This study tested whether grade retention at the transition into secondary school had a significant impact on adolescent psychosocial adjustment. A quasi-experimental design was used in which propensity score matching was implemented. Univariate ANCOVAs were subsequently run on a subsample of 181 students enrolled in one typical secondary school…

Numerous institutions encourage service-learning, but few have extended beyond nonprofit realms to include (1) larger budgets, (2) multi-faceted volunteer/staff/leadership constraints, and (3) elevated expectations with immediate impact on full towns. This study explores how strategic communication students construct knowledge in branding and…

Independent studies in various settings indicate that interventions with Socially Assistive Robots, might help children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to participate in activities that demand cooperation and communication skills. The purpose of this article is to present the benefits of robot assisted interventions in the development of…

This is the third special issue of "Primary Science," and it is one that offers primary school teachers an insight into an initiative that does wonders for primary science leadership, learning, and teaching -- the Primary Science Quality Mark (PSQM). In this article, Elizabeth Nally shares her PSQM experience and what it has done for her…

Teacher retention and its much more emphasized antithesis, attrition, affects the Federation of Affiliated Christian Churches (FACC) school system. The FACC created the New Teacher Induction (NTI) program after the New Teacher Center model for induction out of Santa Cruz, California to assist new teachers and increase retention rates in their…

The Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning (CFTL) at WestEd led the Teacher Practice Networks (TPN) initiative for five years, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Initial rounds of Gates funding supported 21 education improvement organizations in disseminating standards-based resources around the nation. Later rounds…

Most districts help teachers use data to improve student learning, often supporting this effort with federal funds. But many teachers feel unprepared to use student data to inform their instruction -- referred to as data-driven instruction (DDI) -- and there is little evidence of whether it improves student achievement. This report assesses an…

As part of their improvement efforts, schools have increasingly turned to the use of data to improve instruction. This is due in part to the increasing availability of student assessment data throughout the school year. The strategy of using assessment and other data to inform teachers' instruction is often called data-driven instruction (DDI).…

The three appendices in this publication accompany the full report, "Evaluation of Support for Using Student Data to Inform Teachers' Instruction. NCEE 2019-4008" (ED598641). They include: (1) Supplemental Information on Study Design, Data, and Methods; (2) Supplemental Findings on Implementation of the Data-Driven Instruction…

In this year-long study of an academically low-performing, diverse, public elementary school in Wisconsin, I interviewed and observed teachers and school leadership to evaluate the effectiveness of race- and equity-focused teacher professional development on teacher practice. Results of the qualitative study were compared against quantitative data…

This study explored teacher perceptions of their ability to implement the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction (SDLMI) with fidelity and the impact of these perceptions on student self-determination outcomes on the Self-Determination Inventory: Student Report (SDI:SR). Using a piece-wise growth model, we found stability in teacher…

NGSS Early Implementers is a six-year initiative created to help eight California school districts and two charter management organizations, supported by WestEd's K-12 Alliance, implement the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The Initiative has used a train-the-trainer model to maximize spread of professional learning about the NGSS in…

The limited number of women persisting in STEM degree programs and pursuing STEM careers is concerning, particularly when one considers the absence of minority women in this field. One way of addressing this issue is to explore avenues that build women's STEM self-efficacy. Providing connections with other more experienced women involved in STEM…

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between reading-related training (university courses and professional development beyond university training) and the implementation of reading instruction among teachers of students with LD in Saudi schools. A survey was sent to both male and female teachers of students with LD (N = 2158)…

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine the SREB critical success factors being implemented as part of the Illinois PreK-12 principal preparation internship, as well as, the authenticity of the internship process. The following research questions guided this study: (1) To what extent do the 13 SREB critical success factors affect…