This CALDER research brief builds on pioneering research by the Measures of Effective Teaching Project (Kane et al., 2013) and Jackson (2018) to look at two measures of teacher quality-value-added measures (VAMs) for both test outcomes and non-test outcomes--and what they can tell education leaders about the teacher workforce. Both measures use a…

It is clear that young people bore the brunt of the pandemic's impact. Disrupted learning, sometimes stretching for two years, forced many students off track and behind academically. Leaders are now faced an unprecedented need to make smart investments with federal relief funds in efforts that accelerate student learning. District leaders should…

Students with Disabilities (SWD) are underperforming in reading when compared to their neurotypical peers. Although reading research has made significant progress over the past 30 years, including recent developments regarding the science of reading, the findings from the extensive body of research are not consistently grounding instructional…

The professional values of teachers in the Turkish education system have been discussed in terms of competencies of professional standards. It is important to describe the adoption level of the professional values of elementary teachers based on the views of experts. The aim of this study was to investigate and analyze the professional values of…

In their proposals to join the Math in Common (MiC) initiative, staff from each of the 10 participating districts acknowledged that the shifts required to implement the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSS-M) (NGA Center & CCSSO, 2010) would be a huge lift for teachers. They knew that mathematics teachers would be required to take…

Research that examines coaching approaches for special education teachers is very limited. This study, a secondary analysis of a wait-list controlled, randomized trial (106 teachers, 2,195 students, 18 schools), investigated the effects of a data-driven coaching that integrated observational assessment and performance feedback on general education…

In response to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act Amendments of 2004 (IDEIA 2004), states have implemented Response to Intervention (RtI) programs, which increase the demands that are placed on the knowledge base and skills of general education teachers. RtI is a multi-tiered model that requires teachers to apply…

Failure to provide adequate teacher training related to a specific intervention or approach during consultation may be associated with a host of negative outcomes. Requiring teachers to implement an intervention with little to no training increases the probability that the intervention will not have the intended effect and subsequently will fail…

The purpose of this paper is to examine the practices of formative assessment in the West Arsi zone secondary schools in Ethiopia. A descriptive cross-sectional survey research design was employed. The study participants were secondary school supervisors, principals, teachers, and students. Questionnaires, interviews, observations, and document…

Outcomes for students with disabilities are historically concerning. As states have leveraged the "Every Student Succeeds Act" (ESSA) to refine accountability and support systems, schools across the country have been identified as needing "Targeted School Improvement" (TSI) or "Comprehensive School Improvement" (CSI).…

Reading proficiency is fundamental to school success. However, up to 50% of students with reading disabilities are not making adequate progress. Students who demonstrate persistent and severe reading difficulties require increasingly intensive instruction individualized to meet their instructional needs Individualizing instruction with…

Special education administrators at both the district and school level are serving in critical roles that uniquely position them to improve academic and behavioral outcomes of students with disabilities by ensuring the special education teachers under their supervision are prepared to deliver an evidence-based form of intensive…

Delivering high-quality instruction grounded in evidence-based practices is one of the most important responsibilities of special education teachers. However, simply implementing effective evidence-based practices is not enough to ensure positive results; the practices must be implemented with fidelity (Cook & Odom, 2013). Although there are…

Teachers must be proficient at using data to evaluate the effects of instructional strategies and interventions, and must be able to make, describe, justify, and validate their data-based instructional decisions to parents, students, and educational colleagues. An important related skill is the ability to accurately read and interpret…

Learning progress assessment (LPA) provides formative information about effectiveness of instructional decisions. Learning curves are usually presented as graphical illustrations. However, little is known about teachers understanding and interpreting of graphically presented information. An instrument to measure competencies in reading graphs from…