The OECD's PISA program assesses 15-year-old students globally in key competencies every 3 years, providing influential data on education quality and spurring policy debates. In the latest cycle, the innovation domain focused on creative thinking, assessing over 140,000 students across 60+ countries, in the largest study of adolescent creativity…

Root Cause Analysis (RCA) has been recommended as a specific problem-solving approach for addressing disproportionate discipline outcomes. RCA differs from other problem-solving models through its in-depth analysis that draws from the perspectives of individuals who are impacted by the issue being addressed. When applied to disproportionate…

This study examines the characteristics, challenges, and strategies of school leadership in Cambodian high schools, with a focus on leadership in resource-constrained settings. Using a qualitative case study approach, the research investigates how principals in six northwestern provinces implement leadership practices to improve educational…

Because learning from failures is just as important as learning from successes, we used qualitative case study data gathered in the Netherlands and the United States to examine instances in which data teams struggle to contribute to school improvement. Similar factors in both the Dutch and U.S. case hindered the work of the data teams, such as…

Achievement in mathematics, particularly in advanced mathematics courses (such as trigonometry, precalculus, calculus, or Advanced Placement courses), is important for long-term college and career success. However, many students--particularly students who are Black, Hispanic, or from low-income households--do not have access to advanced…

The COVID-19 pandemic and recovery period is a unique opportunity to understand contemporary issues in high school reform. Evidence has clearly demonstrated lingering COVID impacts on adolescent students that have deepened pre-existing inequities and worsened teen mental health. There's a natural desire to regain normalcy after the pandemic. But…

Background: Most United States schools include school-based physical fitness testing (SB-PFT), yet little evidence shows how it is implemented, perceived, and used. Purpose: 1) Explore stakeholders' experiences with SB-PFT; 2) identify: challenges in analyzing fitness data, ways schools can use fitness data, and predictors of meeting fitness…

In 2022, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) identified a range of schools at which the University Entrance (UE) attainment of akonga Maori and Pacific students was at least 10% higher than their decile (now EQI) band average. In 2023, NZQA asked Rangahau Matauranga o Aotearoa NZCER to work with six of these higher UE attainment…

This phenomenological study sought to examine the lived experiences of Pennsylvania school leaders in elementary or middle schools with an economically disadvantaged student population of 50% or greater and English Language Arts proficiency exceeding 60% as measured by the 2021-2022 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment. Across the Commonwealth…

Despite holding wide-ranging experiences with constant velocity and non-zero acceleration, students wrestling with physical science concepts struggle to demarcate the two distinct characteristics of motion. In fact, this prior experience and loose familiarity with associated terminology often act as an obstacle toward a deep and robust…

The present work describes the challenges faced during the development of a countrywide Learning Analytics study and tool focused on tracking and understanding the trajectories of Uruguayan students during their first three years of secondary education. Due to the large scale of the project, which covers an entire national educational system,…

Grounded in the belief that data will drive instructional change, data-driven decision making continues to be a prevalent reform strategy in schools. However, the use of data does not always prompt teachers to change their instructional practices, particularly in low-performing schools where accountability pressures loom large. Drawing on in-depth…

Approaches to identify and support student social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) needs are necessary to the provision of school-based prevention and intervention services. Limited information exists, however, regarding the current use of SEB practices such as screening in schools. The purpose of The National Exploration of Emotional/Behavioral…

The opportunity to take college courses in high school (dual enrollment) is becoming increasingly prevalent, but access is not equitably distributed. Certain populations, such as economically disadvantaged students and students who are members of racial and ethnic groups historically underrepresented in college, are less likely to take dual…

This study examines teachers' and administrators' use of data to inform their practice in one south-central state. Using a qualitative research approach, the study involved 76 educators representing eight school districts. Data were collected using focus groups with teachers and in-depth interviews with school principals. Data were inductively and…