Using research data in practice is not an easy task; rather, it requires educators and local decision makers to delve beyond the summary data and dive into a series of analyses that show the performance and experiences of specific groups of students. A recent report by WestEd offers local decision makers valuable insights on using disaggregated quantitative data to understand educational disparities. Because one overall effect size might not reflect the specific performance of a given subgroup, separating quantitative data for student subgroups by specific criteria (e.g., ethnicity) provides a better picture of the inequalities that inform educational decisions. For example, is a certain outcome consistent for all ethnic groups? Does it differ by socio-economic status? Is it specific to students facing challenges? The report focuses on three measures to address disproportionality, namely, overrepresenting or underrepresenting groups of students in an educational context. Take, for example, a district with 10%...

In recent research studies, concerns have arisen regarding the potential inflation of intervention effects in reported findings, a phenomenon known as the ‘winner’s curse’. This raises questions about whether clearinghouses inadvertently contribute to this issue by prioritizing studies with statistically significant results for replication or funding. The latest article by Valentine, who has experience as an investigator at the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC), explores the challenges faced by these organizations in this context. Clearinghouses have the challenging task of evaluating the credibility of claims relevant to their consumers, distinguishing between more and less credible ones. This complexity arises due to the intricate nature of studies and the limited empirical evidence available regarding the importance of various aspects of study conduct. Despite these challenges, the author argues that establishing evaluation standards can benefit the research community by serving as a communication tool to emphasize crucial aspects of research design and implementation....

Extensive teacher databases exist, yet no such database has recorded national data on school superintendents over multiple, consecutive years until now. A recent study by R. S. White documents how she collected data on superintendents of all K-12 public school districts in the U.S. between 2019 and 2023, manually verifying gender.   White found that 74% of all U.S. superintendents were men in 2019-20 while 72% were men in 2022-23. In addition, 2019-20 saw a 14.2% superintendent turnover, while 2022-23 saw a 17.1% turnover, with 62% of districts experiencing no turnover in these four years. Yet underneath these seemingly minor changes were hidden some significant differences by gender. Districts with a greater proportion of white students were more likely to have male superintendents. Of all districts led by men, turnover was more likely in those that had a greater proportion of students of color or students receiving free or reduced-price...

With the reality that schools and classrooms across countries are becoming culturally more diverse, the need for professional development that prepares teachers to be interculturally competent has been increasingly recognized. A recent meta-analysis by Huang and colleagues examined the impact of study abroad on teachers’ intercultural competence. The meta-analysis identified 21 effect sizes from 16 studies that met the eligible criteria. The criteria included: (1) the type of study abroad program in the study could be an intercultural practicum, intercultural internship, cultural immersion, or study tour program. (2) The duration of these programs could be either short-term or long-term. (3) Participants could be pre-service teachers, in-service teachers, student teachers, teacher candidates, etc. An overall positive effect size of +0.34 was found. The results regarding various factors were as follows: No significant difference was observed among the three types of study programs: intercultural learning study programs (k=8, ES = 0.43), intercultural...

According to a recent study, fewer American high school graduates, particularly those with strong grades and those from historically marginalized backgrounds, want to become a K-12 teacher. Researchers analyzed data from students who applied to a large Texas university between 2009-2020. They examined the number of applicants who expressed interest in teacher education, tracked transfers into and out of such programs while in college, and monitored how many became employed as teachers in Texas. In 2009, 13% of those applying through this common application were initially interested in teaching, while this number dropped to 6.7% by 2020. The few studies that exist on who is strongly interested in teaching indicate that the population is heavily dominated by white, female students, particularly of lower academic achievement. A leading reason students may be interested in becoming a teacher is the enjoyment of working with children. Conversely, those uninterested in teaching often cite...

For consumers of educational research, effect sizes play a key role in understanding what strategies and interventions are likely to have the biggest impact on the learning process and student achievement. In a recent article in Educational Researcher, Kraft replicated his earlier analysis using a larger data set of effect sizes to realistically reflect what constitutes small, medium, and large effects of educational interventions. He argued for the need to reorient how we interpret effect-size benchmarks and more generally how we measure success in the education sector. Central to his approach is the recognition that many education interventions fail to produce substantial impacts on student outcomes, and rather than dismissing these results, they should be integral to interpreting the policy relevance of effect-size benchmarks and crucial to setting realistic expectations for what counts as meaningful impact. While research designs and contexts differ in multiple ways that make interpreting effect sizes...

Offering valuable feedback is essential for educators to encourage student advancement and enrich learning. Effective feedback helps tackle misconceptions and narrow the distance between a student’s current level and desired goals. However, inadequately provided feedback can have adverse consequences and impede progress. Teacher feedback is critical for enhancing student accomplishments but identifying the most efficient forms of guidance remains a challenge. The Education Endowment Foundation published a report containing six recommendations for teachers to support students’ learning through feedback. These recommendations are the result of integrating empirical research findings and the expertise of academics and practitioners. Each recommendation starts with a vignette, illustrating common challenges faced by teachers, includes case studies of feedback practice to represent current approaches, and suggests techniques and ideas that might work based on the evidence and the panel’s expertise. The first three recommendations act as the main guiding principles: (1) establish the foundation for effective...

Pediatric vision care continues to be an unmet need in the United States, leading to disparities in access to these crucial services. Serving as an evidence-based intervention to advance health equity, school-based vision programs (SBVPs) aim to offer vision care services directly within the school setting. By forging partnerships between schools and eye care providers, SBVPs have demonstrated their ability to make a substantial impact on children’s lives, including improving academic performance and facilitating the use of eyeglasses, particularly among urban minority populations. Despite the proven effectiveness of SBVPs, there is currently a lack of resources and comprehensive guides to assist school nurses, administrators, eye care providers, and other stakeholders in establishing and operating SBVPs. Collins and her team published an article in the Journal of School Nursing, which provided practical considerations relevant to the building or strengthening of existing SBVPs. During the program planning phase, it is essential to...

Many studies have attempted to understand the learning loss resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic by studying the learning loss students typically experience during summer vacations. A new study, however, contends that more accurate lessons can be drawn from studies of unexpected and extended learning disruption due to other health emergencies like SARS or natural disasters.  This systematic review of the literature analyzed 15 studies, many of which were qualitative, focusing on the aftermath of crises that interrupted school learning. Several key themes arose. The most consistent was regarding the critical need for school leadership to center student and staff mental health with both a gentle return to normalcy and also flexibility. Curricula that offer students a chance to understand the event, process their experiences, and express themselves at their own pace can be helpful. Support for teachers can entail resisting the temptation for immediate changes following the crisis in favor...