BCTF Information Services—Research & Reports

Inter@ctive Teens: The Impact of the Internet on Canada's Next Generation
Ipsos Reid, February 26, 2008 (press release)

Findings from an Ipsos Reid study are dispelling the myth of today’s teen as an Internet-savvy, constantly-wired early adopter.  Contrary to popular belief, teens are not online as much as they are stereotyped to be, the time they do spend on the Internet is focused rather narrowly on particular types of websites and activities, and their comfort level with technology is actually much lower than adults.

Zwaagstra, Michael
Computers in the Classroom: Technology Overboard?
Winnipeg: Frontier Centre for Public Policy, February 2008; 5 pages

A new Frontier backgrounder questions the practice of fully integrating computers into classroom instruction in public schools, especially for early grades.  The report notes that recent research studies show that increased access to computers does not necessarily lead to higher academic achievement.

What Keeps Good Teachers in the Classroom? Understanding and Reducing Teacher Turnover
Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education, February 2008, 9 pages

Who leaves teaching, why they leave, and the costs associated with their departures from the profession and from their schools are explored in a new brief from the Alliance for Excellent Education.

Student Characteristics and Achievement in Science: Results of the 2006 Programme for International Student Assessment
Education Matters (Statistics Canada) 4:6,  February 26, 2008

Differences in student achievement persist and are linked to a number of student characteristics. This article focuses on the most recent PISA results regarding science achievement of Canadian 15 year-olds and their background characteristics - including gender differences, minority-language school systems, immigrant and non-immigrant youth, student engagement, level of parental education, and socioeconomic status.   

McCabe, Lisa A. and Ellen C. Frede
Challenging Behaviours and the Role of Preschool Education
New Brunswick, NJ: National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER)
Preschool Policy Brief, December 2007; 12 pages

This policy brief concludes that "high-quality preschool education that includes an emphasis on children’s social development can reduce rates of challenging behaviors and serve as a long-term protective factor for children at risk for developing challenging behaviors."

Schnepf, Sylke V. (University of Southampton)
Inequality of Learning amongst Immigrant Children in Industrialised Countries
Bonn, Germany: Institute for the Study of Labor, IZA Discussion Paper No. 3337
February 2008; 40 pages

The aim of this paper is to examine educational inequalities among immigrants in eight high immigration countries: Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and USA. Results indicate that for almost all countries immigrants’ educational dispersion is considerably higher than for natives.

Cameron, Linda and Lee Bartel (Ontario Institute for Studies in Education,
University of Toronto)
Homework Realities: A Canadian Study of Parental Opinions and Attitudes
Toronto: Bartel, Cameron, & Associates Inc., February 2008; 65 pages

The national study found a wide variance in the amount of required homework between students and across grades. Noting that while there is evidence that homework improves student achievement in the later elementary grades, this evidential basis is lacking for the earlier years, leading the study authors to advocate against homework until grades seven or eight.

Parents' Role in their Children's Homework
Lessons in Learning, February 7, 2008
Canadian Council on Learning

Research on parental participation in homework activities provides lessons on how parents can alleviate the stressful aspects of homework while still providing support for their children’s homework routines.

Wolfe, David
Sexual Harassment and Related Behaviours Reported Among Youth from Grade 9 to Grade 11
Toronto: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), February 2008; 9 pages

New research on school violence, sexual harassment and bullying conducted at 23 schools in Southwestern Ontario.  Among the findings of the survey was that 16 percent of girls and 32 percent of boys reported being physically harmed (on or off school property), while ten percent of girls and 25 percent of boys admit to being the perpetrators of such violence.

www.bullyingcourse.com

Online learning resources for parents, educators and others who are interested in addressing the issue of bullying more effectively in their homes, schools and communities.  Created by Bill Belsey, creator of www.bullying.org, the world's most-visited Web site about bullying.

Toch, Thomas and Robert Rothman
Rush to Judgement: Teacher Evaluation in Public Education
Washington, DC: Education Sector, January 2008; 34 pages

This report recommends that teacher-evaluation systems should assess both the quality of teacher instruction and student achievement, and should select evaluators who specialize in the grade level of subject area of the teacher they are evaluating. 

Barton, Paul E. and others (ETS Policy Information Center)
The Family: America's Smallest School
Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service, 2007; 48 pages

This report outlines family and home conditions affecting children’s cognitive development and school achievement and how gaps beginning early persist throughout life.  Critical factors examined include single parent families, poverty and resources, parents talking and reading to children, quality day care, and parental involvement in school.

Clark, Christina and others
Young People’s Self-Perceptions as Readers: An Investigation Including Family, Peer and School Influences
London: National Literacy Trust, January 2008; 73 pages

Recent developments in literacy teaching have tended to focus on the technical aspects of reading. However, studies continue to highlight the importance of the affective aspects of reading, such as motivation and attitudes, and the reader self-concept.

This study of over 1,600 UK pupils explored young people’s perceptions of themselves as readers and aimed to challenge assumptions of what it means to be a reader.

Arias, M. Beatriz and Milagros Morillo-Campbell
Promoting ELL Parental Involvement: Challenges in Contested Times
Arizona State University, Education Policy Research Unit (EPRU)
January 2008; 24 pages

This policy brief analyzes factors related to the implementation of effective parental involvement with English Language Learners (ELLs). It analyzes characteristics of the ELL student and parent population; barriers to ELL family engagement with schools; and characteristics of traditional and non-traditional parental involvement models.

Parent Information Network
Press release, January 28, 2008

Parents seeking information about their children's education and BC schools have a new online resource - the Parent Information Network, a joint project of the provincial government and the Virtual School Society, a non-profit that promotes virtual learning.  The network is accessible through the LearnNowBC website.  Topics include ESL, special needs, health and safety, graduation requirements and choice in the public school system. 

The Other Half of the Strategy: Following up on System Reform by Innovating with School and Schooling
Saint Paul, MN: Education|Evolving, January 2008; 16 pages

A new paper argues that “system-level reforms”—such as standards and accountability, and choice and charter schooling—are not enough to bring about dramatic gains in student learning.  The report suggests that efforts to improve K-12 education need to break away from conventional forms of schooling with new models, and should place a heavy emphasis on efforts designed to increase student and teacher motivation.