Virtual reality (VR) has evolved to include non-immersive to fully-immersive experiences for the classroom. This study seeks to understand the potential effects VR may offer, specifically characteristics associated with how a student experiences a VR intervention and the effects of using a VR device for learning. A group experimental design was…

With the proliferation of information on how to use data to inform instruction for more than two decades, district leaders, principals, and other stakeholders assume teachers know how to use the cycle of inquiry process to improve student achievement. This case study is an examination of the practice of data use in seven schools in one urban…

There is a dearth of existing literature pertaining to the use of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in school counseling; which may be beneficial when addressing student concerns such as social anxiety and decreased social networks. This article discusses the overlap of ACT with comprehensive school counseling programs and culminates with a…

The meteoric rise in charter schools has several implications for traditional public schools and their students. One understudied implication is the geographic competition for students. Given traditional public school boundaries are often fixed while charter school boundaries are more flexible, charter schools can draw students away from existing…

Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) has become an increasingly popular multilevel method of analyzing data among nested datasets, in particular, the effect of specialized academic programming within schools. The purpose of this methodological study is to demonstrate the use of HLM to determine the effectiveness of STEM programming in an Ohio middle…

The American School Counselor Association states that school counselors are responsible for facilitating their students' personal, social, academic, and career development. Sometimes school counselors are called upon to do duties that have nothing to do with the field of school counseling. The problem addressed in this study was the need for…

Increasing faith engagement among Catholic school shareholders is a priority for school leaders. Catholic school communities can learn from this year-long project with a parish school. Sacred Heart Parish School serves approximately 300 K3-8th grade students. Like many parish schools, Sacred Heart sees a growing number of parents disengaged with…

This thought piece explored the scholarship that expands and disrupts ideas of citizenship. In U.S. civic education classrooms, citizenship is viewed through the lens of a legal model that does not accurately reflect mixed-status classrooms in U.S.-Mexico border schools. We argue for a cathartic pedagogy that normalizes the discussion of…

The objective of the qualitative study was to investigate the perceived competency of school counselors in working with at-risk students who engage in self-injury, and their use of professional standards to effectively navigate their intervention. Self-injury (SI) is a behavioral concern defined as the intentional injuring of body tissue without…

The world of K-12 public education was one area of society that was directly impacted by the introduction of COVID-19 and emergency remote teaching. Teachers and districts alike responded in the way that they determined was best for their students, and the response of teachers at Little Middle School was no different. This narrative inquiry seeks…

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been making considerable inroads into everyday lives, and AI applications and resources can be found in homes, businesses, entertainment venues, and--of course--in schools. The rapid rate at which AI is being integrated into education and placed in the hands of students, teachers, and other staff has prompted a…

In this article, we answer the questions 1) What could social justice look like in the middle school curriculum; 2) How do we help young adolescents recognize and repudiate racism and other forms of social injustice; and 3) What are some lessons learned from a middle level teacher preparation with a focus on social justice? By presenting three…

School refusal is heterogeneous in aetiology and presentation. The heterogeneity in its presentation, the focus of this study, complicates the conceptualisation and assessment of school refusal. The present study documents the development of a descriptive model of school refusal that was used to inform the development of a questionnaire for…

Currently, there is a paucity of research concerning the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform's Schools to Watch national school improvement program. Of the handful of existing studies, very few have examined or addressed student learning or achievement. In this this study we systematically collected and analyzed data from the 34…

This interpretive qualitative study was designed to explore three middle school principals' use of transformational leadership practices that improve students' academic success outcomes. An interpretive qualitative research study seeks to view the world from participants' perspectives--seeing the world through their eyes to inform the experiences…