A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Research Roundup

GED Credential Improves Earnings for Some

Earning a General Educational Development (GED) credential can have a substantial impact on the annual earnings of young white dropouts, but does not provide a way out of poverty altogether. Nonwhite workers, meanwhile, appear to reap no financial benefit by acquiring a GED.

These are among the key discoveries in new research from the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy at Harvard University, which is funded by OERI's National Institute on Postsecondary Education, Libraries, and Lifelong Learning.

The findings are significant because they were reached by sampling dropouts who took the GED in states with different standards for passing. This allowed comparisons between individuals with similar test scores, whose success or failure was due to their state's passing standard. Thus, for the first time, researchers could separate the credential's impact on individual's earnings from personal qualities, such as motivation or persistence.

Unlike most previous studies, this research found that after 5 years' employment, the annual earnings of the white GED holders were 10 to 20 percent higher than those who failed the test, although the estimated annual dollar amount was only $1,500.

The researchers suggest that the greater earnings reflect employers' use of the GED to "signal" higher levels of motivation, maturity, persistence, and other work attributes deserving of higher earnings, rather than as a signal of higher cognitive skills. It was not clear, however, why the same signaling effects are not at work for nonwhite GED recipients.

Additional information about this study is available online at http://gseweb.harvard.edu/~ncsall or by phone at 617-495-4843.

How to Educate English Language Learners

How long does it take English language learners to learn English? It depends--generally on a number of factors. For example, while some English language learners can master the language in as little as 1 to 3 years, others may take as long as a decade. Like their native English speaking peers, English Language Learners (ELLs) vary in abilities, motivations, native language proficiency, and readiness to learn. Other factors that can enhance or delay learning include their age when entering school and, not surprisingly, access to effective teaching and educational services.

Findings from research supported in part by OERI's National Institute on the Education of At-Risk Students reveal that ELLs can be taught--and do learn--English and content effectively when the following conditions exist:

• Educational services are tailored to their linguistic, cultural, and academic learning needs;
• Native language instruction is available (as needed) to provide the foundation for English instruction;
• eachers adjust instructional time to ensure that verbal and literacy skills typical of all-English classrooms are acquired; and
• Students not fully proficient in English are taught in special programs before making the transition to all-English classrooms.

For additional information, contact gil.garcia@ed.gov, 202-219-2144, or visit the National Institute on the Education of At-Risk Students Web site at http://www.ed.gov/offices/OERI/At-Risk/.

English Achievement in High School Classrooms

While the ability to read, understand, and communicate in English is essential to students' academic success and future attainment, it is not always clear which factors contribute to high achievement in high school English. Thus, OERI's National Institute on Student Achievement, Curriculum, and Assessment is supporting research--now in its third year--into the characteristics of effective English instruction in the nation's secondary schools.

Findings to date show that students do better in English if teachers make explicit connections across topics and skills from day to day and across the year. Students also benefit when connections are made between what they are currently reading and other works they have read, other eras, and other cultures. In short, students gain when they can see links between literature and life, between classroom and community, between school and work.

Researchers at OERI's Center on English Learning &Achievement (CELA) also report that students need balanced attention in developing language skills, content knowledge, and learning strategies. They do best when reading, writing, and other language skills are taught in the context of larger activities and not just practiced separately.

The most effective instruction develops around big issues (e.g., justice, oppression) that take time to study and require that students read several works, since cross-cutting issues that demand high-level thinking and sustained writing and discussion lead to improved learning.

For more information, visit the CELA Web Site at http://cela.albany.edu.

Teachers and Technology

With computer technologies invading the nation's classrooms at a rapid pace, understanding how teachers actually use these technologies and how they affect student performance have emerged as critically important issues for educators and researchers alike. Research supported by OERI's National Institute on Student Achievement, Curriculum, and Assessment provides some enlightenment in both areas. For example, preliminary data from a nationally representative survey of 2,251 4th- to 12th-grade teachers reveal that most received some training in computer use, and that an overwhelming majority had formal instruction in Internet use during the 1997-98 school year. In addition, nearly one-half reported taking part in a staff development activity in which computers or their instructional uses was a central topic.

This increased training has apparently inspired teachers to move beyond simply having students practice basic skills and learn word processing. Instead, increasing numbers are requiring students to use computers to acquire information, analyze it, and communicate it to others. The survey found, moreover, that more than 25 percent of teachers surveyed had students use the World Wide Web in at least three lessons during the year.

Teachers' growing confidence in use of classroom technology shows promise of translating into improved overall student performance, according to findings from a variety of studies. Positive effects on students' motivation, collaborative work, and self-esteem also have been found, although researchers acknowledge it is often difficult to separate the effects of technology use on students' performance and motivation from other factors.

For additional information, contact Ram Singh at the National Institute on Student Achievement, Curriculum, and Assessment at 202-219-2025 or by e-mail at ram.singh@ed.gov.

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