This report contains the appendices for the report "'How Are the Children?' A Study of the Effectiveness of a Social-Emotional Learning Curriculum for High School Students: A Report of a Randomized Experiment Conducted in the Rock Island Milan School District." The report presents findings from a one-year teacher-level randomized control…

This study evaluates the first year of implementation of How Are the Children (HATC), a project-based social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum designed to enhance high school student's social-emotional (SE) development. Through documentary filmmaking and lessons based on SE competencies, HATC aims to provide SEL support that amplifies authentic…

In this study, we compared students' engagement in college and career readiness experiences between three academies and a traditional, comprehensive high school. The three academies differed on fidelity in implementing the NAF career academy model. We found that students in the high fidelity NAF academy engaged in both college and career readiness…

With teacher and leader workloads and burnout at an all-time high, it's time for de-implementation: de-prioritizing and deleting the less effective, higher-cost initiatives we implement in schools. De-implementation allows us to focus on practices that have more supporting evidence and a higher probability of positive impact on students, and at…

Teachers' training programs are widely recognized as essential for professional development and growth. This study aimed to explore how these programs affect teachers' ability to implement the curriculum effectively. A key focus was observing teachers' attitudes toward curriculum implementation following their training. The study assesses the…

Culturally responsive teaching practices (CRTP) can be used to engage diverse students and increase academic achievement. Schools have used CRTP in brick-and-mortar settings, but when schools pivoted to remote learning during the pandemic, teachers did not consistently use CRTP in the remote environments. The problem addressed by this study was…

Purpose: This paper examines instructional coaching as a means to support teachers at all levels in primary and secondary schools in implementing new and innovative practices using the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework as a design guide. Design/methodology/approach: This mixed-methods study compared the impact of an instructional…

There is growing recognition of the need and importance for high-quality science teaching and learning in early childhood. The increased emphasis on science stems from recognition of the following: (1) young children are curious and interested in making sense of the world around them (Larimore, 2020); (2) early science experiences not only support…

Contribution: This work examines the impact of a unique precollege STEM education initiative during its two pilot years. The study contributes to the growing body of research by unpacking the needs of and the impact on an important stakeholder group (i.e., the teachers) in the engineering education ecosystem to help inform the future design and…

The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to explore if and to what extent a correlation existed between the implementation of the Sown to Grow social and emotional learning curriculum, academic growth, and attendance. The study was grounded in the CASEL framework used by district leaders and curriculum designers to guide the…

The "Coding Our Future" intervention aimed to develop and implement a Computer Science (CS) curriculum, and to train teachers to offer computer science courses in elementary and middle schools. Its goals were to enhance students' competency and self-efficacy in computer science and to boost the enrollment of underrepresented students in…

Numerous research based social emotional learning curriculums are available to school districts. The purpose of this study was to examine the potential impact of Second Step, a researched social emotional learning curriculum, and the impact it had on kindergarten, first grade, and second grade students' discipline in school. This…

This study highlights the Community Schools (CS) implementation experience of five rural Vermont schools. Principals and CS coordinators participating in a state-funded program aimed at CS establishment were interviewed to understand better their experience with implementing a school/district-wide policy and reform effort. Findings suggest several…

The Innovative STEM--Computer Science and Engineering Design (STEM CSED) project (Award #: U411C190169), funded by an Early-Phase Education Innovation and Research (EIR) grant, sought to strengthen math achievement and foster positive attitudes toward STEM and computer science among students in Waukegan Community Unit School District #60, a large,…

Many districts have adopted social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum that teachers must incorporate into their lessons. The purpose of this qualitative dissertation-in-practice was to explore teachers' perceptions of the quality of SEL program professional development (PD) for teachers at a small, rural West Texas high school. For this study,…