I designed an explanatory sequential mixed-method study to explore the relationship between leadership practices, collective teacher efficacy (CTE), and educational outcomes of low SES students in an open school system. Four data sources were analyzed: K-5 student Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) results of 1,170 students, Collective Teacher…

The purpose of this descriptive qualitative case study was to discover Second through Fifth Grade rural North Texas teacher perceptions focusing on reading and mathematics student achievement gaps resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. This study explores how the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown affected students not only academically but also socially…

The purpose of this quantitative research study was to determine the relationship between leadership styles, conflict caused by dysfunctions in administrative leadership teams, teacher morale, and student performance on the reading and math sections of the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR). A total of 58 elementary school…

The implementation of the Texas Essential of Knowledge and Skills and the passage of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act has prompted teachers to focus on student growth and how the interactions between principals and teachers can impact student achievement. The purpose of this quantitative predictive correlational study was to examine if and…

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a significant difference in test scores on the Grade Five Reading State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness involving male and female students identified as having the characteristics of dyslexia who received early dyslexia intervention and those who received late dyslexia intervention,…

The purpose of this study was to discover the relationship between individual student reading levels to mathematics levels utilizing the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, STAAR, scores for third- and fourth-grade students before and after the COVID-19 pandemic school closures. The study had four research questions examining third-…

In this investigation, the degree to which student enrollment (i.e., school size) at elementary schools was related to student progress on the State of Texas reading and mathematics state-mandated assessments was examined for White, Black, and Hispanic students. Archival data available on the Texas Academic Performance Report were analyzed for the…

This convergent mixed methods study examined six principals' literacy leadership practices and student literacy achievement in first grade. This study utilized TPRI data from the 2018-2019 school year and qualitative data from principal interviews from the same school year. Participants in this study included 354 first grade students and six…

In a time when educational leaders and stakeholders are called to do more to maximize student outcomes while drawing on dwindling resources, it is prudent to analyze all factors that contribute to increases in students' achievement trends. Earlier research has focused on the role teachers and principals have played in students' achievement. The…

Texas is booming thanks to economic opportunities that draw people to the Lone Star State. But beneath this success lies concerning trends that call into question if Texas students are ready to compete in the Lone Star economy. This report details how Texas students do not have the knowledge and skills to succeed as they move on to the next grade…

The current study was a longitudinal quasi-experimental quantitative study conducted to determine whether or not targeted small-group intervention impacted learning loss relative to the COVID-19 pandemic at a North Texas Title 1 elementary school. Reading and math benchmark and practice test scores from a cohort of 38 fifth-grade students at the…

The engage2learn approach to educator support provides an in-person and virtual coaching system that builds capacity and engagement in public schools. Engage2learn hired LXD Research to conduct an independent evaluation and analysis of NWEA Math and Reading data collected during the 2021-2022 school year. The goal was to measure how engage2learn…

The Every Student Succeeds Act requires that states make efforts to offer statewide achievement tests in languages, other than English, that are present to a significant extent in the state. Currently, four states offer Spanish reading or language arts assessments as part of their statewide testing program. In these states, practitioners may be…

The fifth-grade boys at an elementary school in Texas consistently perform lower than girls on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) reading portion. The gender gap in reading is not exclusive to this school. Boys score lower than girls on state-administered reading assessments each year in the United States (U.S.) and have…

The U.S. population has become more racially and ethnically diverse over time. The Latinx population growth makes Spanish the most common language encountered in non-native English-speaking populations such as Texas. The research objective of this study was to examine if implementing a One-Way Dual Language Education (DLE) Program could result in…