High School Data

Jacob T. Walker, Ph.D.

Cell Phone: 662-***-****

Email: ****.******@********.***

Education

****-**** ***** ******** ********* College, Harrison, General Education Credits

****-**** *.*. ** Medical Sociology and Gerontology, University of Central Arkansas

Bachelor s Thesis Title: End of Life Decisions and the Elderly.

2004 Graduate program in Health Science, University of Arkansas

2004-2007 M.S. in Sociology/Demography, Mississippi State University

Master s Thesis Title: County Level Suicide Rates and Social Integration: Urbanicity

and Its Role in the Relationship.

2007-2009 Ph.D. in Instructional Systems and Workforce Development, Mississippi State

University

Dissertation Title: An Ecological Examination of Dropout Rates and Multiple Level

Measures of Social Integration in Mississippi School Districts 2005-2008: Does Career

and Technical Education Play a Part.

2005-2008 Certificate in Geographic Information Systems, Mississippi State University

Employment

2010-Pres. Arkansas Research Center

Project Director for Department of Career Education and

Department of Workforce Services

As project director at the ARC I have the responsibility of being a liaison between the state s P-20W

data system and the Department of Career Education and the Department of Workforce Services. I

also work with the other state agencies that are involved with the P-20W data system concerning

programs that are funded through either DCE or DWS to help evaluate their impact as well as assist

in their federal reporting for those programs.

In addition to working as a liaison with the various agencies I am also responsible for various research

projects that bring together data from those involved in the P-20W data system. Recent research

projects have included an examination of the likelihood of graduation from either a two- or four-year

public institution in Arkansas based on high school GPA and ACT score, the impact of participation in

state sponsored preschool on elementary educational outcomes, and the Arkansas Education to

Employment Report (AEER) for the Governor s Workforce Cabinet. The AEER examines the

employment outcomes of graduates from Arkansas Public Higher Education Institutions over the past

decade looking at one, two, and five years after graduation as well as how they all fared in 2010.

2010 Arkansas Bureau of Legislative Research

Policy Analysis and Research Section

Legislative Research Analyst II

As a research analysts I was responsible for research reporting and interacting with the legislature on

a daily basis concerning various projects related to the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery, K-12 education

and data, higher education and data, funding models for 2-year and 4-year higher education

institutions, using GIS to expand the K-12 transportation funding formula, and any other ad hoc issues

the legislature wanted to investigate. All projects required strict confidentiality.

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2007-2010 Mississippi State University

Research and Curriculum Unit

Interim Coordinator of Research and Evaluation/Senior Research Associate/Research

Specialist

As a research associate my duties involved the collection and analysis of data and literature as it

related to the projects that I was working on at any given time. Projects included working with MDOT-

RIDES program, creation of a dropout prediction model for MDE using multilevel advanced statistical

methods, evaluation of the Mississippi Redesign of Education for the 21st Century Workforces,

connecting secondary career and technical student data to postsecondary and workforce data,

electronic survey management, and work with the Mississippi Assessment Center on testing technical

attainment for Perkins IV.

In this position I was responsible for managing four other research associates, three graduate

research assistants, and one undergraduate research assistant as evaluators of various state and

federal grants and conducting various studies for the Mississippi Department of Education, Institute of

Higher Learning, and State Board of Junior and Community Colleges.

In addition to my regular research and staff management activities, I had the responsibility of

planning, implementing, and managing a statewide portfolio assessment system for special education

students classified as severely cognitively delayed that were not capable of participating in the state

standardized test system. I converted the existing state alternate assessment into a completely online

system through the integration of a barcode tracking system for evidence collection and online system

for entering assessment data related to the evidence. Next steps include modification of the system

to actually accept electronic evidence to completely digitize the process.

2004-2007 Mississippi State University

National Center for Rural Early Childhood Learning Initiatives

Graduate Research Assistant

As a research assistant my duties involved collecting and writing literature reviews of early childhood

issues, grant writing, data analysis, and construction of community action plans to improve early

childhood preparation for school, and graphic design work for various programs. W hile working for

NCRECLI I have developed an understanding of many of the problems that children in rural

environments experience and how these problems can affect outcomes. I have also been able to

develop the skills needed to work in the areas of demography, geographic information systems, and

technology education.

