The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the implementation of PBL in a high needs district had a positive impact on teacher self-efficacy, student engagement and student motivation. In general, the findings indicated that the implementation of PBL increased teacher self-efficacy and led to an increase in student motivation and…

The purpose of this qualitative case study is to examine small group, peer-led discussion as it connects to meaning-making of informational texts for diverse learners. Since students in the United States are currently struggling to meet informational text requirements outlined by the Common Core State Standards (National Governors Association…

Now in its Third Edition--expanded with over 100 new tasks and questions--this bestselling resource helps experienced and novice teachers to effectively and efficiently differentiate mathematics instruction in grades K-8. Math education expert Marian Small shows teachers how to get started and become expert at using two powerful and universal…

In 2016 the state of Massachusetts began a process to end the confusing series of alterations to education by revising and aligning the state's academic standards and tests. In March 2017 the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) approved revisions to the state English language arts (ELA) and math standards. The purpose of this report…

The author explores the tension between the social and cognitive definition of "argument" in the Common Core's theoretical rationale and the structural approach to argument reflected in the exemplars of student writing, evaluating the implications of these inconsistencies for the high school English classroom.

Character strengths support academic learning and can and should be incorporated into all content areas. This article articulates ways character strengths, including self-efficacy, positive-attitude, perseverance, growth-mindset, intrinsic motivation, intellectual carefulness, and courage specifically support mathematics education (K-8) and can…

This study examined the alignment of three selected U.S. high school textbooks series with the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) regarding the treatment of statistical association. A framework grounded in the literature for inclusion and exclusion of reasoning about association topics was developed, and textbook entries were…

The reemergence of grammar instruction in the Common Core State Standards has likely left teachers confused. On the one hand, they have been told repeatedly that grammar instruction does not improve student outcomes, and can, in fact, be "harmful" to students. However, on the other hand, many Anglophone countries, including the United…

This article describes a novel program for third through fifth grade called "What is the PE Password?" that teaches vocabulary words and concepts without sacrificing activity time in order to support Common Core learning.

Math and English language arts seem such disparate content areas but the Common Core State Standards actually draw out their similarities in the teaching and learning process. Both require students to learn grit and perseverance; both ask students to use reasons or evidence to support arguments; both require precision; both require structures to…

In this article the authors propose that biliteracy is a more challenging and rigorous form of literacy than the English-only orientation of the Common Core State Standards. Because learning to read and write in two languages differs from learning to read and write in one, they argue that biliteracy requires its own pedagogies, methodologies, and…

After the implementation of No Child Left Behind in 2002, national educational standards reform has supported the idea that improvements in education can result from rigorous standards that uniformly evaluate learning. Educational assessment, however, is under increased scrutiny and teachers, students, as well as educational policy makers struggle…

The Common Core State Standards advocate more writing than previous standards; however, in taking a college and career readiness perspective, the Standards neglect to emphasize the role of context and culture in learning to write. We argue that sociocultural perspectives that pay attention to these factors offer insights into how to interpret and…

The current effort to implement the "Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM)" is the latest in a series of mathematics standards implementation efforts in the United States over the last half century. When implemented, previous standards efforts have either failed or been less successful than anticipated for a variety of…

This study explores the assessment of the alignment of mathematics instructional materials with the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM). First, focus, rigor, and coherence, identified in TIMSS studies and also established for CCSSM, were chosen as criteria of alignment. Then, the CCSSM Graph (Zimba, 2012) was used as a yardstick to…