One of the biggest challenges facing gifted education is how to balance the need to provide students with enrichment opportunities within the context of an overly prescribed or required curriculum. The emergence of standards in individual states and the new Common Core State Standards coupled with the almost overpowering influence of standardized…

Learning in makerspaces involves doing, playing, thinking, experimenting, creating, collaborating, mentoring, inquiring, problem-solving, producing, inventing, designing, building, and sharing (Loertscher, Preddy, and Derry 2013). Whatever the character of a makerspace, all makerspaces have the same goal: to actively engage students in open-ended…

We know from previous survey research that teachers who hold high expectations for all of their students significantly increase the odds that those young people will go on to complete high school and college. One indicator of teachers' expectations is their approach to grading--specifically, whether they subject students to more or less rigorous…

A crisis of literacy has emerged among high school students in the United States. In order to encourage students' engagement with literacy education, there is a need for an integrated curriculum of English Language Arts (ELA). An integrated language arts curriculum would allow students to learn literacy and reading skills while engaging with a…

This study identifies competencies specific and beneficial to online high school teachers that are modifying their own courses. Existing instructional design standards, available to guide online teachers, are not only too numerous, they are also inconsistent. Moreover, a lack of clarity exists about which specific standards benefit this emerging…

The number of non-native English speakers enrolling in British Columbia's (BC's) post-secondary system has likely increased in recent decades. This has led to concerns about whether such students have adequate English-language proficiency for academic success. Since it is impossible to accurately identify non-native English speakers in BC Transfer…

Rhode Island was one of the 10 states selected to participate in New Skills for Youth (NSFY). NSFY, launched by JPMorgan Chase & Co. in 2016, is a $75 million, five-year initiative, aimed at strengthening and expanding high-quality career pathways for youth. As part of this initiative, the Council of Chief State School Officers, Advance CTE…

As new science standards increase emphasis on the teaching of science and engineering practices, research is needed on the implementation and outcomes of students' experiences with authentic inquiry-based activities. Using a framework on teacher support for inquiry, we examined results from a national survey of middle school science fairs. Three…

Implicit in all US science education reform efforts in the past, is equal access and opportunity to learn science for all students regardless of their background and status. However, most science teacher preparation programs (with some exceptions, i.e., those that offer dual endorsement/certification), do not have the capacity or resources to…

Ambitious federal goals for preparing students for careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields require coordinated efforts and supports for the country's science instructors. Increased attention to the needs of science instructors and the provision of supports to address those needs are particularly important in…

This qualitative study aimed to explore ESL teachers' and school leaders' perspectives of K-8 social studies content. Specifically, this study sought to answer the following guiding research questions: What are English as a Second Language teachers and school leaders' perspectives of self-efficacy among their English language learners? What are…

Too many students still experience the factory model evident in most U.S. high schools, which were designed to put young people on a conveyor belt and move them from one overloaded teacher to the next, in 45-minute increments, to be stamped with separate, disconnected lessons 7 or 8 times a day. While these factory-model designs may have worked…

Adoption of new instructional standards in science demands high-quality information about classroom practice. Teacher portfolios can be used to assess instructional practice and support teacher self-reflection anchored in authentic evidence from classrooms. This study investigated a new type of electronic portfolio tool that allows efficient…

Science education has an important role to play in supporting our young people to meet the complex challenges of the modern age. Students need a curriculum that can prepare them to work collaboratively, competently and confidently to address the wicked "glocal" problems of our time. Rangatahi themselves recognise this - those involved in…

The current focus of education is on preparing diverse student populations for college and career readiness. One critical aspect of this preparation is the development of 21st century learning skills that integrate technology to support students in becoming active members of a globalized society. According to the National Assessment of Educational…