Instructional coaching is steadily becoming a staple in schools everywhere. In elementary schools, coaches are often organized by content or grade level coaching programs. While research continues to show that instructional coaches positively support teachers, research does not address the structure behind coaching programs. This mixed-methods…

How many students repeat a grade each year? How do retention rates vary across states and over time? Despite extensive research on the predictors and consequences of grade retention, there is no systematic way to quantify state-level retention rates; even national estimates rely on imperfect proxy measures. We present a conceptually simple…

The purpose of this study was to develop a test of academic readiness for first grade instruction in Thailand. Test of Academic Readiness (TAR) consists of six domains: verbal, visual, memory, math, logical, and general knowledge. Two pilot studies were carried out and a main study tested items in those domains. Rasch model was used to assess the…