New Data from NCES: School Experiences with COVID-19: August 2022

The third of three entries from the folks at IES.  This one appears to have the most information specifically related to the interests of readers of this blog – i.e., K-12 distance, online, and/or blended learning.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) releases the latest round of findings from the School Pulse Panel (SPP) today. These SPP data examine community partnerships, technology/digital literacy, and hiring processes, as reported by school leaders in U.S. public schools. Key Findings Staffing for 2022–23 School Year Fifty-three percent of public schools report feeling understaffed entering the 2022–23 school year. For public schools that report feeling understaffed, 65 percent of schools that offer special education positions report feeling understaffed in special education, and 43 percent of schools that offer general elementary positions feel understaffed in this area. For non-teaching staff areas, 59 percent report feeling understaffed for transportation, 50 percent for custodial staff, and 49 percent for mental health professionals. Schools that feel understaffed report an inability to fill vacant teaching positions (48 percent) and non-teaching staff positions (60 percent) since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic as the most prevalent reason for feeling understaffed. One in five schools (20 percent) reported being understaffed before the pandemic. For public schools, the most difficult teaching positions to fill for the 2022–23 school year were special education and mathematics, with 78 and 75 percent of schools offering these positions reporting it was either “very” or “somewhat difficult” to hire fully certified teachers in these areas, respectively. For public schools, the most difficult non-teaching staff positions to fill were transportation staff and custodial staff, with 94 and 84 percent of schools offering these positions reporting it was either “very” or “somewhat difficult” to hire staff in these areas, respectively. Technology and Digital Literacy Entering the 2022–23 school year, nearly half of public schools report providing internet access to the students who need it at their homes (45 percent). Fifty-six percent of public schools report providing internet access to students who need it at a location other than their homes, such as in a library or parking lot. Ninety-four percent of public schools report providing digital devices, such as laptops or tablets, to students who need them for the 2022–23 school year. Community Partnerships Forty-five percent of public schools utilize a “community school” or “wraparound services” model, in which a school partners with other government agencies and/or local nonprofits to support and engage with the local community (for example, providing mental and physical health care, nutrition, housing assistance, etc.). For schools that use these models, the most prevalent services offered are mental health care (85 percent), nutrition/food assistance (60 percent), dental care (42 percent), social work (41 percent), and parenting and family support (41 percent). The data released today can be found on the COVID-19 dashboard at https://ies.ed.gov/schoolsurvey/. The Institute of Education Sciences, a part of the U.S. Department of Education, is the nation’s leading source for rigorous, independent education research, evaluation, statistics, and assessment.

By visiting Newsflash you may also sign up to receive information from IES and its four Centers NCES, NCER, NCEE, & NCSER to stay abreast of all activities within the Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

New report details the methodology used to produce small area model estimates of average scores and high, middle, and low proficiency levels of adult skills for county-level age and education groups in the United States

The second of three entries from the folks at IES.  A report from the folks at IES – this is an interesting one as it looks at a methodological issue that would be useful to readers of this space interested in research (conducting it or simply consuming it).

Making effective evidence-based policies and laws relating to adult education requires sound research based on reliable data that is most relevant to the jurisdiction. High quality estimates for states, counties, or specific demographic groups enable policymakers to plan and allocate resources and target interventions as necessary at a more local level. A new NCES methodology report, Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) County-level Estimation for Age and Education Groups Methodology Report, describes the statistical methodology used to produce model-based estimates of various proficiency levels of U.S. adults (16-74 years old) in literacy and numeracy skills for different age and education groups in every county in the United States and the District of Columbia. The model-based county-level estimates for groups were produced using small area estimation techniques applied to data collected in the three rounds of U.S. PIAAC data collection (in 2012, 2014 and 2017) as well as data from the American Community Survey. A model-based allocation approach was used to disaggregate each state by group estimate into the county by group estimates for all the counties in the state. The disaggregation weights were ratios of the county to state estimates. The model-based county-level estimates for groups will be added to the PIAAC Skills Map, which has the previously produced state-level, county-level, and state-by-group-level estimates that are presented visually and interactively in the PIAAC Skills Map. Comparisons between small areas on the different proficiency outcomes are available in the Skills Map. To view the full report, please visit http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2023004 The Institute of Education Sciences, a part of the U.S. Department of Education, is the nation’s leading source for rigorous, independent education research, evaluation, statistics, and assessment.

