Demographic trends in Texas continue to change and diversify the population; however, despite this trend, school districts and state officials continue to maintain a curriculum that is not relevant to this diverse population. Furthermore, studies show that Hispanic students, who represent 45% of the students in Texas public schools, have little…

The last five decades of educational research have shown the construct of teacher self-efficacy is related to student achievement: the higher the efficacy of the teacher, the greater the impact on the student. Additionally, teachers who demonstrate more of a growth mindset--a belief a person's intelligence can change--than a fixed mindset--a…

Six years ago, Front Range Community College President Andy Dorsey sat down with his team and looked at the college's completion and graduation rates. Like a lot of colleges, they were in for a shock. It is not that they had expected to see 80 percent completion rates. But they certainly were not expecting to see only 43 percent of their students…

The purpose of this study was to determine if teacher self-efficacy is influenced by peer coaching in elementary mathematics. Survey, interview, and demographic data were collected from a purposeful sample of first year elementary mathematics teachers within a large, suburban school district located in southeast Texas. "The Teachers' Sense of…

Research indicates multi-section coordination improves the academic performance of students in STEM education. This paper describes the process of coordination in Precalculus, Calculus 1, and Calculus 2 courses undertaken by a large department that grew from the merger of two institutions through a pilot program and a project grant. Components…

Social, emotional, and academic development (SEAD) is a holistic approach to supporting students' development and learning that is integral to ensuring positive outcomes in school and beyond. Schools must ensure students experience healthy development and rigorous learning. Unfortunately, students of color, students from low-income backgrounds,…

College student persistence is of the most challenging issues currently facing higher education. This study is an exploration of grit, tenacity, and perseverance as demonstrated by 43 first-year students at a small, teaching-intensive university in South Texas in response to two required exercises assigned in a first-year seminar. Student…

This phenomenological study follows an asset-based approach to understand how Latinx families utilize their cultural wealth in their children's education, and how teachers activate families' capitals to support their engagement. Data collected through focus groups reveal that the seven Latinx parents in the study use aspirational capital by…

Active learning spaces form an important part of university learning environments and have the potential to enhance student learning, yet studies on student and faculty perceptions of collaborative learning pedagogies indicate that many remain resistant. To overcome this resistance, an academic department developed and implemented an active…

Academic achievement in the nation's lowest performing schools is troubling. Despite improvements in students' overall academic achievement over the past few decades, proficiency gaps in reading and mathematics remain across income, racial, and ethnic groups. One promising strategy for reducing achievement gaps is to expand the school day, often…

The purpose of the present case study was to explore fourth-grade dual language learners' interactions with culturally relevant children's literature. The present study involved observations of six second- and third-generation immigrant students participating in read-aloud sessions with the teacher reading the text and the students responding…

This pilot study assessed how using electronic portfolios (ePortfolios) as a meta-high impact practice (meta-HIP) might influence student learning through reflective practice. Eleven undergraduates participating in a summer research program reflected weekly on their research experiences through building and using ePortfolios, and attended three…

This executive summary report includes results for Austin Partners in Education (APIE) programs in 2019-2020 including math classroom coaching, GEAR UP tutoring, college readiness, and mentoring. It highlights continued academic programs serving students in middle and high school and describes APIE support provided to teachers' instruction. As…

This study examines the COVID-19 shift to online instruction and its impact on a charter school system (CSS) 3rd-10th grade students' academic achievement through the lens of noncognitive factors. We recruited 693 students and utilized qualitative and quantitative analyses. We found that students' NWEA math and ELA scores continued to increase…

This study sought to determine how three teachers experienced learning when engaged in ongoing reflective inquiry regarding their teaching beliefs, teaching behaviors, and the comparison of those beliefs and behaviors. Three case studies describe teachers writing educational platforms, comparing their platforms to their classroom behaviors, and…