Teachers need training in order to be adequately prepared to serve English Learners in the general education setting. The consideration of teacher perceptions becomes important when considering designing professional development for teachers of English Learners. The purpose of this study is to examine teachers' perceptions regarding educating…

The purpose of this basic qualitative, interpretative study was to explore the relationships among blended learning classrooms, communities of inquiry, and student engagement in secondary grades in Tennessee. I conducted this study using the Communities of Inquiry framework to find a deeper understanding and gain insight into Tennessee public…

The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented changes to education, influencing both teachers and learners. As a result of the global health crisis, teachers adapted their teaching methods to accommodate their students. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the COVID-19 pandemic challenges on the K-12 education sector…

This paper provides an analysis of one state's Response to Intervention (RTI) model, bringing to light two predicaments that plague efforts to address disproportionality and support learning: (1) That RTI may continue to perpetuate disproportionality, both in the model's tiers of support as well as in the placement of students in special…

The primary purpose of this study was to compare K-12 West Tennessee teachers' perceptions of their teacher preparation programs regarding the factors of planning, engaging, and assessing student learning based on whether they attended HBCUs or PWUs. This quantitative study examined 103 certified West Tennessee elementary, middle, and high school…

Much research has noted the misalignment between kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) academic standards and curriculum materials used in classrooms. Many states and education organizations have been pushing for greater use of standards-aligned curriculum, especially during the past several years. In this report, the authors share results…

We conceptualize students' opportunities to learn remotely during the initial school closures associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. We then examine variation in remote instruction using an original statewide survey of teachers in Tennessee, deployed just a few weeks into the closures. Using three-level logistic regression models, we explore…

Even though equity has become a hot topic, the pathway to making it a reality has not necessarily become clear. The national agenda on race, racial equity, and dealing with COVID-19 has pushed the challenge of equity to the front and center for schools. This pressurized moment in history has raised important questions: (1) What are the steps to an…

Environmental education (EE) facilitates students' scientific and environmental literacy, and addresses content areas including sustainability, ecology, and civic responsibility. However, U.S. science content compartmentalization and EE's interdisciplinary nature historically made it a fragmented curriculum within U.S. schools. To gain a better…

This study compared the perceptions of 1,121 inservice teachers and 245 preservice teachers in Kentucky and Tennessee to determine the difference in their support for the use of mobile phones in the classroom, as well as their perceptions of the mobile phone features that are useful for school-related work and the instructional barriers to mobile…

We report findings from a statewide study of 333 administrators focused on (a) the extent to which they prioritize each of seven self-determination skills, (b) whether and where staff at their schools are providing instruction on these seven skills, and (c) potential avenues for equipping educators to learn strategies for fostering…

STEM disciplines will continue to impact school-based agricultural education programs; thus, in order to produce secondary students proficient in science and mathematics, developing preservice agricultural education teachers who are competent in mathematics and teaching mathematics is essential. This study utilized data collected through a focus…

The May 2012 State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) report, "The Broadband Imperative: Recommendations to Address K-12 Education Infrastructure Needs," pushed educators and policy makers nationwide to increase high-speed broadband access in schools, with specific recommendations regarding access, funding, and policies…

Civic learning for all students seems like a reasonable and important aim for all schools to achieve. If we believe that the future of our American democracy depends on a citizenry that is informed, engaged, and responsible, what better place to create future citizens than in schools? The Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools…

The Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC) incorporates challenging literacy standards into middle grades and high school content areas within a variety of academic disciplines, not just English/language arts courses. The Mathematics Design Collaborative (MDC) provides schools with instructional tools needed to help teachers understand and implement…