Being proficient in independently reading and writing complex informational text has become a need for college and career success. While there is a great deal of agreement on the importance of the reading of informational text in early grades and teachers are encouraged to increase amount of the reading of informational text in early grades, few…

The purpose of the present study was to determine if transitioning from elementary to middle school has an effect on value added scores of sixth graders as compared to scores of students in K-8 schools with no transition. Multivariate analysis of variance was used to analyze achievement data from students in 442 Tennessee public schools for the…

Grade retention, the practice of requiring a student to remain in the same grade the following year, disproportionately affects students with sociodemographic risk and facing academic challenges. Each year, the United States spends $20 billion on retention and two million children are retained. Extant studies examining early elementary grade…

Over the past 20 years, the number of teacher's aides in the United States has more than doubled, potentially in response to the growth of special education programs now taking place in general education schools. Surprisingly, little research at all has focused on the role that teacher's aides may play in improving student achievement, and no…

This study systematically examines the moderating effects of task type and L2 proficiency on the relationship between L1 and L2 simultaneously across reading and writing tasks with different levels of cognitive complexity. Main and moderating effects were evaluated through structural equation modeling analyses. First, both L1 skills and L2…

The steady increase in immigration in the United States over the past few decades has focused attention on the necessity for school districts to provide English language services in order for children with diverse language backgrounds to participate fully in public education. In this study, we utilize a large state-representative sample of…

One common expectation of school choice policies is that they will generate competition between schools. Despite the large body of work examining whether competition improves student outcomes, we know less about how competition works in the educational sector. We know even less about how charter school leaders perceive and respond to competitive…

The problem addressed in this study was that at risk readers lack the prior background knowledge in order to allow reading comprehension to take place. The purpose of this quantitative quasi-experimental case study was to analyze if the use of developing and building background knowledge and experience assisted at-risk readers in reading…

Reading achievement gaps for diverse students in high-poverty schools is a persistent problem nationally (Berliner, 2017; Carter & Welner, 2013; Darling-Hammond, 2010; Milner, 2010a; National Center for Education Statistics, 2009) and at the site of study. To better understand this phenomenon at Aspiring Elementary School, using the…

The study examined the reading and character growth of elementary school students (n = 2144) in urban public charter school classrooms (n = 88), focusing on the relationship between the students' growth and a character-focused lesson. Reading growth, as measured by in-classroom reading assessments, and character growth, as measured by self- and…

Positive behavior intervention and supports (PBIS) is a program that was designed to address the behavior needs of students in a schoolwide setting. The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the differences on student discipline and academic performance in rural elementary schools among third grade students in schools that were…

Remediating student learning deficits in the area of reading is of the utmost importance, as the ability to read has a lifelong impact on learning. Schools and school districts are ranked on their ability to demonstrate growth in core areas of education, including reading. Although many programs, strategies, and remedies are extant for identifying…

In its strategic plan, "A Capital Commitment 2017-2022", DC Public Schools (DCPS) is committed to ensuring that all its schools provide rigorous and joyful learning experiences in a nurturing environment every day. As they strive to ensure every student feels loved, challenged, and prepared to positively influence society and thrive in…

Grade retention, the practice of requiring a student to remain in the same grade the following year, disproportionately affects students with sociodemographic risk and facing academic challenges. Each year, the United States spends $20 billion on retention and two million children are retained. Extant studies examining early elementary grade…

In the spring of 2016 and 2017, a sample of juniors across all Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) high schools was administered a survey of financial literacy concepts as part of the College and Work Readiness Assessment (CWRA). The district administered this survey as education stakeholders have become increasingly interested in--and…