The purpose of this article is to promote a deeper, more complex understanding of the challenge that "recess time" poses to elementary school educators and to thereby understand the practices in which they are currently engaging. Because teachers are expected to shepherd students through a vast array of learning standards while remaining…

The state of Texas requires a reading inventory for all kinder, first, and second grades students, as well as the state assessment in reading for third grade. Educators face numerous challenges when attempting to teach children and meet the rigor on state assessments. In order for students to be successful on state assessments, teachers must…

This qualitative case study addressed instructional practices used by third-grade teachers teaching at Title I schools to provide strategies to teach higher-order thinking skills in reading comprehension. In Texas, third-grade students were required to take the reconstructed STAAR assessment at the end the 2022-2023 school year. The teachers…

Military-connected students experience behavioral, emotional, and academic concerns during their parents' deployments to other states or countries for training or defense of the United States of America. These military deployment cycles affect students with disabilities who struggle to learn at the same rate as their peers. The problem addressed…

Black and Brown men continue to be underrepresented in engineering. One explanation for the dearth of Black and Latino men in engineering is that engineering (and STEM) identity often is not inclusive of People of Color. As a result, Black and Brown boys may be less likely to become interested in STEM subjects. The purpose of this study, then, was…

Background: Over the past two decades, national attention has emphasized the critical role of early literacy and language instruction in preventing reading difficulties and improved our understanding of how young children learn to read. The research has established that students who are not strong readers by Grade 3 are less likely to build…

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, young children did not attend school in the traditional setting. However, many teachers, schools, and districts conducted online instruction to allow students to still learn despite the restrictions. After two years, teachers and students returned to the classrooms and schools. However, the time away from school…

Research suggests that executive function, motivation, transcription, and composition processes are implicated in the writing quality and productivity of children with and without learning difficulties. However, numerous components embedded within these constructs create both conceptual and empirical challenges to the study of written expression.…

For students who show inadequate response to research-based intervention, intensification of intervention using data-based decision making (DBDM) is recommended. There is a paucity of research on upper elementary students related to the efficacy of (a) word reading interventions and (b) DBDM procedures. This randomized controlled trial examined…

Students enrolled in public education schools in the State of Texas are required to participate in and secure passage of a norm-referenced state assessment in different grade levels and subject areas. The State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) is the norm-referenced assessment used for students in grades third through eighth, and…

This research uses a descriptive quantitative statistical design to examine campus-level results from the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR). The focus is on describing the achievement disparities between campuses that implemented Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE) programs and those implementing Dual Language (DL)…

In this investigation, the extent to which the mathematics performance of Texas Grade 3 students differed by their economic status (i.e., Not Poor, Moderately Poor, and Very Poor) was addressed. Three mathematics indicators (i.e., Approaches, Meets, and Masters Grade Level) from the 2015- 2016 Texas state-mandated mathematics assessment were…

End of year math scores in Texas elementary grade levels remain low. Teachers have an impact on their students' success; therefore, it is imperative teachers are confident in their ability to teach students so students can meet grade level expectations. The purposes of this study were to compare grade 3 math achievement based on gender of teacher…

The purpose of this study was to conduct a rigorous, external evaluation of the impact of the "Education Galaxy" Online Assessment, Practice, and Instruction programs on mathematics and reading achievement. Specifically, the study used a quasi-experimental (matched comparison) design that conforms with the requirements of the Every…

Reading below grade level at the elementary level continues to be an ongoing nationwide trend in many schools. With an increasing amount of struggling readers and the rising use of educational technology, it is important for school systems to understand the effectiveness of various types of available technology applications to support student…