Student achievement in California has not rebounded after the precipitous declines of the COVID-19 pandemic, with English language arts (ELA) and math scores remaining well below prepandemic levels. Student attendance has declined dramatically, and trauma and time away from school have led to mental health challenges, delays in social development,…

This self-study focuses on two teacher educators' (from the United States) exploration and examination - with the help of two critical friends (faculty from China) - of the benefits and challenges associated with cross-cultural collaboration. The teacher educators designed and implemented a virtual collaborative cross-cultural, fifteen-week…

Purpose: Share a comprehensive examination of best practices used to institutionalize a successful long-term secondary education co-teaching program. Methodology: An intrinsic case study of a single urban school site in the Southern California area, bounded in time from program inception through the study time period. Findings: (a) Two visions…

The topic for this research was co-teaching and collaboration between those working in education. The problem addressed was obstacles to co-teaching and how it hindered co-teaching practices in an isolated small school district in rural California. The conceptual framework included social constructivism, collaboration, co-teaching, teacher…

The intent of this phenomenological study was to examine the sources, such as the resources and support needed to assist in building teacher efficacy and the impact on students with a moderate learning disability, particularly students with an Individualized Education Plan. Affording resources and support for general education teachers is critical…

Effective mentor-mentee pairings tend to increase mentees' efficacy and motivation, bolster commitment, enhance instructional quality, and positively enhance student achievement. In response to situations in which school-provided mentoring is not possible or where music mentees receive a school-assigned, non-music mentor, an increasing number of…

Providing science instruction is an ongoing priority and challenge in elementary grades, especially in high-need rural schools. Nonetheless, few studies have investigated the factors that facilitate or limit teachers' science instruction in these settings, particularly since the introduction of the Next Generation Science Standards. In this study…

This qualitative exploratory case study addresses constructs of educational inequity on a global scale through an iterative analysis of the cultural experiences of 61 educators from South Africa and the United States. The project provided an online and in-person network for educators to discuss cross-cultural challenges, educational system assets,…

During the spring of 2020, school districts across the United States were required to shift to distance learning modalities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic forced schools to close their doors to face-to-face instruction and quickly shift to an online format. While online education is prevalent in the United States, it only serves about…

COVID-19 changed the experiences of K-12 students and teachers in ways that are not yet well-documented. This report provides initial insights into teaching and learning during the pandemic from the perspectives of teachers and students at 31 public schools in three states. The analyses indicate that about two thirds of the teachers surveyed…

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the implementation and impacts of the Building Assets, Reducing Risks (BARR) model in its first year of implementation in 66 schools across the U.S. and to document scale-up progress during the Investing in Innovation (i3) grant period (2017-2021). The impact evaluation included 21,529 9th grade students…

In this article we will describe the development of an interdisciplinary general education course focusing on water. As part of a faculty cohort charged with teaching and studying this topic, we considered a number of projects, including community outreach, teacher professional development, and collaborative research. We decided on an…

NGSS Early Implementers is a six-year initiative created to help eight California school districts and two charter management organizations, supported by WestEd's K-12 Alliance, implement the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Administrators need learning opportunities if they are to adequately understand the substantial shifts of the Next…

Research suggests effective professional learning communities (PLCs) enhance teacher collaboration and student achievement. Within-school variation in PLC processes, however, is underexplored. This study highlights differences in teacher behavior and teams' perceptions of principal leadership in well-functioning teams versus less well-functioning…

Purpose: An increasing number of schools and districts across the US are requiring teachers to collaborate for the purpose of data-driven decision making. Research suggests that both data use and teacher collaboration are important ingredients in the school improvement process. Existing studies also reveal the complexities of teacher collaboration…