The purpose of this comparative efficacy study was to investigate the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) and a speech-generating device (SGD) in developing requesting skills, social-communicative behavior, and speech for three elementary-age children with severe autism and little to no functional speech. Requesting was selected as the…

This study identified factors that influenced the use of project management in higher education research projects. Using a qualitative grounded theory approach that included in-depth interviews with assistant professors, the researcher examined how these individuals were using project management processes and tools and factors that enabled,…

While research supports that formative assessment can improve student learning, it is rarely used and difficult to implement. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the use of student handheld response systems (SRS) as a tool for formative assessment in high school classes as well as teachers' attitudes towards this…

The focus of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Legislation is to close the achievement gaps due to disadvantages based on minority status, socio-economic status, special education (SPED) or Limited English Proficiency (LEP). Poverty and culture have been consistently reported to have an impact on academic achievement. However, there have been few…

This qualitative study focused on counseling psychology doctoral students' perspectives regarding their practicum training experience in primary care psychology. The four participants included three females and one male. Semi-structured individual and focus group interviews were used to explore participants' experiences. The participants described…

Research strongly supports the use of mentoring programs and induction practices for assisting and retaining quality teachers and easing beginning teachers' transition into their full time roles as professional educators. Much evidence and research have proven that mentoring new teachers is good practice with regard to retention within the field…

The problem addressed in study is that teachers typically do not use all of the sources of data available to them in a regular and systematic manner to modify their instructional practices. Nine hundred and eighty one Illinois public school teachers participated by completing survey on their uses of educational data. The study employed a…

On August 24, 2010, the state of Rhode Island received some outstanding news. Its yearlong, bipartisan effort to develop new policies to spur educational improvement was about to pay off. The state, along with eight others and the District of Columbia, was named a winner of the U.S. Department of Education's Race to the Top grant competition. The…

This document summarizes the findings from the initial round of research on the development and piloting of two types of instructional tools designed to support teachers' integration of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in literacy and math. In this interim report, Research for Action (RFA) presents key findings from the first half of the…

Across the country, states and school districts are focusing on turning around the nation's lowest-performing schools. Unprecedented federal Race to the Top and School Improvement Grant funding accompanied by a more prescriptive approach for using the funds has raised the profile of turnaround efforts. This focus on school turnaround, while…

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the English Language Learner (ELL) pull out program on student achievement. Schools are facing the unprecedented challenge to educate a multicultural and multilingual student body with varied abilities and backgrounds of learning. The independent variables in this study were the…

The primary purpose of this study is to investigate how special education English teachers in Taiwan develop their English as a Foreign Language (EFL) curriculum and pedagogy for students with learning disabilities (LD). In this qualitative case study, data were collected using interviews, class observations, and review of permanent products, to…

In this report, the authors examine recently released preliminary data concerning faculty compensation, teaching loads and external research grant awards at one of the nation's largest college campuses, The University of Texas at Austin. The authors use these data to assess faculty productivity (in terms of both teaching and research), and their…

The aim of this study was to investigate whether there was a statistically significant difference in collegiate success rates of GED credential recipients and high school graduates in community colleges. Data obtained from the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) PeopleSoft system at Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical…

For over a decade the nations' schools have been fighting bullying. Bully and violence prevention initiatives have become a priority in schools as a result of the media's focus on bullying and victimization. Schools across the nation have spent an exorbitant amount of money on purported evidenced-based bullying programs and curricula. Research…