RtI is a three-tiered program that uses data collected from benchmark assessments and progress monitoring (Fuchs, et al 2008). Tier I includes all children, and it is the level that all students would like to achieve. Tier II includes children who show minor gaps in their abilities in reading, and they require specific intervention to help close…

This study was designed to improve the current beginning teacher support program and address the problem of beginning or early career teachers leaving the district. Researchers have found that as many as 50% of teachers leave the profession within their first five years of teaching (Darling-Hammond & Sykes, 2003). This study proposed changes…

The goal of this study was to determine the impact of data-driven teams on student learning, collaborative practice, and school culture. The participants in the study were the data-driven team members from four middle schools in a North Carolina county. The study used EOG test results in 6-8 reading and math from before implementation to after…

Successful implementation of a new law begins with administrators and their perceptions of the law. As stated by the U.S. Department of Education (2015), "Principals are at the center of most new State-level system reforms" (p. 14). In 2015, Nevada lawmakers passed a new law titled Read by Grade 3 (RBG3) (Nevada Department of Education,…

The role and functions of an academic library have evolved drastically as the result of a new social, economic, and technological reality. Libraries are responding to these developments by changing focus from collection and storage of information to becoming active partners in students' educational journey. The learning commons model of service is…

Restorative justice represents "a paradigm shift in the way Americans conceptualize and administer punishment," says author Maisha T. Winn, from a focus on crime to a focus on harm, including the needs of both those who were harmed and those who caused it. Her book, "Justice on Both Sides," provides an urgently needed,…

This timely book will help policymakers and practitioners convert their visions of high-quality early education into on-the-ground reality by providing a much-needed, richly detailed look at how states can design, fund, and manage exemplary programs. The authors describe and analyze how four states--Michigan, West Virginia, Washington, and North…

Accountability pressures are substantial and growing in higher education. Regional accreditors have assimilated the language and purpose of assessment as part of the reviewing cycle for re-accreditation with the intention of making institutions more responsive in demonstrating improvement of student learning outcomes. Despite this, educational…

The Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) has been studying the four-day school week since 2015. Since then, the phenomenon of the four-day school week has spread into non-rural areas and interest appears to be growing. Given these apparent changes, the author wanted to know more about recent trends in the initiative. As districts continue…

The purpose of this study was to begin the work of closing the current research-to-practice gap for evidence-based practices (EBP) for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study looked at the professional wisdom side of the EBPs for ASD through the eyes of the professionals in the field of education. It provides more insight into how the EBPs are…

Too many students struggle to learn mathematics, and yet learning mathematics is important (House, 2011). Teachers need to improve their efforts to help all students learn mathematics. An increase in teacher efficacy through professional development for the teachers will help the struggling students (Jerald, 2007). This research shows that this…

The primary purpose of this Guide is to provide a blueprint for the development, revision, and implementation of state social studies standards. The process described herein offers opportunities for a range of stakeholder groups to engage in discussions around promising approaches and strategies that strategically advance implementation goals. It…

Due to low student academic achievement, state and federal governments continue to implement educational mandates in the hopes of improving American schools and education. This trend continued in the state of Maine in which Governor LePage and the 125th Maine State Legislature in 2012 passed Public Law, Chapter 635, legislative document, (LD)…

Bullying has emerged as a concerning issue in schools nationwide. Legislative expectations have required anti-bullying efforts to be implemented in schools. STOPit is a technological application tool for students to report bullying incidents to school personnel. This study measured the effectiveness of the STOPit application as an anti-bullying…

This post is one in a series highlighting MDRC's methodological work. Contributors discuss the refinement and practical use of research methods being employed across MDRC. MDRC has begun working with research partners through the Expanding Children's Early Learning (ExCEL) Network, a collaboration of researchers, preschool providers, and local…