This study explores the dynamics of accountability and responsibility among mathematics educators as they integrate Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) into their teaching practices. Utilizing a hermeneutic transcendental approach, the research examines the lived experiences of teachers, their challenges, and the strategies they employ to balance…

The public debate over discipline policy remains depressingly polarized and simplistic. Advocates of reform argue that suspensions and other forms of exclusionary discipline are associated with negative outcomes, including higher rates of criminal justice involvement--and that they are implemented unfairly. In contrast, skeptics argue that we must…

As schools across the United States continue to earmark funds for instructional technology in the classroom we must consider how it is being used in the classroom. This qualitative research study was conducted to investigate instructional technology methods being used in sixth through eighth grade classrooms and to understand the Depth of…

Background/Context: The nature of the impact of state-mandated accountability testing on teachers' classroom practices remains contested. While many researchers argue that teachers change their teaching in response to mandated testing, others contend that the nature and degree of the impact of testing on teaching remains unclear. The research on…

Accountability systems have important implications for schooling. Missing from discussions about their implementation, however, are ways they affect teacher responsibility. Responsibility has been insufficiently explicated in the education literature, including its impact on teacher motivation, emotion, and behavior. We propose that a…

The purpose of the study was to examine teachers' perceptions of the impact of high stakes testing on instructional content, instructional strategies, motivation and morale, and pressure to improve student performance in relation to their views on accountability. It also sought to identify teachers' perceptions of the effect of high stakes testing…

This study documented curriculum decisions made by an eighth grade social studies teacher as he prepared students for their high-stakes test. When considering how to best meet students' needs, the teacher described tensions between the pressures of standards and testing and his commitment to cultural responsiveness. Perceptions about these…

Standardized tests are an education reality and an important accountability consideration in most states and school systems. Most states require standardized assessments to meet requirements of the federal "No Child Left Behind Act" of 2001. Changes to curriculum and instruction and to the school culture frequently occur through a school…

The purpose of this study was to explore and reveal the process behind how teachers that administer standards-based tests implement instructional practices in the classroom according to the accountability measures of NCLB. The study revealed how teachers in two different school settings prepared their students for the yearly standardized test. In…

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) has had significant and multilayered consequences for students, teachers, and schools. The purpose of this study was to learn more about the areas of NCLB that teachers support and also the areas of NCLB that teachers see as problematic. The data in this mixed methods study was collected through an…

This ethnographic study investigated the implementation process of mathematics curriculum initiatives designed to improve student achievement in a test-driven accountability environment. The research focused on complex factors within the school contextual environment influencing implementation and student achievement specifically, leadership;…

Many students with disabilities need to use accommodations to meaningfully access instruction and to be appropriately assessed. During the past decade, the use of assessment accommodations has dramatically increased the participation rates of students with disabilities in statewide testing. Assessment accommodations can be defined as "changes…

Despite mixed reviews from many educators--and some researchers--Chicago's retention policy to end social promotion has turned out to be a popular program. Surprisingly, perhaps, its most avid fans are the people most affected by it: teachers and students. Chicago's ending of social promotion was intended to make educators pay more attention to…