Multiple factors influence a student's success in high school graduation. Individual factors such as disability, racial or ethnic identity, and gender may result in inequity in the school environment, interfering with learning and possibly leading to poorer educational outcomes. This secondary analysis of student educational records (N = 3,782)…

Background: Adolescence is a period of profound developmental change during which the prevalence of mental health problems starts to increase. It also typically coincides with a school transition. Understanding mental health trajectories through school transition is important to inform interventions to support young people's mental health during…

This study explored the relationship between middle school and high school math course-taking patterns in Nebraska using statewide reported course-taking data from 2009 to 2021. Course-taking trajectories were evident starting in middle school and were then studied by considering school-level variables and student-level demographic variables.…

We examine effects of the pandemic on student attendance, course grades, and grade retention in North Carolina in 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 using descriptive and regression analyses. We find each outcome worsened on average in 2020-2021, with larger changes at the high end of the absence distribution, the low end of the grade distribution, and among…

Virtual instruction and blended learning are two of the fastest growing learning modalities in K-12 education. Blended learning is a formal education program in which students learn at least in part through online learning with some element of student control over time, place, path or pace and at least in part at a supervised brick and mortar…

We examine effects of the pandemic on student attendance, course grades, and grade retention in North Carolina in 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 using descriptive and regression analyses. We find each outcome worsened on average in 2020-2021, with larger changes at the high end of the absence distribution, the low end of the grade distribution, and among…

This study examines the impact of special education on academic and behavioral outcomes for students with learning disabilities (LD) by using statewide Indiana data covering kindergarten through eighth grade. The results from student fixed effects models show that special education services improve achievement in math and English Language Arts,…

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of co-teaching versus inclusive non-co-teaching for students with disabilities (SWD) using algebra I end-of-course scores (EOC) and whether these effects differed by gender. Participants included 244 ninth-grade algebra I SWD. The research design consisted of a posttest only with a…

This research study used quantitative data analysis techniques to examine if participation in a live, virtual arts experience increased student interest in the arts. The study explored three key research questions: What is the impact of a live interactive virtual arts experience on student interest in the arts? Does participating in an interactive…

Students' individual characteristics influence the effectiveness of instruction and learning and, therefore, the depth of learning. This study brings forth the voices of middle school students regarding their science learning preferences through four modalities: visual, auditory, sensorimotor, and agency support. We examined the relationship…

Extended testing time is a common accommodation given to students with disabilities. However, little is known about whether students who are eligible for the accommodation actually use it, and with what effect. The present study used process data available from the digitally delivered 2017 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)…

This empirical research study investigates the relationship between the utilization of Universal Design (UD) elements and math performance among eighth graders. We analyzed 2017 National Assessment of Educational Progress process data using Poisson Generalized Linear Mixed-Effects Models to examine how the frequency of UD element usage varies…

Copying a text quickly and accurately is important both in school and in daily life. However, this skill has never been systematically studied, either in children with typical development (TD) or in children with specific learning disabilities (SLD). The aim of this research was to study the features of a copy task and its relationship with other…

According to music educators, persistence beyond a student's initial enrollment in middle and high school music is a problem; however, there has been little research to substantiate this claim. Although several recent large-scale, longitudinal studies of initial selection into music classes have been conducted, longitudinal studies on who…

This dissertation researched the scope of mathematics achievement disparities in the United States and how these disparities can be minimized through a self-efficacy lens. To answer pertinent research questions with data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2019 mathematics assessment in Grades 4, 8, and 12, gap analyses,…