The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how general education teachers describe their training in the use of evidence-based practices to improve reading comprehension in students with ASD and how the teachers describe the ways they were supported when they implemented the evidence-based reading comprehension practices for…

The current study was a retrospective mixed-methods quasi-experimental design (QED) study to determine the effects of Progress Learning on Grades 6-8 mathematics and ELA achievement by comparison growth on the Georgia Milestones Mathematics and ELA assessments of students who received Progress Learning services, in relation to students that did…

This quantitative correlational non-experimental study examined the predictable relationship between the ACCESS for English Language Learners scale score and the Georgia Milestones English Language Arts (GMAS-ELA) standardized assessment for reclassified fifth-grade English language learners during the 2018-2019 school year. The problem addressed…

We compare the institutional standards and expectations for English language arts (ELA) educators from the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), the leading professional organization in this field, and the state of Georgia. By conducting a critical policy analysis of documents from NCTE and the Georgia Department of Education (GADoE) we…

Most students with disabilities have reading difficulties and perform significantly lower than their peers without disabilities on low- and high-stakes reading achievement tests. Out of 23 studies on the supplemental Lexia Core5 Reading computer-assisted instruction (CAI) program intervention, 21 studies showed positive reading outcomes for…

Policy debate on refugee resettlement focuses on perceived adverse effects on local communities, with sparse credible evidence to ascertain its impact. This paper examines whether attending school with refugees affects the academic outcomes of non-refugee students. Leveraging variation in the share of refugees within schools and across grades, I…

Public schools use standardized testing to measure students' academic achievement at the conclusion of each school year. Students with severe cognitive disabilities are evaluated through the Georgia Alternate Assessment (GAA). The purpose of this descriptive study was to describe the demographic characteristics of students who took the Georgia…

There is a longstanding debate over how to evaluate teachers. Various models of teacher evaluation tools including observations, teaching artifacts, or frequent walkthroughs, provide evidence of daily classroom performance. Although there are questions on the most efficient means by which to complete evaluations, most agree evaluative tools must…

At-risk students' participation in after-school programming is one-way schools are responding to the lagging literacy scores in the U.S. This program evaluation attempted to inform after-school program stakeholders by examining the relationship between participants' attendance in a 21st Century Community Learning Center after-school program…

Teacher turnover has adverse consequences for student achievement and imposes large financial costs for schools. Some have argued that high-stakes testing may lower teachers' satisfaction with their jobs and could be a major contributor to teacher attrition. This study uses data on individual students and teachers from Georgia's statewide…

The increase in demand for college and career ready students has driven the need for education reform to ensure K-12 schools can support student learning across all content areas and grade levels. A STEM Certification process was established by the Georgia Department of Education as part of an effort to reform public school STEM education.…

There is empirical evidence of substantial heterogeneity in economic mobility across geographic areas and the efficacy of schools has been suggested as an explanatory factor. Using administrative microdata from seven states covering nearly 3 million students, we explore the potential role of schools in promoting economic mobility by estimating…

Propensity score matching was used to compare third-grade test scores in English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies for children who had and had not participated in Georgia's Pre-K 4 years earlier. After matching, each group included 46,262 children (mean age 8.36 years in third grade). In all subject areas, children who had…

This study examined the relationship between the structural classroom environment (self-contained, team-taught, and departmentalized) and student performance on the 2014 Georgia Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) in reading, Language Arts, mathematics, science, and social studies in grades three through five. A secondary purpose examined…

Approximately one quarter of American students attend rural schools; however, the needs of these students are often overlooked in education policy despite well-documented limited financial resources and pervasive poverty. Relatively little is known about the experiences of gifted students in rural areas and even less about the teachers serving…