In public schools in Pennsylvania and across the nation an academic achievement gap exists between African American students and their White peers as African American students have consistently performed lower than White students on standardized tests in reading and mathematics (NCES, 2019). Since the achievement gap has persisted for decades,…

To foster proper educational growth and to ensure equal scholastic opportunities for students in Kindergarten through twelfth grade (K-12) in the United States of America, the state governors and chief school officers established the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Teachers being at the forefront in realizing the goals of these standards,…

Staff development is a crucial piece for successful implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). A complete plan must be developed that focuses on implementation of the Common Core State Standards. The focus for this plan should be on teacher needs with an aim to improve student learning. If teacher needs are considered and they see…