http://www.merlot.org:80/merlot/ A search of MERLOT materials Copyright 1997-2013 MERLOT. All rights reserved. Sun, 26 May 2013 01:36:02 PDT Sun, 26 May 2013 01:36:02 PDT http://www.merlot.org:80/merlot/images/merlot.gif http://www.merlot.org:80/merlot/ 44 34 http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=255386 The National Center for Research on Cultural Diversity and Second Language Learning site includes publications and reports such as Educational Practice Reports, Research Reports, School Reform & Student Diversity Papers, and a Report on Educating All Our Students.  These publications are research-based studies of effective practices for assisting English Language Learners to achieve school success. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=259641 The National Center for Special Education Research at the Institute of Education Sciences has released a brief report from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 entitled, An Overview of Findings From Wave 2 of the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2). This report is an executive summary of two previously-released reports presenting findings from Wave 2: The Academic Achievement and Functional Performance of Youth With Disabilities and After High School: A First Look at the Postschool Experiences of Youth with Disabilities. All reports are available at http://www.nlts2.org. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=262295 In a state as large and complex as California, education financing can become as complicated as rocket science. This two-page Q&A provides a brief, easy-to-understand explanation of California's school finance system and introduces the issues of its adequacy and equity. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=259482 California’s Master Plan for Higher Education represented a promise, of an affordable college education, to every person who could benefit. For decades, California’s lawmakers honored that promise. But rapidly increasing college fees, coupled with higher costs for room and board, books, transportation, and healthcare are pricing students out of higher education or burdening them with excessive debt. The following anthology of the Commission research provides insights into why college is less affordable and what California’s leaders can do to make higher education affordable once again. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=255367 The various reports provide data specific to the mathematics and science teaching workforce in California. Findings include that more than ten percent of all math and science teachers are underprepared, including more than one third of novice math and science teachers. And that at the current rate of teacher preparation, California will fall short by 30 percent of the fully prepared math and science teachers needed by California schools. While acknowledging the important progress made by policymakers in strengthening teaching in California in recent years, the report calls for concrete action to ensure high quality math and science instruction for all students in all grades. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=259505 This report presents an overview of the gender gap in California colleges and universities. Males in every major ethnic group are underrepresented in relation to their representation in the state’s population. The report also identifies areas for further study on the causes and implications of this gap. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=259502 Increases in school API play a major role in the probability that a student will become UC and CSU eligible. However the increase in eligibility for Latino students occurs at a much lower rate than it does for all other racial/ethnic groups.Using a quantitative approach, this paper examines data from 12, 757 student transcripts, randomly collected from 711 public high schools, in order to address the following research questions:-What is the relationship between UC and CSU eligibility rates and high school API?-When comparing racial/ethnic populations across various API and income levels, do eligibility rates increase at the same rate for all populations as API and income increases?