Regional Educational Laboratory Appalachia (REL AP) supported Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) staff with training, coaching, and technical support to execute quantitative analyses aimed at two research questions: (1) which schools performed better, worse, or about the same as predicted with respect to grade 3 students' mathematics…

Background: Handwriting improvements have been found to improve foundational academic literacy skills. As telehealth usage has increased, the effectiveness of delivering handwriting interventions using telehealth has not been researched. The additional literacy benefits of handwriting interventions delivered via telehealth have also not been…

Early childhood educator preparation program curricula contain limited course work and accompanying field experiences on chronic illness management and supporting young children with these conditions. The current study examines data from 319 kindergarten to third grade teachers from the southeastern United States and their perceptions of statewide…

This article presents a large-scale longitudinal study of hundreds of students across the state of Kentucky that participated in a dual-focus mathematics intervention initiative when they were in the third grade. Rather than an exclusive focus on intervention, this initiative focused on both (i) high quality pull-out intervention and (ii)…

The purpose of this study was to explore individual mindsets of elementary students and determine the extent to which mindsets reflect fixed or growth perspectives. During this qualitative study, individual interviews were conducted with third and fourth grade students, including ESL (English Second Language) students, middle class students as…

This study explores the impact of professional learning communities on student achievement in a small school setting. Aaron Hansen's book, "How to Develop PLCs for Singletons and Small Schools," offered a guide for arranging vertical, grade-level teams with one teacher per grade level at one private, K-8 school. The faculty engaged in…

On any given sunny day, Courtney Vanover's third graders were like alarm clocks, making sure everyone in the room knew when 9:30 was approaching. Why? Because they were participating in a yearlong science project to answer the question, "Where is the tip of the shadow of the school flagpole each morning at 9:30?" Although they did not…

Spending more time teaching science and social studies in K-3 can have at least four potential benefits: (1) Increased learning in these subjects is likely to improve students' reading comprehension in later grades; (2) Introducing students to science and social studies in the early grades is likely to better prepare them for learning those…

In this dissertation, I examine how two major social programs in Kentucky--state-funded preK and Family Resource and Youth Service Centers--impact children's outcomes across the state, including racial, ethnic, and economic equity through elementary school. In each chapter, I will analyze how early childhood opportunities relate to outcomes…

"Saxon Math," published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, is a core curriculum for students in grades K-5. A distinguishing feature of the curriculum is its use of an incremental approach for instruction and assessment. This approach limits the amount of new math content delivered to students each day and allows time for daily practice. New…

"Scott Foresman-Addison Wesley Elementary Mathematics" is a core mathematics curriculum for students in prekindergarten through grade 6. The program aims to improve students' understanding of key math concepts through problem-solving instruction, hands-on activities, and math problems that involve reading and writing. The curriculum…

This study examined the Community Super Investigators Club, through which we aimed to apply mathematics and literacy skills by using project-based learning (PBL) to investigate elementary students' interest in learning how to improve the environment for animals. PBL is a teaching method used to improve critical thinking skills around a project…

A quantitative approach was used to investigate the impact of a district-wide, job-embedded mathematics professional development program on elementary teachers' general and personal efficacy. This investigation was based on the principles of mathematics professional development, efficacy theory, and student achievement. It was designed to…

"Scott Foresman-Addison Wesley Elementary Mathematics" is a core curriculum for students at all ability levels in prekindergarten through grade 6. The program supports students' understanding of key math concepts and skills and covers a range of mathematical content across grades. The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) reviewed 12 studies on…

This study investigated the impact of a district-wide mathematics professional development program on elementary teachers' general and personal efficacy. It also explored connections among teacher efficacy and socioeconomic status with student achievement. Using a quantitative approach, a job-embedded professional development initiative…