While teachers are provided with professional development, they do not always use the best practices, which can negatively impact their students' learning. This study addressed the problem of teachers not using the best, research-based instructional practices to instruct students in rural areas of Middle Tennessee. The purpose of this qualitative…

The number of high schools offering dual enrollment or concurrent enrollment courses has grown significantly over the past decade. However, gaps in student access and participation persist. This report from the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) and the Midwestern Higher Education Compact examines how the use of open educational resources,…

Equitable education requires racially, and economically integrated schools staffed by skilled teachers who are adequately prepared to teach in diverse classrooms. This summary includes best practices reflecting the concerted efforts of communities across the country working to pursue integrated communities reflecting the rich diversity in the…

Over the past several years, states across the nation have seen a decline in the number of classroom teachers remaining in the profession. In November 2022, the Tennessee Department of Education launched work to begin a statewide Tennessee Teacher Retention Listening Tour to engage with Tennessee teachers across the state, hear their lived…

There is a significant lack of students in Tennessee who are reading at a proficient level. According to the 2019 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading assessment data, nationally only 37% of fourth grade students are reading at a proficient level. Specifically, in the state of Tennessee, only 35% of fourth graders scored in…

Over the past half-century, billions of dollars have been spent across the nation on efforts to transform low-performing public schools -- most of them urban, most of them low-income, and most of them disproportionately enrolled with students of color -- into models of success. It hasn't worked. The failure of attempts to remedy the state of urban…

Research examining the achievement gap continues to drive the need towards diversity training for the classroom. This study investigated diversity training and the relationship that exists between teacher cultural competence, student achievement, and student behavior. The researcher surveyed 24 teachers, counselors, and administrators from…

Professional development (PD) programs for science and agriculture teachers designed around the inquiry-based learning (IBL) teaching strategy could help to improve science proficiency amongst our high school students. PD that continues over a longer period of time is more effective than short-term workshops. The purpose of this study was to…

The United States has seen an increase focus in science education at the same time that more students with disabilities (SWDs) are educated in a general education classroom. Because of this, science teachers must know how to implement best practices of working with SWDs. However, many science teachers report they do not feel prepared for this.…

The purpose for this study was to examine student reading data at one high-poverty, low-performing Title I school in the State of Tennessee over 2 consecutive years when reading instruction, teacher expectations, and administration changed. This study examined student growth in third and fourth grade on the county benchmark assessment (Study…

Access to career and technical education (CTE) programs may play a significant role in Hispanic students' academic success; however, little research had been conducted on the best practices employed by CTE teachers to meet the academic needs of Hispanic learners. The purpose of this quantitative survey study was to investigate best practices used…

The type of schedule configuration employed by a school directly impacts engagement and outcomes for high school band students. Research indicates unique benefits and obstacles in block, hybrid, and traditional schedule configurations. While much research on high school band has examined achievement, participation, and instruction, there is a…

Across the U.S., educators face a common challenge: How can we help all students become strong readers and writers? In the author's state of Tennessee, many educators believe they have a reading crisis. Two-thirds of 3rd graders do not read and write on grade level as measured by the statewide assessment (Tennessee Department of Education, 2019a).…

Effective collaboration among schools and agencies is critical to the success of pre-employment transition services (pre-ETS). We examined the views of 596 middle and high school educators regarding pre-ETS and the employment prospects of their students with disabilities. Educators overwhelmingly affirmed that youth with disabilities needed better…

Student retention is a consequential effort of all institutions of higher learning today. The survival of the institution is dependent upon the success of students in obtaining their degrees (Knox, 2005; Noel, 1978). In order to continue to grow a base of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) students and produce quality…