Rebecca Schmidt
Associated IES Content
report
Descriptive Study
Career and Technical Education Credentials in Virginia High Schools: Trends in Attainment and College Enrollment Outcomes
In 2013, the Virginia legislature added a CTE credential requirement to the Standard diploma for students who entered grade 9 for the first time in 2013 or later. The policy focuses on Standard diploma graduates, who are less likely to enroll in, persist in, or complete college than graduates who earn Virginia's other main diploma, the Advanced Studies diploma. At Virginia CTE leaders' request, the Regional Educational Laboratory Appalachia conducted a descriptive study of attainment rates of...
Dec 27, 2021
resource
Other Resource
How-to Analysis Resources: A Review of High School Mathematics Coursetaking Pathways Among Students Who Completed Algebra I in Grade 7
These "How-to" analysis resources include a memo and a graph template to support Virginia school division leaders and mathematics content experts with using data to inform and improve decisions about policy and practice related to mathematics coursetaking pathways. The "How-to" analysis memo shows educators how to create an analytic dataset and conduct descriptive analyses to review high school mathematics coursetaking pathways among students who completed Algebra I in grade 7 in Virginia. Th...
Dec 15, 2021
Blog
When Educators' Needs Exceed the Research Base
Rigorously designed experimental and quasi-experimental studies can provide educators the strongest evidence of what works to solve their problem. But what if strong evidence doesn't exist to address a need? This blog details one such case and explains how REL Appalachia worked with experts to identify practical solutions and move the research forward.
Date published:
Dec 13, 2021
resource
Training Material
Student Success in Mathematics Partnership Meeting: Partnership Learnings and Next Steps
Time: 1:00 - 12:00 pm ET Location: Virtual Description: In this partnership meeting, REL Appalachia (REL AP) staff and school division participants reflect on the logic model, research agenda, data catalog, and next steps in light of completed partnership activities. REL AP staff also facilitate a conversation with partnership members to gain insight and define which products and practices to highlight as part of a resource collection. Lastly, REL AP shares resources and supports division-lev...
Jul 26, 2021
resource
Training Material
Student Success in Mathematics Partnership Meeting: Using Student Data to Inform Practice
Time: 9:00 - 11:00 am ET Location: Virtual Description: In this partnership meeting, REL Appalachia (REL AP) staff and school division participants reflect on local math coursetaking data and consider future policy and practice adjustments to promote equity. REL AP staff then facilitate conversations around revisiting and revising members' Professional Learning Models (PLM) to continue improvements to math instruction. Partnership or Research Alliance: Student Success in Mathematics partnersh...
Apr 21, 2021
Blog
When "More Research is Needed" Is the Key Finding: Improving the Evidence Base for Nonacademic Interventions for Postsecondary Success in Rural and High-Poverty Contexts
REL AP researchers, Rebecca A. Schmidt and CJ Park, were recently featured in the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEE) blog. Schmidt and Park's blog post highlights the need for more research on nonacademic interventions for postsecondary success in rural and high-poverty contexts.
Date published:
Apr 20, 2021
Blog
Using Technology to Overcome the Challenge of Place and Space in Rural Education
Educating students in rural contexts poses a wide variety of unique challenges. One of the most enduring is the physical distance between students, schools, and districts. Rural districts' geographic isolation can affect education leaders' ability to carry out a variety of basic functions from preparing, recruiting, and developing rural educators to supporting diverse learners and families.
Date published:
Feb 19, 2021
resource
Other Resource
Nonacademic Interventions for Postsecondary Enrollment and Success with Rural and High-Poverty Populations: A Systematic Evidence Review
This systemic review sought to identify nonacademic interventions with evidence of positive effects on postsecondary enrollment, academic performance, persistence, and completion, particularly with rural and high-poverty populations. The review identifies three nonacademic interventions with evidence of potentially positive effects on postsecondary enrollment, persistence, and completion for rural or high-poverty populations, but more research is needed at the intersection of these variables.
Feb 01, 2021
report
Descriptive Study
Virginia High School Graduates' Career and Technical Education Credentials: Top Credentials Over Time and Across Student Groups
In Virginia, all high school students can earn either a Standard diploma or an Advanced Studies diploma, the latter being a college preparatory diploma. Starting in 2017, the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) began requiring students graduating with the Standard diploma to earn a career and technical education (CTE) credential to encourage them to pursue opportunities that enhance their career readiness. This is likely to be particularly important for students graduating with the Standa...
Jan 01, 2021
Blog
Shining a Light on Algebra I Access and Success: Embracing Equity at All Levels
Are you an elementary school teacher who wonders how your high- achieving math students fared down the road? Or perhaps you're a middle or high school math teacher who wonders how your students who completed Algebra I in grade 7 fare in high school compared to other students who completed Algebra I in later grades?
Date published:
Nov 10, 2020
report
Descriptive Study
Algebra I and College Preparatory Diploma Outcomes among Virginia Students Who Completed Algebra I in Grades 7-9
Education leaders in Virginia use early access to Algebra I as one method to provide students more time to take college preparatory courses in high school, thereby increasing students' likelihood of graduating prepared for college and careers. Yet, little data are available for these leaders to examine whether their approach is warranted. Members of the Regional Educational Laboratory Appalachia Student Success in Mathematics partnership are interested in learning more about students who comp...
Oct 01, 2020
Publication number:
REL 2021 038
Grant
Initial Efficacy Study of Data Wise
In this Efficacy project, researchers propose to examine the impact of Data Wise on Grade 5 teacher instructional practice and student test scores. This 2-year intervention targets the collaborative processes and data use within instructional teams. This study will provide evidence of the implementation, impacts, costs, and sustainability of this fully developed and widely used approach to data-driven instruction that has no prior evidence of efficacy.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A200292
Grant
Vanderbilt Predoctoral Research Training in Education Sciences (ExpERT-II)
The Vanderbilt University ExpERT-II predoctoral training trained fellows to become experts in conducting randomized field experiments of theory-based interventions and approaches aimed at enhancing student learning in education settings.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305B080025
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