This report provides a first look at how Illinois school districts' uses of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds were related to their test score outcomes in the years following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using data on districts' ESSER expenditures as of November 2023, the authors analyze test score trends across…

Developing students' reading and numeracy skills remain key goals of contemporary schooling. In Australia, the National Assessment Program -- Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests have assessed these skills since 2008. Previous research found a significant gender gap in favour of females for the NAPLAN writing test, yet no study has examined…

There is a wide debate on the convenience of grade retention for students' future cognitive development. Nevertheless, due to the endogenous characteristics of grade retention to explain students' academic performance, most of the literature fails in capturing its actual influence. In the present research, we intend to get as close as possible to…

In education, understanding the determinants of learners' achievement is crucial. This study aimed to explore the correlation between emotional intelligence (EI) and academic achievement in primary schools. Using Goleman's Emotional Intelligence Assessment Scale adapted for local use, 444 primary school students were assessed via random sampling.…

Students with intellectual disability (ID) have been participating in statewide general and alternate reading assessments during the past two decades. However, these students' reading performance on statewide assessments over time has not been adequately examined. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between students with ID's…

This qualitative study examines the lived experiences of both first-generation (FG) students and employees of an Upward Bound (UB) program. The purpose of this study is to explore how an UB program at a private university in the Midwest can aid in bridging the educational gap for FG students while faced with obstacles such as reaching, engaging,…

Historically, de jure systemic racism in the United States and the California housing market resulted in a lack of Black family access to housing in affluent neighborhoods, generating a Black-White wealth and income gap still observed today. Even after eliminating much of this outright discrimination, these economic gaps caused de facto…

In the ever-evolving landscape of China's education system, the gap between the rural and urban was always an important issue, not only the multifaceted interplay of parental involvement, student self-engagement, and academic performance. This study utilized a comprehensive national survey dataset through a thorough understanding of cultural…

PISA aims to serve as a "global yardstick" for educational success, as measured by student performance. For comparisons to be meaningful across countries or over time, PISA samples must be representative of the population of 15-year-old students in each country. Exclusions and non-response can undermine this representativeness and…

Approximately 7% of all U. S. K-12 schools have received the United States Department of Education's (USDOE) National Blue Ribbon (NBR). Information was needed about how leaders prepare their schools to earn this award. This study was focused on the leadership practices of school principals honored with the award between 2005 and 2021 to learn…

This study explores the relationship between English Learners (ELs) in the Texas school system and their outcomes on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) tests and the Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS). Schumann's Acculturation Model and Krashen's Input Hypothesis were used as theoretical…

To examine the role of inequality in academic achievement, we analyse a cross-national dataset including data from three cycles from 2012 to 2018 from the PISA, an international assessment of 15-year-old students' math, reading, and science performance. The Gini coefficient and gender inequality index (GII) were used as metrics for a country's…

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is one of the largest and most comprehensive comparative education studies in the world. A wide variety of countries and economies worldwide collect information on student performance, school environment, and other relevant variables using standardized, uniform procedures that assure the…

Education has always been and will continue to be the key that unlocks doors of opportunity and success for all. Our national test scores, over the last several decades, reveal that a majority of America's students are failing to meet academic benchmarks and standards, thus limiting the possibilities for opportunity. Mathematics, in particular,…

Through the years, the role of the school principal has shifted from managerial to an instructional focus, which required additional skills, strategies, oversight, and flexibility. Assuming the role of instructional leader challenged principals to ensure students achieve at high levels. Legislation over the years added to the high expectations…