The sudden shift to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic is causing a roller coaster of emotions for parents and students alike, but the recent Parent Pulse Report finds that parents are embracing the COVID era education experience with their children. Although facing a range of emotions--they are finding some silver linings amid the…

This program evaluation examined the perceptions of secondary Teacher Development Specialists (TDS) regarding their coaching competencies in English language arts (ELA), mathematics, science, social studies, literacy, and instructional technology. Moreover, the study assessed the extent secondary TDS' coaching practices improved teachers'…

The online delivery of training is well established in the vocational education and training (VET) sector, and it is not unusual for a course to include training that is delivered online in one or more units. However, little is known about the online delivery of entire qualifications in VET and how this works, given the overarching role of the…

This study is one in a series on K-12 curricula discovery, selection, and adoption processes in the U.S. The COVID-19 pandemic sparked significant changes in how classes were taught and curriculum materials were sourced, and this survey's focus shifted to studying that impact. The pandemic-induced move to remote instruction was only possible…

In November 2019, the Legislative Budget Board published a management and performance review of the Houston Independent School District. Among its recommendations was one that concerned professional development for teachers of English learners (ELs). Specifically, the report recommended: "[S]urveying teachers of ELs to determine where they…

The Rural Math Innovation Network (RMIN) is a 4-year project that launched in January 2017 after receiving a $2.9 million Investing in Innovation (i3) development grant from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and matching funds from the private sector. Virginia Ed Strategies and rural local education agencies (LEAs) in Virginia are implementing…

Empirical Education Inc. is the independent evaluator of SRI International's 2014 Investing in Innovation (i3) Development grant called Redesigning Secondary Courses to Improve Academic Outcomes for Adolescents with Disabilities and Other Underperforming Adolescents. The goal of the grant is to develop "Enhanced Units" that combine…

The purpose of this research study was to evaluate iPersonalize, a gamified instructional approach developed by Fullerton School District (FSD) in California to encourage student engagement and promote achievement. An instructional approach is considered gamified when it incorporates computer game elements to augment existing classroom,…

The purpose of this research study was to evaluate iPersonalize, a gamified instructional approach developed by Fullerton School District (FSD) in California to encourage student engagement and promote achievement. An instructional approach is considered gamified when it incorporates computer game elements to augment existing classroom,…

Vocabulary.com is an online adaptive game that teaches students words by systematic exposure to a variety of question types and activities and by understanding all the word meanings and nuances as they are learned. Vocabulary.com teaches 14,000 words using over 208,000 questions. It has been implemented with the Houston Independent School…

MyPedia is an integrated, multi-subject system of learning for early and late elementary schools. Developed initially for modern aspiring private schools in India, it aims to support measurable improvement in learners' thinking skills. Each lesson in MyPedia is built on the 5i model of instruction, which structures the learning process into five…

School closures because of natural phenomena, such as COVID-19, underscore the importance of effective distance learning strategies when there are no in-school alternatives. Our study describes the implementation of a multimedia science program before and after school closure due to COVID-19 in a variety of ways depending on schools'…

There is a plethora of established theories about online pedagogy. This white paper provides insights into the findings of a research study conducted in January 2016 that focused on the types of training, if any, online instructors have received that pertains to teaching in the online environment. The study was conducted by a team of researchers…

While data for the 2020 edition of America After 3PM were collected pre-pandemic, to accompany the data and determine how the pandemic has affected families' needs during the hours after school, the Afterschool Alliance commissioned a nationally representative follow-up survey of parents in October 2020. The follow-up survey found that afterschool…

In 2012, more than 7,000,000 students were enrolled in at least one online course. Among Title IV colleges and universities, 25 percent of students were enrolled in at least one online course, with 10 percent exclusively taking online courses and 22 percent of graduate students taking only courses online (U.S. Department of Education, 2014). While…