This study analyzes Deeper Learning (DL) opportunities and the correlation between multiple DL measures on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) career orientation in out-of-school time (OST) STEM programming. Additionally, this study examines the presence and validity of the American Institutes for Research (AIR) DL measures in OST…

In the United States English learners have performed at lower academic levels than their non-English learner peers (National Center for Education Statistics, 2020) demonstrating the need for a system that supports the academic growth of English learners in the general education classrooms. At a local level, the researcher has observed the limited…

Although many have suggested the use of games to motivate active learning, studies that evaluate the learning outcomes of games with high school students are scarce. Here, we present the evaluation of the board game "Taphonomy: Dead and Fossilized" as an active learning tool to teach fossilization and Earth systems thinking with rising…

Moonshot is the redesign of NASA's High School Aerospace Scholars (HAS), which traditionally engaged Texas high school juniors in a 16-week online course for credit and an intense week-long onsite experience working in teams with experts at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC). Due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), our challenge was to design,…

"Xtreme Reading" is a supplemental literacy curriculum designed to improve the literacy skills of struggling students in grades 6 to 12. The curriculum is primarily designed to help students improve their vocabulary, decoding, fluency, and reading comprehension skills. To ensure a productive learning environment, students initially learn…

Especially since the implementation of T-TESS, it has become imperative for Texas English teachers to examine ways to incorporate student-centered instruction and activities in all areas, including the writing process. This article provides techniques and examples for English teachers who desire to work smarter and more responsively to meet the…

"Xtreme Reading" is a supplemental literacy curriculum designed to improve the literacy skills of struggling students in grades 6 to 12. The curriculum is primarily designed to help students improve their vocabulary, decoding, fluency, and reading comprehension skills. To ensure a productive learning environment, students initially learn…

In this study, we examined the enactment of formative assessment by administrator-selected master teachers in large, urban, public school districts in three regions of the United States. Furthermore, this study also included an investigation of the perceptions and frequency of use for all teachers within the same districts to gather a snapshot of…

Recent theoretical conceptualizations of student engagement have raised questions about how to measure student engagement and how engagement varies not only across schools, but also within school and within classrooms. The authors build on existing research on student behavioral engagement and extend this research to emphasize a continuum of…

As educators, we know students from all sections of the population who are bright, but do not do well academically (Grade Power Learning, 2018). This is particularly true with students from underrepresented populations or whose parents are not college graduates. Significant reasons for this are because they do not know how to study effectively,…

This qualitative research study explored perceptions of best teaching strategies implemented by science teachers for learning disabled high school students from one northwest Texas high school. Four research questions guided the exploration of personal and scholarly practices that high school teachers perceived worked best in their science…

The importance of reducing the gender gap in engineering programs by recruiting and retaining female students is well recognized. Although women hold roughly half of all jobs in the United States, only 24% of STEM jobs are occupied by women. The problem is even more pronounced for engineering, where women held about 12% of jobs as of 2013 (Corbett…

Recent theoretical conceptualizations of student engagement have raised questions about how to measure student engagement and how engagement varies not only across schools, but also within school and within classrooms. The authors build on existing research on student behavioral engagement and extend this research to emphasize a continuum of…

This case study analyzes how and why student engagement differs across 581 classes in one diverse high school. Factor analyses of surveys with 1,132 students suggest three types of engaging teaching practices--connective instruction, academic rigor, and lively teaching. Multilevel regression analyses reveal that connective instruction predicts…

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…