Reading groups study

Separating students into reading and math groups based on their abilities may be doing more harm than good, according to a recent study.  Findings indicate that there are substantial opportunities for students to move up to higher groups as they progress through school and students can improve their group assignments by demonstrating positive academic engagement. However, group assignments do tend to “stick” to students over time, even after controlling for prior achievement, learning behaviors, and other observable characteristics. Moreover, assignment to a higher group improves students’ math and reading achievement outcomes and improves students’ academic engagement, while assignment to a lower group depresses both of these, making upward mobility more difficult.
Jean, M. (2016).  Can you work your way up? Ability grouping and the development of academic engagement. Doctoral dissertation, University of Chicago.
http://hdl.handle.net/11417/243

Google Play Store Apps Violating Data-Privacy Law

According to a study published by researchers affiliated with the International Computer Science Institute, thousands of free apps available in the Google Play store are potentially violating a major federal data-privacy law intended to protect children from online tracking. According to research, more than half of thousands of Android apps in the “Designed for Families” section of the Google Play store potentially violated COPPA, or the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. The study also examines how efforts by Google to limit tracking through the use of a resettable advertising ID has had little success.

Reyes, I., Wijesekera, P., Reardon, J., Bar On, A. E., Razaghpanah, A., Vallina-Rodriguez, N., & Egelman, S. (2018). “Won’t somebody think of the children?” Examining COPPA compliance at scale. Proceedings on Privacy Enhancing Technologies, 3, 63-83. https://petsymposium.org/2018/files/papers/issue3/popets-2018-0021.pdf