Students deserve to see representations of themselves in the books that they read, but with low amounts of culturally diverse books being published, this is not an easy feat. Students are exposed to a wide variety of literature in their classrooms, and as the need increases for culturally responsive teaching, it is important to explore how…

A quasi-experimental design investigated the effectiveness of three reading intervention types in increasing reading comprehension, both explicit and implicit, using a sample of 78 students, approximately 17% of the population of third through fifth grades at a single-school, rural, K-12, Central Texas school district with an enrollment of…

In this empirical study we examined the effect of a literacy-infused science intervention on fifth grade economically challenged students' science achievement in the curriculum-based and standardized assessments. A total of 27 treatment students and 20 comparison students from two intermediate schools in a rural district in South Texas in the…

This study utilized a causal comparative (ex post facto) design to determine if a consistent relationship existed between fifth-grade students' success on the Science Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) at the elementary (K-5) level in comparison to fifth-grade students' success on the science TAKS at the intermediate (5-6) level. The…

Purpose/Objectives: The new nutrition standards for the school meal programs implemented in 2012 align the school meal patterns with the US Dietary Guidelines for Americans, including more fruit, vegetable and whole grain offerings and minimum and maximum amount of calories per meal averaged over a week. The purpose of this study was to assess…

The purpose of this study was to determine if grade level configuration and student achievement in science, specifically fifth grade Science TAKS scores are related. This study utilized a causal comparative (ex post facto) design to determine if a consistent relationship existed between fifth grade students' success on the science TAKS at the…

Mentoring and support of beginning teachers is a key element of reducing teacher attrition. Most schools have implemented an induction program with assigned mentors for inexperienced teachers. However, the problem of attrition begins before the induction year of teaching, given that many certified teachers never enter a classroom. This…

"This We Believe" (NMSA, 2010) advocated the training of teachers in programs designed to specifically prepare middle level teachers. Teacher education programs are challenged to provide instruction in content, pedagogy and dispositions. Many colleges and universities have included field experience to enhance teacher dispositions among…

Purpose: The purpose of this dissertation was to determine the extent to which school instructional calendar configuration (i.e., year-round or traditional) influenced Grade 5 student academic performance as reflected on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test as a function of student ethnicity (i.e., Hispanic, White, and Black)…

The following study investigated the relationship between teacher effectiveness, as defined by the teacher's proficiency score on Domain VIII of the Texas Professional Development and Appraisal System (PDAS), and student achievement on the fourth- and fifth-grade Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) reading and mathematics tests. This…

The Houston Independent School District's (HISD) educational program at the Harris County Juvenile Detention Center provided instruction to the 1,138 youths residing at that facility from August 1990 to March 1991. The youth at the Detention Center had been detained by Harris County Law Enforcement Officials and were awaiting court action. The…

A two-year collaborative effort between the Texas Education Agency, the University of North Texas, and the Garland Independent School District developed a model at-risk program for large school districts. The program's two phases were developing a core group of personnel and conducting train the trainer activities. (JOW)

The Star of the Republic Museum (Washington, Texas), the Historical Museum of the Texas Republic, has created lesson plans to enhance student understanding of Texas state history. Regardless of the opportunity to visit the museum, the lessons can enrich the classroom experience by making objects from the museum accessible to students. The…

Summarizes a study to determine the importance that 77 east Texas middle school principals accorded middle school concepts and to discover degree of concepts' implementation. Survey respondents considered the majority of 30 middle school characteristics important. There were considerable gaps between perceived importance and actual implementation…

Describes the writing experiences of a group of gifted fifth and sixth grade students in the Active Learning Experiences in Resourceful Thinking (ALERT) program in Abilene, Texas. (HTH)