The United States is becoming more racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse, yet the educ... more The United States is becoming more racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse, yet the educational attainment of various student groups has been very uneven. For decades, educators and policymakers have been focused on minimal competencies rather than advanced achievement. Specifically, federal and state education policies have focused on closing achievement gaps at basic levels of achievement, which has allowed excellence gaps to grow considerably. This article describes ways in which school mental health professionals can address excellence gaps and serve as advocates for all high-ability students.
The OECD and its U.S. administrator, McGraw-Hill Education CTB, have recently concluded the first... more The OECD and its U.S. administrator, McGraw-Hill Education CTB, have recently concluded the first cycle of the OECD-Test for Schools in the U.S. This test is being marketed to local schools and is designed to compare 15-year-olds from individual participating schools against peers nationally and internationally using the OECD's PISA test as its foundation. This article discusses what PISA can and can’t tell the United States about its education system and describes important aspects of the PISA design that educators should consider before participating in the school-based version of this international assessment.
The current study uses Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2006 data to investi... more The current study uses Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2006 data to investigate international determinants of private school attendance. In particular, we seek to understand whether student achievement and home background factors such as socioeconomic status (SES) or motivational and goal-oriented factors are more predictive of private school attendance – in line with the concept of “cream-skimming’. Using baseline
The education reform known as P-16 is intended to provide greater continuity to students' ent... more The education reform known as P-16 is intended to provide greater continuity to students' entire school career and entry into the work force. To introduce this special section, Ms. Chamberlin and Mr. Plucker provide a detailed overview of the reform's objectives, the mechanisms used to create P-16 systems, and the progress that specific states have made toward achieving the ideal of "seamlessness." OVER THE past decade, a wave of education reform has swept the nation. Yet the general public remains largely unaware of it, even though the reforms are arguably among the most successful public policy initiatives of the past quarter century and have the potential to yield benefits for years to come. Charter schools, school choice, standards-based instruction, expansion of systematic assessment, heightened roles for states and the federal government in education--one can debate the merits of any of these reforms, but it is difficult to argue that the landscape of U.S. education has not undergone major change. One education reform that has the potential to leave its mark on education for many years is the P-16 initiative. The name refers to the range of "grades" included, beginning with preschool and running through the postsecondary undergraduate years. Though such efforts are most commonly called P-16, they are in some cases referred to as P-20 (or K-20) to demonstrate the importance of preparing a highly skilled work force in the years beyond undergraduate education. P-16 activities usually involve collaborations linking preschool education, K-12 education, and higher education, with major roles often played by state agencies, state legislatures, and businesses. P-16 systems are intended primarily to smooth transitions between the different levels of education and into the work force. To do so usually involves enhancing preparation for college through a rigorous high school curriculum, aligning high school graduation requirements with postsecondary admissions requirements, and strengthening teacher preparation programs and professional development for veteran instructors so that every classroom has a highly qualified teacher. (1) Other activities often associated with P-16 systems include the provision of high-quality preschool programs for all children, an expanded range of course offerings at the high school level, enhanced collaboration among teachers at all educational levels, high levels of parent and community involvement in schools, and smoother transitions between educational levels. In addition, new P-16 efforts include the creation and implementation of P-16 (or P- or K-20) data systems that have been designed to track student achievement from early childhood all the way into the work force. NATIONWIDE P-16 EFFORTS In a June 2006 report, the Education Commission of the States (ECS) identified 30 states with formal P-16 initiatives. (2) A handful of additional states, though not mentioned in the ECS report, have taken the initial steps toward creating P-16 alliances, organizations, or councils. For example, one of the most recent state-level efforts was begun in Massachusetts in the summer of 2006. The Massachusetts Advisory Committee on Education Policy was formed at the request of the state board of education and is a collaboration involving agencies of early childhood education, K-12 education, and higher education. Some states have had P-16 initiatives under way for a number of years and have already produced significant results. Florida's K-20 initiative began in 1994 and was written into legislation in 2003. It has resulted in the consolidation of K-12 and postsecondary education under the Florida Board of Education and led to the creation of one of the nation's first K-20 data systems. Oregon, which began its P-16 efforts in 1995 through the collaboration of K-12 and higher education, has worked to expand early learning opportunities and better ensure college readiness by aligning its high school completion standards with college-entry requirements through the Proficiency-Based Admission Standards System (PASS). …
This methodological brief introduces readers to replication methods and their uses. Broadly defin... more This methodological brief introduces readers to replication methods and their uses. Broadly defined, replication is the duplication of previously conducted research to verify or expand the original findings. Replication is particularly useful in the gifted education context because so much education theory and research are based on general education students and environments; the extent to which this prior work extends to gifted education contexts needs to be evaluated. The rationale, definition, implementation methods, and current state of replication in the social sciences generally, as well as in giftedness and creativity research specifically, are reviewed. Finally, guidance for conducting replications is provided, including recommendations on selecting important topics, engaging original authors, ensuring sufficient power, using appropriate measures and analyses, framing the manuscript, and submission planning.
Despite increased attention to methodological rigor in education research, the field has focused ... more Despite increased attention to methodological rigor in education research, the field has focused heavily on experimental design and not on the merit of replicating important results. The present study analyzed the complete publication history of the current top 100 education journals ranked by 5-year impact factor and found that only 0.13% of education articles were replications. Contrary to previous findings in medicine, but similar to psychology, the majority of education replications successfully replicated the original studies. However, replications were significantly less likely to be successful when there was no overlap in authorship between the original and replicating articles. The results emphasize the importance of third-party, direct replications in helping education research improve its ability to shape education policy and practice.
