The global pandemic left many schools across the country content with low expectations regarding student achievement (Gross & Opalka, 2020). It seemed as though learning loss and academic struggles would become the norm for students throughout the country, particularly in mathematics. Though few states could maintain or improve math…

Without question, faculty (regardless of discipline) should be equipped with the necessary skills to assess students fairly and ethically. This study focuses on the central and prevailing importance of faculty judgment and how that judgment (or lack thereof) influences perceptions related to ethics and assessment of students. The study outlines…

The aim of this article is to discuss a portfolio of interventions used to improve student outcomes in an accredited southeastern university's baccalaureate nursing program. Faculty identified three specific student-focused issues challenging student learning: (a) a steady trend of increasing student enrollment, (b) increased difficulty level of…

This study examined the relationships between enabling structures, academic optimism, and student achievement to determine whether academic optimism served as a mediator between the two. Student achievement was measured using both criterion-referenced and norm-referenced tests. Findings indicated a relationship between academic optimism, enabling…

Many of today's adolescents are constantly engaging with information through texting, watching videos, listening to music, and even writing papers. Learning to interact properly with information through writing presents a challenge for the students because they are employing all of these applications at once and believe that they are multitasking…

This case focuses on one parent's request to have his daughter exempted from district-mandated computer tests (called STAR Enterprise tests). These tests are administered several times per year as a formative assessment to gauge student achievement in the areas of reading and math. The parent was concerned that the district was spending too much…

Phipps, Osborne, Dyer, and Ball, (2008) posited that, "Agricultural education in secondary schools has played an important role in enhancing student achievement in the core subject areas…" (p. 4), while Enderlin and Osborne (1992) reported that agricultural students received higher test scores in biology than students in other science…

This research analyzed the teacher-directed instruction against the effectiveness of inquiry-based instruction at a subject school in Alabama for 5th grade science and mathematics. The Alabama school changed the science and mathematics curriculum for a period of 3 years and in the process became an Alabama Math, Science and Technology (AMSTI)…

Despite the importance of literacy skill training for incarcerated youth, a very limited number of empirically based research studies have examined reading instruction in correctional facilities. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the Fast ForWord computer-assisted reading program improved the reading and spelling abilities of…

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the size of Alabama's public high schools, selected school quality and financial indicators, and their students' performance on standardized exams. When the socioeconomic level of the student bodies is held constant, the size of high schools in Alabama has relatively little…

The purpose of this study was to compare Alabama's rural school districts with its city, suburban, and town districts. Descriptive statistics were used for this population study, with effect sizes calculated using Cohen's d. Findings indicated Alabama's rural school districts serve slightly less affluent student populations, with a lower…

Student self-report data from 933 Black middle school students and standardized mathematics test scores (SAT-10) were used to examine the relationship among student perceptions of teacher expectations and reform instructional practices, aspects of student motivation, and three student mathematics performance outcomes--time spent studying, expected…

Argues that student who invested 12 years working hard, studying, and obeying teachers deserves diploma even though diploma's value may be suspect. In some states, like Alabama, value of 12-year investment can be reduced to zero by single multiple-choice test score. Schools must treat all students fairly by considering multiple intelligences and…

Today, many classroom teachers are busy preparing for standardized tests. The No Child Left Behind Act encourages such behavior. Little time is left to devote to subjects that previously were considered a vital part of the curriculum, such as social studies, physical education, art, and music. Needless to say, if these subjects have taken a back…

When students already are achieving at high levels, it can be easy for teachers to become complacent. However, Mountain Brook Schools in suburban Birmingham, Alabama, has developed a culture committed to continuous improvement that has resulted in an excellent system becoming outstanding. The key is professional development. Professional learning…