http://www.merlot.org:80/merlot/ A search of MERLOT materials Copyright 1997-2013 MERLOT. All rights reserved. Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:26:56 PDT Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:26:56 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=259637 This report presents results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2006 civics assessment. National results for a representative sample of students at grades 4, 8, and 12 are reported in terms of students’ average civics score on a 0–300 scale, and in terms of the percentage of students attaining each of three achievement levels: Basic, Proficient, and Advanced. National scores at selected percentiles on the scale (indicating the percentage of students whose scores fell at or below a particular point) are also discussed. This report also provides results for groups of students defined by various background characteristics (e.g., gender, race/ethnicity, and students’ eligibility for free/reduced-price school lunch). Comparisons are made to results from 1998—the previous year in which the same assessment was administered. The national results show an increase in the average civics score since 1998 at grade 4, but no significant change in average scores at grades 8 and 12. The report also includes sample assessment questions and examples of student responses. The technical notes section provides information about sampling, statistical significance, use of accommodations, and school participation. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=259636 This report presents results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2006 U.S. history assessment. National results for a representative sample of students at grades 4, 8, and 12 are reported in terms of students’ average U.S. history score on a 0–500 scale, and in terms of the percentage of students attaining each of three achievement levels: Basic, Proficient, and Advanced. National scores at selected percentiles on the scale (indicating the percentage of students whose scores fell at or below a particular point) are also discussed. This report also provides results by four U.S. history subscales, and for groups of students defined by various background characteristics (e.g., gender, race/ethnicity, and students’ eligibility for free/reduced-price school lunch). Comparisons are made to results from 1994 and 2001—the previous years in which the NAEP U.S. history assessment was administered. The national results show an increase in the average U.S. history score at all three grades, compared to the scores of both earlier assessments. The report also includes sample assessment questions and examples of student responses. The technical notes section provides information about sampling, statistical significance, use of accommodations, and school participation. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=259479 As part of its work in developing an accountability framework for higher education, the Commission conducted an analysis of college-going rates in California. This analysis showed that: -California has serious inequities in access to higher education. College-going rates vary greatly depending on students’ ethnicity, gender, and the type of neighborhood where the student’s high school is located. -California’s college-going rate for four-year colleges is lower than in most other states. -College-going rates measure access to higher education, but are only one part of the accountability picture. Information on how well students progress through higher education and on the value of their degrees in the job market is needed to assess how well the State is doing in making the benefits of higher education available to students leaving high school. 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? http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=259507 This report is another in a series of reports stemming from the Commission’s 2003 Eligibility Study. It describes important changes in the academic characteristics of public high school students. The data show that: -A lower proportion of students are enrolling in a-g coursework; -A lower proportion of students are taking the SAT I admissions test; -SAT I and ACT test performance has improved; -A higher proportion of students are enrolling in AP courses and taking AP examinations; -A lower proportion of students are passing the AP examination. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=478678 This research attempted to find an appropriate model for selecting directors according to the type of Community Center (C.C.) they intend to run while examining the efficiency of 360 degree feedback, which was built for evaluating directors' Community Centers. Research was divided into two parts. As a complex process, it included in depth interviews of 30 employees within the C.C. system: the management chairman, districts directors, guides and C.C. directors. The initial phase of the research checked 72 C.C. directors in 360 degree feedback evaluation. Significant differences were not found via the conventional statistic method . The second phase of the research was formulated upon discovering that the questionnaires composed by the judges were not as accurate as expected in distinguishing each of the five factors. As the questionnaires normally provided extremely high levels of validity and thus held much significance in evaluating directors using 360 degree feedback, much work was needed to dismiss them. Drawing from Cohen, Clipton and Roberts (Cohen et al, 2001), the second phase of research was essentially a new analysis of the questionnaires. Gutman's research method, henceforth the Facet Theory (Gutman, 1982). These were each analyzed as to their significance and internal consistency and thus four new conceptual regions were formed. Conclusion : The operating directors’ Cultural Centers have a high level of executing capability and executive administrative skills not only subjectively, but also according to their superiors and the submitted employees as well as in 360 degree feedback; Similar to them, slightly mild, the needed demands for the human being in order to fulfill the C.C. director successfully, according to the opinion of the C.C. directors, the C.C. employees' and the superiors; C.C. director with ethical's values and social approach is more effective and efficient;The different types of Community Centers rank each of the four quality groups for an appropriate director differently; Guttmann's method of Smallest Space Analysis (SSA) enables a better diagnostic of phenomena or similar characteristics than other conventional statistic methods; Gluskinus' integrative theory (2000) regarding management and leadership qualities relevant to role of the appropriated C.C. director may be a base for further empirical research. Small differences in evaluating operating directors according to the role of the evaluator indicate that the tool used in this project is reliable and effective; The variance which was found during the evaluation of the appropriate directors by different workers supports the theory of Sarbin and his followers.