American Educational Research Journal 51卷4期文章

1. Parsing Disciplinary Disproportionality: Contributions of Infraction, Student, and School Characteristics to Out-of-School Suspension and Expulsion

Author:Russell J. Skiba, Choong-Geun Chung, Megan Trachok, Timberly L. Baker, Adam Sheya, and Robin L. Hughes

Source:American Educational Research Journal 51.4 (August 2014): 640-670.

Abstract:In the context of a national conversation about exclusionary discipline, we conducted a multilevel examination of the relative contributions of infraction, student, and school characteristics to rates of and racial disparities in out-of-school suspension and expulsion. Type of infraction; race, gender, and to a certain extent socioeconomic status at the individual level; and, at the school level, mean school achievement, percentage Black enrollment, and principal perspectives all contributed to the probability of out-of-school suspension or expulsion. For racial disparities, however, school-level variables, including principal perspectives on discipline, appear to be among the strongest predictors. Such a pattern suggests that schools and districts looking to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in discipline would do well to focus on school- and classroom-based interventions.

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2. Does School Policy Affect Housing Choices? Evidence From the End of Desegregation in Charlotte–Mecklenburg

Author:David D. Liebowitz and Lindsay C. Page

Source:American Educational Research Journal 51.4 (August 2014): 671-703.

Abstract:We examine whether the legal decision to grant unitary status to the Charlotte–Mecklenburg school district, which led to the end of race-conscious student assignment policies, increased the probability that families with children enrolled in the district would move to neighborhoods with a greater proportion of student residents of the same race as their own children. Motivated by the rich but inconclusive literature on the consequences of educational and residential segregation, we make use of a natural policy experiment—a judicial decision to end court-ordered busing—to estimate the causal impacts of this policy shift on household residential decisions. We find that, for those who moved, the legal decision made White families with children in the Charlotte–Mecklenburg Schools substantially more likely than they were during desegregation to move to a neighborhood with a greater proportion of White residents than their own neighborhood.

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3. A New Model for Student Support in High-Poverty Urban Elementary Schools: Effects on Elementary and Middle School Academic Outcomes

Author:Mary E. Walsh, George F. Madaus, Anastasia E. Raczek, Eric Dearing, Claire Foley, Chen An, Terrence J. Lee-St. John, and Albert Beaton

Source:American Educational Research Journal 51.4 (August 2014): 704-737.

Abstract:Efforts to support children in schools require addressing not only academic issues, but also out-of-school factors that can affect students’ ability to succeed. This study examined academic achievement of students participating in City Connects, a student support intervention operating in high-poverty elementary schools. The sample included 7,948 kindergarten to fifth-grade students in a large urban district during 1999–2009. School- and student-level treatment effects on report card grades and standardized test scores in elementary through middle school were estimated. Propensity score methods accounted for pre-intervention group differences. City Connects students demonstrated higher report card scores than comparisons and scored higher on middle school English language arts and mathematics tests. This study provides evidence for the value of addressing out-of-school factors that impact student learning.

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Section on Teaching, Learning, and Human Development

4. Modeling and Measuring the Structure of Professional Vision in Preservice Teachers

Author:Tina Seidel and Kathleen Stürmer

Source:American Educational Research Journal 51.4 (August 2014): 739-771.

Abstract:Professional vision has been identified as an important element of teacher expertise that can be developed in teacher education. It describes the use of knowledge to notice and interpret significant features of classroom situations. Three aspects of professional vision have been described by qualitative research: describe, explain, and predict classroom situations. We refer to these aspects in order to model professional vision. We developed a video-based instrument to empirically test the model. The results show that our measure to assess aspects of professional vision differentiates between description, explanation, and prediction. The study provides insight into the structure of professional vision, allowing us to conceptualize it theoretically and discuss the targeted use for teaching and formative assessment of preservice teachers.

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5. Improving Teacher Feedback During Active Learning: Effects of a Professional Development Program

Author:Linda Van den Bergh, Anje Ros, and Douwe Beijaard

Source:American Educational Research Journal 51.4 (August 2014): 772-809.

Abstract:This study focuses on improving teacher feedback during active learning. Changing teachers’ behavior sustainably, however, is very difficult. Several conditions should be taken into account, and programs should build on teachers’ cognitions and practices. Effects of a specifically designed professional development program on 16 elementary schoolteachers’ knowledge, beliefs, perceived problems, and classroom behavior were examined via observations, a beliefs instrument, and a questionnaire prior to and twice after the program was implemented. Results show that several aspects of feedback during active learning were improved, both in the short and in the long term. It is concluded that the professional development of teachers can be effective and sustainable, if certain conditions are met.

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6. School Support, Parental Involvement, and Academic and Social-Emotional Outcomes for English Language Learners

Author:Kate Niehaus and Jill L. Adelson

Source:American Educational Research Journal 51.4 (August 2014): 810-844.

Abstract:This study examined the relationships among school support, parental school involvement, and academic and social-emotional outcomes for children who are English language learners (ELLs). The sample included 1,020 third-grade ELLs who participated in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS-K). Results from structural equation modeling showed that higher levels of school support predicted more parental involvement, more parental involvement predicted fewer social-emotional concerns for ELL children, and fewer social-emotional problems were linked to higher achievement scores. Contrary to expectations, results showed that ELL students had lower achievement and more social-emotional concerns when they attended schools that provided more support services. The authors discuss possible explanations for these findings as well as directions for future research and implications for policy and practice.