This report highlights the results of Austin Independent School District's 4th- and 8th-grade students on the 2019 National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as the Nation's Report Card.

This report examines the impact of Creative Teaching techniques on students' academic growth on the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) reading and math tests from 2016-2017 to 2017-2018. Statistically significant growth on STAAR reading was found for students who had teachers who were moderately competent at Creative Teaching…

This report highlights the results of Austin ISD 4th- and 8th-grade students on the 2017 National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as the Nation's Report Card.

This essay doubles as a critique of the brutal violence visited upon the immigrant community in Austin, Texas, in the wake of Donald Trump's presidency, and a deeply personal account related to the establishment of Academia Cuauhtli, a language and culture revitalization project in Austin, Texas. It narrates our origins as a community-anchored,…

The role of politicians is integral within the public school system. Politician influence directly the policies that impact student achievement. The impact could be based on ideologies. These ideologies could influence a significant difference in Black student achievement. In preparing for this study, the researcher was unable to find…

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between leadership skills and academic performance among dyslexic students. The sample for the present study was 103 dyslexic children in grades 3 through 8th. These students attended a school in Austin, Texas that solely educates dyslexic students. The researcher administered the…

Austin ISD is one of 21 US urban school districts participating in the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA). AISD students consistently perform well on the 4th and 8th grade reading and math assessments. This supplemental report summarizes 2015 results. A separate research brief also was…

In Texas, English language learner (ELL) students are assessed annually in academic subject areas using the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) at elementary and middle school levels. This supplemental report describes continuously enrolled Austin Independent School District ELLs' performance as compared with all AISD…

The following report presents Austin Independent School District (AISD) English language learner students' (ELLs) 2013-2014 3rd and 4th grade state academic test results in reading and math, providing a comparison to AISD and State of Texas performance. In addition, ELLs' performance on an early elementary reading measure in 2013 and 2014 is…

Many US education reform efforts focus on student performance in large, urban school districts. The National Assessment of Educational Progress's Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA) program provides data on student achievement in these districts, but differences in student characteristics complicate comparisons of district performance. I use…

In Texas, English language learner (ELL) students are assessed annually in academic subject areas using the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) at elementary and middle school levels. This report describes continuously enrolled Austin Independent School District (AISD) ELLs' performance as compared with all AISD students'…

Austin ISD is one of 21 US urban school districts participating in the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA). AISD students consistently perform well on the 4th and 8th grade reading and math assessments. This research brief summarizes 2015 results. A separate supplemental report also was…

Many elementary schools have volunteers who read with struggling readers, yet most have limited background knowledge on teaching reading or a framework to follow when working with students. This piece outlines "Fast Track to Fluency," a method to ensure volunteer and students' time is used efficiently in the classroom. Data from…

This report analyzes how AISD students with disabilities (SDs) performed on 2011 NAEP reading and mathematics compared: (1) with their peers in similar TUDA districts; (2) over time; and (3) with AISD non-SD students.

In many ways standards-based school reform is at a crossroads. On one side, the movement has made tremendous strides. The Common Core State Standards Initiative, known simply as Common Core, is now strongly established in more than 40 states. Many teachers believe that the new, higher academic standards have helped them improve instruction. And,…