By visiting Newsflash you may also sign up to receive information from IES and its four Centers NCES, NCER, NCEE, & NCSER to stay abreast of all activities within the Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

Report – Baccalaureate and Beyond: A First Look at the 2020 Employment and Education Experiences of 2015–16 College Graduates

The first of three entries from the folks at IES.  These two messages concerning this report showed up in my inbox over the past day or two.  Higher education focused, but with some useful food for thought for readers of this space.

First message

First Look: Experiences of 2015–16 Bachelor’s Degree Earners During the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020 Today, NCES released Baccalaureate and Beyond (B&B:16/20): A First Look at the 2020 Experiences of 2015–16 College Graduates During the COVID-19 Pandemic, which presents the experiences of 2015–16 bachelor’s degree earners during the COVID-19 pandemic, 4 years after graduation. Tables in the report include information on professional and personal experiences, federal student loan repayment, employment status and characteristics, changes to work arrangements, and unemployment compensation. Key Findings— Twenty-six percent of 2015–16 bachelor’s degree earners said they worked more than desired due to the COVID-19 pandemic and 27 percent said they worked less than desired. Among graduates who were working for pay and for whom 4 years after bachelor’s degree completion was during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, 51 percent said they were allowed to telecommute due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Among those who majored in education, 75 percent said they were allowed to telecommute due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Among graduates for whom 4 years after bachelor’s degree completion was during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, 13 percent said they received unemployment compensation due to the COVID‑19 pandemic in 2020. Among 2015–16 bachelor’s degree earners, 29 percent of American Indian or Alaska Native graduates said they took on additional family or child care responsibilities during the COVID 19 pandemic. Nineteen percent of Black and 19 percent of Hispanic or Latino graduates said they took on additional family or child care responsibilities. Fourteen percent of Asian graduates, 12 percent of those of Two or more races, and 11 percent of White graduates said they had additional family or child care responsibilities due to the COVID 19 pandemic. Thirteen percent of 2015–16 bachelor’s degree earners said they delayed enrolling in additional education or training, while 14 percent said they pursued additional education or training due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The report uses data from the 2016/20 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study (B&B:16/20). To view the full report, please visit http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2022251. The Institute of Education Sciences, a part of the U.S. Department of Education, is the nation’s leading source for rigorous, independent education research, evaluation, statistics, and assessment.

By visiting Newsflash you may also sign up to receive information from IES and its four Centers NCES, NCER, NCEE, & NCSER to stay abreast of all activities within the Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

Second message

New Report: Outcomes of 2015–16 Bachelor’s Degree Earners in 2020 A new NCES report, Baccalaureate and Beyond (B&B:16/20): A First Look at the 2020 Employment and Education Experiences of 2015–16 College Graduates, presents outcomes of 2015–16 bachelor’s degree earners 4 years after graduation. The report uses data from the 2016/20 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study (B&B:16/20). Tables in the report include information on enrollment and employment status, federal student loan debt and repayment, earnings and other job characteristics, financial well-being, and teaching status. Key Findings— Four years after earning 2015–16 bachelor’s degrees, 74 percent of 2015–16 graduates were working full time 4 years after graduation, 7 percent were working part time, 4 percent were unemployed, and 14 percent were out of the labor force. Thirty-one percent of graduates owned a home, and 34 percent reported negative net worth. Four years after earning their bachelor’s degrees in 2015–16, Black graduates who took out federal student loans owed an average of 105 percent of the original amount borrowed. American Indian or Alaska Native borrowers owed an average of 87 percent and both Hispanic or Latino borrowers and borrowers of Two or more races owed an average of 84 percent. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander borrowers owed 82 percent, White borrowers owed 73 percent, and Asian borrowers owed 63 percent of the original amount borrowed 4 years later. Four years after graduation, 77 percent of 2015–16 bachelor’s degree earners who majored in education were either continuing or new regular classroom teachers since 2017. Ten percent of graduates who majored in education had never taught in a regular classroom, and 12 percent had left classroom teaching 4 years after graduation. To view the full report, please visit http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2022241. The Institute of Education Sciences, a part of the U.S. Department of Education, is the nation’s leading source for rigorous, independent education research, evaluation, statistics, and assessment.

