The Assessment-to-Instruction (A2i) Professional Support System has been shown to be effective in improving literacy proficiency among young readers by combining data-driven technology with professional development (PD) activities to help teachers provide personalized literacy instruction. To identify efficient ways to expand the reach of A2i,…

There is a significant lack of students in Tennessee who are reading at a proficient level. According to the 2019 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading assessment data, nationally only 37% of fourth grade students are reading at a proficient level. Specifically, in the state of Tennessee, only 35% of fourth graders scored in…

The disappointing results of the 2019 National Assessment of Educational Progress--a dip in trajectory of reading proficiency for all students except those at the highest level of ability--are prompting states to consider new reading-related policies and actions. In "State Policy Levers for Improving Literacy," Barbara Foorman describes…

These are the appendices for the report "The Effects of an Academic Language Program on Student Reading Outcomes." This study investigated WordGen Elementary, a program designed to improve fourth- and fifth-grade students' ability to understand and communicate academic language and their general reading skill. The program provider…

Grade 3-5 students in southeastern Arkansas are reading below grade level despite the efforts of educators. The study explored educator perceptions of the Reading Initiative for Student Excellence (R.I.S.E.) professional development, in which educators learn about Science of Reading (SOR) instructional strategies and how to implement them in the…

Policymakers have long sought to raise expectations for students through standards-based reform. I examine the extent to which the Common Core State Content Standards (CC) affected student achievement and the size of achievement gaps. I merge together data on preparation for and implementation of the CC with the National Assessment of Educational…

Over the past two years, the teachers and students in Carter County, Kentucky have been utilizing goal setting. As a result, the district has shown tremendous growth on not only state assessments, but also on local assessments. Additionally, the number of students meeting benchmarks for college and career readiness has increased significantly. The…

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of Randy Spricks (2009) behavior intervention support model, CHAMPS (Conversation, Help, Activity, Movement, Participation, Success), on elementary students in third through fifth grade in the areas of reading achievement, discipline referrals, and suspension numbers within a large culturally…

We examined the effectiveness of a researcher-provided reading intervention with 484 fourth graders with significant reading difficulties. Students were randomly assigned to one year of intervention, two years of intervention, or a business-as-usual comparison condition (BAU). Students assigned to two years of intervention demonstrated…

This study was designed to test the relationships between the level of implementation for instructional rounds and various instructional outcomes in grades 3-6 in a large suburban Texas school district. From the population of teachers in the district, a random sample of teachers ( n= 200) who taught in grades 3-6 were invited to participate in the…

Students all learn at different rates and need a varying amount of support to reach goals based on individual needs. Response to Intervention (RtI) incorporates individualized research-based strategies based on individual students needs to help promote academic growth and is set up in three tier levels. The purpose of this quantitative ex post…

Curriculum Associates' "i-Ready® Personalized Instruction" ("i-Ready") is a supplemental, online personalized instruction program available for reading and mathematics. Prior research has indicated "i-Ready" has a positive impact on K-8 student achievement for students overall (e.g., Swain, Randel, & Norman…

In the past 15 years, four-year-olds' enrollment in state-funded prekindergarten in the United States has more than doubled, with roughly one-third now enrolled. Although researchers have found that early childhood programs from decades ago had sizable benefits for students that lasted into adulthood, evidence from more recent (and less expensive)…

Oregon's Effective Behavioral and Instructional Support Systems (EBISS) initiative was implemented in 25 school districts. The initiative trained and coached district leaders and teachers in the use of the EBISS model through the lens of implementation science. The EBISS model integrates school-wide positive behavior intervention and supports…

In 2013, the Arizona State University (ASU) Preparatory Academy (ASU Prep) was awarded an Investing in Innovation (i3) Grant through the U.S. Department of Education. The district applied with an ambitious grant designed to innovate programming for a total of six schools: two elementary (one Kindergarten through grade 5; one Kindergarten through…