ERME Newsletter 1
Volume VI, Issue I
Summer 2012 Newsletter
BOSTON COLLEGE
Lynch School of Education
Department of Educational Research, Measurement and Evaluation
Congratulations, 2012 ERME Graduates!
Newsletter Contact Information
Dr. Larry Ludlow [email protected]
Jillian Gomolka
[email protected] 617-552-2072
In This Issue…
Career Fair & Alumni Panel Recap
TIMSS & PIRLS Update
Summer Plans
NEERO & AERA recaps
...and more!!!
Fall 2012 Course Schedule
http://www.bc.edu/content/dam/
files/offices/stserv/soc/
SOC_March_2012.pdf
Eleven students graduated from the ERME program within the last
year! Ph.D. graduates took part in the robing ceremony on May 20th,
and all recent graduates were honored at the commencement
ceremony on May 21st. Congratulations on your accomplishments!
M. Ed.
Beyza Aksu
Noelle Cavacchioli
Mary Durr
Ken Tan
Ragip Terzi
Ph.D.
Jessica Brown
Matthew Cannady
Gabrielle Stanco
Octavio Suarez Munist
Feng Tian
Yang (Caroline) Wang
(L-R) Dr. Mullis, Dr. Stanco, Dr. Cannady, Dr. Brown, Dr. Wang and Dr. Ludlow
ED460 INTERP/EVAL/RESEARCH Saenz TH 4 30-6 50
ED462 ASSESSMENT&TEST CONSTRUC Flanagan T 7-9 30
ED468 INTRO STATISTICS O’Dwyer T 1 30-4
ED468 INTRO STATISTICS Brown W 4 30-6 50
ED469 INTERMED. STATIS-TICS Carreras TH 7-9 30
ED560 ISSUES IN TESTING Braun M 1 30-4
ED671 PSYCHOMETRIC THE-ORY II Depascale T 4 30-6 50
ERME Newsletter 2
2012 ERME Career Fair & Alumni Panels Recap
The 2012 ERME Career Fair & Alumni Panels event
took place on May 16th. The event was a great suc-
cess— we had over 40 people in attendance! At-
tendees ranged from prospective and current stu-
dents to alumni and faculty members.
The alumni panels were very lively, and provided
students with practical advice on the job search, as
well as sharing their experiences as an ERME student
and in the workforce. The also provided us with
marketing materials from their current companies,
and informed us of various job opportunities. We
would like to thank the panels, and other alumni
that serve as great mentors to our current students.
During lunch time, attendees had the opportunity to
speak with prospective employers and pick up mate-
rials from companies hiring for ERME-related jobs.
In case you were unable to attend, we recorded the
alumni panels. Within the next month, ERME email
list subscribers will receive instruction on how to
view a video of the alumni panels.
We welcome your feedback on the event and look
forward planning the next Career Fair/Alumni Panel
Event!
HR Representative Joyce Boston informs ERME
PhD student Ryan Auster of numerous job op-
portunities available at Measured Progress.
Dr. Fidelman & Dr. Betebenner reflect upon their
ERME experiences.
ERME M.Ed. Students Jennifer Hotaling and Ada-
line Mirabel show off some swag they received
from ERME-related employers
(L-R) Deborah Cantor (M.Ed. ‘11), Beth Morton
(current PhD student), Gabrielle Stanco (PhD ‘12)
and Alka Arora (PhD ‘07) are all smiles!
ERME Newsletter 3
Summer Projects & Plans
TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center Update
•May 2012•
Over the past several months, the TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center has continued working to fi-
nalize the International Reports of trends in mathematics, science, and reading achievement for their release in De-
cember 2012. We have recently completed our scale anchoring analyses for the TIMSS and PIRLS International
Benchmarks, which describes mathematics, reading, or science achievement at the different points along the achieve-
ment scales. The Reading Development Group met in Stockholm, Sweden to conduct the PIRLS scale anchoring, and
the TIMSS Science and Mathematics Item Review Committee met in Helsinki, Finland for the mathematics and sci-
ence scale anchoring.