2002-2004 Arkansas Department of Human Services

Division of Children and Family Services

Family Service Worker

As a family service worker I worked with foster care, protective services, and child abuse

investigations. Duties included case management of children and their families to ensure that

services were provided to help maintain children in their home or to reunite their family if the children

were removed from the home. In the investigative area of my position I had to make contact with the

families and contact collaterals to collect evidence to determine if the allegations are true or

unsubstantiated.

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Professional Presentations

Partitioning of Genetic Diversity in Southeastern U.S. States Experiencing Cogongrass (Imperata

cylindrica (L.) P. Beauv.) Invasion and Support for Documented Introduction History. W ith Rima

Lucardi, Charles T. Bryson, and Gary N. Ervin. Presentation at the Joint Meeting of the 14th Annual

SE-EPPC Conference and the 10th Annual ALIPC Conference, May 2012, Auburn, AL.

Initial Research Findings from Arkansas s Statewide Longitudinal Data System (SLDS): Using

Standards Based Research to Solve Real Education Problems. With Greg Nadeau. Presentation at

the 25th Annual Management Information Systems Conference February, 2012, San Diego, CA.

Best Practices for Work Ready Communities. With Mary Bruton. Presentation at the ACT WorkKeys

Workforce 2011 Preconference, March, 2011, Chicago, IL.

Unintended Consequences of Middle School Organization: Curricula, Classroom, and Community

Influences on Student Achievement. With Nicole Thompson, Dana Franz, Dwight Hare, and Nicole

Miller. Presentation at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual National

Conference May, 2010, Denver, CO

It s Not Your Parents Votech Anymore: The Role of Career and Technical Education in Academic

Outcome. W ith Dwight Hare and Mike Mulvihill. Presentation at the Association for Career and

Technical Education Research (ACTER) Annual Meeting November 2009, Nashville, TN

Gender Differences in Mississippi Public High School Completion for the 2002-2003 Ninth Grade

Cohort. Presentation at Mississippi State University College of Education Annual Research Forum,

March 2009, Mississippi State, MS

Turn On, Tune In, and Drop Out: A Preliminary Exploration of Mississippi High School Dropout Rates

2002-2007. With Dwight Hare and Sheril Smith. Presented at American Educational Research

Association (AERA) Annual National Conference, April 2009, San Diego, CA

Using Existing Data in Research. Presentation at Mississippi State University, Office of Regulatory

Compliance Summer Certification Workshop, July 2008, Mississippi State, MS

The Published Professional: Tell Your Story. W ith Marilyn Bowen and Dwight Hare. Presented at the

Mississippi Association of Career and Technical Educators Annual Conference, July 2008, Raymond,

MS

Publishing Research. With Dwight Hare. Presented at the Mississippi Association of Career and

Technical Educators Annual Conference, July 2008, Raymond, MS

School District Superintendents Salaries in Mississippi: A Regression of School-Level Variables.

With Laura Kerr. Presentation at Mississippi State University College of Education Annual Research

Forum, April 2008, Mississippi State, MS

Turn On, Tune In, and Drop Out: A Preliminary Exploration of Mississippi High School Dropout Rates

2002-2007. Presented at Mississippi State University College of Education Annual Research Forum,

April 2008, Mississippi State, MS

Conducting Research Using Existing Data. Presentation at Mississippi State University, Office of

Regulatory Compliance Fall Certification Workshop, October 2007, Mississippi State, MS

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Publications

Franz, D.P., N.L. Thompson, B. Fuller, R.D. Hare, N.C. Miller, J.T. Walker, 2010. Evaluating

Mathematics Achievement of Middle School Students in a Looping Environment. School Science and

Mathematics 110(6) p. 298-308.

Walker, J. T. 2009. County Level Suicide Rates and Social Integration: Urbanicity and Its Role in the

Relationship. Sociological Spectrum 29(1) p. 101-135

Walker, J. T. & R. D. Hare, 2008. Think Dropout Prevention. MDE Brief, 3(1) p. 11.

Hare, R. D. & J. T. Walker, 2008. The Redesign Plan at Work: An Internal Evaluation to Determine

Effectiveness. MDE Brief, 3(2) p. 16-17.

Bock, S., B. Smith, & J. T. Walker, 2009. Focus: College Readiness. MDE Brief, 4(1) p. 12-15.

