Educational disparity has been a long-standing social and political concern, and is a grand challenge for social work because of its implications for equal opportunity and social justice. As stewards of social justice in public K-12 educational settings, school social workers help students gain access to and effectively use resources and support…

This study investigates how STEM teachers use inquiry-based learning (IBL) to address achievement-related diversity in their classroom practices. Data were collected from three teachers who participated in a long-term in-service teacher training program. Teachers' views were elicited through interviews, in-class observation, and evaluation forms.…

This paper evaluates the Zones of Choice (ZOC) program in Los Angeles, a school choice initiative that created small high school markets in some neighborhoods but left traditional attendance-zone boundaries in place throughout the rest of the district. We study the impacts of ZOC on student achievement and college enrollment using a matched…

The Robust and Equitable Measures to Inspire Quality Schools, or "REMIQS," project is guided by two questions. The first is, "where are the highest-performing schools in traditional settings that consistently promote improved outcomes for our most underserved students?" The second question is, "what practices, policies,…

The "achievement gap" has long dominated mainstream conversations about race and education. Some scholars warn that the discourse around racial gaps perpetuates stereotypes and promotes the adoption of deficit-based explanations that fail to appreciate the role of structural inequities. I investigate through three randomized experiments.…

The purpose of this qualitative, multi-case study was to explore the perceptions of administrators in an urban border district in deep South Texas. This study gleaned the perceptions of administrators with regard to best practices in early literacy success in underrepresented groups of students, namely English Language Learners (ELLs), in an urban…

In 2011, the U.S. Department of Education granted states the opportunity to apply for waivers from the core requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. In exchange, many states implemented systems of differentiated accountability that included a focus on schools with the largest achievement gaps between subgroups of students. We use…

Although gender differences in mathematics are smaller than they have been in the past, prominent voices still attribute these differences to a variety of fixed individual factors, such as genetic characteristics of men and women. We hold the alternative view that these differences can be ultimately attributed to malleable factors. From this…

The primary aims of this study were two-fold: (1) to describe average change in the written narrative performance of second grade students from the fall and spring of the school year; and (2) examine patterns of individual growth to test for Matthew effects. Participants included 299 children in second grade. Microstructural measures were derived…

We used the Stanford education data archive (SEDA) data to examine the heterogeneity among urban school districts in the United States. The SEDA 2.1 includes data sets on students' mathematics (Math) and English language arts (ELA) achievement from 2008 to 2014 at the district level. Growth mixture modeling was used to uncover the underlying…

Empirical evidence suggests children's socio-emotional skills--an important determinant of school achievement--vary according to socioeconomic family background. This study assesses the degree to which differences in socio-emotional skills contribute to the achievement gap between socioeconomically advantaged and disadvantaged children. We used…

This study investigates the digital competence levels of Lebanese student teachers and in-service teachers using the DigCompEdu framework. The study employs a cross-sectional descriptive survey design, analyzing data from 170 in-service teachers with varying years of experience and 399 student teachers across five academic years. Results indicate…

It is widely argued that the arts have a range of cultural, economic, and educational benefits. However, under state austerity arts curricula are devalued in favour of industry skills. To address this gap in arts education, a new type of student focussed informal arts engagement program has emerged. This article draws on a qualitative study of…

Educational research acknowledges the significant challenges faced by racialized minority students at school. This interview-based study examines the experiences of racialized minority students in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking region in Belgium, regarding a social science curriculum that addresses the power dynamics and privilege involved in…

As in many countries, for decades in Aotearoa (New Zealand), we have heard the story of the Pacific and Maori achievement gap in mathematics. This has become a widely accepted part of beliefs constructed across multiple communities about students and schools and who can do and learn mathematics successfully. A common response by policy makers and…