 (p = 0.958), and a significant increase in BMI after the summer of 2016 compared to time point 1 (p < 0.001). For PACER laps, there were trends toward decreases in PACER laps after the summers of 2015 (p = 0.515) and 2016 (p = 0.073). Summer breaks tended to attenuate the BMI and PACER lap improvements that were observed during the intervention. While school-based physical activity programming has had some successes in improving health-related fitness markers, the loss of these improvements over the summer is of concern to both practitioners and researchers. It is clear that additional efforts are needed to limit obesogenic behaviors during the summer months.

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