The current study was a retrospective mixed-methods quasi-experimental design (QED) study to determine the effects of Progress Learning on Grades 6-8 mathematics and ELA achievement by comparison growth on the Georgia Milestones Mathematics and ELA assessments of students who received Progress Learning services, in relation to students that did…

The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental causal comparative research study is to determine if there is a statistically significant difference in reading and math achievement as measured by the Georgia Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) for sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students with disabilities (SWD) who attended the…

Engineering and integrated STEM experiences are being promoted at the K-12 level to increase interest and retention in STEM and to reinforce learning of mathematics and science content. However, research is still emerging regarding best practices for curriculum development, student impacts, and transfer of knowledge across disciplines. The purpose…

Student perceptions of school climate represent the ways students feel about the school environment. These include perceptions regarding safety, teaching and learning, and relationships within the school. It has been found that student perceptions of school climate are positively correlated with academic achievement (Brookover et al., 1978), and…

This article features Smokey Road Middle School, a Title I school serving 850 middle level students in grades 6-8. The school is located on the outskirts of Newnan, Georgia, a historic city of approximately 27,000 residents. The growth and development of the Coweta County School District is largely attributed to its close proximity to Atlanta. In…

This article presents an interview with Sheila Kahrs, principal of Haymon-Morris Middle School in Winder, Georgia, and the 2010 MetLife/NASSP National Middle Level Principal of the Year. Haymon-Morris Middle School has 815 in enrollment, 50 teachers, and 33 staff members. She talks about her leadership philosophy with her teachers and assistant…

This study examined the relationship between principal turnover rate, percentage of minority students, percentage of students with disabilities, and percentage of students who are economically disadvantaged and student achievement in reading/English language arts and math measured by Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) on the Georgia Criterion…

This study examines the effects of two test modifications--resource guide and read-aloud--on the reading performance of students within the context of a large-scale statewide assessment in Georgia. Schools were both randomly selected and assigned to one of three possible test conditions: resource guide, read-aloud, or standard test condition.…

The purpose of this study was to examine the academic achievement of students with disabilities compared to students without disabilities on standardized assessments. This study collected archival data from urban middle schools in six school districts in the State of Georgia. Data was collected from students in grades six through eight on the…

The purpose of this study was to compare the academic performance of students enrolled in coeducational instruction and single-gender instruction. Within this framework, the researcher examined class type, gender, and racial/ethnicity using the sixth grade CRCT scores of selected students in the areas of mathematics and science. The fifth-grade…

RELATIONSHIPS WERE STUDIED OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN'S SELF-CONCEPTS TO ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, INTELLIGENCE, AND MANIFEST ANXIETY. SUBJECTS (270) WERE SELECTED FROM A GROUP OF APPROXIMATELY 600 FOURTH- AND SIXTH-GRADE PUPILS WHO WERE ADMINISTERED THE FOLLOWING GROUP TESTS--(1) SELF-CONCEPT SCALE, (2) CHILD SELF-DESCRIPTION SCALE, (3) CHILDREN'S…

A collaborative partnership provides school administrators and university researchers an opportunity to evaluate a school-based initiative. Richards Middle School (RMS) in Columbus, Georgia identified school improvement goals and involved university researchers in a collaborative evaluation with implications for strengthening leadership, training,…

This study analyzed data from statewide criterion referenced competency tests (CRCTs), used to determine whether a child is retained in grade, investigating whether trends and differences in scores across Georgia for students from similar family backgrounds could be linked to failing this test twice in elementary school. The study explored whether…

This pilot study investigated the effects of allowing sixth-grade students in a rural south Georgia school to use stress balls during direct instruction and independent practice. Data from learning style inventories, surveys, journals, teacher observations, and formal assessments were collected for 29 sixth-grade students in a language arts class.…