Study of Performance-based Scholarships is Well Implemented
This 2012 randomized controlled trial examined the effects of performance-based scholarships on community college enrollment, credits earned, and academic achievement of 1,502 low-income, independent, adult community college students in New York City who were required to enroll in remedial courses. The students were targeted because of their elevated risk of having financial difficulties in paying for college. This is a well-implemented study, and the research meets WWC evidence standards without reservations.
Deputy Commissioner Joan McLaughlin Named Acting Commissioner of NCSER
IES Director John Q. Easton announced that Joan McLaughlin, the current Deputy Commissioner of the National Center for Special Education Research, has been named Acting Commissioner, effective July 1, 2013.
"Joan has been a great asset to the National Center for Special Education Research. Her background and experience in special education and early childhood is extensive, and her willingness to take on this new role makes Joan the perfect choice to serve as Acting Commissioner," Easton said. "The other commissioners and I look forward to working closely with Joan as we continue to advance IES's mission to provide rigorous and relevant research aimed at improving education outcomes for all students."
McLaughlin first joined the Institute of Education Sciences as Deputy Commissioner of the National Center for Special Education Research in February 2009. In addition to her role as Deputy Commissioner, McLaughlin served as NCSER's program officer for the Early Intervention and Early Learning in Special Education grant program.
Prior to joining IES, McLaughlin spent 16 years working in the Education and Family Services area of Abt Associates Inc., a research consulting firm. While there, she served as principal investigator or project director for numerous evaluations of federal education, food assistance, and early childhood programs. McLaughlin has also served as a program officer in the Office of Analysis and Evaluation at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service, where she oversaw design, process, and implementation studies of programs and initiatives focused on maternal and child health and child nutrition issues. She also served as a program analyst in the Program Evaluation and Methodology Division of the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
McLaughlin received her bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Notre Dame and her master's and doctoral degrees in developmental psychology from Cornell University.
McLaughlin replaces Deborah Speece, who is leaving after serving 2 years as Commissioner to become Associate Dean of Research and Faculty Development in the School of Education at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.
The average score for eighth-grade AI/AN students in reading was higher in 2009 than in 2007, and the percentage of AI/AN students at or above Proficient and at Advanced in mathematics was higher in 2009 than in 2005. (Read more)
Between 1985 and 2008, public school enrollment rose 26 percent, from 39.4 million to 49.8 million. (Read more)
Data Snapshot
Average scores in civics for students eligible for either free or reduced price school lunch were higher in 2010 than in 2006 at both grades 4 and 8.
Approximately two-thirds of fourth-graders both nationally and in large city schools reported never using a calculator while taking mathematics tests or quizzes.
