To craft engaging nonfiction prose, young writers should focus on a specific idea or concept of interest and use acclaimed children's books as mentor texts to help them understand options for developing their ideas. In this article, the authors provide examples of high-quality children's nonfiction for exploring various formats and text structures…

The primary purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between school climate and academic achievement in the Common Core State Standards era. This quantitative study involved 79 high school-level school districts from five counties in the southern California area. The essential research questions used to guide the study were designed…

This article describes a modeling project the author did with his algebra, geometry, and applications students in grades 9, 10, and 11 as an enrichment and exploration of an extremely relevant real-world phenomenon and introduction to the adult profession of epidemiologist. With discussion and exploration, this project consumed two periods of 88…

This survey study examined the extent to which science teachers report implementing science literacy practices aligned to Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards. The instrument was emailed to all secondary science teachers (N=2519) in one northeastern state and 14% (n=343) responded. Practices that reflected disciplinary…

After the authors reviewed the "State of State Standards--and the Common Core--in 2010" they found that the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) were clearer and more rigorous than the English language arts (ELA) standards in 37 states and stronger than the math standards in 39 states. States were encouraged to adopt the CCSS. By 2013 the…

Facilitating meaningful discourse directly supports what students should be able to do with respect to the third of the eight Standards for Mathematical Practice (SMP 3) in the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (NGA Center and CCSSO 2010): "Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others" (p. 6). Following best…

In this study, we examined and compared volume and volume-related lessons in two common core aligned U.S. textbook series and Korean elementary textbooks. Because of the importance of textbooks in the lesson enactment process, examining what textbooks offer to students and teachers is important. Since different parts of a textbook provide…

The benefits of content writing are widely recognized, yet there are still few studies that evaluate the benefits and challenges of mathematical writing (MW) for students. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics have an emphasis on written communication of mathematical reasoning as an…

State assessment leaders are concerned about the challenges with receiving full approval from the U.S. Department of Education (USED) when using the ACT or the SAT as their assessment of high school achievement. USED has asked states opting to use the ACT or the SAT as the achievement indicator under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to…

Teaching grammar can be overwhelming and is often an overlooked part of effective instruction. "The Middle School Grammar Toolkit" to the rescue! Now in its second edition, this comprehensive guide makes grammar instruction fun and meaningful. You will learn how to: (1) Teach grammar in a practical and applicable way by presenting each…

In "Evidence, Politics, and Education Policy," political scientists Lorraine M. McDonnell and M. Stephen Weatherford provide an original analysis of evidence use in education policymaking to help scholars and advocates shape policy more effectively. The book shows how multiple types of evidence are combined as elected officials and their…

Policymakers have sought to increase the rigor of content standards since the 1990s. However, the literature examining the effects of reforms to content standards on student outcomes is still developing. This study examines the extent to which the Common Core State Content Standards (CC) affected student achievement and the size of achievement…

The novel coronavirus has forced the world to interact with data visualizations in order to make decisions at the individual level that have, sometimes, grave consequences. As a result, the lack of statistical literacy among the general public, as well as organizations that have a responsibility to share accurate, clear, and timely information…

In conjunction with the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and governors across the nation, the initial drafts of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) were introduced in 2009 with the final draft being released in 2010. With a goal of eliminating stagnant academic progress, the Standards were written to outline precisely what…

This article presents popular misconceptions on teaching culturally relevant books and provides strategies that can inform the search, selection, and teaching of books in culturally responsive ways. Informed by relevant research and insights gained from collaboratively teaching a children's literature course at college level, I discuss how the…