The United States is becoming more racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse, yet the educ... more The United States is becoming more racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse, yet the educational attainment of various student groups has been very uneven. For decades, educators and policymakers have been focused on minimal competencies rather than advanced achievement. Specifically, federal and state education policies have focused on closing achievement gaps at basic levels of achievement, which has allowed excellence gaps to grow considerably. This article describes ways in which school mental health professionals can address excellence gaps and serve as advocates for all high-ability students.
The OECD and its U.S. administrator, McGraw-Hill Education CTB, have recently concluded the first... more The OECD and its U.S. administrator, McGraw-Hill Education CTB, have recently concluded the first cycle of the OECD-Test for Schools in the U.S. This test is being marketed to local schools and is designed to compare 15-year-olds from individual participating schools against peers nationally and internationally using the OECD's PISA test as its foundation. This article discusses what PISA can and can’t tell the United States about its education system and describes important aspects of the PISA design that educators should consider before participating in the school-based version of this international assessment.
The current study uses Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2006 data to investi... more The current study uses Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2006 data to investigate international determinants of private school attendance. In particular, we seek to understand whether student achievement and home background factors such as socioeconomic status (SES) or motivational and goal-oriented factors are more predictive of private school attendance – in line with the concept of “cream-skimming’. Using baseline
The education reform known as P-16 is intended to provide greater continuity to students' ent... more The education reform known as P-16 is intended to provide greater continuity to students' entire school career and entry into the work force. To introduce this special section, Ms. Chamberlin and Mr. Plucker provide a detailed overview of the reform's objectives, the mechanisms used to create P-16 systems, and the progress that specific states have made toward achieving the ideal of "seamlessness." OVER THE past decade, a wave of education reform has swept the nation. Yet the general public remains largely unaware of it, even though the reforms are arguably among the most successful public policy initiatives of the past quarter century and have the potential to yield benefits for years to come. Charter schools, school choice, standards-based instruction, expansion of systematic assessment, heightened roles for states and the federal government in education--one can debate the merits of any of these reforms, but it is difficult to argue that the landscape of U.S. education has not undergone major change. One education reform that has the potential to leave its mark on education for many years is the P-16 initiative. The name refers to the range of "grades" included, beginning with preschool and running through the postsecondary undergraduate years. Though such efforts are most commonly called P-16, they are in some cases referred to as P-20 (or K-20) to demonstrate the importance of preparing a highly skilled work force in the years beyond undergraduate education. P-16 activities usually involve collaborations linking preschool education, K-12 education, and higher education, with major roles often played by state agencies, state legislatures, and businesses. P-16 systems are intended primarily to smooth transitions between the different levels of education and into the work force. To do so usually involves enhancing preparation for college through a rigorous high school curriculum, aligning high school graduation requirements with postsecondary admissions requirements, and strengthening teacher preparation programs and professional development for veteran instructors so that every classroom has a highly qualified teacher. (1) Other activities often associated with P-16 systems include the provision of high-quality preschool programs for all children, an expanded range of course offerings at the high school level, enhanced collaboration among teachers at all educational levels, high levels of parent and community involvement in schools, and smoother transitions between educational levels. In addition, new P-16 efforts include the creation and implementation of P-16 (or P- or K-20) data systems that have been designed to track student achievement from early childhood all the way into the work force. NATIONWIDE P-16 EFFORTS In a June 2006 report, the Education Commission of the States (ECS) identified 30 states with formal P-16 initiatives. (2) A handful of additional states, though not mentioned in the ECS report, have taken the initial steps toward creating P-16 alliances, organizations, or councils. For example, one of the most recent state-level efforts was begun in Massachusetts in the summer of 2006. The Massachusetts Advisory Committee on Education Policy was formed at the request of the state board of education and is a collaboration involving agencies of early childhood education, K-12 education, and higher education. Some states have had P-16 initiatives under way for a number of years and have already produced significant results. Florida's K-20 initiative began in 1994 and was written into legislation in 2003. It has resulted in the consolidation of K-12 and postsecondary education under the Florida Board of Education and led to the creation of one of the nation's first K-20 data systems. Oregon, which began its P-16 efforts in 1995 through the collaboration of K-12 and higher education, has worked to expand early learning opportunities and better ensure college readiness by aligning its high school completion standards with college-entry requirements through the Proficiency-Based Admission Standards System (PASS). …
This methodological brief introduces readers to replication methods and their uses. Broadly defin... more This methodological brief introduces readers to replication methods and their uses. Broadly defined, replication is the duplication of previously conducted research to verify or expand the original findings. Replication is particularly useful in the gifted education context because so much education theory and research are based on general education students and environments; the extent to which this prior work extends to gifted education contexts needs to be evaluated. The rationale, definition, implementation methods, and current state of replication in the social sciences generally, as well as in giftedness and creativity research specifically, are reviewed. Finally, guidance for conducting replications is provided, including recommendations on selecting important topics, engaging original authors, ensuring sufficient power, using appropriate measures and analyses, framing the manuscript, and submission planning.
Despite increased attention to methodological rigor in education research, the field has focused ... more Despite increased attention to methodological rigor in education research, the field has focused heavily on experimental design and not on the merit of replicating important results. The present study analyzed the complete publication history of the current top 100 education journals ranked by 5-year impact factor and found that only 0.13% of education articles were replications. Contrary to previous findings in medicine, but similar to psychology, the majority of education replications successfully replicated the original studies. However, replications were significantly less likely to be successful when there was no overlap in authorship between the original and replicating articles. The results emphasize the importance of third-party, direct replications in helping education research improve its ability to shape education policy and practice.
Uploads
Papers by J. Plucker