Lesson study, especially when conducted with support from targeted resources, is often identified as a potentially effective means to support teacher learning. In this study, 80 school-based teams of educators, representing 80 classrooms of third- or fourth-grade students in the US, were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: lesson study…

The purpose of this causal-comparative non-experimental quantitative study was to examine first-year elementary teachers' ratings of their sense of preparedness, compare their ratings based on their ethnicity, and compare teachers' ratings of their preparedness to principals' ratings of first-year teachers' preparedness based on six Texas teaching…

Special Education teachers serve students who are struggling in mathematics and continue to fall further behind each year. Educators are faced with the challenge of selecting the most effective program for assessing and teaching mathematics that will promote mathematics achievement for students who are served in resource settings. The KeyMath-3…

Spelling instruction is often overlooked by many teachers during reading and language arts. The purpose of this study was to implement a manageable differentiated word study instruction curriculum, drawn from the "Words Their Way (WTW)" curriculum, to determine how it affected students' spelling accuracy and how the participants…

This qualitative study explored teachers' perceptions and experiences regarding the implementation of the social and emotional learning framework, Strong Start, in a Title I elementary school in southeast Texas. The participants include ten elementary school teachers in Pre-Kindergarten through 5th grade. Teachers' levels of experience range from…

Writing is a complex, multi-faceted skill that students begin to learn early in their elementary school years and utilize throughout the rest of their academic, personal, and professional lives. Despite the importance of developing effective writing skills, elementary teachers today often lack the necessary training and preparation to provide…

The current study identified the relationship between instructional coach usage and elementary teacher perceptions on an instructional coach evaluation instrument for one North Texas school district. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to evaluate the instructional coaching program in the participating district using instructional coach…

LXD Research conducted a third-party, mixed-methods efficacy study of 95 Percent Group's Phonics Core Program (95 PCP) to determine the program's impact on fourth and fifth grade students' literacy outcomes. Outcomes included Istation's Indicators of Progress (ISIP) Advanced Reading and the State of Texas Assessments of Readiness (STAAR). LXD…

The primary purpose of this parallel mixed methods study was to discover the extent to which instructional coaches and third and fourth grade elementary teachers were impacted by participating in the instructional coaching model available on their campuses. A subsequent concern was to determine to what extent the writing practices of the teachers…

The shortage of secondary STEM teachers has led to periodic calls over the past four decades for federal intervention. For more than 15 years, the National Science Foundation Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program has constituted the most important response at the national level to these calls. The main activity is direct support to…

The American demographic is drastically changing from a largely white, European-American population to one that is extremely diverse. This shift in demographics has impacted on state schools. Students often experience a cultural shock due to a mismatched monocultural, monlinguistic curriculum in schools. This qualitative study explored the way…

This mixed methods study examined the significance of parental involvement and its influence on student productivity in writing. A total of 25 fourth grade students from one Texas suburban school, their parents, and three teachers participated in this study. Data collection instruments used for the collection of quantitative data were The Knudson…

The purpose of this study was to determine if teacher self-efficacy is influenced by peer coaching in elementary mathematics. Survey, interview, and demographic data were collected from a purposeful sample of first year elementary mathematics teachers within a large, suburban school district located in southeast Texas. "The Teachers' Sense of…

Parental involvement increases K-12 student interest in STEM careers; however, when parents lack confidence in STEM content, or language and cultural barriers exist, parental engagement decreases. The Teacher Enrichment Initiatives (TEI) collects annual teacher feedback regarding the level of parental involvement with students during science…

This mixed methods study addressed the need for common area expectations that serve to create a positive school culture and climate. An embedded research design was used during which information from teacher interviews were conducted before designing a professional development for teacher and student training of common area expectations. The…