University of Wisconsin–Madison

Author: klgrant2

Instituting Change in Classroom Discourse Structure: Human and Computer-Based Motif Analysis

Authors: Mitchell J. Nathan, Suyeon Kim and Timothy S. Grant February 2009, 18 pp. Abstract: We compared the structure of discussions in a middle school mathematics classroom before (Year 1) and after (Year 2) teacher participation in professional development activities aimed at enhancing students’ participation and the co-construction of mathematical ideas. Changes in the role …

Policy Effectiveness of Interim Assessments in Providence Public Schools

Authors: William H. Clune and Paula A. White October 2008, 50 pp. Abstract: Many urban districts have adopted interim assessments in recent years as a supplement to annual testing. Possible purposes for such tests include monitoring and assisting student progress, aligning the curriculum, and practicing for state exams, but little is known about how effectively …

Learning to Read Across Time: Negotiations and Affiliations of a Reader, Grades 1-8

Author: Catherine Compton-Lilly October 2008, 29 pp. Abstract: A case study of one child, Alicia, explores how children’s identities as readers are constructed over time as they move through school. Attention to time helps us see how students draw on ongoing, familial, and historical resources in ways that are both recursive and future-oriented as they …

A Final Case Study of SCALE Activities at UW–Madison: The Influence of Institutional Context on a K-20 STEM Education Change Initiative

Authors: Matthew T. Hora and Susan B. Millar September 2008, 84 pp. Abstract: This qualitative case study reports on processes and outcomes of the National Science Foundation (NSF)–funded System-Wide Change for All Learners and Educators (SCALE) project at the University of Wisconsin–Madison (UW–Madison). It addresses a critical challenge in studying systemic reform in complex organizations: …

Students’ Conceptual Metaphors Influence Their Statistical Reasoning About Confidence Intervals

Authors: Timothy Grant and Mitchell J. Nathan August 2008, 22 pp. Abstract: Confidence intervals are an attractive means of conveying experimental results, as they contain a considerable amount of information in a concise format. This paper examines two competing metaphors for confidence intervals — as revealed in students’ speech and gestures during interviews — for …

Using Occupational Characteristics Information from O*NET to Identify Occupations for Compensation Comparisons with K-12 Teaching

Author: Anthony Milanowski June 2008, 31 pp. Abstract: Discussions about teacher pay in comparison to pay in other occupations have used a variety of bases to identify comparable occupations, ranging from educational level to tested literacy level. This paper reports on the results of a study using information from the U.S. Department of Labor’s O*NET …

K–20 Partnerships: Literature Review and Recommendations for Research

Authors: Matthew Clifford and Susan B. Millar, with Zachary Smith, Matthew Hora, Laura DeLima June 2008, 22 pp. Abstract: Federal programs, such as the National Science Foundation’s Math and Science Partnership program, are promoting partnerships between K–12 school districts and higher education institutions (K–20 partnerships) in hopes of fostering greater alignment and cooperation among participating …

Issues in the Development of Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives for WIDA Consortium States

Authors: H. Gary Cook, Tim Boals, Carsten Wilmes, and Martín Santos April 2008, 41 pp. Abstract: Title III of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) requires state education agencies to develop progress and attainment benchmarks for school districts, called annual measurable achievement objectives (AMAOs), for English language learners (ELLs). AMAOs must be …

What Do We Know About Instruction From Large-Scale National Surveys?

Authors: Eric M. Camburn and Seong Won Han February 2008, 37 pp. Abstract: Given the vitally important role of instruction in student learning, valid, generalizable evidence is needed by policymakers, researchers, and practitioners. Surveys are commonly used to measure instruction in education research, and surveys administered to probability samples can directly yield generalizable evidence. This …

K–20 Partnership: A Definition and Proof of Concept

Authors: Matthew Clifford and Susan Millar December 2007, 35 pp. Abstract: School districts and institutions of higher education (IHEs) have historically attempted to improve K–12 instructional quality and student performance in relative isolation from each other, and with limited success. Recent calls to improve preservice teacher education have prompted policymakers and others to rethink models …