Why is it that so many women seem to climb the administrative ladder leading to the superintendency frequently and with relative ease, but do not reach that top rung? Data to help address this question is presented here. These data are part of a larger research project completed in the fall of 2006. In addressing this question, an overview of the…

This study's purpose was to determine if a teacher home visit program implemented by a Texas-based charter school system resulted in differences in K-12 students' classroom behavior, academic achievement, and parent involvement in school. Study findings indicate positive behavioral, academic, and parent involvement outcomes for students who…

As state and federal policymakers continue to adopt more centralized policies, it is increasingly important to understand how policies, particularly those designed to enhance education for underserved students, are implemented locally. We employ a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design to investigate the implementation of one policy, that…

The purpose of this explanatory sequential mixed methods research study was to explore the relationship between building teacher leadership capacity and campus culture in a suburban East Texas school district. Developing teacher leaders by building leadership capacity depends on administrators' abilities to develop leaders from within the existing…

A growing body of research examines the impact of recent teacher evaluation systems; however, we have limited knowledge on how these systems influence teacher retention. This study uses a mixed-methods design to examine teacher retention patterns during the pilot year of an evaluation system in an urban school district in Texas. We used…

With the "Every Student Succeeds Act" continuing to legislate accountability for special education and Hispanic students, the appropriate content in principal preparation programs relevant to successful leadership of special education programs is vital. This mixed methods study analyzed the survey responses of 84 principals in South…

Chappell, Stephens, Kinnison, and Pettigrew (2009) conducted a study investigating educational diagnosticians knowledge of early reading development. Our study replicated the work of Chappell et al. through a mixed methods design that investigated educational diagnosticians' perceptions and knowledge of early reading development. Additionally, our…

The presented study used a problem-solving experience in engineering design with LEGO robotics materials as the real-world mathematics-learning context. The goals of the study were (a) to determine if a short but intensive extracurricular learning experience would lead to significant student learning of a particular academic topic and (b) to…

The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed-methods study was to closely examine the leadership practices utilized by K-12 urban school superintendents to influence and increase the academic achievement of Hispanic students. The research consisted of a quantitative study approach where 30 superintendents completed a 47-question…

Concerns about the equitable distribution of school funding within and across school districts have led to new federal data collections on school-level expenditures. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) required states to collect and report, for the first time, school-level data on both personnel and non-personnel expenditures…

Introduction: Mentoring is valuable for the retention of new teachers. This article describes a model statewide mentor program for new itinerant vision professionals who work with students from birth to age 22. The results of a recent survey of satisfaction are reported, along with implications for the field. Methods: The proteges who participated…

This study utilized a convergent parallel mixed methods design to study teachers' concerns during implementation of instructional coaching for math in a rural PK-12 district in north Texas over a three-year time period. Five campuses were included in the study: one high school (grades 9-12), one middle school (grades 6-8), and three elementary…

There is considerable variation in how providers of digital education describe what they do, their services, how students access services, and what is delivered, complicating efforts to accurately assess its impact. We examine program characteristics of digital tutoring providers using rich, longitudinal observational and interview data and then…

This mixed methods study examined the relationship between school districts' principal evaluation practices and their impact on student achievement in mathematics and reading. School achievement data were collected from a sample of 41 campuses representing 27 Texas school districts. Data were also solicited from a convenience sample of campus…

The purpose of the study was to examine the impact of the E-Rate program on students, teachers, administrators, and the technology environment of a public school district in the Texas Gulf Coast Region. The study was conducted through a mixed methods design, utilizing both quantitative and qualitative data collection; the research design was a…