School reform has become an umbrella term for initiatives and programs that aim to improve school functioning and student outcomes. Many researchers and educators have noted the emergence of a "school reform churn." New initiatives and programs are adopted, only to be dropped when the next popular reform emerges. Although experimenting…

A learning management system (LMS) is a software application used in documentation, administration, tracking, reporting, and the delivery of training programs to support acquiring knowledge through practical problem-solving. There is a lack of widespread use of LMS technology in the training of program analysts. The purpose of this qualitative…

Introduction: Identifying a dose of physical activity (PA) that can improve cognitive function in children has important implications for school-day PA recommendations. Researchers and educators have interest in this link as it relates to both health and academic performance. This study examined the dose-response relationship between PA and…

This paper reviews research on outcomes of writing programs for students in grades 2 to 12. Studies had to meet rigorous standards of research including use of randomized or well-matched control groups, measures independent of the program developers, researchers, and teachers, and adequate sample size and duration. Fourteen studies of 12 programs…

ACT recently launched the ACT Certified Educator program to assist educators with enhancing their teaching strategies, and to help students improve their academic achievement. This study summarizes participants' reactions to the program.

In 2012, the state of Louisiana set out to create a unified system of education from birth through grade 12. During the initial planning phase, it became clear that a critical piece missing from this system was training and education for the early childhood workforce. To address this, in 2014, the Louisiana Department of Education passed a policy…

In an effort to enhance the quality of early childhood education (ECE) at scale, nearly all U.S. states have recently adopted Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS). These accountability systems give providers and parents information about program quality and create both reputational and financial incentives for program improvement.…

The purpose of this mixed methods study is to examine the relationship and the changes that take place over time between reading motivation, reading frequency and reading achievement for students participating in PREP, a primary reading engagement program. It is imperative to build reading motivation when students are young so they enjoy reading…

Based on research presented at an Institute for Research on Poverty workshop, this brief explores the evolving structure and goals of high school Career and Technical Education (CTE) in response to changing labor market conditions. Participants explored the growing concern that all students may not have equal access to these innovative…

This qualitative action research study was conducted in a bilingual second grade classroom. It will present findings regarding implementation, understandings and evidence of differentiated instruction (DI). The findings of this study highlight how aligned instructional planning and defined pedagogical understandings foster differentiated…

This qualitative collective case study explored the written language development of four grade two students who made accelerated progress in Reading Recovery. The focus was children writing in classrooms--the ways in which their literacy behaviours continued to develop, and the ways in which the classroom context influenced development. The study…

Traditional adult/youth mentoring programs have been associated with a host of positive academic, behavioral, and social/emotional youth outcomes. Little research, however, has been done on pre-service teacher/ youth mentoring programs; specifically if the benefits associated with more traditional mentoring programs translate into this context.…

Down Syndrome (DS) is an intellectual disability (ID) characterized by a distinct profile of behavioral characteristics that impact language learning. One specific area of challenge is moving from producing single words to producing more complex syntax. Although there is a broad evidence base for existing interventions for children with DS,…

The debate over what counts as credible evidence often occurs on a methodological level (i.e., about what technical applications of systematic inquiry provide believable, justifiable claims about a program). Less often, it occurs on an epistemological level (i.e., about what ways of knowing are appropriate for making claims about a program). Even…

Poverty has an enormous impact on children and their success in school. Children with low socioeconomic status often perform poorly in reading. Poor reading skills often lead to truancy, low rates of high school graduation, low-paying jobs, and cycles of illiteracy in generations of families. Secondary data was collected from the Tennessee…