In a multicultural democratic society, the increasing demographic diversity within and across nation-states calls attention to pedagogical knowledge and skills needed to engage students in discussing controversial cultural issues (CCIs). Woven in the intersection of democratic education and multicultural education, this qualitative study sought to…

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) [Achieve, Inc. [2013]] represent a broad consensus that teaching and learning expectations must change. Rather than memorizing and reciting information, students are now expected to engage in science practices to develop a deep understanding of core science ideas. While we want to share in the optimism…

The United States economy is requiring employees to have knowledge and skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Researchers have identified agriculture, food, and natural resources (AFNR) education as a context in which STEM concepts can be formally taught and highlighted. Additionally, researchers have identified where,…

The K-8 Early Implementers Initiative has found that careful planning is critical. With thin planning, unexpected detours or dead ends are likely. However, with solid planning, districts are more likely to achieve their implementation goals and may discover some express lanes for their implementation journey. This evaluation report documents…

Teachers' ability to effectively enact the ambitious vision of the NGSS depends on their understanding of the conceptual and instructional shifts required, and their interpretation of how to implement these shifts in their classrooms. Thus, understanding teachers' practical knowledge regarding the shifts is an important step in supporting them to…

Globally, attention to quality and accreditation in higher education continues trending upward. This is attributable to a number of factors, such as the internationalisation of higher education, stakeholders demanding accountability, international rankings; parents and students wanting assurance that a diploma equals employment. Universities and…

Purpose: Our primary purpose is to examine the implementation of college- and- career- readiness content standards in Kentucky, Ohio, and Texas through the lens of distributed leadership theory, and to determine the affordances and challenges of this distributed leadership through the lens of policy attribute theory. Research Methods/Approach: We…

Purpose: In 2010, the Russian Federation began introducing the new educational standards as a national reform designed to improve education quality. This study aims to identify how teachers feel about the reform to evaluate its intermediate effects. Design/methodology/approach: The study took place in Tatarstan, one of the regions of Russia. The…

There is a growing body of literature emphasizing the use of the schoolyard as a teaching tool, however there is limited research that investigates how to support the development of schoolyard pedagogy. Plains Public Schools is home to 17 elementary schools, 12 of which include one or more features of an enhanced schoolyard, such as garden beds.…

This paper connects the technological practice of activity monitor gaming to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) science and engineering practice of "analyzing and interpreting data," and to the foundational constructionist idea of personal meaning. In our larger study, eighth-grade students, ages 12-14, wore physical activity…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore sense-making of early childhood (EC) leaders in EC services rated as exceeding/excellent in Australian accreditation. Design/methodology/approach: An interpretivist ontology and social constructivist epistemology informs the study. The conceptual framework uses the concept of sense-making to explore…

Writing is a cornerstone in the K-12 experience. Students write to demonstrate, support, and deepen understanding of themselves, their relationships, and their world--and to succeed on achievement tests in all subjects. Writing proficiency sets students up for postsecondary success and workforce participation. It facilitates their social and civic…

Kindergarten in the United States has fundamentally changed. It is the new first grade where children are taught increased academic content and experience more standardized testing. There is much debate among education stakeholders about these changes, but such discussions are often siloed-- making it difficult to know whether these changes…

Preparing, inducting, mentoring, and retaining new music teachers remain concerns in our profession. This article began as a study of first-year music teachers who made regular entries in secure electronic journals and participated in mid- and end-of-year interviews. We initially sought to understand these new teachers' experiences related to…

The Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast and Islands (REL-NEI) partnered with the New York State Education Department (NYSED) to examine the pathways used by students to attain a Regents diploma at the outset of a new policy expanding those pathways in June 2015. Under the new 4+1 pathways policy, students could replace one of the two…