Background: The No Child Left Behind legislation creates an increased need for new school-based e... more Background: The No Child Left Behind legislation creates an increased need for new school-based empirical studies whose implementation will depend largely on researchers' access to various school populations and records. Access decisions are typically made by superintendents, or their designees, functioning as gatekeepers who control right of entry. Understanding the factors driving these decisions could enhance the desirability of proposals and increase access rates for quantitative and qualitative researchers alike. Purpose: The purpose of this research was to query districts about four key access factors including (a) researcher trustworthiness, (b) associated risks, (c) costs and benefits, and (d) potential contribution to the field. Research Method: This study used a series of interviews followed by a systematic survey. Participants: Ten superintendents were interviewed followed by a survey of 310 districts in Connecticut, Illinois, and Pennsylvania.
A study investigated the role of prior knowledge in ambiguous text interpretation by directly mea... more A study investigated the role of prior knowledge in ambiguous text interpretation by directly measuring readers' knowledge of, and level of involvement with, three distinct topical domains that could be assigned during reading of an ambiguous passage. Subjects, 52 athletes of average or above average reading ability competing in one of three interscholastic spring sports (tennis, golf, or softball/baseball) for one small rural and one large suburban Illinois high school, read an ambiguous passage that could be taken to be about any of the three sports, free-wrote about the passage, and answered a series of multiple-choice questions which included five randomly ordered choices representing aspects of either tennis, baseball, or golf. The investigation offered some interesting insights, for example: (1) evidence for a prior knowledge effect due to group membership was observed especially in the case of baseball players; (2) the golfers and tennis players, despite direct participation, demonstrated somewhat less domain knowledge of their respective sports than they did of baseball; (3) and across subjects, high positive relationships were observed between each sport's respective prior knowledge and level of involvement scores. Findings suggest that the conclusions of earlier ambiguity studies should probably be reconsidered in light of the complex interrelationships that appear to exist between prior knowledge and level of involvement variables. (One table of data is included; 12 references are attached.) (RS)
he following article contains two essays based on presentations to the 2012 CHEC conference on Ca... more he following article contains two essays based on presentations to the 2012 CHEC conference on Catholic school governance held at Marquette University in October 2012. The essays outline two models of deep collaboration between Catholic institutions of higher education and Catholic P-12 schools designed to support and foster improvements in Catholic education. The first essay, "Higher Education Working Together to Help Catholic Schools: The Greater Milwaukee Catholic Education Consortium," written by William A. Henk and Jennifer A. Maney, provides an overview of the Greater Milwaukee Catholic Education Consortium (GMCEC), an ongoing collaborative effort between the archdiocese of Milwaukee and the region's five Catholic colleges and universities. Building a strong partnership among multiple institutions has allowed the GMCEC to leverage the individual strengths of each member institution to provide a variety of supports to Catholic schools within the diocese. The essay outlines the early history of the collaboration, the key areas of engagement, and some emerging outcomes and ongoing challenges associated with efforts to scaffold supports for diocesan schools. Following this essay are excerpts from a panel discussion among the five presidents of the institutions of higher education that are part of the consortium. In the second essay, Frank Montejano, Principal of Holy Family School, and Kevin Baxter, Superintendent of Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, provide an overview of the ongoing partnership between the Archdiocese and Loyola Marymount University to improve educational opportunities for students in Catholic schools in Los Angeles. The essay discusses the collaborations' key areas of engagement, including research on Catholic schools in the dioceses, assessment of academic and social-emotional outcomes of students, professional development and preparation of teachers and principals, and long-term strategic planning. The essay also includes some of the initial outcomes of these efforts to prepare the diocesan schools for continued growth in the coming decades. Both of these essays provide an introduction to the kind of innovative work being done nationwide to build a stronger system of Catholic education across the P-16 educational continuum.
The potential value of any piece of reading research rests squarely upon the merits of the method... more The potential value of any piece of reading research rests squarely upon the merits of the methodology used to conduct the study. Regrettably, recent years have witnessed the emergence of trends in experimental methodology that deviate considerably from the hypothesis testing model upon which good science depends. This article describes the nature and consequences of liberally or improperly applying traditional research methodology and provides an argument for tempering judgments about the relative contributions that experimental studies make to the professional literature in reading
This study examined the effects of two types of comparison‐contrast discourse structures on the i... more This study examined the effects of two types of comparison‐contrast discourse structures on the initial learning and retention of unfamiliar scientific information by mature readers. Specifically, divided [A‐B] patterns (in which all of the information about one topic is presented in its entirety before corresponding information about the second topic occurs) were matched against alternating [A‐B, A‐B, A‐B] patterns (whereby features of the two topics are compared and/or contrasted in a point‐by‐point fashion). Topics centered on the brain versus a computer, the eye versus a camera, the phonograph versus compact disc players, and dot‐matrix versus daisy wheel computer printers. Despite a host of pattern‐related factors that could have contributed to performance differences, subjects learned and remembered key data equally well regardless of the type of comparison‐contrast pattern used. These findings were interpreted as a demonstration of the mature reader's versatility in accommodating unfamiliar information, especially when it is presented in well‐structured, patterned texts.
