Education seems to have both an increase in standardization and teacher burnout. The loss of control could leave teachers feeling unimportant in their own classroom. This article explains how one teacher used reflection to find and create autonomy, reigniting her passion for her job. Through celebration, reflection, and authentic connection,…

This study investigates the impact of various types of absenteeism--excused, unexcused, and suspensions--on 2024 English I and II EOC scores among 9th and 10th graders at a suburban North Texas high school. This quantitative analysis aimed to understand whether different absence types influence academic achievement when controlling for ethnicity…

Purpose: This study examines how English teachers use culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) to support postsecondary readiness for underrepresented students in the context of dual credit (DC) coursework in the USA. Postsecondary readiness, termed "college readiness" in the USA, refers to the skills and knowledge students need to succeed at…

This article presents an English language arts teacher's critical reflection on how she worked with her middle and high school students to develop perspectives about the world in her classes. The article is grounded in the idea that teachers are researchers who constantly implement new ideas and reflect on their own teaching for their own…

This quantitative study explored the relationship between community sociodemographic factors and student outcomes on the 2019 Texas high school mandated end-of-course (EOC) exams for Algebra I, Biology, English I, English II, and U.S. History in Texas midsized high schools. Correlational analysis was run on community sociodemographic factors on…

Lack of motivation to read is the culprit of many students' struggles in literacy achievement, resulting in wider gaps in reading achievement and resulting inequities in schools across America. When students are provided with the ability to choose the text they read for English class, they have an increase in interest and commitment to read, which…

In envisioning the future of literacy, students' voices are paramount. Students' engagement in classroom talk increases their learning and communication skills, but without intentional implementation, classroom talk can perpetuate hegemony in contemporary classrooms. To better explore this phenomenon, we developed a study in a southeast Texas high…

Students enrolled in public education schools in the State of Texas are required to participate in and secure passage of a norm-referenced state assessment in different grade levels and subject areas. The State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) is the norm-referenced assessment used for students in grades third through eighth, and…

This study examined the effects of extracurricular absences on final grades and State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) End-of-Course (EOC) scores. A multiple regression test was run to determine whether there was a significant relationship between the grades of students with extracurricular absences and their STAAR EOC scores.…

The purpose of this study was to examine the difference of self-perception of teaching effectiveness in terms of beliefs about the nature of writing and about student learning outcomes between high school and college instructors who teach dual credit English 1301 by face-to-face instructional method in Texas public community colleges. After a…

Purpose: The purpose of this journal-ready dissertation was to determine the degree to which school choice was related to the academic achievement of Texas high school students. Schools of choice were compared to neighborhood high schools in terms of their students' passing rates in the standardized End-of-Course (EOC) exams in English I and…

This report describes ACT test results for Austin Independent School District (AISD) seniors in the 2018-2019 school year. In 2018-2019, the district's average ACT composite score of 23.0 exceeded the state (20.5) and national (20.7) average composite scores.

In recent years, technology integration and innovation have been an intriguing topic that educators discuss frequently when trying to make connections between student engagement and student learning. Many institutions have begun incorporating their own Bring Your Own Device programs, which allow students to utilize their personal mobile technology…

This article explores how TCTELA's 2024 Teachers of the Year forged the future through their literacy teaching at the elementary, middle school, high school, and college levels. Each essay captures how they understand their work as literacy educators and intentionally educate their students toward a brighter future amid trying local contexts. The…

This study examines the COVID-19 shift to online instruction and its impact on a charter school system (CSS) 3rd-10th grade students' academic achievement through the lens of noncognitive factors. We recruited 693 students and utilized qualitative and quantitative analyses. We found that students' NWEA math and ELA scores continued to increase…