Introductory courses in mathematics and physical sciences are challenging for students and often have lower success rates than other comparable courses. In online courses, this is compounded by students employing surface learning strategies. Furthermore, it has been shown that students often do not utilize learning materials that are provided in…

We provide evidence of validity for a newly developed diagnostic competence model of operation sense, by both (a) describing the theoretically substantiated development of the competence model in close association with its use within a large-scale formative assessment and (b) providing empirical evidence for the theoretically described cognitive…

To address the emotional and mental health needs of teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic, existing instructional technology tools can be rapidly adapted to support trauma-informed educational practices. In this action research and practice brief, the instructional strategies and communication tools used to support the mental health needs of…

In teacher inquiry, the metaphor of stance is used to describe a positionality towards teaching that includes questioning classroom practices, engaging in cycles of continuous improvement, and generating knowledge. We expand the metaphor of stance to include a metaphor for complicated movements while maintaining balance -- dynamic structural…

This study investigates patterns exhibited by pre-service teachers (PSTs) while practicing feedback in response to students' solutions on a procedure-based mathematics assessment. First, we developed an analytical framework for understanding mathematics PSTs' written feedback. Second, we looked into how a learning module on a multimedia platform…

This research developed an approach to integrate the complementary benefits of digitized assessments and peer learning. Its basic premise and associated hypotheses are that by using student assessments of correct and incorrect quiz answers using a fine-grained resolution to pair them into remediation peer-learning cohorts is an effective means of…

In current teacher evaluation systems, the two main purposes of evaluation--accountability/goal accomplishment (summative) and professional growth/improvement (formative)--are often at odds with one another. However, they are not only compatible, but linking them within a unified teacher evaluation system may, in fact, be desirable. The challenge…

The role of a school principal has become increasingly complex in today's schools. Principals are required not only to manage a school building but to focus their efforts on instruction and curriculum. The most important contribution principals can have on their schools is to strengthen their instructional leadership, which is strongly correlated…

The "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS Lead States 2013) lay out an ambitious agenda for students to simultaneously engage with disciplinary core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and scientific practices. This does not just mean new expectations for teaching; it also requires new formative assessments. In contrast to summative…

In this article, I focus on three areas of reading assessment that I believe to be crucial for students' reading development: developing comprehensive formative assessments, assessing the wide array of factors that contribute to students' reading development, and fostering student independence by helping students learn to use reading assessment on…

This paper presents a rationale for and description of the professional development system designed to help teachers understand and use the Birthday Party (BP) Mathematics Assessment, a standardized assessment with child-friendly birthday party themed tasks, and ultimately to leverage their learning from the BP to conduct their own meaningful…

Recognizing school improvement networks as a leading strategy for large-scale high school reform, this analysis examines developmental evaluation as an approach to examining school improvement networks as "learning systems" able to produce, use, and refine practical knowledge in large numbers of schools. Through a case study of one…

Guiding student growth minute-by-minute--aka classroom formative assessment--has a track record of boosting student and teacher engagement. Discover concrete ways leaders can support this high-impact instructional practice throughout your school or district. Learn: (1) how to clarify who owns the learning and who is responsible for the learning…

In the present study, with the aim of analyzing the relationship among teacher feedback, feedforward, and grade, the corrections and comments made by four experienced assessors on 187 compositions were under scrutiny. These essays were written by 56 Swedish university students studying English as a second language at three different educational…

Drawing on findings from two studies, this article focuses on the expectations of students and teachers in higher education, when learning via asynchronous online discussions. In particular, this synthesis highlights a divergence of expectations. The first study investigated how students and teachers experienced asynchronous online discussion…