The purpose of this research project was to conduct an exploratory analysis of the 2016 Mississippi Statewide Accountability System (MSAS), which is the model by which all public schools in Mississippi are assessed, rated, and ranked, in an attempt to assess whether or not the system is an effective policy tool, especially in relation to the goals…

Providing students and teachers with appropriate support is a pivotal component when it comes to improving student outcomes. Pre-Referral Intervention Teams (PIT) provide structured interventions and assistance for at-risk students. The purpose of this study was to answer the following research questions: (1) What are teachers' perceptions of…

Blended learning is a teaching technique that utilizes face-to-face teaching and online or technology-based practice in which the learner has the ability to exert some level of control over the pace, place, path, or time of learning. Schools that employ this method of teaching often demonstrate larger gains than traditional face-to-face programs…

"Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies" raises fundamental questions about the purpose of schooling in changing societies. Bringing together an intergenerational group of prominent educators and researchers, this volume engages and extends the concept of culturally sustaining pedagogy (CSP)--teaching that perpetuates and fosters linguistic,…

One of many problems schools face today is the ability to implement effective professional development (PD) for staff. Research on this topic has shown a lack of follow through on the school district's part to offer consistent and effective PD to our teachers (Daegan & Bean, 2015). With the adoption of Smarter Balanced state testing in New…

The impact of social and emotional skills on educational, career, and life outcomes is well supported in the research literature. Schools are increasingly implementing universal curricula to teach social and emotional skills to all students. Today's climate of accountability places pressure on school administrators and policy makers to evaluate…

The influence of hip hop culture and music on African-American youth is profound and can be used as a tool to shape positive outcomes in education. Hip hop has been used effectively in the classroom to engage students and enhance their critical thinking (Gangloff-Bailey & Freeman, 2014). In addition, hip hop has been described as a socializer…

In the last twenty years in US science education, professional development has emphasized the need to change science instruction from a direct instruction model to a more participatory and constructivist learning model. The result of these reform efforts has seen an increase in science education professional development that is focused on…

Background: The Healthy People 2020 objectives in school health education have brought attention to the elementary classroom. To meet the goal of increasing by 4% the total number of schools requiring health education, information on the current state of health education is necessary. Due to mandatory core curriculum testing and the instructional…

The purpose of this study was to explore how third grade students experience challenging tasks. The study utilized a phenomenological approach to allow the researcher to understand lived experiences of the participants. Grade three was chosen because it is a pivotal year in education in which students move from learning skills to using skills for…

The major purpose of this study was to investigate whether successful practice trials in throwing would mediate the relationship between perceived throwing competence and skill improvement in throwing among 1 st graders in physical education. A correlational research design was utilized to examine the mediating relationships among variables.…

Improving education quality and quality assurance (QA) have become the most distinctive themes of higher education (HE) reform in the 21st century. Although student learning outcomes (SLOs) are the most direct evidence to HE quality and should be an indispensable element and the starting point of education evaluation, in most countries evaluations…

The field of deafblind (DB) education has a long and rich history which includes a lack of qualified personnel to meet the needs of the population of learners. In addition, the literature base is small, lacking evidence for effective practices or methods of assessing and tracking growth with these learners. The ability to adequately track student…

The purposes of this study were to investigate the structural relationships among the factors that affect online learners' satisfaction with the learning experience, and to develop a structural model that explains online learners' satisfaction. For these purposes, a research model was developed based on the principles of social cognitive theory…

The purpose of this study was to identify Core components perceived by faculty to be effective in their prominent graduate entrepreneurship education programs. The study sought to identify the best practices in graduate entrepreneurship education programs from the perceptions of faculty in the field. Research questions guiding the study were: (1)…