Browsing by Author "Lansford, Teresa"
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Item Absent Peers, Present Challenges: The Differential Impact of In-Person and Virtual Classmate Absences on Future Attendance(2024-03-13) Kirksey, J Jacob; Gottfried, Michael A.; Ansari, Arya; Lansford, TeresaPolicymakers and educational leaders across state and federal agencies have invested considerable effort in identifying how schools can both mitigate and exacerbate student absenteeism. Despite extensive research into school-level characteristics and programs, there remains a notable gap in understanding the impact of classroom-level factors on absenteeism. This study investigates how classmates' absences impact student absenteeism in four Texas school districts, analyzing both in-person and virtual contexts. Using a novel approach that accounts for day-to-day attendance variation, findings indicate that in-person absenteeism among peers significantly increases a student's absenteeism, with effects lasting up to three days, regardless of achievement levels. However, virtual absenteeism showed no similar impact, highlighting distinct absenteeism dynamics in virtual environments. Amid COVID-19 disruptions, this underscores the need for interventions addressing absenteeism across varied learning settings, offering insights for policymakers and educators in navigating the challenges of both physical and virtual classroom dynamics.Item Bold Action for a Prosperous Future: Evaluation of the Foundation High School Program and Academic and Career Trajectories of Texas High School Graduates(2023-02) Kirksey, J. Jacob; Wiseman, Alexander W.; Gottlieb, Jessica J.; Lansford, Teresa; Mansell, Kristin E.; Crevar, Angela R.Over the past few decades, the claim that a high school diploma is insufficient education to establish a career that will provide family-sustaining wages in a rapidly changing economy has gained increasing acceptance. In response to this understanding, Texas House Bill 5 (HB 5) established the Foundation High School Program (FHSP) in 2014-15, shifting high school graduation requirements to place a greater emphasis on preparation for career opportunities, especially those aligned with local industry needs. Philanthropy Advocates commissioned Texas Tech University's Center for Research and Learning in Education to better assess whether FHSP has been meeting its goals, such that Texas high school graduation coursework requirements foster success after high school. The core question asked at the outset of this research was: Are policies that mandate and/or incentivize PK-12 and postsecondary institutional behavior in alignment with policies such as HB 5 and other efforts aimed at increasing college-readiness and postsecondary success of Texas students? Last updated June 7, 2023.Item A Matter of Course: Student Attendance Under New Graduation Requirements of the Texas Foundation High School Program(2023) Lansford, Teresa; Kirksey, J. JacobIn 2013, the state of Texas passed House Bill 5 (HB 5) which established high school course pathways tailored to student interests by labor market area via the Foundation High School Program (FHSP). The pathway options for students include STEM, Arts and Humanities, Business and Industry, Public Service, and Multidisciplinary. While the intent of the new requirements was to improve college and career readiness, the personalization of learning paths tailored to student interests poses the possibility of also increasing engagement resulting in improved attendance. This study uses statewide longitudinal data as well as data from a small, urban Texas school district to examine student attendance pre and post the FHSP. Findings show that regardless of whether a student is in the top 99% of attenders or the bottom 10%, once they start on the STEM endorsement pathway, they experience higher levels of attendance than those in other pathways. Analyses from the Texas school district suggests that positive attendance was driven via STEM-CTE courses, which had the lowest attendance rates prior to the FHSP to the highest attendance rates following the FHSP. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.Item Open and Shut Case(2024-05-29) Lansford, TeresaSchool libraries have recently found themselves involved in controversies surrounding book selection policies and relevance in an information rich world. In Texas, the superintendent of Houston ISD opted to shutter several of the district’s libraries and replace them with disciplinary centers. The shuttering of libraries has been happening throughout Texas schools. While some studies have looked at academic outcomes related to staffing and practices of school libraries, this study proposes to analyze outcomes for students when school libraries close. Using a comprehensive dataset from the University of Houston Education Research Center, which includes state-wide data for all Texas public school students, this study applies an advanced difference in differences model with multiple time periods to analyze the impact on academics and discipline when school library programs are stopped. While stopping a program had little correlation with discipline other than in urban schools, early literacy achievement experienced declines by year five.Item Six Periods a Day, Five Days a Week: Classes Students Miss Most Frequently and Cumulative Impacts on High School Graduation(2023) Kirksey, J. Jacob; Lansford, Teresa; Elefante, JosephThe impact of student absenteeism on educational outcomes has been well documented. However, few studies have looked at day or period level data for attendance trends and outcomes. This study analyzed day of the week, period of the day, and class type data from an urban California district to identify correlations between timing and unexcused absenteeism. Findings suggest that students receiving school services were generally less likely to have an unexcused absence than their peers. Students were also less likely to have an unexcused absence in a class that was required for graduation. The timing of absences for students in poverty showed a link between unexcused absenteeism after the lunch period and an increased risk of dropout. Implications include reframing how to view unexcused absenteeism in groups receiving school services, scheduling of required and academic classes, and engaging at-risk groupsItem STEM Teacher Career Paths: Where Do They Come From and Where Do They Go?(2023-08-11) Gottlieb, Jessica J.; Lansford, Teresa; Mansell, Kristin E.; Kirksey, J. JacobDr. Jessica Gottlieb, Teresa Lansford, Dr. Kristin Mansell, and Dr. Jacob Kirksey published the policy brief, "STEM Teacher Career Paths: Where Do They Come From and Where Do They Go?". This brief analyzes the STEM teacher labor market and how STEM teachers prepared through a university program have a lower likelihood of turnover than other teacher preparation pathways.