Social and emotional learning (SEL) has proven to be an effective conduit to improved attendance ... more Social and emotional learning (SEL) has proven to be an effective conduit to improved attendance scores, grades, and graduation rates; to adaptive behaviors and gainful employment in adulthood; and to a wide variety of other measurable factors spanning the spectrum of human adaptiveness and wellness (Aspen Institute, 2018). Although SEL has been integrated into many schoolbased programs to support student success, afterschool or out-of-school time (OST) programs are uniquely suited to SEL development. OST programs provide the opportunity for niche, interest-based projects that are emotionally engaging for youth; they also foster close adult relationships and opportunities for youth agency and leadership, among many other features (Olson, 2018). SEL can have an incredibly powerful impact on equity efforts. It can enhance academic, emotional, social, and career wellness-areas of youth and human development that are all directly and severely affected by inequity. That said, the application of SEL to OST is rife with equity issues and concerns. These considerations are critically important in light of the reality of systemic oppression-the context in which everything "social" exists. One cannot consider the
Accumulating evidence indicates that incorporating youth development (YD) principles, strategies,... more Accumulating evidence indicates that incorporating youth development (YD) principles, strategies, and supports into an organization promotes positive adult and youth outcomes. However, few validated measures assess this type of capacity. The YMCA commissioned a study to validate its Capacity Assessment for Youth Development Programming (Y-CAP), which examines the organizational infrastructure required to implement YD programs and processes in seven areas. Survey development was an iterative process informed by existing frameworks, instruments, and pilot testing of items. The Y-CAP was reviewed and revised three times prior to this study, with a final round of revisions made at the start of the validation phase as a result of thorough content, survey methodology, and psychometrics reviews. The revised Y-CAP was completed by 123 YMCA implementation teams. Rasch analyses were used to determine the extent to which validity evidence supports the use and interpretation of the Y-CAP scores. Convergent validity was assessed by comparing Y-CAP scales to the Algorhythm staff survey for youth-serving organizations, and focus groups informed the consequential validity of the Y-CAP. The results provide strong evidence for the reliability and validity of the Y-CAP, which can be used to guide continuous quality improvement initiatives that support capacity and functioning in youth-serving organizations and programs.
Teachers College Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education, 2008
Background/Context In 2000, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation began an ambitious initiative int... more Background/Context In 2000, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation began an ambitious initiative intended to catalyze the fundamental transformation of American high schools. This article summarizes the results of a 5-year national evaluation of the first stage of the foundation's initiative. Purpose/Objective This article focuses on two contrasting strategies to small-school reform: starting new small high schools, and converting large schools into smaller learning communities. For each strategy, it reports on the progress of the reform in its first several years, student outcomes, and key implementation factors that shape progress and outcomes for startup and conversion schools. Research Design The evaluation summarized in this article used a mixed-methods design. Data and analyses in this article come from surveys of teachers, students, and school leaders; case study site visits that collected a range of qualitative data; the collection and analysis of teacher assignments and st...
Although SEL has been integrated into many schoolbased programs to support student success, after... more Although SEL has been integrated into many schoolbased programs to support student success, afterschool or out-of-school time (OST) programs are uniquely suited to SEL development. OST programs provide the opportunity for niche, interest-based projects that are emotionally engaging for youth; they also foster close adult relationships and opportunities for youth agency and leadership, among many other features (Olson, 2018). SEL can have an incredibly powerful impact on equity efforts. It can enhance academic, emotional, social, and career wellness—areas of youth and human development that are all directly and severely affected by inequity. That said, the application of SEL to OST is rife with equity issues and concerns. These considerations are critically important in light of the reality of systemic oppression—the context in which everything “social” exists. One cannot consider the Veronica Benavides, Shakirra Meghjee, Tasha Johnson, Aasha Joshi, Christine Ortiz, and Victor Rivera
Proceedings of the 9th international conference on Computer supported collaborative learning - CSCL'09, 2009
This poster describes ongoing work that examines students use of a computer-based learning enviro... more This poster describes ongoing work that examines students use of a computer-based learning environment designed to bridge school and out-of-school learning contexts by incorporating affordances of both formal and informal learning settings. Data presented illustrate sixth grade students' use of online chat in class and at home and present an initial examination of chat interactions (in both mixed-gender and single-gender peer groups) while their agents are involved in a competitive game.
Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 2009
This qualitative study examined the personal experiences of scholarship recipients from the first... more This qualitative study examined the personal experiences of scholarship recipients from the first cohort of the Washington State Achievers Program to determine the influence of the scholarship on students' lives. Focus groups were conducted with students and recent graduates at 7 undergraduate institutions and life history interviews were conducted with 8 of 15 Scholars who had represented the program in its inaugural year. Key understandings about the Achievers Scholars program derived from these interviews include how critical it was for these students, often the first in their families to attend college, to ask for and accept assistance from others, and the key role that program mentors and coordinators played in assisting students with finding the help they needed and accessing resources available to them.
Previous qualitative studies show that when the formal organization of a school and patterns of i... more Previous qualitative studies show that when the formal organization of a school and patterns of informal interaction are aligned, faculty and leaders in a school are better able to coordinate instructional change. This article combines social network analysis with interview data to analyze how well the formal and informal aspects of a school’s social context are aligned. The focus is on two elementary schools engaged in initiatives aimed to use data to inform instructional decision making. The multimethod case study integrated findings from questionnaire and interview data. Data were collected over two years from case study schools. By fitting multilevel social selection models to longitudinal social network data collected from surveys, the authors estimated the relative influence of formal and informal processes on patterns of advice giving in each school. They used interview data to contextualize and corroborate findings. The social selection models they fit revealed distinct patt...
Design personas are a technique of participatory design intended to provide design teams with mem... more Design personas are a technique of participatory design intended to provide design teams with memorable, vivid representations of users' needs and practices. In this paper, we describe the process of creating personas to inform refinements to the design of software designed to help elementary students create concept maps of science topics they were studying. Drawing from interviews with children, parents, and teachers, the aim of these personas was to help the design team develop refinements to help children use the software effectively if it were to be assigned as homework.
This article describes results of a study investigating the potential of using social network ana... more This article describes results of a study investigating the potential of using social network analysis to evaluate programs that aim at improving schools by fostering greater collaboration between teachers. The goal of this method is to use data about teacher collaboration within schools to map the distribution of expertise and resources needed to enact reforms. Such maps are of great potential value to school leaders, who are responsible for instructional leadership in schools, but they also include information that could bring harm to individuals and school communities. In this article, the authors describe interview findings about concerns educators have with collecting and sharing social network data. A chief finding is that although the majority of teachers consider collecting social network data to be problematic but feasible, some teachers report concerns about privacy and the effect on their school's goals to foster community if the data are shared with their schools.
Social and emotional learning (SEL) has proven to be an effective conduit to improved attendance ... more Social and emotional learning (SEL) has proven to be an effective conduit to improved attendance scores, grades, and graduation rates; to adaptive behaviors and gainful employment in adulthood; and to a wide variety of other measurable factors spanning the spectrum of human adaptiveness and wellness (Aspen Institute, 2018). Although SEL has been integrated into many schoolbased programs to support student success, afterschool or out-of-school time (OST) programs are uniquely suited to SEL development. OST programs provide the opportunity for niche, interest-based projects that are emotionally engaging for youth; they also foster close adult relationships and opportunities for youth agency and leadership, among many other features (Olson, 2018). SEL can have an incredibly powerful impact on equity efforts. It can enhance academic, emotional, social, and career wellness-areas of youth and human development that are all directly and severely affected by inequity. That said, the application of SEL to OST is rife with equity issues and concerns. These considerations are critically important in light of the reality of systemic oppression-the context in which everything "social" exists. One cannot consider the
Accumulating evidence indicates that incorporating youth development (YD) principles, strategies,... more Accumulating evidence indicates that incorporating youth development (YD) principles, strategies, and supports into an organization promotes positive adult and youth outcomes. However, few validated measures assess this type of capacity. The YMCA commissioned a study to validate its Capacity Assessment for Youth Development Programming (Y-CAP), which examines the organizational infrastructure required to implement YD programs and processes in seven areas. Survey development was an iterative process informed by existing frameworks, instruments, and pilot testing of items. The Y-CAP was reviewed and revised three times prior to this study, with a final round of revisions made at the start of the validation phase as a result of thorough content, survey methodology, and psychometrics reviews. The revised Y-CAP was completed by 123 YMCA implementation teams. Rasch analyses were used to determine the extent to which validity evidence supports the use and interpretation of the Y-CAP scores. Convergent validity was assessed by comparing Y-CAP scales to the Algorhythm staff survey for youth-serving organizations, and focus groups informed the consequential validity of the Y-CAP. The results provide strong evidence for the reliability and validity of the Y-CAP, which can be used to guide continuous quality improvement initiatives that support capacity and functioning in youth-serving organizations and programs.
