Teachers assess the efficacy of their instructional decisions through the dynamic, complex practice of assessment, but the variety of assessment processes underlines the many facets of teachers' assessment competencies. The development of practical professional learning opportunities that consider the variety of assessment approaches used in K-12…

Remedial courses have been part of the college landscape in the United States since at least the 1800s when nearly 250,000 students were placed into remedial courses. Traditionally, students who enrolled in remedial courses were placed into that course solely based on one test score. Students who enrolled in traditional remedial courses were more…

A significant teacher shortage exists across the United States due to factors ranging from accountability policies for the performance growth of students, the overwhelming workload due to teacher shortages, and the lack of competitive salaries that other professions offer. Consequently, state officials have introduced and implemented changes to…

The purpose of this descriptive analysis study was to investigate high school music teachers' levels of satisfaction with the teacher evaluation practices used by administrators and music supervisors in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Virginia high school music teachers (n = 76) were surveyed to collect data used to determine their levels of…

In 2014, the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) communicated a plan to replace five Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments with alternative assessments based on legislation passed by the Virginia General Assembly (VDOE, 2014b, p. 1). School districts were able to choose the type of alternative assessment to implement, yet they were…

The purpose of this professional practice dissertation (PPD) is to examine and provide Fluvanna County Public Schools practical and real-world solutions with regards to continuous improvement within its performance evaluation platform. This process was examined and analyzed through a qualitative action research approach and design and presents a…

The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to investigate kindergarten teachers' beliefs about literacy and the relevance of assessments at the kindergarten level, the literacy skills kindergarteners should possess, how these skills are acquired, to what extent their beliefs about literacy influenced their instructional…

The associate degree nursing program offered at a privately owned, regionally accredited career college in central Virginia was placed under conditional approval by the Virginia Board of Nursing (VBON) due to low NCLEX[R]-RN pass rates and nine other violations of regulation. The lack of VBON approval for the nursing program resulted in the…

The evolution of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) pedagogy into the public school system has been an initiative since the 1970s. This has failed timelessly because of the lack of professional development and framework for teaching this curriculum. Participants understood that STEM is an important concept for their students.…

This quantitative research examined the effect of the implementation of project-based learning and assessment on the standardized test scores of high school students. Data were collected through a quantitative approach using standardized test scores for ninth-grade students taking the end-of-course World History and Geography to 1500 A.D. (C.E.)…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the assessment literacy of Virginia principals and describe how principals with varying levels of assessment literacy integrate assessment leadership practices that support assessment for learning. This study investigated the differences in assessment literacy between elementary and secondary principals…

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) cemented a standardized testing assessment culture in the United States but research has highlighted the inequities (Au, 2020; Dixon, 1978; Grodsky et al., 2008; Khan, 2020; Moses & Nanna, 2007), unreliability (Hunt et al., 2010; Pizmony-Levy & Green Saraisky, 2016) and negative impacts (Berryhill et al., 2009;…

Barriers to education and training can have a generational impact on socioeconomic status and economic development. Post-traditional students have been shown to experience a variety of barriers to education and family-sustaining employment. Social capital has been shown to help alleviate some of the barriers for students, resulting in stronger…

Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), like other community colleges, does not require Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) scores or similar entrance examinations for admission. However, new college applicants must demonstrate their levels of reading, writing, and mathematics skills to determine whether they need developmental courses to prepare…

Retention is a continuing concern for institutions of higher education, especially rural community colleges. Students are often not prepared for the rigor of college-level coursework, encounter academic and/or life obstacles, or do not possess the soft skills needed to succeed in college life. Research has shown that college-preparation courses…