In response to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in 2001 (No Child Left Behind), states have sought various ways to adequately assess students in order to in turn hold schools and districts accountable for closing the achievement gap. As the state of Texas, motivated by pressure from parents, teachers, and other vested interest groups who…

As a result of the COVID-19 epidemic, public school educators encountered several difficulties acquiring and integrating curriculum online. The problem addressed in this study was the negative effect online curriculum implementation had on student achievement as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this qualitative, exploratory case…

This study examined the impact of a multi-year, large-scale professional development program on student achievement in mathematics and science. Math and science teachers at the elementary and secondary levels who participated in the professional development program were matched to a control group. Results revealed no differences in State of Texas…

This study aimed to find the characteristics of public school math classrooms and how they influence self-efficacy of students. Data were collected on math students in grades 4 through 12 in a North Texas school district. Two surveys were administered to students in the district. Within 10 days, the students completed a classroom environment…

Texas has one of the highest populations of English Language Learners (ELLs) in the country, with a complex system for ELL identification, program placement, and high-stakes assessment. Spanish-speaking Latino ELLs represent a large proportion of this population in the state of Texas. The long-term academic achievement of ELLs identified in…

In this investigation, the authors used Texas statewide data to determine the extent to which inequities were present in the assignment of disciplinary consequences for Black girls. Specifically examined were the assignment of in-school suspension, out-of-school suspension, and disciplinary alternative education program placement to all Black,…

This technical report summarizes student-level analyses conducted with the SEL Skills Survey and the Student Climate Survey to determine if a single measure of students' SEL skill acquisition and perceptions of school climate is possible. A separate research brief of this report also was published. [This report was supported by St. David's…

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the Home Improvement for Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) program on school performance during the 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th grades. The study employed a quasi-experimental, post-hoc design using existing data on children who participated in the HIPPY program as 3-, 4-, or 5-year-olds, including:…

This report discusses the second year of Austin Independent School District's (AISD) High Dosage Tutoring Program: students' progress, program summaries, and participant survey results.

We use visualization to find patterns in educational data. We represent student scores from high-stakes exams as flow vectors in fluids, define two types of streamlines and trajectories, and show that differences between streamlines and trajectories are due to regression to the mean. This issue is significant because it determines how quickly…

This paper summarizes the historical and legislative backgrounds leading to statewide testing of health-related physical fitness in Texas children grades 3-12 as mandated by Texas Senate Bill 530. The rationale and goals for an associated research project (the Texas Youth Fitness Study, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation) to evaluate…

The passage of Senate Bill 530 in June 2007 increased visibility about the importance of health-related fitness in Texas. As a result of the mandate, more than 2.6 million 3rd- through 12th-grade students from all Texas counties were evaluated between January 1, 2008, and June 1, 2008, using a standardized test of health-related physical fitness…

This study examined the associations between indicators of health-related physical fitness (cardiovascular fitness and body mass index) and academic performance (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills). Partial correlations were generally stronger for cardiovascular fitness than body mass index and consistently stronger in the middle school…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the quality (reliability and validity) of large-scale fitness testing in Texas and determine if reliabilities and validities were related to potential confounding variables. Four test administration scenarios were conducted to investigate the quality of data collected statewide as part of the Texas…

This study explores the characteristics of after-school program activities at a charter school in the Southeast US highlighting students' experiences with and gains from these after-school program activities. A qualitative case study design was employed to understand students' views and opinions regarding the activities and their learning…