The goal of this study was to examine IXL usage among high school students in California and its relation to academic performance in math and ELA, as measured by the Smarter Balanced Summative Assessment (SBA). At the high school level in California, the SBA is taken only by 11th- grade students each year. We analyzed students' math and ELA SBA…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act mandates that all school districts provide a free appropriate public education to students with Individualized Education Plans in their least restrictive environment. Co-teaching in inclusion classrooms is a collaborative effort, with a general education teacher and a special education teacher, to…

This paper examines the impact of increasing teacher salaries on student outcomes by exploiting variation from the "50K The First Day" campaign that established a $50K salary floor for new teachers across New Jersey school districts. Using school-level data from 2003 to 2019, we employ a staggered difference-in-differences (DiD) approach…

This document presents the proceedings of the 23nd Annual Research Forum held June 28, 2018, at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Included are the following 12 action research papers: (1) Standards-Based Grading in a Secondary Mathematics Classroom (Michelle Anderson); (2) How the Use of Graphic Novels in Shakespeare…

Teachers have the largest school-based influence on student learning, yet there is little research on how instructional practice is systematically distributed within tracking systems. We examine whether teaching practice varies significantly across track levels and, if so, which aspects of instructional practice differ systematically. Using…

This study examined the relationship between the 2013 New Jersey High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA) Language Arts and Mathematics scores and school level data related to family human capital and community social capital found in the extant literature to influence student achievement on high-stakes standardized assessments. School level data…

The Thinking with Data project (TWD) expands on current notions of data literacy by (1) focusing on proportional reasoning as key to data literacy and (2) leveraging the non-mathematics disciplines to engage students in deep thinking about the context of data and the application of proportionality. A set of four 2-week, sequential modules for…

Great teaching is not just a matter of talent or creativity or passion. Teachers are made, not born, and great teachers know "why" they do what they do in their classrooms. They do it strategically and purposefully based on technique. "Teach on Purpose!" demonstrates a high-quality research-based and practical approach to…

Math experts developed Formative Assessment Lessons that teachers can incorporate throughout the year's curriculum. Both tools target the "instructional core." A study by Research for Action (RFA) examining the first year of piloting the Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC) and Math Design Collaborative (MDC) tools (2010-11) found…

To support the implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation invested in the development and dissemination of two tools aimed at operationalizing classroom instruction based on the standards: (1) the Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC)'s Framework; and (2) the Math Design Collaborative (MDC)'s…

This article highlights a project that encourages students to connect reading and mathematics instruction by using a data analysis approach. Students analyze sonnets from statistical, literary, and historical points of view in an effort to uncover the true identity of William Shakespeare. (Contains 10 figures.)

The change from students learning all subjects together in a one-room schoolhouse to learning in classes separated by subject and grade resulted in distinct disciplines such as social studies, mathematics, science, and English. What was lost was the unified, holistic curriculum that a one-room setting required. Since students move from…

Much has been written on the subject of linking math and literature. However, the focus is usually on the incorporation of reading into a math class--how a teacher might use picture books, problems, or stories, in general, to bring enthusiasm and engagement into the math classroom. In this article, the authors propose that teachers think about…

This article describes how the story of Alice in Wonderland helps students understand the operation of multiplying by a rational number less than 1 and related aspects of ratio and proportion. Included with this article is a "How Tall Is Alice?" Worksheet. (Contains 1 table and 6 figures.)

Tasks in which students were asked to write sentences concerning the relationships between pairs of probability concepts are presented and discussed. Methods for using writing tasks in the mathematics classroom are suggested. (DT)