Data Analysis/Grants/Official Reports/White Papers

Walker, J.T., and G. Holland. Arkansas Education to Employment Report 2011. January 2012,

Prepared for the Governor s Workforce Cabinet, Arkansas Department of Higher Education, and

Department of Workforce Services

Predicting College Completion Based on High School GPA and Composite ACT Score. August

2011, Prepared for Bureau of Legislative Research and Department of Education.

Pre-K Participation and Resulting Academic Achievement in the Early Grades: An Examination of

Arkansas Better Chance Program 2008-2010. July 2011, Prepared for the Arkansas Department of

Human Services.

Walker, J. T., Hare, R. D., and Adam, M. Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Mississippi Redesign of

Education for the 21st Century: Phase 1 Schools. November 2009, Prepared for the Mississippi Board

of Education and Mississippi Department of Education Office of Vocational and Adult Education.

Walker, J. T., Hare, R. D., and Adam, M. GearUp Mississippi Follow Up Report: Impact of GearUp

Mississippi Program on Student Outcomes One Year After Graduation. November 2009, Prepared

for the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning GearUp Mississippi Program.

Walker, J. T. It s Not Your Parents Votech Anymore: The Role of Career and Technical Education in

Academic Outcome. April 2009, Prepared for the Mississippi Department of Education, Office of

Vocational Education and Workforce Development.

$3.1 million to the Mississippi Department of Education from U.S. Department of Education (2009) for

the Development of a collaborative Mississippi Department of Education, State Board of Junior and

Community Colleges, Institutes of Higher Learning, and Department of Employment Security,

Longitudinal P-16 Data System for the evaluation and research of educational outcomes within the

state. Member of development team, writing team, and Ethics Governing Authority.

Walker, J. T. January 2008. Turn On, Tune In, and Drop Out: A Preliminary Exploration of

Mississippi High School Dropout Rates 2002 to 2007. January 2008, Prepared for Mississippi

Department of Education, Office of Dropout Prevention.

Awarded $400,000 from the Mississippi Department of Education (2008) for the Internal Evaluation of

Mississippi High School Redesign. Co-PI with R. D. Hare.

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Data Analysis for the Partners for Quality Child Care Final Report 2006. February 2007, Prepared

for: Mississippi State Department of Human Services, Office of Children and Youth.

Data analysis for the 2005-2006 Partner for Quality Child Care. Grant from the Mississippi

State Department of Human Services, Office of Children and Youth. January 2007, Funded.

Leaders in Literacy Meridian, Midterm Report. November 2006, Prepared for: The Phil Hardin

Foundation.

Data analysis for the 2005-2009 Childcare Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS).

Grant from the US Department of Education. November 2005, Funded.

Four Year Final Report Concerning the Childcare Access Means Parents in School

(CCAMPIS). Grant from the US Department of Education, May 2005.

Data analysis for 2004-2005 Partners for Quality Child Care Final Report. May 2005, Prepared for:

the Mississippi State Department of Human Services, Office of Children and Youth.

Service

2007-2010 Proposal reviewer for American Educational Research Association (AERA), 2009

annual conference in San Diego, NY (1 for Division H; 1 for Research on the

Superintendency SIG; 1 for School Indicators, Profiles, and Accountability SIG; and 2

for Sociology of Education SIG)

2007-2010 Presenter for Institutional Review Board Recertification Workshop concerning research

using secondary data, Bost Extension Center, Mississippi State University

2009 Proposal reviewer for Association of Career and Technical Education Research

(ACTER), 2009 annual conference in Nashville, TN (3 papers)

2009-2010 Ethics Governing Authority for Mississippi Department of Education Longitudinal Data

Systems Grant. Responsible for ensuring that appropriate ethical guidance is used in

the acquisition, use and cross referencing of sensitive data.

2009-2010 Member Statewide Articulation Committee responsible for revision of the Mississippi

State Articulation document.

References

Dr. Jeralynn Cossman, Department Chair, Associate Professor of Sociology,

Mississippi State University

Email: *****.*******@****.*******.***

Phone: 662-***-**** or 662-***-****

Dr. R. Dwight Hare, Professor Leadership and Foundations

Associate Director for Research, Assessment, and Evaluation

Mississippi State University

Email: ******.****@****.*******.***

Phone: 662-***-****

Dr. Laura Kramer, Associate Director

Center for Educational Testing and Evaluation

University of Kansas

Email: *****.******@**.***

Phone: 785-***-****

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