In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a mandatory shift from in-person instruction to online learning for many young children. Teachers needed to adjust to virtual teaching, children were isolated from their peers, and parents played a bigger role in learning during the pandemic. In 2021, the shift back to in-person learning occurred. Research has…

The COVID-19 pandemic caused in-person school closures around the world that impacted student learning and academic achievement to an unknown degree for all types of students. A majority of research on out-of-school time (summer vacation, absences, weather-related events) and initial research related to the pandemic indicated a negative impact on…

Interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education is more important than ever since the Pandemic ravaged our nation's medical resources and personnel. This exploratory study, intended to establish and characterize potential identifiers and markers of student interest development in an inquiry-driven learning…

This study aimed to identify teachers' perceptions about alternative education programs and whether they are appropriate to meet the needs of at-risk students in Grades 3-5. The teachers' perception provides insight into the needs of at-risk students in the age group. Moreover, the demand for elementary education following the COVID-19 pandemic…

Providing equitable education for emergent bilinguals (EBs) is an educational goal in the U.S. However, literature has reported that English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers feel marginalized, a reflection of the marginalized status of EBs in the K-12 public school settings. Using a multi-method approach, this case study explored to what extent…

Education is a continually evolving profession in which students should always be the top priority. Throughout the history of the American education system, attempts have been made to prioritize the needs of students. These attempts often miss the mark in terms of student needs, and it, unfortunately, becomes more of a political cause than a way…

In the U.S., state guidance to schools in response to the COVID-19 pandemic was politicized. We used state-level political affiliation to explore whether access to curricular resources differed pre-pandemic or during pandemic remote teaching and teachers' reported control over curricular resources during pandemic teaching. We found that…

Purpose: There are limited school physical activity policy dissemination and implementation studies. This is a concern given the adverse mental, physical, and socio-emotional effects the COVID-19 pandemic has had on children and adolescents. This study explored New Jersey school administrators' experiences in disseminating recess guidelines,…

This action research study aims to identify and address equity gaps within a PK-8 New Jersey school by leading a professional learning community (PLC). The study will use action research methods to conduct an educational equity audit, which will inform the annual school plan and create a leadership action plan to stimulate organizational change.…

This study explored the daily routines of caregivers and the coping behaviors of both children and caregivers during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. We collected data from ten caregivers and their children through caregiver and child interviews, and a caregiver survey in the Summer of 2020. We used descriptive statistics, and…

In this study, we explored Pre-K through 3rd-grade children's home learning environments and caregivers' perceptions, strategies, and attitudes regarding home learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants included 10 caregivers and their Pre-K through 3rd-grade children. Data were collected via caregiver and child interviews, and a caregiver…

This brief explores the use of time-diaries to deepen our understanding of the pandemic's impacts on educational activities including differences across children and over time. We shed light on how well time-diary data correspond to more typical survey data and how well diaries allow us to assess differences among children in their daily routines.…

This paper presents the results of a nationwide survey of educators for grades 6-12 who specialize in family and consumer sciences education (N=380). The paper examines teacher reports about their self-efficacy in online learning during the switch to off-campus instruction. Data revealed that district communication to teachers indicating that they…

Online and distance education strategies offer a path for closing opportunity gaps for students with disabilities because of digital technologies' flexibility and capacity for differentiation, but fully online schooling does always guarantee an inclusive education. The COVID-19-induced shift to remote learning highlighted the need for more insight…

Beginning in 2011, Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ) started publishing the Paterson Kids Count Data Book, a one-stop source for child well-being data on the state's third largest city. Paterson Kids Count includes the latest statistics, along with five-year trend data, in the following areas: demographics, family economic security,…