The Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) program at the University of Minnesota is a primary academic support program for historically difficult, introductory college courses that serve as gatekeepers to academic degree programs. This document is the training manual used for the new PAL facilitators that manage the small study groups. Based upon operating…

A variety of recent research has shown that the academic achievement gap has been growing between low- and middle-income students. Socioeconomic status has proven to have a large influence on academic attainment as well as the educational opportunities that a child is offered. This paper argues that, because poverty significantly affects children…

There is growing evidence that the lack of competence of university ESL (English as a second language) students in academic writing affects their overall academic performance. Olivas and Li (2006) connected low second-language proficiency levels in English to poor academic performance of international students studying at both university and…

This report provides a description of Austin Independent School District (AISD) English language learner (ELL) student enrollment in the district during school year 2011-2012, examines ELL progress in English proficiency and academic content areas, and evaluates the dual language program in its first year of district wide implementation. A…

Gaps in achievement test scores continue to exist in students depending upon race, gender, income, and ethnicity according to the Center on Education Policy (CEP), an advocate for public schools. School districts and schools are struggling to close the achievement gap that exists. In the 2010-2011 school years, 34.4% of African American students…

The achievement gap in the United States develops when millions of children enter the classroom on their first day of kindergarten. The sociological effects of the achievement gap as it relates to the racial and socio-economic strata create cyclical, systemic problems in our country that ultimately affect the next generations of children in our…

This paper explores three trends related to the Hispanic community in the US. First we are interested in identifying the achievement scores and graduation rates of Hispanic students. Second, we are interested in Hispanic populations as library patrons. And third, we are interested in how Hispanic book characters are portrayed in literature for…

We evaluated students' satisfaction with aspects of college life and its relation to grades and retention. We compared scores of males and females as well of students with and without disabilities. We also explored the relationship between personal and college related obstacles and facilitators, on the one hand, and satisfaction and academic…

This study examines factors contributing to the poor academic performance of tenth grade high school students. Throughout my eight years teaching experience at this grade-level, the one constant from class to class and year-to year is the academic decline. This decline typically starts at the end of ninth grade, becomes obvious and serious in…

The emphasis on multicultural education and cultural competency has been a popular subject among teacher educators and scholars (Cochran-Smith, 2001; Ladson-Billings, 1995, 1999a, 1999b; Ladson-Billings, 2003, 2006; Perry, Moore, Acosta, Edwards, & Frey, 2006; Sleeter, 2008, 2009; Sleeter & Stillman, 2005; Sleeter,1991, 2001, 2008; Sleeter…

How can public school teachers effectively address the epidemic of poor reading comprehension amongst the nation's youth? How can teachers address the respective needs of every student in the classroom and improve reading comprehension skills simultaneously? The aforementioned inquiries were used by the researchers to investigate best practices in…

Experiencing FPBL (Free Project Based Learning) can develop effective content delivery for both teachers and students. With FPBL where students are free to choose their own projects they become intrinsically more motivated and self-confident. In this research study two groups (control group and experiment group) of students are used and two exams…

This paper examines the Algebra II course and California Star Test (CST) proficiency levels in the San Francisco Bay Area and in the State of California. CST proficiency levels are examined by grade level for the State and nine counties of the San Francisco Bay Area region. Algebra II is shown to be one of the more complicated courses in the CSU…

Using quantile regression analyses, this study examines gender gaps in mathematics, science, and reading in Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Jordan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Qatar, Tunisia, and Turkey among 15 year-old students. The analyses show that girls in Azerbaijan achieve as well as boys in mathematics and science and overachieve in reading. In Jordan,…

This chapter focuses on the instruction of diverse students in mainstream classrooms. The first part summarizes academic achievement of diverse students from different ethnicity, gender, language and social class. The second part discusses the characteristics of different diverse instruction. The third part suggests specific instructional…