The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) READ 180 program was effective in helping to bridge the gap in reading achievement between African American and White students in three middle schools within one school district. The study took place in a rural public school district in the southeastern…

The transition period of a student from middle school to high school is of critical importance because students who can successfully navigate the first-year physical, academic, and social pressures of high school have the greatest chances for successfully completing high school in four years (Allensworth & Easton, 2005). Students who cannot…

Literacy standards (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers in Common core state standards: English language arts standards, 2010) and best practices from Institute of Education Sciences practice guides (e.g., Baker et al. in Teaching academic content and literacy to English learners in…

Students with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) tend to have difficulty regulating their emotions and behaviors, which can have adverse academic and social effects (e.g., academic underachievement, failing grades, grade retention, suspensions, expulsions, school dropout, and peer rejection). Possible interventions that have…

Morphological processing is the use of morphological structure during word reading. This study examined the role of morphological processing in automaticity in word reading processes and asked whether automatic morphological processing made a unique contribution to decoding, oral reading fluency, and reading comprehension outcomes of middle school…

While proficient reading development is a major cornerstone of schooling, it has become a problematic endeavor for America's public education system. Due to the growing diversity in K-12 student populations, school leaders are challenged with the task of developing and implementing curricula that meet the varied instructional and cultural needs of…

This study sought to examine the effectiveness of math problem solving interventions with self-regulated learning (SRL) components on the math problem-solving performance of middle school students with disabilities. A meta-analysis was conducted of all single-case design studies meeting inclusion/exclusion criteria between 2000-2021, resulting in…

Motivators and supports can be a crucial part of the growth of a new teacher. However, capturing the most effective motivators and means of supports for novice teachers can be a daunting task as the needs can be ever-changing. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of novice middle school teachers' and school…

The students who suffer the most from the lack of equity in assessment by using inappropriate assessment techniques are those from Historically Marginalized Groups (Koelsch et al., 1995; Marion et al., 2020; Penuel & Watkins, 2020). The theory of justice, (Freire, 1993; Rawls, 1971) provided the lens to examine how the institution of schools,…

The representation of African American male teachers in elementary urban schools has decreased. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to investigate administrators' and African American male teachers' perceptions of how administrators are challenged to support the retention of African American male teachers in elementary and middle…

Anxiety disorders are one of the most commonly re-occurring co-occurring diagnoses of children with autism, affecting approximately as many as 84% of children with ASD (Chalfant, et al., 2006) as opposed to 13% of children without autism (van Steensel et al., 2011). A growing body of research indicates that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an…

As organizations seek to provide meaningful professional learning opportunities, research has emerged to support the development of learning cultures that move beyond isolated learning experiences. An essential component of professional learning is reflective practice which occur at both the individual (Schon, 1983) and collective (Day, 1993)…

The purpose of this article is to extend the literature around reflective practices in PDS. In this article, the authors discuss their experiences, as novice Professors in Residence (PIRs) engaging in Professional Development School (PDS) work, using dialogic e-journaling as a collaborative space to process and reflect on professional practice…

Math anxiety (MA) and math performance are generally negatively correlated (Barroso et al., 2021; Namkung et al., 2019). However, the mechanisms underlying this negative association remain unclear. According to the attentional control theory (ACT; Eysenck et al., 2007), anxious individuals experience impaired attentional control during problem…

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is an evidence-based framework for promoting positive school climates and improving student social and behavioral outcomes. Yet secondary schools have lagged behind elementary schools in their adoption and implementation of PBIS. The transition from elementary to middle school is marked by a…