Meanwhile, we have also been busy finalizing the TIMSS and PIRLS Encyclopedias in preparation for their
release in September 2012. In total, the Encyclopedias will contain 125 chapters describing the educational systems
and policies related to mathematics, science, and reading in the TIMSS and PIRLS countries.
(Article written by Katie Drucker, Senior Research Associate at TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center )
Andrea Humez will be spending the first half of the summer conducting video-based interviews about math in-
struction with elementary school principals and collecting survey data. She's also looking forward to spending
some time in Maine with her family, and working on some creative writing projects.
Dana Diaconu writes, “First and foremost, I am preparing my final dissertation defense on June 11th (all are invit-
ed...). The rest of the summer, I plan to work on a paper based on my dissertation research and to nurture my
body and the precious new life growing inside me...”
Apryl Holder is working a few consulting jobs for the summer while she tries to secure a more permanent job for
the fall and finish up her dissertation. She also hopes to take a weeklong vacation and head to the DC area to
visit friends in DC, Philadelphia, and Virginia.
Caroline Vuilleumier will be tutoring students to get them through their AP summer work. She also has a lot of
traveling planned: “One week in Martha’s Vineyard, one week at the Jersey Shore, a few weddings here and there
and plenty of trips to NYC to visit family. “
Jennifer Glickman is interning in Washington, D.C. in the Research and Information Department of the American
Federation of Teachers. She is currently writing a literature review on the Portfolio Management Models springing
up in New Orleans, New York, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, etc.
Josh Tobias is working at CIRCLE (The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement)
which is housed at Tufts University. He is also getting married on June 10th in West Greenwich, Rhode Island!
Oscar J. Mayorga (ERME M.Ed. ’10) is the Director of the Damietta Cross-Cultural Center at Siena College in Alba-
ny, NY. Among his other responsibilities, he has lead an assessment and evidence-based program to improve
campus climate and student’s cultural competencies. Oscar is seeking higher education leadership or re-
search\assessment employment opportunities in the Boston metro area. You can find Oscar’s profile on
LinkedIn.
Ken Tan (ERME M. Ed. ‘12) is in his third week at the Bartley Secondary School in Singapore as the Head of De-
partment for Student Development. He is teaching and overseeing courses, including Mathematics and Physics.
Ken mentions, “Right now, I'm using my ERME skills to review our Character Development Framework, as well as
select students for a new Character Award. At some point, I'll also be refining our staff and student climate sur-
veys, all of which will utilize my ERME knowledge!”
ERME Newsletter 4
Congratulations to Dana Diaconu for successfully
defending her dissertation! Click her name to view
abstract information
Dana V. Diaconu Title: Modeling science achievement differences
between single-sex and coeducational schools:
analyses from Hong Kong, SAR and New Zealand
from TIMSS 1995, 1999, and 2003
Committee Readers:
Dr. Henry Braun (chair)
Dr. Laura O’Dwyer
DR. Mike Barnett
DR. Damian Betebenner
Dissertation Defense NEERO RECAP
The 2013 Annual Meeting will take April 27 -
May 1, 2013 in San Francisco. Dates for open
submission are: June 1 – July 22nd, 2012 . More
information can be found here.
2012 NEERO participants eager to present! (back row: Katherine Shields, Todd Reeves, Minsong Kim, Ragip Terzi, Joshua Tobias front row: Shelagh Peoples, Jessica Brown, Clair Johnson)
The 44th Annual New England Educa-
tional Research Organization (NEERO)
meeting was held May 2 through May 4
this year. The Lynch School of Education
was well-represented at this conference,
particularly in the ERME department.
ERME students, faculty and alumni pre-
sented a variety of topics, and many stu-
dents from Dr. Ludlow’s Psychometrics
course opted to
present their Rasch
models in a
symposium. It was
great to reconnect
with ERME alumni,
and meet scholars
with similar
interests. Ragip and Dr. Ludlow are all smiles after the Rasch Models
Symposium
AERA Annual
Meeting 2013
Dr. Ludlow’s drawing is a view from the Vancouver Convention Center (where the 2012 AERA Annual
Meeting took place).
