Achieve is corporate America's direct connection to national education policy. Mainstream business leaders seem to trust it, and their foundations give it money. Whether Achieve actually achieves its mission is open to debate. Over two decades, it has grown substantially and spun off several other organizations that extend its reach. Has Achieve…

We investigated six preservice secondary science teachers' implementation of reform-based science, in particular, their teaching of the "Next Generation Science Standards' (NGSS)" science and engineering practice of "using mathematics and computational thinking." A modified version of the Task Analysis Guide in Science served…

Implementation of the Common Core Mathematical Standards and Practices (CCSS) has emphasized the importance of instruction that develops both procedural knowledge and conceptual understanding. Novice teachers have experienced the implementation of the CCSS during their PreK-12 experience, as well as within their teacher preparation program. It may…

This paper focuses on the relationship between policy creation and policy enactment through the use of an innovative qualitative research methodology, photo elicitation. Teachers applying Common Core State Standards were studied in two states through indepth interviews, photographs captured by the participants, and other artifacts. Findings…

Digital Game Based Learning (DGBL) was considered as an effective way to engage learners and enhance learning performance. This case study demonstrates a design case that uses DGBL to support writing practices using student-centered pedagogy in K-12 education. Minecraft is used as a tool of transferring students' imagination and abstract design to…

Calls for empirical investigations of the Common Core standards (CCSSs) for English Language Arts have been widespread, particularly in the area of text complexity in the primary grades (e.g., Hiebert & Mesmer "Educational Research," 42(1), 44-51, 2013). The CCSSs mention that qualitative methods (such as Fountas and Pinnell) and…

While the primary focus of the Common Core Learning Standards is in improving literacy and math, elements of Social Studies topics and skills are emphasized. Primary source analysis and understanding multiple perspectives are just two examples. This article is grounded in a qualitative analysis of integrated instruction in two elementary…

This study explored K-3 elementary schools teachers' perceptions towards impacts of Common Core State Standards on early childhood education. A total of 54 teachers completed a questionnaire in which they were asked to rate the 9 questions related to their background, and then the extent to which they agree with 20 statements. The results showed…

Horizon Content Knowledge (HCK, Ball, Thames & Phelps, 2008), knowledge that teachers hold about the interconnectedness of mathematics, has been recognized as an integral component of Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching, yet little is known about how or where it is taught in the preservice teacher (PST) curriculum or how researchers should…

Many mathematics educators are not aware of a strong connection that exists between the education of computer programming and mathematics. The reason may be that they have not been exposed to computer programming. This connection is worth exploring, given the current trends of automation and Industry 4.0. Therefore, in this paper we take a closer…

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), passed into law in 2015, explicitly prohibits the federal government from creating incentives to set national standards. The law represents a major departure from recent federal initiatives, such as Race to the Top, which beginning in 2009 encouraged the adoption of uniform content standards and expectations…

This study focused on the perception of special education teachers on the new Common Core Standards and effective classroom instructions for students with disabilities. It shared a new understanding and increased knowledge of the Common Core Standards and how it has affected students with disabilities. Given that special educators have direct…

The California State Board of Education (SBE) adopted the California Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) to transform science teaching and learning in K-12 schools in 2013. The new standards emphasize "three-dimensional learning": disciplinary core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and science and engineering practices. They are aligned…

Howe (2014, Three pillars of first grade mathematics, and beyond. In: Li Y. & Lappan G. (eds), Mathematics curriculum in school education, Springer, Dordrecht, pp 183-207) identified three pillars of first grade mathematics and beyond that described central mathematical and sense-making aspects of major Common Core State Standards Math…

This article explains how teams of special educators, science teachers, literacy consultants, and administrators can use the Disciplinary Literacy Observation Tool (DLOT) and accompanying planning tool to improve disciplinary literacy instruction in inclusive secondary science classrooms. The DLOT was developed in partnership with practitioners as…