In this paper, the White listening subject takes the form of a standardized high-stakes reading test, the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR). Although the test does not actually listen, it 'hears' and evaluates children's responses to its questions. I present the results of the 2017 Grade 8 reading exams, from the March, May,…

Throughout the years, United States education reform has sought to target the most disadvantaged students. Nonetheless, during this same period, proficiency rate disparities seem to have emerged among student subgroups. This study was designed to find ways for school districts to begin closing the achievement gaps between student subgroups,…

This study compares latent profiles derived from student subgroups of varying levels of mathematical skills defined by achievement and ability assessment scores. Achievement and ability cut scores for identifying students at both ends of the mathematics spectrum were applied and the resulting latent profiles within each condition were compared.…

In recent years, there has been a shift back toward standardized assessment scores as an accountability metric for school districts from state policy makers. In response, Standards Based Grading has become a popular reform among school districts as a means to provide a greater predictability of student outcomes on standardized assessments.…

The present study was conducted to determine how implementing computational thinking (via a proxy in AP Computer Science Principles) into a school's curriculum impacted student proficiency rates on the New York State Geometry Regents. Recent research has suggested that computational thinking is a skill that transcends specific content areas and…

Recent years have produced a surge in interest in improving state assessment programs. Many states are designing new assessments. Much of this innovation is aimed at addressing longstanding areas of unhappiness with typical domain-sampled, end-of-year state assessments: States want to streamline assessment activities, enhance the instructional…

Background: The past half-century has resulted in a substantial expansion of early childhood center-based care in the United States. Today, over 74% of American children aged 3-5 attend center-based care (U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2021). Although public pre-k is considered socially favorable,…

Although Christians comprise the majority of the population in the United States, they make up less than one third of the scientific community. This underrepresentation is attributed to the desire to avoid the secular culture in academia or self-selection due to a perceived incompatibility or belief in negative stereotypes of Christian scientists.…

Implemented was a 45-minute per day Primary Science IDEAS intervention in grades 1-2 integrating reading and writing within science instruction in a multi-year study conducted in 8 experimental and 9 control schools. Results found a significant direct achievement effect in grades 1-2 on both the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) Science and…

Early detection of and relevant information on children's mathematical difficulties is important to initiate targeted teaching and intervention. This study investigated the extent to which strategy use in single-digit addition provides additional predictive information about 61 grade one children's (6-year-old) mathematical achievement 3 years…

Statewide annual assessments are designed to help guide educational decisions by evaluating student growth and learning so resources can be equitably distributed. They also provide valuable individual results that summarize how each student is progressing against grade-level academic standards, identify additional ways their school system can…

How do attitudes and beliefs about assessment affect teaching and learning in your school? This document is intended to help school and district leaders understand these dynamics. While it is not designed for use as a step-by-step toolkit to support evaluation, this document does provide a foundation for leaders to learn more about their school or…

The goal of Smithsonian Science for North and South Carolina Classrooms was to provide teachers with ongoing, differentiated professional development and research-based curricular materials to improve elementary student achievement in science, mathematics, and reading. This work used an inquiry-based science curriculum, Smithsonian Science for the…

The five-year project, "Smithsonian Science for North and South Carolina Classrooms" (hereafter "Smithsonian Science"), offers important evidence on the impact of the phenomena-driven science curriculum, "Smithsonian Science for the Classroom," paired with ongoing, differentiated, high-quality professional learning…

The zero-sum game of education is supported by the implementation standardized testing in a manner that disenfranchises Black students. While assessments are accountability tools for ensuring rigorous teaching and for measuring student learning, the impact of these tests on students' identity needs to be examined. The demands of a knowledge-based…