National interest is growing in Integrated Student Support (ISS) interventions, which offer schools systematic ways to reduce barriers to learning. The present study exploits the random component embedded within the school assignment system of a large urban school district to estimate the effect of schools providing ISS on student academic…

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…

In this qualitative study, the authors examined how care was enacted, understood, and valued by teachers and students in nine ninth-grade English language arts classrooms. Following two yearlong cohorts of teachers, the authors explored sociopolitical interpretations of care, specifically focusing on how care was an everyday, political phenomenon…

The COVID-19 pandemic caused unprecedented disruptions to teaching and learning. In March 2020, COVID-19 pandemic was recognized as a life-threatening virus, therefore, schools across the United States of America had an induced lockdown, which prevented the continuation of in-person learning. Adjustments, quickly, were made to the learning…

Many middle school students perform below grade-level standards in reading (National Center for Education Statistics, 2019), and recent observation studies demonstrate middle school teachers' limited use of reading comprehension practices within content area instruction (e.g., science and social studies; Greenleaf & Valencia, 2017). In this…

Many middle school students perform below grade-level standards in reading (National Center for Education Statistics, Washington, 2019), and recent observation studies demonstrate middle school teachers' limited use of reading comprehension practices within content area instruction (e.g., science and social studies; as reported by Greenleaf (in:…

Not all 8th-grade students have an outspoken passion for reading; however, most of them do like choices. This action research study establishes a correlation between offering choices in the English Language Arts classroom and increased affective, behavioral, and cognitive engagement. The participants for this research were an 8th-grade class at a…

This dissertation investigates the impact of attending a STEM-designated elementary school on students' math, ELA (English Language Arts), and science achievement and growth scores. As technology continues to advance in education, educators are exploring innovative instructional methods. With a concerning decline in math proficiency nationwide,…

The study investigates the impact of Roadmap-formatted curriculum on student reading growth in grades 3-5 in the Ypsilanti Community Schools (Ypsilanti, MI). Classrooms in grades 3-5 were divided into two groups: those using the Roadmap-formatted, commercially-provided curriculum and those using the same commercially-provided curriculum in…

The ability to read, the single most important skill students need for learning, has been on the decline across the nation while student interest in books has also waned. Yet, despite the flagging interest in, and proficiency with, reading, English Language Arts (ELA) instruction has remained largely unchanged especially in grades 6-12. The…

This article presents a preliminary study of an urban school district, and its use of a scripted middle-school language arts and literacy curriculum. The majority of students served by this district are African American. By interviewing a small sample of four teachers and one literacy coach, gathering preliminary data, and observing students…

A variety of databases were used to answer questions about charter and public schools with regard low-income students, special education students, and academic performance. Charter schools in Dallas and Detroit served comparable numbers of poor children, but charter schools enrolled far fewer students in special education.…

Recent research seeks to develop more comprehensive learner models for adaptive learning software. For example, models of reading comprehension built using data from students' use of adaptive instructional software for mathematics have recently been developed. These models aim to deliver experiences that consider factors related to learning beyond…

The role of student choice reading on engagement and academic achievement from the perspective of teachers is the topic of this study. The problem addressed is that middle school students often struggle with reading due to a lack of engagement in English Language Arts courses. Students and educators are mainly impacted by this problem; however,…

Background: The prevalence of mental health challenges among adolescents warrants innovative school-based approaches that support students' mental health literacy (MHL). Purpose: In this qualitative case study, we interrogated the experiences of three eighth-grade English Language Arts (ELA) teachers and two of their school's social support staff…