The purpose of this resource is to help math teachers unpack, understand, and implement the current math content and practice standards. It describes the progressions of learning within each course and provides content supports that include broad ideas about effective instruction as well as practical instructional strategies. Math teachers,…

Conceptual stances provide guidance to the mixed methods researcher as he or she makes decisions throughout the research process, including determining the dimensions of integration or levels at which mixing occurs. Only the dialectic conceptual stance specifically encourages mixing at the abstract paradigmatic level. This article outlines four…

Implementation of a culturally responsive positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) framework is associated with positive outcomes for secondary students when implemented schoolwide. Yet, educators often report more implementation challenges in secondary school as compared to elementary school settings. Difficulties obtaining student…

In this article, the authors present an inquiry-based approach to facilitate student understanding of the differences among common cloud descriptive characteristics through the use of a semi-dichotomous key developed by a former West Virginia state climatologist. The authors also demonstrate how students can analyze common class data sets that…

As middle school mathematics becomes more abstract, it is imperative for teachers to introduce concepts in ways that are interesting and meaningful to students. Since her students struggled at times to stay engaged in mathematics and seemed to have difficulty developing conceptual understanding, the author looked for ways to create learning…

Is the time allowed for National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) numeracy tests sufficient? Is there any evidence that students run out of time and, if so, what are the implications for teachers who prepare students for NAPLAN numeracy tests? In each of the 2010 Years 7 and 9 numeracy tests students were required to complete 32…

Mathematics is rich in visual representations. Such visual representations are the means by which mathematical patterns "are recorded and analyzed." With respect to "vocabulary" and "symbols," numerous educators have focused on issues inherent in the language of mathematics that influence students' success with mathematics communication.…

Elementary students make great scientists. They are natural questioners and observers. Capitalizing on this natural curiosity and wonderment, the authors have developed a method of doing inquiry investigations with students that many teachers have found practical and user friendly. Their belief is that full inquiry lessons serve as a vital method…

A rural middle level school had stalled in its third year of a district-wide differentiation initiative. This article describes the way teachers and the leadership team engaged in collaborative practices to put a spotlight on formative assessment. Teachers learned to systematically gather formative assessment data from their students and to use…

This article highlights a core lesson that has been used in a number of Lincoln Park Zoo educational programs. The lesson teaches students to conduct an ethological, or animal behavior, study on a bird. This study can be implemented in a variety of outdoor settings, including a park, schoolyard, or zoo. Using an ethogram, students will practice…

Middle school mathematics classrooms are changing. The curriculum has changed as well. Instead of an annual return to previously encountered topics, many middle school students encounter mathematics of a varying nature, characterized in "Principles and Standards for School Mathematics" (NCTM 2000) as the five Content Standards of Number and…

School improvement demands focus. Staff members at James Cashman Middle School in Las Vegas, Nevada, believe that student achievement comes from challenging every student and ensuring that no student is overlooked. Adopting this belief could not have come at a better time for the school. Cashman's students were struggling. The school was in the…

Constructing model hot air balloons is an activity that captures the imaginations of students, enabling teachers to present required content to minds that are open to receive it. Additionally, there are few activities that lend themselves to integrating so much content across subject areas. In this article, the authors describe how they have…

Massachusetts is heralded nationally for being the first in the nation to enact a state policy to redesign and expand the learning day for all students to advance academic achievement, broaden enrichment opportunities, and improve instruction. The Expanded Learning Time (ELT) Initiative has gained momentum over the past several years due to the…

This paper identifies and assesses key ideas in data analysis (or statistics) that should be at the focus of middle school mathematics instruction. Items that can be used to assess some of the complex objectives of data analysis are located. The search includes a collection of items released by the National Assessment of Educational Progress…