For more than ten years, students at Bayard Middle School have not demonstrated mastery of the Common Core State Standards based on their performance on the state assessment administered every spring. Regardless of the particular assessment, students have consistently scored at the bottom of the state when compared with their grade-level peers.…

Since the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act required classifications of students' performance levels, test scores have been used to measure students' achievement; in particular, test scores are used to determine whether students reach a proficiency level in the state assessment. Accordingly, school districts have started using benchmark assessments…

This study was designed to highlight how students best learn to learn to read, best practices of reading instruction, innovative resources, and effective instructional strategies. The aim of this dissertation was to address the problem of kindergarten through fourth grade students in the United States not reading on grade level. The purpose of…

This quantitative study investigated current data-based instructional decision-making (DBIDM) practices of K-3 general education teachers implementing a MTSS/RTI model to address students' academic needs. A thirty-item electronic survey was designed to examine and measure aspects of K-3 general education teachers' formative data use and…

North Carolina has increased the math course requirements for graduation and the rigor of standards students are expected to master at each grade level. Richmond County School students have consistently lagged behind the state average on the North Carolina End-of-Grade assessment in grades three through eight, an assessment used to determine grade…

Poor early literacy skills can impact a child significantly, limiting school achievement and success throughout the life span. Difficulties are also associated with numerous social problems. Students exhibiting prereading skill deficits often fall even further behind their classmates in later elementary years (Cusumanzo, 2007; Deno, 1989;…

The purpose of this research study was to examine leadership behaviors of middle school principals who have been successful in stimulating and sustaining African-American students' mathematics achievement on the California Standards Test. Specifically, this research sought to answer the following questions: 1) How do middle school principal…

Early literacy and reading skills are both important predictors of an individual's future success in school and employment settings (Moats, 1999). Moreover, poor reading performance in elementary school has been associated with future conduct problems and juvenile delinquency by age fifteen (Williams, 1994). Research supports the notion that…

This study extends existing student ratings research by exploring how teaching methods, individually and collectively, influence a minimum standard of student achievement on learning objectives and how class size impacts this influence. Twenty teaching methods were used to predict substantial or exceptional progress on each of 12 learning…

The purpose of this study was to examine the success of students in Exceptional Education in Tennessee Virtual Academy. Students participating in this study are in grades 5-8, have a diagnosis of Specific Learning Disabilities, residents of Tennessee, currently enrolled in Tennessee Virtual Academy, and received Exceptional Education services.…

Emphasis on regular mathematics skill assessment, intervention, and progress monitoring under the RTI model has created a need for the development of assessment instruments that are psychometrically sound, reliable, universal, and brief. Important factors to consider when developing or selecting assessments for the school environment include what…

The purpose of the study was to provide a data-based description of West Virginia special education teachers' roles, responsibilities, and practices relevant to their participation in selected components of the Response to Intervention (RTI) process. Special educators' practices related to assessment, tiered instruction, decision making, and…