In today's educational realm principals face high demands to increase student achievement and the mandates of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has intensified this challenging job with its requirements to adequate yearly progress (AYP). Such mandates have caused many elementary school principals to consider distributed leadership as a catalyst…

The purpose of this study was to examine the mathematics meanings that are held by higher- and lower-performing African-American male high school students. Meaning in this context was defined as a set of dispositions that included, but were not limited to, values, beliefs, attitudes, feelings, and interests. Using worldview theory as the…

This study uses a three-level model (within-student, between-student, and between-classroom) to examine the effects of 4th and 5th grade classroom environments on student achievement trajectories during the school year. Between-classroom differences in teacher warmth and classroom order were tested as predictors of student rates of achievement…

One of the biggest innovations of the last century has been the invention of the video game. Video games are an extremely popular form of entertainment today. While some question the use of video games in education, others argue that video games are one innovation that if introduced into the classroom, might change how teachers effectively engage…

This paper summarises part of a longitudinal study to investigate the possibility of establishing an Index that would indicate the appropriate starting point for instruction for students entering high school and reports on the first group of students to sit the Index tests in 2005, comparing the predictive nature of the tests with other state and…

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) calls for 100 percent proficiency in reading and mathematics by 2014. The Act was supported overwhelming by both political parties and signified a major overhaul of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Using a questionnaire, this study examined teachers' perceptions regarding NCLB and the…

Although most high schools espouse school-wide literacy initiatives, few schools place equal emphasis on numeracy, or quantitative literacy. This lack of attention to quantitative skills is ironic in light of documented deficiencies in student mathematics achievement. While significant research exists regarding best practices for mathematics…

The study examined whether students who use a voucher to attend private school have greater mathematics and reading achievement than students who attend public schools. The study analyzed data on more than 2,200 elementary and middle school students from public and private schools in Milwaukee. Academic achievement was measured using the Wisconsin…

"Accelerated Math"[TM], published by Renaissance Learning, is a software tool used to customize assignments and monitor progress in mathematics for students in grades 1-12. "Accelerated Math"[TM] creates individualized assignments that align with state standards and national guidelines, scores student work, and generates…

This year's Brown Center Report contains studies taking a long view. Part I examines national test data going back to 1971 from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The study in Part II compares the 1989 test scores of more than 1,000 schools to the same schools' scores in 2009. Part III compares the test scores of conversion…

"Effectiveness of Reading and Mathematics Software Products: Findings for Two Student Cohorts" examined the effects of ten reading and mathematics software products on student achievement. The study analyzed data on more than 11,000 students in 400 classrooms and was conducted in 23 primarily urban, low-income school districts. The…

This quantitative quasi-experimental study examined the effect of brain-based instruction compared to teacher-centered instruction on student achievement in algebra I. A pre-test and post-test were given to a control group of 30 and experimental group of 42 before and after a unit if study in algebra I, which was taught using the two instructional…

Using the G8 countries' (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States) samples from the 2003 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), this study aimed to explore the phenomenon of double jeopardy in mathematics achievement for socially disadvantaged students. Double jeopardy…

Moderate to high percentages of Wake County Public School (WCPSS) students demonstrated grade-level performance on K-5 assessments in 2009-10. Results indicate very slight changes from prior years. The percentage of students proficient in reading book level and mathematics strands increased very slightly since 2007-08. Modest declines in…

This dissertation focused on the link between quality teaching and its potential impact on student achievement. National Board Certification is used to represent quality teaching and student achievement is measured by the Kentucky Core Content Test. Data were gathered on the reading and mathematics scores of students of National Board Teachers who…