Addressing the social and emotional learning of students can lead to increased social and emotional functioning, improved classroom and school behavior, and increased academic performance. This study investigated the effectiveness of a social and emotional learning (SEL) intervention program in a middle school in central Georgia. The study…

Effectively evaluating the credibility and accuracy of multiple sources is critical for college readiness. We developed 24 source evaluation tasks spanning four predicted difficulty levels of a hypothesized learning progression (LP) and piloted these tasks to evaluate the utility of an LP-based approach to designing formative literacy assessments.…

Middle school is a risky period, marked by increased peer victimization, and the onset of several mental disorders, including suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs). Parental involvement is critical to students' well-being; however, few studies have examined the role of parental involvement among middle school students or its effect on their…

The STEMITL project is an interdisciplinary collaboration between a Southeastern University's middle grades education department and local PDS partner school districts incorporating six full-day immersive projects for seventh-grade students. During the 2016-2017 academic year, seventh-grade students were brought to the university's newly…

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…

This manuscript shares the implementation of an after-school literacy in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) program designed for middle grades students to increase their interest in science and mathematics learning. This program was conducted at our local Boys and Girls Club facilities where students learned about four…

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…

The purpose of this study was to follow the learning trajectory of a beginning teacher attempting to implement active learning instructional methods in a middle grades classroom. The study utilized a qualitative case study methodological approach with the researcher in the role of participant observer. Three research questions were explored: the…

The purpose of this qualitative action research study was to explore middle school inclusion teacher perceptions to overcome barriers to successful DI implementation in reading for students with special needs. Inclusion reading teachers are faced with the challenge of providing classroom instruction to students with varying abilities, levels, and…

Inquiry-based learning approaches have been promoted as an instructional method for students at all levels. An inquiry approach requires students to discover or construct knowledge through relevant activities and personal investigations. Due to the student driven nature of inquiry learning, it is reasonable to believe that students will become…

Like their students, middle school agricultural education instructors are a unique group with special needs and concerns. However, the needs of middle school teachers and their programs may be misunderstood and overlooked in the professional world when compared to secondary teachers and programs. While middle school programs are still relatively…

A comparative analysis was used to study the results from a descriptive survey of selected middle school students in Grades 6, 7, and 8. Student responses to the survey tool was used to compare multiple variables of music participation and duration of various musical activities, such as singing and performing on instruments, to the mathematics…

We expect that word knowledge accumulates gradually. This article draws on earlier approaches to assessing depth, but focuses on one dimension: richness of semantic knowledge. We present results from a study in which three distinct item types were developed at three levels of depth: knowledge of common usage patterns, knowledge of broad topical…

The current Georgia study examines middle-school-aged gang and non-gang members regarding the risk factors of gang membership and potential effects of these risk factors on academic achievement. Participants, 406 eighth grade students from a suburban middle-school, completed a 42-item survey assessing an array of demographic and risk factor…

To address whether or not modifications in test administration influence item functioning for students with disabilities on a high-stakes statewide problem-solving assessment, a sample of 868 students (with and without disabilities) from 74 Georgia schools were randomly assigned to one of three testing conditions (resource guide, calculator, or…