A student's attitude towards mathematics affects how they learn and perform in mathematics. What exactly is meant by attitude and how this interacts with mathematics education is a current debate in the mathematics education research community. Regardless, practitioners often acknowledge a consideration of improving students' attitudes towards…

In this quantitative research study, student performance data were collected from 2014-2016 summer bridge program participants to examine the relationship between participation in the MCC summer bridge program and selected student outcomes by comparison to a matched group of students who did not participate in the program. The research questions…

Background: Summer camps can promote positive youth development. Unfortunately, racial, ethnic, and economic disparities contribute to inequities in camp participation and related research on marginalized youth. Consequently, it is not clear what types of camping programs work best for marginalized youth. Purpose: To conduct a quasi-experimental…

FNS Research Corner provides a continuing series to summarize recently completed and current research conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) in the area of Child Nutrition Programs (CNPs). Summaries of recently completed research projects and in-progress research are provided in this article.

This rich, longitudinally descriptive study provides an examination of program outcomes, student characteristics, and workforce outcomes of the Houston-Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (H-LSAMP) program. Utilizing data from the University of Houston's Education Research Center, this study offers a detailed analysis of the long-term…

During a sabbatical semester in Fall 2018, "Community Literacy Journal (CLJ)" co-editor Paul Feigenbaum volunteered as a "Scholar-in-Residence" at Youth Enrichment Services (YES), a nonprofit established in 1994 that is based in the East Liberty neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Guided by its mission "to create hope out of…

In this article, the author introduces the notion of the balloon metaphor, an exercise she created for preservice writing teachers, in which they reflect upon their writing mentors and their writing journey. The author also discusses three very important issues facing the field of literacy today: teachers are not taught to write, teachers of…

Summer reading programs are a form of extended school year services for students in special education. However, previous studies have not reported including high percentages of participants in special education, nor have studies sufficiently controlled for selection bias. This study combined propensity score weighting with partially clustered…

Interventions for individuals with or at risk for reading disability (RD) need not occur only during the typical school day. Educators and researchers have been actively seeking opportunities to extend literacy learning through home-based, summer, and other tutoring programs. Nevertheless, alternative settings can pose greater difficulty with…

Plants and plant products are key to the survival of life on earth. Despite this fact, the significance of plant biochemistry is often underrepresented in science curricula. We designed an innovative laboratory activity to engage students in learning about the biochemical properties of natural polymers produced by plants. The focus of the hands-on…

Bethune-Cookman University's Center for Undergraduate Research Excellence has operated a summer research program since 2014. An interdisciplinary team of faculty mentors and student research fellows examined variables impacting juvenile delinquency and risk of recidivism within Florida, using a database of more than 64,000 youth who aged out of…

The PIC Math program works with mathematical sciences faculty at US institutions to help them prepare students for careers in today's workforce. PIC Math faculty engage their students to solve data science and other research problems that come directly from industry. To accomplish the program's objectives, the authors conduct a three-day summer…

Students' reading losses during the summer are a concern for schools in the United States. The purpose of this investigation was to examine fourth grade students' (N = 5,113) reading development over the summer. The results indicated that students in the lowest two quartiles made achievement gains over summer while these same students evidenced…

Many colleges are pursuing innovative alternative approaches for the development of education that aims to accelerate students' progress in gaining important academic competencies. Summer bridge programs are one such approach. These bridge programs offer underprepared and at-risk students the opportunity to advance toward college-level coursework…

Piece it Together (PIT) is a comprehensive wellness program designed for transitional age youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder and mild neurodevelopmental disabilities that focuses on exercise, nutrition, socialization, and stress-reduction. The PIT Summer Program is a 6-week program, consisting of 90-min classes, twice a week. Each class…