COVID-19 caused widespread changes in how people worked. The education community was dramatically impacted. Teachers were forced to quickly pivot from teaching students in person on-campus to virtually online. Among the challenges educators faced were the inequity of technology access and unreliable internet options. The move to virtual…

Research in the online learning environment supports a clear link between faculty engagement, learner engagement, and learning. While models and frameworks for understanding persistence in the face-to-face learning environment are well established, there is a need for establishing effective ways to monitor and evaluate online learning engagement…

For students to be able to read and comprehend, they must first develop phonological awareness, the ability to recognize and manipulate the segments of sound in words. To develop this ability, students must be able to identify the following: individual sounds (phonemes) in words; print letters of the alphabet; and corresponding sounds for each…

For students to be able to read with greater fluency and comprehension, they must first develop their understanding of morphology, the knowledge of meaningful word parts in the language. To develop this understanding, students must learn the following: letter patterns and word parts, the relation of sounds to letters, and high-frequency word…

Achieving prosperity for all Americans could not be more urgent. Although the United States remains the most prosperous nation on earth, millions of citizens are losing faith in the American dream of upward mobility, and in American-style capitalism itself. This crisis of confidence has widened the divide afflicting American politics and cries out…

School closings resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic have forced teachers across the world to scramble to shift their face-to-face classes online. This rapid transition to what we call "quaranteaching" has left teachers little time to prepare for virtual teaching and learning. Acknowledging this challenge, in this article we share steps,…

As countries around the world, including the United States, continue to navigate a return to work, family, education, and leisure after the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the American Psychological Association provides this resource for educators and families to promote mental health and academic success for students worldwide. Based on current…

Reading connected text--that is, multiple sentences related to each other-- requires greater skill than reading isolated words. To read and understand connected text, students must quickly recognize words, integrate what they are reading with their background knowledge, and monitor their comprehension. This document provides a summary of…

Teaching with digital resources can seem overwhelming. Teachers and students sometimes struggle to use online materials, but potential solutions can be found in federated databases and curated eBook collections specially chosen for Texas teachers and students. This article assists educators as they locate and use TEKS-aligned digital resources and…

Achieving prosperity for all Americans could not be more urgent. Although the United States remains the most prosperous nation on earth, millions of citizens are losing faith in the American dream of upward mobility, and in American-style capitalism itself. This crisis of confidence has widened the divide afflicting American politics and cries out…

Mobile technology continues to change and evolve the way people and society function in their everyday lives. Much like the phenomenon that was the Internet 20 years ago, educators now find themselves facing increasing pressure to adapt classroom instruction to accommodate for new and emerging technologies. This article offers practical…

The COVID-19 pandemic (in conjunction with the Black Lives Matter Movement) exposed pervasive inequities, challenges, and opportunities to explore and implement "best" pedagogical practices to improve how we address social justice issues. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic intensified intergenerational gaps for the already vulnerable,…

Academic language includes three skills: (1) use of inferential language (communicating about ideas across contexts); (2) use of narrative language (clearly describing a series of events); and (3) understanding a range of academic vocabulary and grammatical structures. These skills help students better comprehend academic texts both across…

Based on the premise that instruction should be designed from the outset to reduce barriers, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guidelines provide a set of flexible options and scaffolds to ensure access for all learners. Using the UDL framework, teachers and researchers can systematically adapt effective practices that have been established by…

There's unprecedented opportunity for state and local educators to invest in digital tools and professional development to transform teaching and learning. Rapidly evolving technology has provided new ways for all students, including those with disabilities to learn and for educators, students, and their families to interact. At the same time, the…