Researchers often develop instruments using correctness scores (and a variety of theories and techniques, such as Item Response Theory) for validation and scoring. Less frequently, observations of children's strategies are incorporated into the design, development, and application of assessments. We conducted individual interviews of 833…

Perhaps the most extreme step that education leaders can take to improve school quality is to close a school entirely. School closures are controversial due to the harms and disruptions they can create for families. These harms may be particularly severe if displaced families do not receive adequate support in transitioning to new schools. Since…

The incidence of medical-surgical patients with a secondary anxiety diagnosis is increasing, and nurses' feelings of inadequacy in communicating with anxious patients have hindered the therapeutic nurse-patient relationship, negatively impacting patient outcomes. Simulation methods such as high fidelity simulation and standardized patients have…

Using the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study Data (TIMSS) 2015 dataset, this study examines 30 different contextual indicators to determine significant predictors of girls' mathematics achievement globally. The study design employs three nested levels in the hierarchical linear model (individual, classroom, and nation) to…

ACT retesting occurs when students take the ACT® test multiple times with the goal of improving their scores and postsecondary credentials. In this paper, the author examines preliminary data for the 2022 ACT-tested graduating cohort to better understand the ACT score gains that occur with retesting. The author presents the following six things to…

A series of course-specific MAP Growth Mathematics and Science subject tests were released successively starting in August 2017 to replace the older NWEA End-of-Course (EOC) tests. Different from the prior NWEA EOC tests taken only at the end of a course, these course-specific tests can be administered multiple times throughout the school year,…

This Research Brief summarizes the performance of Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS) students participating in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. The IB program was offered at six M-DCPS high schools in 2021-2022. Over 3,000 assessments were completed by M-DCPS students in 30 subject areas in 2021-2022. The number of IB…

Research studies have suggested that students who participate in daily physical activity and who are more physically fit may have improved academic achievement scores. However, pressures on school districts to improve students' academic achievement in core course areas such as math, science, and English have put less emphasis on courses such as…

This quantitative study evaluated how teaching models for language acquisition--the Integrated, the Stand-Alone and the Mixed Model--and student characteristics--gender and disability status--relate to growth in language skills among ELL students. In this study, the New York State English as a Second Language Achievement Test scores of the…

This study used a propensity score approach to estimate treatment effects in a multilevel setting. The propensity score approach involves the estimation of propensity scores for covariate balancing and the estimation of treatment effects. This study aimed at understanding how propensity scores estimated through a simple logistic regression compare…

The global pandemic was a turning point in education nationally. School closures forced school districts to find the best and most efficient way to continue instruction for their students. As a result, traditional face-to-face instruction was quickly transformed to virtual (online) instruction. This shift in instructional setting has many…

This qualitative case study uses comparative case study methodology with discourse analysis to compare Arizona and New Jersey regulations, policies, procedures, and practices influencing high school graduation rates for Hispanic and Native American youth. National and state reports (NCES, 2019) indicated a gap between high school graduation rates…

The purpose of this study was to examine the use and cognitive load associated with Open Educational Resources (OERS) and Affordable Digital Textbook (ADT) among prelicensure Baccalaureate of Nursing students in an asynchronous on-line health policy course. OERS and ADT provide low student cost curriculum options for nursing faculty. The…

The purpose of this study was to find a way to increase low literacy skills for 5th- grade students in a charter school. The research explored the relationship between the attitudes, behaviors, standardized test scores, and perceptions related to student reading; parents' attitudes and perceptions related to their student's reading; and teachers'…

The purpose of this study was to investigate if a two-prong stereotype threat intervention strategy would impact placement scores of students of color. Students of color are largely enrolled in developmental education courses at a greater rate than other students (78% and 75%, respectively). Students of color are also more susceptible to the…