By visiting Newsflash you may also sign up to receive information from IES and its four Centers NCES, NCER, NCEE, & NCSER to stay abreast of all activities within the Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

IES Announces the Establishment of Three Research Networks to Address Instructional and Learning Loss During the COVID-19 Pandemic

These networks may be of interest to readers of this space.

The National Center for Education Research is excited to announce new grant awards addressing learning setbacks brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. These awards, funded through the American Rescue Plan (ARP), establish three research networks: The Leveraging Evidence to Accelerate Recovery Nationwide Network (LEARN Network) supports adapting and scaling evidence-based products that have the potential to accelerate learning for K-12 students affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. IES expects that this work will also establish best practices for scaling in the education sciences. The Prekindergarten Through Grade 12 Recovery Research Network will work directly with state and local education agencies on their recovery efforts, providing evidence to help assess, improve, and select potential K-12 recovery activities. The Community College Recovery Research Network will collaborate with community college systems to provide evidence-based recovery activities that address the declines in postsecondary enrollment and academic progress that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. To learn more about the newly established networks and the individual ARP-funded grant awards visit the  NCER Research Networks page. The Institute of Education Sciences is the independent research, evaluation, and statistics arm of the U.S. Department of Education. Visit the IES website, sign up for the IES news flash or follow IES on Twitter and Facebook to learn more. The Institute of Education Sciences, a part of the U.S. Department of Education, is the nation’s leading source for rigorous, independent education research, evaluation, statistics, and assessment.

By visiting Newsflash you may also sign up to receive information from IES and its four Centers NCES, NCER, NCEE, & NCSER to stay abreast of all activities within the Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

Submissions Close September 30 for the IES Learning Acceleration Challenges

There may be some readers of this space who are interested in making a submission to this competition.

Submissions are closing soon for the IES Learning Acceleration Challenges, which will award up to $1.8 million in total prizes. Based upon feedback received from potential entrants, some entry requirements have been changed; see below for more information. The Math Prize seeks school-based, digital interventions to significantly improve math outcomes for upper elementary school students with or at risk for a disability that affects math performance. Interventions should specifically focus on fractions and can also include prerequisite skills such as whole numbers and operations. The Science Prize seeks interventions to significantly improve science outcomes for middle school students with low performance in science. Interventions may be digital, non-digital, or hybrid and designed for implementation at school or in out-of-school-time programs. Judges will review applications and select up to five finalists per challenge to implement and test their intervention. Each finalist will receive $25,000 upon initial selection and will compete for up to an additional $725,000 for math interventions and up to an additional $825,000 for science interventions. Changes in entry requirements. Based on feedback received from potential entrants, the entry requirements regarding the School Acknowledgement Form have been amended. Applicants are encouraged to submit the school acknowledgement form as part of their initial (Phase 1) submission if possible. However, if entrants need additional time to collect individual school agreements, they will have one week to submit these if they are selected as finalists. This form is still required to be a finalist and receive a prize. The timing of the School Acknowledgement Form will not impact scoring. The Letter of Commitment from school districts or charter/private school networks is still required with the submission by September 30, 2022 at 5:59 p.m. Eastern Time. For more information about the submission requirements please visit the Challenge.gov page for the Math Prize and Science Prize. Learn more about the challenges and submit by September 30. The Institute of Education Sciences, a part of the U.S. Department of Education, is the nation’s leading source for rigorous, independent education research, evaluation, statistics, and assessment.

By visiting Newsflash you may also sign up to receive information from IES and its four Centers NCES, NCER, NCEE, & NCSER to stay abreast of all activities within the Institute of Education Sciences (IES).