This study followed a cohort of former ELLs for two years after they exited the EL program. The exit school year for this cohort was between August 2022 and June 2023. We compared their academic achievement in English language arts (ELA) and math with a cohort of students who were never English learners (non-ELL). We used propensity score matching…

Lesson study, especially when conducted with support from targeted resources, is often identified as a potentially effective means to support teacher learning. In this study, 80 school-based teams of educators, representing 80 classrooms of third- or fourth-grade students in the US, were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: lesson study…

Early mathematics achievement is a strong predictor of later mathematics achievement, and student competence in fractions and division may be the strongest predictor of success in secondary-level algebra. We used a multisite cluster-randomized trial to estimate the impact of a mathematics teacher professional development (PD) program on student…

Despite the use of literacy coaching to help improve the instructional practices of teachers and increase reading achievement, data of the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) indicate that Florida's students are averaging about 60% below NAEP proficient level. This dissertation reported the results of a nonexperimental study that…

Most studies of test-based promotion policies focus on measuring the effect of retention (being left back) on later student outcomes, and the evidence is fairly mixed. However, test-based promotion policies do not only affect the students who are retained. Presumably, they also affect students and schools as they try to improve reading performance…

Purpose and Method of Study: The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of two approaches to professional development methodologies implemented in public schools. A quantitative, correlational research design was employed to determine whether the academic success in the core content areas of reading, writing, math and science could…

Mathematics teacher professional-development (PD) programs based on Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI) have been developed and implemented with tens of thousands of elementary mathematics teachers worldwide since the 1980s. Starting with a focus on addition and subtraction on whole numbers in the first CGI PD program, the content of these…

Seagrass ecosystems are widespread, valuable, and threatened. We have used this system as a model to teach 3rd-7th grade students about food webs, the interconnectedness of ecosystems, ecosystem services, and the effects of human activity on coastal systems. Our objective was to increase student understanding of seagrass ecosystems and other key…

Instructional time is a fundamental educational input, yet we have little causal evidence about the effect of longer school days on student achievement. This paper uses a sharp regression discontinuity design to estimate the effects of lengthening the school day for low-performing schools in Florida by exploiting an administrative cutoff for…

The National Summer Learning Project (NSLP) examined the implementation and effectiveness of voluntary summer learning programs developed by five school districts--Boston, Massachusetts; Dallas, Texas; Duval County, Florida; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Rochester, New York--and their local community partners. The study spanned three phases. The…

Contemporary state math standards emphasize that students must demonstrate an understanding of the mathematical ideas underlying the computations that have typically been the core of the elementary school math curriculum. The standards have put an increased emphasis on the study of fractions in upper elementary grades, which are the years during…

One of the modifications of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (known as the No Child Left Behind Act) gave parents of low-income students in low-performing schools a choice of Supplemental Educational Services (SEdS). SEdS include tutoring or other academic support services offered outside the regular school day, at no charge to students…

This study involved fifth-grade students (N = 336) from one Florida school district and examined prosocial behaviors, bullying behaviors, engagement in school success skills and perceptions of classroom climate between the treatment group who received the school counselor-led Student Success Skills classroom guidance program, and their peer…

This study aimed to compare the performance of elementary students on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) in reading and mathematics between students who received SES services in grades 3-5 and students who qualified for free SES services, but did not receive SES services. Title I funds are set aside annually to pay private providers…

City Year is a learning organization committed to the rigorous evaluation of its "Whole School Whole Child" model, which trains and deploys teams of AmeriCorps members to low-performing, urban schools to empower more students to reach their full potential. A third-party study by Policy Studies Associates (PSA) examined the impact of…