The U.S. population has become more racially and ethnically diverse over time. The Latinx population growth makes Spanish the most common language encountered in non-native English-speaking populations such as Texas. The research objective of this study was to examine if implementing a One-Way Dual Language Education (DLE) Program could result in…

With high stakes testing in public schools, pressure for success prompts schools to implement intervention programs for reading and mathematics, often at the expense of extra-curricular and elective activities. Previous literature indicated a correlation between reading comprehension and mathematical understanding. This study examined the specific…

This quantitative, ordinal logistic regression study aimed to explore the relationship between the implementation of personalized learning and special education students' progress measures on STAAR. Another purpose was to determine if teachers' perceptions of implementation, using Olofson's survey, can predict the growth on STAAR. The conceptual…

This policy brief examines the impact of Solution Tree's PLC at Work® process on student achievement in Texas schools. Using a quasi-experimental design and statewide data, we found that students in Model PLC Schools made meaningful academic gains, averaging 3.1 months of additional learning in math and 2 months in reading compared to similar…

This report evaluates the impact of the Professional Learning Communities (PLC) at Work® process on student academic achievement over a three-year period in Texas public schools. Drawing on linked administrative data from the University of Houston Education Research Center (UH-ERC), the study uses a quasi-experimental approach to compare…

This study is the first statewide analysis of the effectiveness of the Texas Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) program. Introduced in 2019, TIA is the most significant and unprecedented teacher merit-pay system in the U.S. Leveraging the Synthetic Control Method (SCM), we construct a counterfactual scenario to assess the causal impact of TIA on…

As higher education continues to focus its attention on first-generation college students, academic libraries are increasingly interested in designing outreach and instruction programs to support these students, especially during their first year of college. This study informs these efforts by implementing a standardized test to assess the…

This mixed-methods, cross-cohort efficacy study evaluated "Just Right Reader's Classroom Libraries" first-grade students across six schools in a diverse Texas district. The Classroom Libraries consisted of decodable literacy resources appropriately matched to instructional needs and were available in English to all students and in…

This report presents Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) examination participation and performance results in Texas public schools for the 2020-21 school year. Data are provided by student characteristics, including race/ethnicity; gender; and economic, at-risk, dyslexia, Emergent bilingual student/English learner, foster…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of the demographic characteristics of middle school students on their mathematics performance on the STAAR examination. More specifically, this study examined the effect of the variables gender, ethnicity, and at-risk status, separate and collectively, on the four mathematics components…

Background: Reading instruction begins at the primary level with reading comprehension issues manifesting themselves by the 3rd-grade and becoming more pronounced by fourth-grade. While primary teachers often teach narrative comprehension skills, middle school teachers have the responsibility to teach both narrative and expository comprehension…

The purpose of this research study was to examine the dynamics that exist among the teacher preparation program (TPP), student achievement, and teacher performance. This study included a review of data collected from archived data derived from the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA), the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR)…

Learning through the fine arts possesses many benefits, yet efforts to address the arts within public schools, particularly rural schools, are insufficient. In an effort to support rural public schools in Texas, Window On a Wider World (WOWW) began providing fine arts enriched education programming in 2006 to area partner schools that serve…

This quantitative study examined the relationship between implementation of a Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program and academic achievement, attendance, and discipline. The data was collected from schools from South Texas Educational Regions One, Two, and Twenty. The public middle school campuses for this study were chosen…

This study explores the instructional decisions made by elementary principals in implementing dual language programs, with a focus on the choice of language for state reading assessments. Utilizing a qualitative phenomenological approach, the research examines the lived experiences of eight principals in a South Texas school district, offering…