This appendix is a companion to the report "Evaluation of Departmentalized Instruction in Elementary Schools: Exploring Implementation Experiences." The appendix provides additional information about the study, which sought to explore schools' implementation of departmentalized instruction, teachers' experiences with the strategy, and…

Assigning upper elementary grade teachers to teach their strongest subjects to multiple classes ("departmentalizing"), rather than teaching all subjects to a single class, ("self-contained instruction") could mean more specialized instructional expertise in the classroom or focus for teacher planning time and professional…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the "Wit and Wisdom" ("WW") curriculum's impact on District A's student literacy in Tennessee, compare its effectiveness with similar districts, and analyze teacher perceptions, including variations in curriculum favorability, self-efficacy, and implementation. Spanning the academic…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the "Wit and Wisdom" ("WW") curriculum's impact on District A's student literacy in Tennessee, compare its effectiveness with similar districts, and analyze teacher perceptions, including variations in curriculum favorability, self-efficacy, and implementation. Spanning the academic…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the "Wit and Wisdom" ("WW") curriculum's impact on District A's student literacy in Tennessee, compare its effectiveness with similar districts, and analyze teacher perceptions, including variations in curriculum favorability, self-efficacy, and implementation. Spanning the academic…

This research evaluated the implementation of a climate science curriculum intervention for students in Grades 4 and 5, including those who were typically achieving and those with difficulties in mathematics, reading, or both. Pre- and posttests of measurement and climate change science concepts were administered at the beginning and end of each…

Recent calls for reform in K-12 science education and the National Academy of Engineering's Grand Challenges for Engineering in the 21st Century emphasize improving science teaching, students' engagement, and learning. In this study, we designed and implemented a curriculum unit for sixth-grade students (i = 1305). The curriculum unit integrated…

The aim of this research was to examine the effect of integration of STEM disciplines into Toulmin's argumentation model on students' academic achievement, reflective thinking, and psychomotor skills. To be able to get this aim, a quasi-experimental method was used. The participants were 40 sixth grade middle school students divided into two…

As an early Common Core booster, Michael Petrilli had hoped that by now--10 years after most states adopted the standards--the nation's schools would have logged tangible improvements in teaching and learning that resulted in higher student achievement. In this article, Petrilli reviews what Common Core is and discusses the work ahead that is…

Education standards do not flop spectacularly. Their failure gives rise to nothing like the black-and-white films of early aeronautical experiments: no missiles exploding on launch pads or planes tumbling from the sky. But 10 years after 46 of the 50 states adopted the Common Core standards, the lack of evidence that they have improved student…

The 10th anniversary of Common Core's launch offers the opportunity to take stock of the impact these nearly national standards have had on student learning, as well as their future prospects. In this article, Morgan Polikoff shares his view that the standards movement in general, and Common Core in particular, have achieved all they are going to…

Integrating unfamiliar technology in the classroom often requires ample technological resources and professional development. However, these resources are often not available. This case study of qualitative data combined with pretest or posttest student data illustrates how one pair of coteachers autonomously planned for and implemented a digital…

The Common Core State Standards, released in 2010, were rapidly adopted by more than 40 states. Champions maintained that these rigorous standards would transform American education, but the initiative went on to encounter a bumpy path. A decade on, what are we to make of this ambitious effort? What kind of impact, if any, has it had on the…

This experimental study examines the effects of Integrated Curriculum Model (ICM) on 4th grade elementary gifted and talented students' academic achievement, creativity and critical thinking (Control Group N= 10, Experimental Group N= 11) in the social studies classroom context, in Istanbul, Turkey. Integrated Curriculum Model was utilized to…

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 requires all schools to be accountable for student performance. High-stakes accountability represents a growing concern among the field of education. Literature supports that teachers are vital to the success of students; however, the impact of high-stakes testing on instructional practice is changing…