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…

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…

Elementary school teachers in testing grades have had different responsibilities over the years. Urban schools are constantly expected to provide students with a more intense curriculum and rigorous instruction. The duties and responsibilities of a first-year teacher directly affect how novice teachers judge their performance and effectiveness.…

Background: The number of English learner (EL) students has been steadily increasing within the United States and currently includes more than 5M students. The National Education Association (2020) estimated that by 2025, nearly 25% of all learners will be EL students. Curricula, interventions, and assessments for both diagnostic and academic…

Background/Context: The U.S has experienced years of lost progress in math because of the COVID-19 pandemic (NAEP, n.d.a). Fraction understanding is widely characterized as the gatekeeper to algebra (Booth et al., 2012; National Mathematics Advisory Panel, 2008) and can support success in middle and high school math (Bailey et al., 2012; Booth et…

Humanizing family engagement practices seek to foster the community cultural wealth and funds of knowledge to working with and for immigrant families and communities. In this manuscript we explore asset-based theories for working alongside families and communities in our schools, with a focus on classroom examples for involving parents and…

Writing is the highest developmental skill in the acquisition of literacy skills and a skill that is not easy to teach in the classroom. If students are unable to verbally express an idea, they are even less likely to be able to express it in writing. The pattern of students lacking ability in writing is one that has been tracked through the…

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…

This study examined the extent to which student perceptions of classroom openness and personal characteristics were associated with civic engagement. Survey data including student perceptions of classroom openness, which indicates perceived levels of social and political discussions in the classroom, and personal characteristics such as gender,…

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…

This study employed a discourse analysis methodology to compare Korean bilingual students in first and third grades by examining different functions and forms of translanguaging in Korean heritage language classrooms in the U.S. By identifying linguistic functions and forms of each translanguaging occurrence, the study presents that the bilingual…

The Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum has been implemented in numerous school districts to cultivate positive behaviors and diminish inappropriate conduct and behavioral issues. Beyond enhancing students' interpersonal relationships, essential skills such as relationship-building, responsible decision-making, and empathy enable…

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…

In the present study, researchers used problem-posing instruction to examine elementary students' understanding of multiplication. Students in fourth and fifth grade classrooms (n = 24) from a rural school district participated in a semester-long study. The focus of this study was examining student solutions to two specific lessons with problems…

Coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting global health crisis, George Floyd's murder was broadcast on social media and popular news (The Marshall Project, 2021). While COVID-19 reports demonstrated the ways Communities of Color and rural communities were disproportionately disadvantaged in the U.S. healthcare system (Artiga et al.,…