A theory of change is a prediction about desired outcomes and the actions that may prompt them. Research on educational change suggests that explicit theories of change are essential for effectively engaging in academic change work. While many centers for teaching and learning (CTL) express aims around organizational change, a recent study was not…

Families play a central role in EI services for young children with disabilities (Division for Early Childhood [DEC], 2014). Family coaching in early childhood is a core piece to providing services for young children with disabilities and their families (Rush & Shelden, 2011). It is an identified best practice method of service delivery that…

Increasing child engagement and improving social-communication (SC) and play skills for young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may provide a foundation for future academic and social development; yet preschool practitioners may not have the resources to successfully identify and target these skills for all children in their classrooms.…

Play in early childhood environments is critical to the social development of all children, including those with disabilities. Children with autism often experience delays in the development of play skills and may especially struggle with social play with peers. Thus, strategies to support social play in inclusive preschool settings are needed.…

Partnerships between educational researchers and school-based administrators and educators is imperative to successfully identifying evidence-based practices to improve pedagogy, curriculum, and student outcomes. In this paper, we recognize how being approached by educational researchers can be overwhelming for administrators and educators. We…

The shift from traditional, teacher-led instruction to student-centered, project-based learning is complex. This paper seeks to support the adoption and scaling of rigorous project-based learning (PBL) across grades and subjects by describing some of the essential elements found in high-quality PBL learning environments. These include purposeful…

This article addresses the need to clearly understand professional responsibility and the critical role it plays in the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), in shaping professions for the better, and in enhancing the functioning of society for the benefit of all. Understanding professional responsibility is…

Teaching resources and professional development based on mathematics education research have the potential to support teachers to develop and sustain improved pedagogies. The Queensland Department of Education provided online professional learning modules for teachers of Prep (Foundation) to Year 10 mathematics. To support implementation of the…

Much work in physics education research (PER) characterizes faculty teaching practice in terms of whether faculty use specific named PER-based teaching methods, either with fidelity or with adaptation; we call this research paradigm the "teaching-method-centered paradigm." However, most faculty do not frame their teaching in terms of…

Literacy centers have existed in the United States since the 1920s and have seen many changes over their vast and essential history. Initially, clinics focused on remediation with a deficit view that positioned struggling readers as lazy and unmotivated. Over time, clinics shifted to a medical model, which also held a deficit view that involved…

Kathleen Quinlivan is passionate about raising the profile and quality of sexuality education in schools. As a past secondary school teacher and current university associate professor she strives to bring research and practice closer together, keeping both connected with students' and teachers' everyday lives. In March this year Kathleen ran an…

Research has established that teacher-mentoring programs can have a beneficial effect on new-teacher performance and retention. However, too often, mentoring programs don't live up to their potential. This article presents four research-based strategies that improve mentoring programs' prospects for success. By setting clear expectations, getting…

The statistical data reports that current unemployment rates for young adults with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the United States is bleak. In 2004, Hurlbutt and Chalmers noted that difficulties obtaining and keeping employment are many times connected to issues involving social interactions and communication skills rather than performing…

The purpose of the "Implementation Support Practitioner Profile" is to identify the skills and competencies needed by implementation support practitioners to support effective implementation and scaling of evidence-informed practices, programs and policies to improve outcomes for people and communities. The integration of implementation…

This article provides practitioners with a guide to (1) understand the developmental emergence of play skills in young children to inform developmentally appropriate instructional decisions (e.g., toy choices); (2) set up the play space to support social play; and (3) use key strategies from an evidence-based intervention for young children with…