The implementation of professional learning communities (PLCs) has led to systemwide reform within school districts and campuses regarding how campus leaders support the teachers' collaborative work and continued professional learning. Current research emphasizes the importance of campus administrators cultivating an environment where PLCs can…

In the face of information technology changes, not all students will have access to the means to prepare for this future of work. In addressing this issue, in this study, the authors investigate the impact of a 'Making as Micro-Manufacturing (M[superscript 2])' model in motivating STEM-activity participation and developing self-efficacy among…

When Texas state budgets resulted in a loss of direct funding for the transition of deaf and hard of hearing students', collaboration efforts for assisting these students became critical. Theresa Johnson, MEd, outreach specialist at the Educational Resource Center on Deafness in Austin, and John A. Serrano, MA, director of Academic Affairs at the…

Background: Over the past two decades, inclusive STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) high schools have emerged as one strategy for increasing and broadening participation in STEM majors and careers, particularly for currently underrepresented students in those fields. However, limited research has examined whether strategies…

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…

Schools are using various forms of professional learning communities (PLCs) in order to increase student achievement and improve educational practices through enhanced communication and collaboration among teachers. This study examined a PLC that had too narrow a focus and failed therefore to affect student achievement. A critical shortcoming of…

The researcher developed a case study using a qualitative research methodology to describe the functions of a team of math teachers in a professional learning community in a Title 1 low performing high school that led to increased student achievement. The tenth-grade Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) mathematics results for the…

Schools' functioning as learning organizations provide educators the opportunity to focus on working together in innovative ways. However, it is unknown to what extent learning organizations exist in small high schools or whether small high schools' functioning as learning organizations improve academic achievement. The purpose of this study was…

The Early College High School (ECHS) Initiative commenced in 2004 to provide underrepresented youths the opportunity to attain a high school diploma and up to two years of college coursework concurrently. The intent of the ECHS Initiative was defined in five ECHS Core Principles, a requirement for all ECHS. An ECHS required a collaborative…

This study focused on the unique qualities of selected college access centers established in Texas high schools with the dual goal of assisting students with college preparation activities and of creating a school-wide college going culture. Six centers demonstrating estimable outcomes on at least one of several different variables were…

To stem the tide of students dropping out, many schools and districts are turning to early warning systems (EWS) that signal whether a student is at risk of not graduating from high school. While some research exists about establishing these systems, there is little information about the actual implementation strategies that are being used across…

Akins High School is the newest and second largest high school in the Austin Independent School District in Austin, Texas. This report describes how the school has used small learning communities and the "HSTW" framework of Key Practices to improve the school culture, personalize the learning environment, improve student achievement and…

A team of teachers, scientists, and high school students at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston has developed activities to teach concepts in learning through an inquiry-based laboratory method. The Learning Education and Research Network (LEARN) activities were field tested at the Society for Neuroscience Conference, in the…