Independent school district central office administrators were challenged with defining, detailing and disseminating systems of support and structure during the unprecedented times of the COVID-19 pandemic. To maintain focus on instruction during a pandemic that caused needed attention on quarantined environments and remote learning structures,…

In this study, I examined the awareness, perceptions of required knowledge, and perceived competency of Texas secondary choral music educators concerning the new musician health objectives included in the revised Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills standards (TEKS). A secondary purpose of this study was to identify the activities and variables…

Research Findings: This article investigates how a sample of families, educators, researchers, advocates, and policymakers (n = 93) made sense of how children are and should be taught in kindergarten. By examining their conceptions of instruction that define kindergarten in this current era of standards and accountability and what opportunities…

This study evaluated the Science and Literacy Instructional Model aimed at helping primarily Hispanic bilingual/English Learners (ELs) and economically disadvantaged fifth grade students with science achievement as measured by high-stakes standardized science achievement scores. The model combined purposeful planning, innovative academic…

This program evaluation assessed the utility and efficacy of lead4ward toward facilitating meaningful instructional planning, and improving STAAR reading, English language arts, and math performance of students whose teachers participated in lead4ward professional development. A web-based survey on HISD's HUB yielded responses from 340 educators…

This paper advances the conceptualization of STEM teacher professional knowledge reflecting the specialized knowledge needed to support English learner (EL) language development during science and mathematics instruction. What distinguishes this model is the integration of conceptual understanding, a key feature of subject matter knowledge, with…

This investigation examined patterns of codeveloping internalizing and externalizing problems from early childhood through adolescence (i.e., Grades 1 to 12). Subgroups of children with heterogeneous developmental trajectories (i.e., pure and co-occurring internalizing and externalizing problems) were identified and their long-term associations…

Three research-based and time honored strategies--Question Answer Relationships (QAR), Question the Author (QtA), and Reciprocal Teaching (RT)--were matched to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) to determine if the use of those instructional routines would address the new, more rigorous standards. Specifically, Grade 4 TEKS for…

This one-year exploratory case study attempted to discern which adjustments in culture, physical classroom environment, and instruction were needed to improve reading instruction in ailing K-2 classrooms at Lion Elementary School. A holistic approach was created to diagnose the problem surrounding poor early reading achievement. After proper…

Sixth-grade band, orchestra, and choir directors face a complex challenge when starting their new ensembles in the fall. Sixth-grade students are diverse; some come from strong music programs with adequate resources and others from weaker music programs with fewer resources. In addition, student populations are often ethnically and…

The purpose of this report was to measure the effect of the Baylor College of Medicine Summer Science Institute (BCMSSI) on science performance of students whose teachers participated in the program during summer 2013. Paired t-test results showed statistically significant increases in the BCM students' Stanford 10 science performance at the…

The purpose of this study was to measure the effect of the Baylor College of Medicine Summer Science Institute (BCMSSI) on teacher science content knowledge and students' science performance. The analysis of the effect of participation showed an increase of 253 scale score points on the 2015 State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness,…

The Center on Standards, Alignment, Instruction, and Learning (C-SAIL), examines how college- and career-readiness (CCR) standards are implemented, if they improve student learning, and what instructional tools measure and support their implementation. This brief presents findings from C-SAIL's Implementation Study, which uses interview and survey…

Correlations for PDAS scores from year to year were moderate, and experienced teachers generally outperformed their novice peers. Data suggest a weak-to-moderate relationship between 3-year averages of teachers' PDAS and student growth scores.

Serving Up Lemonade (SUL) was designed to help students establish and operate their own lemonade business, while strengthening life skills related to the 40 Developmental Assets®. SUL has expanded from sixth-grade students during the 2010-2011 academic year to sixth- and seventh-grade students in 2011-2012. In 2012-2013, eighth-grade students were…