Background: The current study updates and extends the original research synthesis of effective instructional strategies presented in "Classroom Instruction that Works" ("CITW"; Marzano, Pickering, & Pollock, 2001). That work identified nine instructional strategies for improving academic achievement and synthesized findings from previous…

The study considered whether adding sign language graphics to the books being used for reading instruction in a first-grade classroom would promote the literacy development of students who are deaf or hard of hearing. The researchers also sought to discover whether materials existed to put the process of modifying leveled texts within the reach of…

During summertime, before school ends and the hard physical labor begins, it is best to reflect on the touchups and renovations that need to be done to a teacher's classroom instruction. This article presents two innovative lesson ideas that will inspire teachers to rethink, retool, and recharge as they decide what some of their summer renovations…

The author examined student perceptions concerning online homework assignments in an introductory finance class. In general, students felt that online homework was preferable to traditional homework assignments that are turned in to the instructor. In addition, students reported that the homework assignments increased their understanding of the…

The popular claim that homework time is positively related to achievement and achievement gains was tested in three studies. Time on homework was compared and contrasted with other indicators of homework assignment (i.e., homework frequency) and students' homework behavior (i.e., homework effort). The results of the three studies indicate that…

When it comes to homework, the commonsense approach is doubly vulnerable, since homework is often a hot-button issue for parents, school boards, and the students themselves, while its long-term consequences extend well beyond the immediate school setting. One might hope for less heat and more light from the experts--perhaps even a nuanced…

This article describes how a spreadsheet-based tool can be used to provide personalized statistics homework exercises for each student in a class.

Child maltreatment affects 900 thousand children in the U.S. every year and impacts all areas of daily functioning. Behavioral parent training (BPT) programs have effectively taught parenting & demonstrated externally valid outcomes (i.e., lower recidivism rates). Skill maintenance assessments for BPTs have mixed results. The Behavior Management…

Several instructional strategies are significantly related to student outcomes in science. Authentic instruction enables students to connect science topics learned in the classroom with real-world contexts and problems. Cooperative learning activities and homework assignments are also associated with science outcomes. The purpose of this study was…

Long and frequent deployments, with short dwell times in between, have placed stresses on Army children and families already challenged by frequent moves and parental absences. RAND Arroyo Center was asked by the Army to examine the effects of parental deployments on children's academic performance as well as their emotional and behavioral…

Promising research on the teaching and learning impact of classroom-embedded formative assessment has spawned interest in a broader array of assessment tools and practices, including interim assessment. Although researchers have begun to explore the impact of interim assessments in the classroom, like other assessment tools and practices, they…

This article describes a one-week introduction to stochastic groundwater modeling, intended for the end of a first course on groundwater hydrology, or the beginning of a second course on stochastic hydrogeology or groundwater modeling. The motivation for this work is to strengthen groundwater education, which has been identified among the factors…

The authors used data from the National Household Education Surveys (NHES) Program 2007 Parent and Family Involvement in Education Survey (National Center for Education Statistics, 2007) (N=10,681) to examine household income, gender, and race of parents, and their importance in shaping parental involvement in children's education. The study finds…

English Language Learners (ELL) are often at a distinct disadvantage from receiving authentic science learning opportunites. This study explored English Language Learners (ELL) learning experiences with scientific language and inquiry within a real life context. This research was theoretically informed by sociocultural theory and literature on…

This dissertation elaborates the findings of a qualitative investigation of a year-long mathematics classroom in an urban, untracked, neighborhood (i.e., non-selective-enrollment) public high school in Chicago where students (all Latino/a and Black, from low-income families) and teacher co-created a classroom to "read the mathematical…