Teachers College Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education, 2008
Background/Context In 2000, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation began an ambitious initiative int... more Background/Context In 2000, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation began an ambitious initiative intended to catalyze the fundamental transformation of American high schools. This article summarizes the results of a 5-year national evaluation of the first stage of the foundation's initiative. Purpose/Objective This article focuses on two contrasting strategies to small-school reform: starting new small high schools, and converting large schools into smaller learning communities. For each strategy, it reports on the progress of the reform in its first several years, student outcomes, and key implementation factors that shape progress and outcomes for startup and conversion schools. Research Design The evaluation summarized in this article used a mixed-methods design. Data and analyses in this article come from surveys of teachers, students, and school leaders; case study site visits that collected a range of qualitative data; the collection and analysis of teacher assignments and st...
Although SEL has been integrated into many schoolbased programs to support student success, after... more Although SEL has been integrated into many schoolbased programs to support student success, afterschool or out-of-school time (OST) programs are uniquely suited to SEL development. OST programs provide the opportunity for niche, interest-based projects that are emotionally engaging for youth; they also foster close adult relationships and opportunities for youth agency and leadership, among many other features (Olson, 2018). SEL can have an incredibly powerful impact on equity efforts. It can enhance academic, emotional, social, and career wellness—areas of youth and human development that are all directly and severely affected by inequity. That said, the application of SEL to OST is rife with equity issues and concerns. These considerations are critically important in light of the reality of systemic oppression—the context in which everything “social” exists. One cannot consider the Veronica Benavides, Shakirra Meghjee, Tasha Johnson, Aasha Joshi, Christine Ortiz, and Victor Rivera
Proceedings of the 9th international conference on Computer supported collaborative learning - CSCL'09, 2009
This poster describes ongoing work that examines students use of a computer-based learning enviro... more This poster describes ongoing work that examines students use of a computer-based learning environment designed to bridge school and out-of-school learning contexts by incorporating affordances of both formal and informal learning settings. Data presented illustrate sixth grade students' use of online chat in class and at home and present an initial examination of chat interactions (in both mixed-gender and single-gender peer groups) while their agents are involved in a competitive game.
Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 2009
This qualitative study examined the personal experiences of scholarship recipients from the first... more This qualitative study examined the personal experiences of scholarship recipients from the first cohort of the Washington State Achievers Program to determine the influence of the scholarship on students' lives. Focus groups were conducted with students and recent graduates at 7 undergraduate institutions and life history interviews were conducted with 8 of 15 Scholars who had represented the program in its inaugural year. Key understandings about the Achievers Scholars program derived from these interviews include how critical it was for these students, often the first in their families to attend college, to ask for and accept assistance from others, and the key role that program mentors and coordinators played in assisting students with finding the help they needed and accessing resources available to them.
Previous qualitative studies show that when the formal organization of a school and patterns of i... more Previous qualitative studies show that when the formal organization of a school and patterns of informal interaction are aligned, faculty and leaders in a school are better able to coordinate instructional change. This article combines social network analysis with interview data to analyze how well the formal and informal aspects of a school’s social context are aligned. The focus is on two elementary schools engaged in initiatives aimed to use data to inform instructional decision making. The multimethod case study integrated findings from questionnaire and interview data. Data were collected over two years from case study schools. By fitting multilevel social selection models to longitudinal social network data collected from surveys, the authors estimated the relative influence of formal and informal processes on patterns of advice giving in each school. They used interview data to contextualize and corroborate findings. The social selection models they fit revealed distinct patt...
Design personas are a technique of participatory design intended to provide design teams with mem... more Design personas are a technique of participatory design intended to provide design teams with memorable, vivid representations of users' needs and practices. In this paper, we describe the process of creating personas to inform refinements to the design of software designed to help elementary students create concept maps of science topics they were studying. Drawing from interviews with children, parents, and teachers, the aim of these personas was to help the design team develop refinements to help children use the software effectively if it were to be assigned as homework.
This article describes results of a study investigating the potential of using social network ana... more This article describes results of a study investigating the potential of using social network analysis to evaluate programs that aim at improving schools by fostering greater collaboration between teachers. The goal of this method is to use data about teacher collaboration within schools to map the distribution of expertise and resources needed to enact reforms. Such maps are of great potential value to school leaders, who are responsible for instructional leadership in schools, but they also include information that could bring harm to individuals and school communities. In this article, the authors describe interview findings about concerns educators have with collecting and sharing social network data. A chief finding is that although the majority of teachers consider collecting social network data to be problematic but feasible, some teachers report concerns about privacy and the effect on their school's goals to foster community if the data are shared with their schools.
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Papers by Aasha Joshi