Article 1: One-on-one tutoring is the most effective teaching arrangement. Most schools and families, however, cannot afford to provide each child with a tutor. Peer tutoring in classrooms, a more feasible and scalable learning arrangement, increases learning for both tutors and tutees, but peer tutors' efficacy is often limited by their didactic…

The purpose of this research study was to explore how parents in a large school district in Florida perceive the referral process leading to their children placement in Special Education. Participants in the study were 12 parents of special needs students whose children were, at the time of the study, receiving Special Education related services…

Technology is an increasing part in the lives of junior high students, but little is known about how this technology affects their reading. Reading comprehension from e-books is compared to reading comprehension from conventional print books with junior high students. The problem is that students may be reading from a medium that is less than the…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate whether or not informational writing in the science curriculum would impact fifth grade students' science achievement and conceptual understanding. The population of this study came from a metropolitan school district in the state of Georgia for school year 2012-2013. The quantitative data…

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to investigate urban middle school teachers' descriptions of their competency in the current National Education Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS-T). The study also investigated how urban middle school teachers currently use technology to support their teaching and student learning. Research…

Middle school students identified with emotional and behavioral disorders exhibit problem behaviors and often lack the social and academic skills necessary to be successful students. Moreover, these students display low academic motivation, earn failing grades, and have high rates of suspension due to unsafe and inappropriate behaviors. Using a…

This study sought to determine the effectiveness of the "Language!" reading curriculum and a school district-developed grade-level reading curriculum in raising student reading scores on Tennessee state-mandated tests and to determine if student attitudes toward academic and recreational reading differ based on reading curriculum. The…

Classroom teachers draw upon a variety of discourses to understand and make decisions about the students they teach. This case study investigation explored the discourses at work in inclusion classrooms, with particular attention paid to the way in which discourses may impact the problem of overrepresentation in special education. Frameworks that…

The present study used a multiple-baseline, single-case experimental design to investigate effects of three sequential experimental conditions on frequency of correct word sequences (CWS) and construction of simple sentences per 1-minute. Sentence Instruction, Frequency Building to a Performance Criteria (FBPC), and Paragraph Instruction comprised…

This research compares differences between standardized test scores in problem-based learning (PBL) classrooms and a traditional classroom for 6th grade students using a mixed-method, quasi-experimental and qualitative design. The research shows that problem-based learning is as effective as traditional teaching methods on standardized tests. The…

An advantageous outcome of scientific inquiry is the creation of a community of professionals who were experienced in the gathering and use of student data and contributed to it through their own research. Although researchers had offered a range of explanations, a model for realizing this concern was nonexistent. The purpose of this study was to…

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 guides school policies on teaching and assessment and promotes school interventions that focus on learner-centered pedagogy. Despite this emphasis on learner-centered pedagogy, significant numbers of Title I elementary students in Florida achieved below state standards from 2006 to 2009. This study used…

Frequently, students learn in science classes taught like traditional reading courses in which reading texts and answering questions is the main activity. The problem at one southern middle school is that students are not developing an understanding of science concepts and are doing poorly on standardized testing. Students are seldom given the…

Only recently have school districts across the nation begun to offer Algebra I to all eighth grade students. Currently, most eighth grade Algebra I curriculum does not have a national consistent focus of topics or level of rigor. A key issue of implementing Algebra I in eighth grade is defining national Algebra I concepts and skills that students…

The transitional period between elementary and middle school remains an area of concern for educators. Many middle schools are plagued with retention issues, core class failures, increased discipline problems, and decreased attendance rates among students during their transitional period. The issues increase for students labeled as at-risk…