A simple act of motivation priming can significantly impact the validity of test results, which is crucial for institutional accountability. The progression of the studies discussed in this article illustrates a clear trajectory of building upon previous findings to refine and expand the understanding of motivation priming when gathering…

In this article, we describe a researcher-practitioner partnership (RPP) that used a networked improvement community (NIC) approach to translate social-psychological interventions into educational practices to enhance student motivation and learning. Specifically, we highlight one of our first collaborative projects to develop and scale up an…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to establish if teacher engagement influenced student success in alternative education among schools within the Capital City of Virginia as well as the Central Region of Virginia. Teacher perception was examined qualitatively by using the phenomenological research technique to ascertain how teachers…

We present results of an evaluation of the first year of a multi-year comprehensive middle school reading program. Four public middle schools in rural Virginia with large populations of students with limited reading proficiency participated in a study to determine the reading program's impact. We evaluated 235 students with low reading achievement…

We conducted a self-study to learn more about how to support the first author's pre-service teachers (PSTs) during their field experiences in an introductory secondary mathematics methods course. The findings highlight how the PSTs' perceptions of the secondary students' mathematics ability was closely related to how they viewed the students'…

The Virginia Tech Summer Academy (VTSA) Program, developed by through a collaborative partnership between faculty, administrators and staff concerned by attrition among first year students, was introduced in summer 2012 as a campus initiative to assist first-year college students transition and acclimate to the academic and social systems of the…

Background: During the middle school years, students frequently show significant declines in motivation toward school in general and mathematics in particular. One way in which researchers have sought to spark students' interests and build their sense of competence in mathematics and in STEM more generally is through the use of technology. Yet…

Prior classroom management training makes a big difference in faculty's ability to handle disputes with students. This type of training should be included in faculty orientation activities. The research presented in this article indicates that success in dealing with behaviorally challenging students is possible if the likely areas of dispute are…

Pedagogical approaches that incorporate learning technologies into lessons and coursework have had promising results in relation to students' motivation to learn. Tablet PCs have been identified as one form of instructional technology that can facilitate learning among engineering undergraduates since this medium allows for drawing on the computer…

Dominion High School opened its doors in fall 2003 in the highly diverse, fast-growing region of Loudoun County, Virginia, with a student body of nearly 700 students in grades 9-11. A dedicated faculty and a supportive community welcomed students to the school and began working toward a collaborative vision that promoted the success of every…

This newsletter focuses on strategies middle grades schools are using to prepare more students for success in high school. This is part of a series of newsletters describing best practices for implementing the HSTW, MMGW and TCTW (High Schools That Work, Making Middle Grades Work, Technology Centers That Work) school improvement models. The series…