This presentation was an invited address at the opening session of the 2021 Annual Conference for the Advancement of Science Teaching (CAST) in Ft. Worth, Texas. The presentation will investigate student achievement using three perspectives. The presenters will first ask if one could recognize a great teacher. They will then report research…

This study explores the efficacy of core phonics and intervention products by 95 Percent Group, LLC ("One95"), drawing on the relationship between technology, the science of reading, and learning sciences. Researchers analyzed data from 440 K-1 students in Maryland that rolled out One95 over two school years, fall 2020 to spring 2022.…

This study explored the impact of the 95 Phonics Core Program® (95 PCP) on student literacy achievement across third graders who started the school year at different ability levels. The primary focus of this report was to investigate the relationship between changes in phonics scores with the beginning and end-of-year i-Ready® assessments and…

A didactic sequence is proposed using an infrared puzzle and a didactic questionnaire for the teaching-learning of infrared spectroscopy at the upper secondary level. The didactic sequence that was designed was implemented in person in the subject of Chemistry IV at the high school level, corresponding to the sixth semester of the curriculum of…

Analysis of consistent Zearn Math users and a comparable group of low- or non-users, across 6 districts in Nebraska, shows that students who used Zearn Math consistently had higher levels of academic growth than similar students with low- or no-usage. For this analysis, 784 students who completed an average of 3+ Zearn Math lessons per week,…

This two-year study examined the impact of Spalding's The Writing Road to Reading literacy program on student achievement across grades K-5 in 14 Arizona schools. Using a quasi-experimental matched design, researchers compared 687 students from three Spalding schools with 1228 students from eleven comparison schools using Fundations. Data from…

State legislators recognized that students in the United States continue to struggle with reading and have begun implementing laws requiring schools to use science of reading-aligned curriculum when teaching reading (Schwartz, 2022). Many students lack the foundational skills to even begin learning how to read in grades K-3 (Kuhfeld et al., 2022).…

The ongoing literacy crisis in the U.S. highlights an urgent need for effective, scalable literacy instruction. REED Charitable Foundation (RCF) is a non-profit organization that provides structured literacy training informed by Orton-Gillingham, along with ongoing professional coaching and comprehensive implementation support to help all students…

This paper explores new methods for tracking learning growth using curriculum-embedded assessments. The key objective of the study was to examine new ways to capture students' performance data to help make ecologically-valid inferences about what learners know and can do long before benchmark or end-of-year assessments. Student learning outcomes…

Responsive coaching at engage2learn is an innovative, and with this and previous reports--an evidence-based solution. This 2021-2022 study compellingly validates the efficacy of the engage2learn program through an exploration of NWEA MAP® Growth™ and STAAR test scores for Math and Science, Grades 6-8. LXD Research, an independent research firm,…

This report examines campus-level contributors to student academic gains. Using student factors, curriculum and programming indicators, and campus features (e.g., staff retention and support programs) as inputs, the results indicate that changes in campus and teacher leadership scores are important and significant predictors of improvements in…

This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the Heggerty Bridge to Reading program for first-grade students compared to a business-as-usual reading program by employing a mixed-methods approach encompassing a matched quasi-experimental design, teacher surveys, and interviews. In light of the learning disruptions caused by the COVID-19…

This document describes PPfT school-wide value-added measure by showing how to gain access to your SAS Education Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS) account, stepping through the school growth measures, and discussing how growth is scored in PPfT appraisal.

Combatting learning loss in schools is as much a mental health issue as an academic one. With one in four students suffering from poor mental health since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for Tier I and Tier II resilience solutions is critical. Addressing these challenges requires comprehensive strategies focusing on academic recovery…

This report answers questions about teacher and administrator perceptions of Professional Pathways for Teachers (PPfT) program implementation. PPfT is a multi-measure appraisal and compensation system designed to empower teachers and improve the quality of teaching in Austin Independent School District. PPfT is in its third year, and stakeholders…