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Education
Results are mixed for impact of No Child Left Behind Act
The first known rigorous national impact evaluation of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act finds that the legislation has had mixed effects on student achievement. The research indicates that the NCLB reforms generated statistically significant increases in the average math performance of 4th graders as well as improvements at the lower and top achievement percentiles. There was also evidence of improvements in 8th grade math achievement, particularly among traditionally low-achieving groups and at the lower percentiles. However, the authors find no evidence that NCLB increased reading achievement in either 4th or 8th grade. "The prior evidence on the achievement effects is quite limited. Earlier studies have either focused on single districts or states, relied on state developed assessments that are subject to 'score inflation,' or used weak research designs that confound the impact of NCLB with other social, educational and economic factors," said Brian Jacob, a professor at the U-M Ford School of Public Policy. "We believe this new research sheds much-needed light on the results of what was arguably the most far-reaching education policy initiative of the last 40 years." [Read more...]
U-M has received more than $200M in stimulus funds through October 2009
In data assembled by the U-M's Division of Research Development and Administration, the U-M has received funding for 342 projects through October, 2009 under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The total dollar value of these projects is $206.4M. To date, the five largest grants support solar energy research, diabetes research, an ongoing study of health and retirement issues in the U.S., the creation of a database to support genetic research in the behavioral and health sciences, and a study of pulmonary fibrosis. [Download table of project awards by U-M schools, colleges and other major units...]
U-M professor selected as a Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching senior partner
Magdalene Lampert, George Herbert Mead Collegiate Professor in Education, has been selected by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as one of five senior partners who will guide the development of the program’s agenda. The first topic is expected to be high failure rates among students in developmental mathematics in community colleges. [Read more...]
A Very Loud Number
In this blog post, U-M Vice President for Research discusses the broader meaning of the $1B milestone in research spending: "By now, many have heard that the University of Michigan broke the $1,000,000,000 threshold for research expenditures in Fiscal Year 2009 (FY09). Indeed, by National Science Foundation accounting, U-M has moved into third place for research expenditures by U.S. universities in 2008 (the latest year for which such numbers are available). Only the University of California at San Francisco and the University of Wisconsin rank higher." [Read more...]
Students to showcase how they helped community-based groups research new initiatives
Through the Community Based Research Fellowship Program at U-M, last summer student Julianne Armijo evaluated a new program — Patient Partners — at the Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County to help seniors. Patient Partners allows trained volunteers to build rapport with and accompany an older adult to medical appointments, as well as provide support and written documentation of what transpired for the patient’s reference. Armijo was one of 28 students who participated in the 10-week summer fellowship program administered by the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program. Students conduct research to further an organization’s work. [Read more...]
Ross School tops in the U.S. for environmental/social responsibility
The University of Michigan's Ross School of Business is the best business school in the United States for integrating environmental, social and ethical issues into its MBA program, according to the Aspen Institute's 2009-10 Beyond Grey Pinstripes report. The biennial survey and ranking of business schools placed the Ross School at No. 2 overall. The Schulich School of Business at York University in Toronto is ranked No. 1 in this year's survey. Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, which was ranked No. 1 in 2007, is ranked No. 4 this year. [Read more...]
U-M joins other leading research universities to launch futurity.org
A group of leading research universities has launched Futurity (www.futurity.org), an online research channel covering the latest discoveries in science, engineering, the environment, health and more. The University of Michigan is one of 35 partners supporting the project. Given the changes occurring in the news business, the partner universities are looking for ways to share important breakthroughs with the public in a new and direct way. [Read more...]
U-M exceeds $1 billion in annual research spending for the first time
Research spending at the University of Michigan in 2008-09 exceeded $1 billion for the first time, a milestone that highlights the university’s role as an economic resource benefitting the entire state. In the midst of the most severe recession since the Great Depression, research spending at the university rose 9.4 percent over the previous fiscal year, totaling $1.02 billion. The federal government provided 64.4 percent of the funds, and federal research spending at the U-M rose 7.1 percent over 2007-08. [Read more...]
Technology poses new challenges for handling research data
While evolving digital technology has increased researchers’ abilities to analyze and share data, it also has led to serious new questions. U-M Provost Teresa Sullivan recently served on a National Academies committee that looked at how all involved in the research process can work to protect the integrity of digital research data. Here is a Q&A about the challenges researchers face and some of the new factors they must consider in the computer age. [Read more...]