In the Reading Research Quarterly, 1982, 17(2), Shanahan, Kamil, and Tobin suggest that the cloze... more In the Reading Research Quarterly, 1982, 17(2), Shanahan, Kamil, and Tobin suggest that the cloze procedure is inappropriate for use in the classroom as a global measure of reading comprehension. This conclusion is based on findings from three related experiments which seemingly demonstrate that cloze tests are insensitive to the integration of information across sentence boundaries. Certainly, any evidence which definitively indicates that these tests tap local redundancy to the virtual exclusion of larger units of text processing would indeed represent a serious threat to the construct validity of the procedure, and as such, militate against its use. These are, however, some fundamental factors contributing to the data trends in these experiments which must be carefully considered before we contemplate a full-scale elimination of the cloze test from our instructional repertoire. To assess the sensitivity of cloze to intersentential integration, Shanahan, Kamil, and Tobin compared the exact word replacement performance of mature readers on a typical cloze passage with (1) a test over the same material in which the sentences had been randomly ordered (both untimed and timed in Experiments I and 2, respectively) and (2) target sentences from the passage embedded in unrelated sentence lists in the same position as they originally occurred (Experiment 3). Contrary to what might have been expected, no significant mean differences were found to exist between the conventional cloze test and either the randomly-ordered or non-supportive text versions. These results led the authors to conclude that standard cloze tests do not measure an individual's ability to synthesize information beyond the parameters of the sentence. While these assertions may very well prove true over time, a few healthy cautions seem to be in order before we accept the authors' recommendations regarding the utility of the cloze procedure in classroom practice. One primary concern relates to the manner in which the passages were revised so that sentences could be randomly ordered and still maintain a distance of five words between all blank spaces. In order to achieve this maneuverability, Shanahan, Kamil, and Tobin were
As educators embrace a new view of the reading process and adjust their instruction accordingly, ... more As educators embrace a new view of the reading process and adjust their instruction accordingly, major shifts in reading assessment practices have become necessary. In this article, I briefly trace the history of the shift in reading evaluation, outline the new view of reading, and address current assessment trends, including prior knowledge, strategic reading, process measurements, use of authentic texts, and habits and attitudes. The nature of each trend is described, its measurement problems identified, relevant techniques and instruments presented, and its limitations cited. In addition, overall diagnostic paradigms such as informal, dynamic, and portfolio assessments are discussed.
Background: The No Child Left Behind legislation creates an increased need for new school-based e... more Background: The No Child Left Behind legislation creates an increased need for new school-based empirical studies whose implementation will depend largely on researchers' access to various school populations and records. Access decisions are typically made by superintendents, or their designees, functioning as gatekeepers who control right of entry. Understanding the factors driving these decisions could enhance the desirability of proposals and increase access rates for quantitative and qualitative researchers alike. Purpose: The purpose of this research was to query districts about four key access factors including (a) researcher trustworthiness, (b) associated risks, (c) costs and benefits, and (d) potential contribution to the field. Research Method: This study used a series of interviews followed by a systematic survey. Participants: Ten superintendents were interviewed followed by a survey of 310 districts in Connecticut, Illinois, and Pennsylvania.
A study investigated the role of prior knowledge in ambiguous text interpretation by directly mea... more A study investigated the role of prior knowledge in ambiguous text interpretation by directly measuring readers' knowledge of, and level of involvement with, three distinct topical domains that could be assigned during reading of an ambiguous passage. Subjects, 52 athletes of average or above average reading ability competing in one of three interscholastic spring sports (tennis, golf, or softball/baseball) for one small rural and one large suburban Illinois high school, read an ambiguous passage that could be taken to be about any of the three sports, free-wrote about the passage, and answered a series of multiple-choice questions which included five randomly ordered choices representing aspects of either tennis, baseball, or golf. The investigation offered some interesting insights, for example: (1) evidence for a prior knowledge effect due to group membership was observed especially in the case of baseball players; (2) the golfers and tennis players, despite direct participation, demonstrated somewhat less domain knowledge of their respective sports than they did of baseball; (3) and across subjects, high positive relationships were observed between each sport's respective prior knowledge and level of involvement scores. Findings suggest that the conclusions of earlier ambiguity studies should probably be reconsidered in light of the complex interrelationships that appear to exist between prior knowledge and level of involvement variables. (One table of data is included; 12 references are attached.) (RS)
he following article contains two essays based on presentations to the 2012 CHEC conference on Ca... more he following article contains two essays based on presentations to the 2012 CHEC conference on Catholic school governance held at Marquette University in October 2012. The essays outline two models of deep collaboration between Catholic institutions of higher education and Catholic P-12 schools designed to support and foster improvements in Catholic education. The first essay, "Higher Education Working Together to Help Catholic Schools: The Greater Milwaukee Catholic Education Consortium," written by William A. Henk and Jennifer A. Maney, provides an overview of the Greater Milwaukee Catholic Education Consortium (GMCEC), an ongoing collaborative effort between the archdiocese of Milwaukee and the region's five Catholic colleges and universities. Building a strong partnership among multiple institutions has allowed the GMCEC to leverage the individual strengths of each member institution to provide a variety of supports to Catholic schools within the diocese. The essay outlines the early history of the collaboration, the key areas of engagement, and some emerging outcomes and ongoing challenges associated with efforts to scaffold supports for diocesan schools. Following this essay are excerpts from a panel discussion among the five presidents of the institutions of higher education that are part of the consortium. In the second essay, Frank Montejano, Principal of Holy Family School, and Kevin Baxter, Superintendent of Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, provide an overview of the ongoing partnership between the Archdiocese and Loyola Marymount University to improve educational opportunities for students in Catholic schools in Los Angeles. The essay discusses the collaborations' key areas of engagement, including research on Catholic schools in the dioceses, assessment of academic and social-emotional outcomes of students, professional development and preparation of teachers and principals, and long-term strategic planning. The essay also includes some of the initial outcomes of these efforts to prepare the diocesan schools for continued growth in the coming decades. Both of these essays provide an introduction to the kind of innovative work being done nationwide to build a stronger system of Catholic education across the P-16 educational continuum.
