The ongoing cycle of educational reform in America has led policymakers and educational leaders to prioritize test-based results and de-prioritize noncognitive skills, equitable outcomes, and crucial socio-emotional aspects of schooling (Lynch et al., 2009). Despite the equitable goals outlined in previous education policy reforms, intended…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore the problem of how classroom teachers of grades 1-5 described their experiences with school-based SEL interventions to identify potential links between students' content knowledge learned through school-based SEL interventions and students' aggressive and antisocial classroom…

Academic achievement and absenteeism are two areas that schools are held accountable. Helping families and communities understand the correlation between achievement and attendance is an essential part of improving attendance. The purpose of this research study was to compare student attendance and academic achievement on the CASE Benchmark exams…

Learners' foundational math skills obtained in the elementary grades profoundly impact their preparation for learning math in the upper grades. However, there is a deficiency in the foundational math skills necessary to be proficient in math and equivalent with their peers at grade level (Burton, 2018). In the elementary classrooms of kindergarten…

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact a sustained rotational blended learning model on the academic achievement on Title I K-8 elementary school students at a Catholic school in the areas of reading comprehension and mathematics as measured with standardized assessments, the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. In response to the first…

Although Individual Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA) has mandated states to collect and analyze data to determine if special education disproportionality is occurring within the local education agencies (LEAs), student of color continue to be disproportionately represented in special education programs. Historical trend data revealed that…

This study evaluated the quality of the research and evidence base for using response cards to increase opportunities to respond (OTR) for students with and without disabilities at the elementary level (i.e., kindergarten through Grade 5). Using quality indicator criteria for single-case research, six single-case studies investigating response…

We use North Carolina data to explore whether the quality of teachers in the lower elementary grades (K-2) falls short of teacher quality in the upper grades (3-5) and to examine the hypothesis that school accountability pressures contribute to such quality shortfalls. Our concern with the early grades arises from recent studies highlighting how…

Educational policies and initiatives significantly influence instruction in classrooms across the nation. This article presents data from a larger critical ethnographic study in an urban school in the United States during the school's first year implementing the Common Core State Standards. In this article, the author shares data from three…

The Brigance Comprehensive Inventory of Basic Skills-II (CIBS-II) is the newest version of a long-standing instrument that is useful for identifying student achievement, identifying and monitoring academic strengths and weaknesses, obtaining data to support referrals, and reporting progress for individual educational plans. Since the CIBS-II is…

The present study is an initial investigation of the concurrent validity of a new assessment, the Classroom Strategies Scale (CSS version 2.0) for Elementary School--Observer Form. The CSS assesses teachers' use of instructional and behavioral management strategies. In the present study, the CSS is compared to the Classroom Assessment Scoring…

We use North Carolina data to explore the extent to which teachers in the lower grades (K-2) of elementary school are lower quality than in the upper grades (3-5) and to examine the hypothesis that accountability contributes to a shortfall in teacher quality in the lower grades. Our concern with early elementary grades arises from recent studies…

Legislation has mandated that schools provide instruction in the general education setting to students who are not performing on grade level by using a response to intervention (RTI) process and provide subsequent interventions. However, evidence suggests that teachers lack an understanding of RTI, which may impact implementation and the progress…

The purpose of this study is to investigate teachers' perceptions of the functionality and effectiveness of the response to intervention model. Using a response to intervention (RTI) framework has become a priority for school district as they move to meet federal legislative mandates. Through this study teachers in the southwestern part of the…

Schools in the late sixties and early seventies had many options and were engaged in implementing a variety of programs rooted in the social science disciplines with effective pedagogy drawn from social studies educators. With the implementation of the "No Child Left Behind" Act, one can observe the drastic changes made in the way social…