Currently, the perceived use of critical theoretical frameworks to shape instruction in public K-12 education is undergoing intense scrutiny in popular and political debate. Chief among such frameworks has been Critical Race Theory (CRT), which, at the time of this writing, has been legally banned or restricted in eighteen states -- with similar…

The Alaska Science Assessment is administered annually statewide to students in grades 5, 8 and 10 and is a summative assessment designed to measure a student's knowledge of the "K-12 Science Standards for Alaska," which were adopted in June 2019. Summative assessments are designed to provide a snapshot of student, school, or program…

This study assesses the impact of a 2-year virtual coaching program on teacher and student outcomes. The program - Feedback on Alignment and Support for Teachers (FAST) - was intended to deepen teachers' understanding of their state's standards and improve the alignment of their instruction with the standards. Relying on a multisite school-level…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between scores on two common curriculum-based measures (CBMs), oral reading fluency (ORF) and maze, and scores on the previous statewide assessment of reading in Oregon (Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills-Reading/Literature [OAKS-R]). Data obtained from three cohorts of…

This study examined the effectiveness of an eight-week Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) coaching cycle on improving instructional strategies for English Learners (ELs) in seventh-grade classrooms. The goal was to enhance the literacy performance of ELs by 15% on the LAS Links literacy subtest. The coaching cycle aimed to integrate…

The purpose of this study was to learn from the experiences of teachers who have had at least five Black middle school students (Grades 5-8) meet or exceed their performance level expectations on the English Language Arts TNReady assessment by identifying the factors that contributed to teachers' sense of efficacy related to their experience.…

If we wish to embed assessment for accountability within instruction, we need to better understand the relative contribution of different types of learner data to statistical models that predict scores and discrete achievement levels on assessments used for accountability purposes. The present work scales up and extends predictive models of math…

This paper uses a validity argument approach to examine the validity evidence for measures of instructional alignment based on an instrument adapted from the Surveys of Enacted Curriculum (SEC). Using the instrument, Grade 4 math and Grade 5 English language arts teachers reported the level of emphasis they gave to subject-specific topics and…

Educational technology is evolving and growing at a faster pace than ever before. Such fast-paced growth makes it difficult to evaluate and measure its effectiveness in a timely manner and creates a need for independent academic literature in this area. This study serves to address to this need and contribute to the body of literature. The intent…

The work of school principals is complex; however, little research has examined how they navigate this complexity outside of traditional settings and times. This specific line of inquiry is important, because principals' time allocation is related to various desirable student outcomes, and how many hours principals work (and when) is associated…

This article reports on two quantitative studies of English learners' (ELs) interactions with constructed-response items from a Grade 5 state science test. Study 1 investigated the relationships between the constructed-response item-level variables of English Reading Demand, English Writing Demand, and Background Knowledge Demand and the…

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of a community cinema's media literacy workshop on the writing products of fourth and fifth grade students at a non-public elementary school in Louisiana. Because of the importance of writing skills in academia, professions, and interpersonal communication, and because of the documented lack of…

Two hundred and two (n = 202) sixth-grade students in social studies were administered a weekly vocabulary-matching curriculum-based measure (CBM) for 35 weeks. Students were also administered the Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI), along with the annual state high-stakes test in Communication Arts. CBM scores were analyzed with respect to…

The adoption and implementation of state science standards based on the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) have posed significant challenges for the development and interpretation of science Large-Scale Assessments (LSA); specifically, the extent to which the assessment items align with the standards. Previous research has relied on large…

Prior research in mathematical assessments has indicated varying results of predictive variables and further research has been recommended to support students, parents, teachers, and school administration. The purpose of this research was to determine how well a student's performance on a mathematics domain at the state level may be predicted…