This article is a written version of the Presidential Address I gave at the annual meeting of the National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME) in April 2017. It is a call to NCME members (and others who read this, of course) to rebalance their focus so that classroom assessments are seen as being at least as important as large-scale…

The purpose of this research study was to investigate West Virginia middle school science teachers' perceptions regarding inquiry-based instruction.Teacher efficacy level, extent of use, and supports and obstacles in regard to inquiry-based instruction were considered. In addition, demographic relationships were explored in comparison with…

Educators desire professional development that is relevant to their current position and presents innovative and creative strategies for student success. The purpose of this study was to determine whether implementation of explicit professional development in the area of student engagement would have an impact on instructional practice. The…

This dissertation expands upon previous studies on the leadership practices of school principals leading successful schools, focusing on a leader in public higher education. This study follows the actions of Leader X, chosen as the case-study subject and who, through intentional leadership practice, is attempting to shift the course of a public…

Over the next two years, public education faces a critical moment created by the federal Every Student Succeeds Act requiring states and school districts to identify underperforming schools and create evidence-based plans to improve learning experiences and academic performance of all students. This report recommends key strategies for ensuring…

This topic brief is one in a series on personalized learning prepared for Conversations with Innovators, 2018. Historically, the configuration of public education has been antithetical to variation for and across learners. The structure and process of today's educational system, having cut its teeth during the industrial revolution, emphasizes…

With an alchemical verve, educators have been shaping the very direction of students' lives since time immemorial. With millions of teachers currently serving in the Tk-12 sector and millions more serving in higher education spaces, the need for quality educator development is essential. For Tk-12 educators, while there are teacher preparation…

Promoting relevant, meaningful, and equitable science teaching learning environments for both teachers and students has become a critical objective for science education. To achieve this goal, fostering students' sensemaking experiences in science becomes critical. Working towards such a committed, and equitable sensemaking environment is closely…

Research highlights the many benefits of study abroad in higher education with emerging scholarship on study abroad in K-12 education. This paper focuses on how leading study abroad fosters a collaborative, cosmopolitan-oriented, professional environment for secondary teachers in Washington, D.C. Public Schools (DCPS). Theoretically we apply…

This paper explores the complex problem of project sustainability, focusing on the leadership of three primary school mathematics leaders. Using cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT), the leaders' efforts are reported, highlighting their contribution to project sustainability. The CHAT-informed research design supported the generation of…

California's K-12 student population is one of the most linguistically diverse in the nation, with nearly 40% of students who speak a language other than English. Despite federal and landmark K-12 policies supporting inclusion for multilingual learners (MLs), as revealed by the literature, MLs are often viewed through a white normative…

With the growing recognition of the prevalence and impact of adverse childhood experiences, building trauma-informed service systems is critical. Although there are many online resources to help school systems become more trauma informed, how much they meet the needs of educators is not well understood. To help schools implement trauma-informed…

In the pandemic era, online learning has become the standard mode of learning in China where lockdowns were in place. However, in lockdowns, the roles of guardian, teachers and learners transform and change traditionally-accepted responsibilities and roles as well as relationships, thus warranting an examination of the third space of learning and…

Poverty cuts across culture, race, gender, age, and geography, so how can educators lessen the effects that poverty can instill in the classroom? Gain a quick overview from this infographic that showcases the Supporting Students in Poverty with High-Impact Instructional Strategies Toolkit and learn how easy-to-implement steps can lift outcomes for…

This study examines faculty perceptions, awareness, and utilization of Open Educational Resources (OER) in higher education and identifies barriers hindering their adoption. The research encompasses multiple perspectives, including demographic information, teaching practices involving technology, familiarity and opinions regarding OER, types of…