The purpose of this quasi-experimental quantitative study was to analyze the effect of a literacy program on general music students in the fourth grade within an urban public school district in Northeastern Illinois. Two fourth grade classes, instructed by two different licensed music teachers, received the treatment program of one Lyrics2Learn…

Teacher accountability and test scores currently drive many practices within the field of education. At the same time, student populations have become increasingly diverse, causing classroom teachers to feel pressured to teach to the test. Differentiated instruction has emerged as a best practice to help maximize learning for all students.…

Increasingly alarmed by instructional mandates more founded on journalistic rhetoric and popular opinion than on research findings or practitioner expertise, researchers gathered survey data from teachers to better understand the status of K-2 phonics instruction. Data demonstrate that the overwhelming majority of these K-2 teachers teach phonics,…

This mixed methods study addresses special education teachers' (SETs) knowledge and beliefs about specially designed instruction for reading, individualized education program (IEP) development, and aspects of future professional development opportunities that are supportive on these topics. Special education teachers are the primary authors of the…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how elementary Reading Recovery teachers, who are currently serving in the position of Reading Recovery teachers or who have served previously in the position, describe their perceptions of and response to professional development for implementing reading instructional practices in a…

Paraprofessionals play a significant role in the education system. However, they often need more training on specific instructional strategies to use with the students they work with. In this study, we trained two paraprofessionals working in a self-contained U.S. elementary classroom for students with high-intensity behavioral support needs. Each…

Teacher professional learning is often disjointed and not aligned with the curricula teachers use in daily instruction. This lack of preparation has led to fragmented approaches to teaching young students to read, in part because initiatives lose momentum, teachers modify the instruction beyond recognition, and programs are soon eclipsed by newer…

This study describes the development of a special education teacher observation protocol detailing the elements of effective decoding instruction. The psychometric properties of the protocol were investigated through many-facet Rasch measurement (MFRM). Video observations of classroom decoding instruction from 20 special education teachers across…

The aim of this mixed method action research study was to determine if a relationship exists between motivation and achievement. The participants in this study were elementary gifted students. Students first identified their individual learning styles as either "global" or "analytical." The gifted teacher then planned lessons…

The purpose of this study was to explore the roles, perspectives, and actions of teachers and students for first-time-detained juvenile delinquents by examining a reading intervention for a student. Using an action research methodology, the reading intervention was explored within the broader context of the history and operations of the juvenile…

As instructors of preservice teachers both researchers have spent time in classrooms observing the reading block. Teacher read-alouds were observed and a disconcerting occurrence became apparent to both researchers independently. Teachers took two seemingly dissimilar approaches to the practice of read-alouds. Teachers observed, either implemented…

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between elementary instructional content minute allocations and academic growth. The study sought to explore the relationship between instructional content allocations, scheduling, and the use of content time on student achievement growth. Additionally, the study sought to uncover the…

This research study examined curricular and instructional approaches that help students who receive special education services meet common Illinois state standards as measured by annual state standardized testing. Despite having supportive accommodations and modifications, Illinois students who receive special education services have lagged behind…

The purpose of this study was to determine if SuccessMaker Reading had an effect on at-risk students when used with a Language Arts course. SuccessMaker Reading is a web-based system that provides reading skills practice that align with state standards. The sample of this study consisted of seventh (2019) and eighth (2018) grade classes from a…

With Response to Intervention (RTI) increasingly used for identification for special education services, interventions are systematically being implemented and evaluated to improve achievement for students with disabilities. This descriptive study provides baseline data on RTI interventions and tiered instruction from 15 school districts (5 large,…