The main aim of this study was to evaluate the Early Grade Writing Assessment for Kindergarten (EGWA-K), which is grounded in foundational literacy skills, for its validity and diagnostic accuracy in identifying children at risk of developing early learning disabilities in writing (LDW). To the best of our knowledge, no such tool exists for…

Concerns about low mathematics achievement have created a push to increase national mathematics proficiency levels through research and policy. Efforts have largely focused on early mathematics interventions for students with or at risk for mathematics learning difficulties implemented within multi-tiered response to intervention (RTI) frameworks.…

This scoping review describes mathematics intervention studies that include initial skill moderation analyses. Sixteen studies were included that focused on students with or at risk for mathematics difficulties (MD). The results revealed that mathematics intervention studies with initial skill moderation analyses focused on students in…

Research Findings: Students perceived as struggling to regulate their emotions and behavior are at risk for experiencing classroom and school exclusion beginning in preschool. In this preliminary and exploratory secondary data analysis study, we examined teachers' self-reported use of classroom-based soft exclusionary discipline practices with…

This study investigated how at-risk kindergarten students respond to the identification of letters and sounds using an embedded picture mnemonic intervention. The problem addressed was that kindergarten students face challenges in developing letter-name knowledge, letter-sound knowledge, and their reciprocal relationship (i.e., grapheme-phoneme…

In this article, we report findings of a psychometric study comparing two screening tools: the Student Risk Screening Scale-Internalizing and Externalizing (SRSS-IE) and the Devereaux Student Strengths Assessment-mini (DESSA-mini). Participants included 3,110 kindergarten through fifth-grade elementary students from five schools in one district in…

The purpose of this randomized control trial (RCT) was to examine the impact of one-to-one high-dosage tutoring on reading achievement of kindergarten and first grade students, many at risk of reading failure. This nearly two-year study collected reading assessment data from 185 students, from across 13 classrooms, randomly assigned to either the…

Research indicates that early intervention can improve long term outcomes for students who struggle early in school. However, in multi-layered organization such as the school system, many elements may come into play when deciding which students will receive support. This study examined these elements including system requirements and expectations…

Student absenteeism in the earliest years of elementary school has been linked to a range of negative outcomes. Though the literature has examined numerous factors that are associated with children missing school, the role of teachers--especially at the early elementary level--has not been well understood. Given that students spend the majority of…

This study aims to measure the impact of 95 Percent Group's Phonological Awareness Lessons (PA Lessons), an intervention program designed primarily for Tier 2 or 3. The study is a replication of Schechter & Lynch (2023) research conducted in the same medium-sized school district, Val Verde Unified School District, in California during the…

Studies examining seasonal variation in academic skills for children have focused on learning loss or stagnation during the summer, particularly for students from low-income or minoritized racial and ethnic backgrounds. In this study, we expand the literature to focus on another student population that may be susceptible to summer learning loss:…

Current evidence-based prevention programming targeting child externalizing problems demonstrates modest overall effect sizes and is largely ineffective for a sizable proportion of youth who participate. However, our understanding of the youth and family characteristics associated with response to specific programming is quite limited. The current…

Although previous research suggests the use of classroom management strategies can support student engagement and learning, gaps in the literature still exist including the frequency of classroom management strategies in small-group instruction. The purpose of this descriptive study was to measure the frequency of paraprofessionals' (n = 94)…

Although previous research suggests the use of classroom management strategies can support student engagement and learning, gaps in the literature still exist including the frequency of classroom management strategies in small-group instruction. The purpose of this descriptive study was to measure the frequency of paraprofessionals' (n = 94)…

Kindergarten unreadiness for children in poverty contributes to an early and persistent achievement gap in elementary school that can evolve into an opportunity gap in adulthood. This study explored the effect of the federally funded Preschool Development Grant program on school readiness for marginalized children in Southern Arizona. The…