The potential value of any piece of reading research rests squarely upon the merits of the method... more The potential value of any piece of reading research rests squarely upon the merits of the methodology used to conduct the study. Regrettably, recent years have witnessed the emergence of trends in experimental methodology that deviate considerably from the hypothesis testing model upon which good science depends. This article describes the nature and consequences of liberally or improperly applying traditional research methodology and provides an argument for tempering judgments about the relative contributions that experimental studies make to the professional literature in reading
This study examined the effects of two types of comparison‐contrast discourse structures on the i... more This study examined the effects of two types of comparison‐contrast discourse structures on the initial learning and retention of unfamiliar scientific information by mature readers. Specifically, divided [A‐B] patterns (in which all of the information about one topic is presented in its entirety before corresponding information about the second topic occurs) were matched against alternating [A‐B, A‐B, A‐B] patterns (whereby features of the two topics are compared and/or contrasted in a point‐by‐point fashion). Topics centered on the brain versus a computer, the eye versus a camera, the phonograph versus compact disc players, and dot‐matrix versus daisy wheel computer printers. Despite a host of pattern‐related factors that could have contributed to performance differences, subjects learned and remembered key data equally well regardless of the type of comparison‐contrast pattern used. These findings were interpreted as a demonstration of the mature reader's versatility in accommodating unfamiliar information, especially when it is presented in well‐structured, patterned texts.
In the Reading Research Quarterly, 1982, 17(2), Shanahan, Kamil, and Tobin suggest that the cloze... more In the Reading Research Quarterly, 1982, 17(2), Shanahan, Kamil, and Tobin suggest that the cloze procedure is inappropriate for use in the classroom as a global measure of reading comprehension. This conclusion is based on findings from three related experiments which seemingly demonstrate that cloze tests are insensitive to the integration of information across sentence boundaries. Certainly, any evidence which definitively indicates that these tests tap local redundancy to the virtual exclusion of larger units of text processing would indeed represent a serious threat to the construct validity of the procedure, and as such, militate against its use. These are, however, some fundamental factors contributing to the data trends in these experiments which must be carefully considered before we contemplate a full-scale elimination of the cloze test from our instructional repertoire. To assess the sensitivity of cloze to intersentential integration, Shanahan, Kamil, and Tobin compared the exact word replacement performance of mature readers on a typical cloze passage with (1) a test over the same material in which the sentences had been randomly ordered (both untimed and timed in Experiments I and 2, respectively) and (2) target sentences from the passage embedded in unrelated sentence lists in the same position as they originally occurred (Experiment 3). Contrary to what might have been expected, no significant mean differences were found to exist between the conventional cloze test and either the randomly-ordered or non-supportive text versions. These results led the authors to conclude that standard cloze tests do not measure an individual's ability to synthesize information beyond the parameters of the sentence. While these assertions may very well prove true over time, a few healthy cautions seem to be in order before we accept the authors' recommendations regarding the utility of the cloze procedure in classroom practice. One primary concern relates to the manner in which the passages were revised so that sentences could be randomly ordered and still maintain a distance of five words between all blank spaces. In order to achieve this maneuverability, Shanahan, Kamil, and Tobin were
As educators embrace a new view of the reading process and adjust their instruction accordingly, ... more As educators embrace a new view of the reading process and adjust their instruction accordingly, major shifts in reading assessment practices have become necessary. In this article, I briefly trace the history of the shift in reading evaluation, outline the new view of reading, and address current assessment trends, including prior knowledge, strategic reading, process measurements, use of authentic texts, and habits and attitudes. The nature of each trend is described, its measurement problems identified, relevant techniques and instruments presented, and its limitations cited. In addition, overall diagnostic paradigms such as informal, dynamic, and portfolio assessments are discussed.
Uploads
Papers by William Henk