This study sought to determine if the implementation of standards-based learning in high schools affects students' transition to learning in university courses. Surveys and interviews with 13 students who had graduated from high schools implementing standards-based learning and who had completed their first academic semester at a midsize, private,…

Co-teaching is a social justice pedagogy that can increase educational access to groups of students who have historically been underserved and segregated in their schools. However, a school leader's failure to ensure inclusive cultures and critical support is its greatest obstacle. This retrospective, written by a former administrator and a…

This article utilizes mixed methods--a lottery-based experimental design supplemented by qualitative data--to examine college readiness within an innovative high school setting: early college high schools. Early colleges are small schools that merge the high school and college experiences and are targeted at students underrepresented in college.…

This study examined classrooms in three, high performing, public secondary schools serving high need communities. Of 22 classes observed, we found approximately one third exhibited an instructional demand for 21st century skills. In many of the remaining classes, teachers appeared to apply misconceptions of 21st century skills, and unintentionally…

The multidimensional issue of the representation of diverse students in special education has been a persistent and challenging concern for decades. Overwhelmingly, research outlining racial and ethnic disproportionality data have historically demonstrated stability in the overrepresentation of students of color in special education. However, the…

Teacher perceptions after 5 years of implementing evaluation protocols that were initiated under Race to the Top revealed attitudes about the evaluation instrument used and the nature of their relationship with the evaluator. This study surveyed middle and high school teachers in nine Eastern Tennessee school districts. Data indicated unintended…

The goals for this qualitative study were to examine principals' perceptions regarding their own supervision and evaluation. Two research questions guided the qualitative inquiry: (1) What are the greatest strengths of your own supervision and evaluation? and (2) What recommendations would you give to superintendents to improve your own…

To improve the focus of English Learner (EL), professional development for in-service teachers who may have experienced gaps in prior preparation for serving ELs, this two-part study begins with detailed survey-based data collection and analysis of teachers' perceived preparedness to serve ELs. The data highlights specific priorities for…

To meet the constantly changing needs of schools and diverse learners, educators must frequently monitor student learning, revise curricula, and improve instruction. Consequently, it is critical that careful analyses of student performance data are ongoing components of curriculum decision-making processes. The primary purpose of this study is to…