ERME Newsletter 5
Mind Puzzle
Using the letters AAEEIIMMPPTT, com-
plete this grid with valid words. The grid reads the same across as down.
Source: brainbashers.com
(answer in next issue)
Just for Fun...
SAVE THE DATE!ERME faculty and students,
Mark your calendars for the 15th Annual Back-to-School Potluck Dinner! ERME and C&I faculty and students are cordially invited to attend our annual potluck dinner. This is an opportunity for new and continuing master’s and doc-toral students to meet one another as well as a chance for faculty and students to connect with one another. More information will follow about location, what to bring, direc-tions, RSVPs, etc. (Partners and guests are welcome.)
ERME /C&I Student/Faculty Back-to-School
Potluck Dinner
Date: Sunday, September 9, 2012
Time: 4pm
Place: Cochran-Smith/Ludlow Home
Professor Pedulla’s Last Class
Wednesday, May 2nd was Dr. Pedulla’s last class
teaching at Boston College! Although he will still
be around next year, we wanted to show our ap-
preciation for such a memorable professor who
has left a lasting impres-
sion on students over the
past few decades.
Dr. Ludlow came up with
the devious plan to crash
Dr. Pedulla’s final Inter-
mediate Statistics class,
and bake him a senti-
mental cake. Current stu-
dents, faculty, and alum-
ni in the building all
joined in on the fun.
Dr. Ludlow presents
Dr. Pedulla with a
celebratory cake
GUESS WHERE THIS PHOTO
WAS TAKEN….
A member of ERME recently
submitted this photo, taken during recent travels...
In what country was this photo taken? (Bonus points
for correct city!) Hint: This country is made up of two main
islands, and a number of smaller islands…
Answer revealed in the next newsletter.
ERME Newsletter 6
Thank you to everyone who attended the GEA bowl-
ing event this February at Jillian’s in Fenway! A spe-
cial congratulations to Todd Reeves who won first
place and Terry Lee St. John who won second
place within the ERME group. Campion Hall 336
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 617-552-2072
Jillian Gomolka Administrative Assistant [email protected]
Suzie Scordino Undergraduate Research Fellow
For past newsletters and more information, please visit:
http://www.bc.edu/content/bc/schools/lsoe/academics/departments/erme/community.html
SUMMER FAMILY FUN EVENTS Here are some kid-friendly activities and events happening around the Boston area during the
summer:
Sunday, June 10 12:00p to 3:00p The New School of Music Presents: a Family Music Festival Cambridge, MA Free music and family fun in the park! Join us as we fill the Lowell School Park with musical fun and activities for the family. Enjoy picnic games, face-painting, crafts, bake sale, concerts and a musi-cal instrument "Petting Zoo." Suitable for all ages. Details Here
Saturday, June 16 8:00a to 11:00a Youth Fishing Derby Upper Artichoke Reservoir, Newburyport, MA Open to youth ages 3-16(parents can't fish but can help), this catch and release tournament will award those with the longest and heaviest catch of the morning (special prize for the smallest fish too). Shore fishing only! $10 registration fee. http://www.cityofboston.gov/arts festival_ Sunday, June 24, 2012, 10am – 5pm Chinatown Main Street Festival Chinatown, Boston, MA This Free event includes activities such as Childrens Chinese folk dance, Vendor booths, Chinese Dough Art, Chinese Opera, Lion Dances, and more! http://www.chinatownmainstreet.org/events.php Tuesday, June 26, 2012, 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm Ice Cream and…Frogs/Fireflies/Bats Natick, MA Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary
What's better than ice cream on a summer night? Why not add a little fun outdoor exploration? Join the adventure as we look for flashing fire flies, listen for the songs of frogs and katydids and use a "bat detector" to find our local bats. Fee: Adults $12.00m/ $14.00nm, Children $7.00m/ $9.00nm Frogs: June 26 Fireflies: July 10 Bats: July 31 Registration is required. Register online or call 508-655-2296 to register by phone.