All students deserve research-based, systematic support and a team that is committed to their success. In this book, Lee Ann Jung lays out a growth planning process that integrates seamlessly with existing IEP and Response to Instruction and Intervention (RTI2) structures and is also suitable for any student who has individualized or personalized…

Using the right assessments for your district is key to tackling achievement gaps. Bay District Schools knows this firsthand. After changing their approach to assessment, they helped struggling students experience phenomenal--and clearly demonstrable--growth. After implementing MAP® Growth™, Bay students at the lower end of the achievement…

Vertical transfer from community college to a university offers a promising, although unrealized, pathway to diversify STEM disciplines. Studying how successful transfer-­receiving universities support STEM transfer students can offer insights into the institutional practices that promote transfer student retention and success. Using institutional…

This research was commissioned as part of Inclusive Britain, the government response to the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities (CRED). The research sought to answer three main questions: (1) Where schools and trusts have closed attainment gaps between pupils from different ethnic groups, has this been the result of a deliberate strategy…

This pilot study conducted an initial evaluation of the Center for Improving the Readiness of Children for Learning and Education (CIRCLE) Infant-Toddler Teacher Training program. The program is unique in three ways: 1) use of an online platform with courses that explain social-emotional, language, and literacy development in young children…

We evaluated the validity of an automated approach to learning progress assessment (aLPA) for English written expression. Participants (n = 105) were students in Grades 2-12 who had parent-identified learning difficulties and received academic tutoring through a community-based organization. Participants completed narrative writing samples in the…

This qualitative case study examined the contribution a year-long professional development in the science of reading had on 10 first-grade teachers' knowledge of how reading develops and their instructional practices. Data for this research study was collected through a longitudinal interview process, from pre- and post-knowledge inventory…

Educators and researchers measure student improvement in words read correct per minute (WRCM) to evaluate student response to reading interventions. The utility of evaluating improvement in WRCM via curriculum-based measures to make instructional decisions is based upon the assumption that growth in WRCM is predictive of performance on meaningful…

Framed within achievement goal theory and self-determination theory, the aim of this study was to explore the experiences and motivational needs of students within secondary school Physical Education, attempting to identify their preferred motivational instructional strategies. Nine focus group interviews were conducted comprising 61 students (32…

Privatization has grown tremendously in the field of education in India to meet the growing demands for education in society. Privatization of education refers to the transfer of provision of education from the state to private providers with the overall policy goals- (i) Increasing access to and participation in basic education, (ii) Improving…

Teachers have difficulty using data from Curriculum-based Measurement (CBM) progress graphs of students with learning difficulties for instructional decision-making. As a first step in unraveling those difficulties, we studied teachers' comprehension of CBM graphs. Using think-aloud methodology, we examined 23 teachers' ability to…

Despite significant advancements in supporting students' social, emotional, and behavioral health in recent years, progress remains hindered by limited formative assessment options. The focus of this special issue is on applications for Direct Behavior Rating (DBR), which is a hybrid assessment method incorporating procedures utilized in direct…

The Texas English Language Learner (ELL) Progress Measure provides year-to-year performance expectations on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR®) content-area assessments for Texas ELL students. The ELL Progress Measure expectations take into account the level of English language proficiency ELL students possess, thus…

There are more than three dozen systemic community schools initiatives currently underway nationwide, with even more communities considering the reform. Yet few tools exist to help school districts, government agencies, and communities at large track their progress. To address this gap, Research for Action (RFA), with generous funding from the…

The purpose of this study was to provide initial evidence of the effectiveness of Check-In/Check-Out-High School (CICO-HS) on high school student outcomes. Check-In/Check-Out-High School is a version of CICO, an established Tier 2 intervention designed to improve student academic and social behavior, adapted to increase effectiveness and…