Proficiency in writing increases opportunities in higher education, employment, and social relationships. Many students in the United States, however, are struggling writers. In particular, the writing performance of students with disabilities in secondary grades continues to lag behind grade level peers. The purpose of this article was to review…

This paper describes a secondary analysis of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading scores by gender. Data were national public 4th- and 8th-grade reading scores from composite and subscales for 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, and 2013. Twelfth-grade scores for composite and literary experience from 2005, 2009, and 2013 and gain…

Teach "The Little Prince" to senior English students? Senior Advanced Placement English students? What could these people who had analyzed "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man," wrestled with "The Sound and the Fury," dissected "Heart of Darkness," and deconstructed "East of Eden" possibly find of value in a "children's book"? The tendency to…

This report focused on the extent to which students who are academically far off track in preparing for college can catch up in four years. We studied multiple cohorts of students in eighth grade whose EXPLORE[R] scores were more than one standard deviation below the EXPLORE benchmark scores associated with being on track. We found that 10 percent…

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of a model-based introductory physics curriculum on conceptual learning in a Physics First (PF) Initiative. This is the first comparative study in physics education that applies the Rasch modeling approach to examine the effects of a model-based curriculum program combined with PF in the United…

This article explores ways that people impact ecological systems and how those systems can influence people's daily lives. Students use newspaper articles and case studies of scientific research to link daily human life and disrupted ecological function. This activity prompts students to think about their relationships with the natural world,…

Geography as a senior subject in New Zealand secondary schools has been long overdue for curriculum change. The 2007 New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) currently being implemented at the senior school level provides geography with the mechanisms for positive curriculum change, giving teachers the opportunity to refocus on existing teaching, learning and…

This paper compares two attempts by the author to teach two different grade 12 world history classes to think historically. Both classes were presented with a similar assignment that revolved around the conflicting historical accounts of Christopher Columbus. However, the second group of students was also provided with direct instruction about the…

As the global economic competition gets tougher, American policymakers and researchers are interested in finding ways to increase the number of students pursuing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)-related majors in order for the United States to continue its role as an economic powerhouse. A survey study was employed to…

Increased access to algebra was a focal point of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel's 2008 report on improving mathematics learning in the United States. Past research found positive effects for early access to algebra, but the focus on average effects may mask important variation across student subgroups. The author addresses whether these…

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of poverty on the achievement of African American male high school students attending the same large Midwest urban school district. Cumulative grade point average (GPA) at the tenth grade level were compared to the level of poverty provided through census data of African American male tenth…

This study, which was conducted with a mixed methods approach, identified specific teacher behaviors that enhance student engagement as perceived by the students. Students were asked to rate the behaviors they found as boosting their engagement in class as exhibited by their best teacher in the school (Best Teacher Overall), and their best…

The Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing indicate that multiple sources of validity evidence should be used to support the interpretation of test scores. In the past decade, examinee response processes, as a source of validity evidence, have received increased attention. However, there have been relatively few methodological studies…

In 2013-14, the high school graduation rate reached a record high of 82 percent (U.S. Department of Education 2015a). Despite the gains, over half a million students still drop out of high school each year (U.S. Department of Education 2015b). High schools have adopted various strategies designed to keep students who are at risk of not graduating…

The language teens use in digital spaces--from social network posts to instant message chats to text messages--often does not adhere to Standard Written English (SWE). Their digital writing involves a combination of written and conversational languages and often has a digital thumbprint that distinguishes the writer. As a means to understand this…