Autonomous motivation has long been linked to reading achievement in older students and recently has received attention for the role it plays in the achievement of younger children. Given America's nearly nationwide adoption of the Common Core State Standards (which emphasize skill acquisition), concern over whether and how reading motivation is…

Programs and policies related to the education of long-term English learners (LTELs) at the secondary level are often based on the belief that fluency in English is the primary, if not the sole, requirement for academic success and college and career readiness. This case study investigates whether LTEL students are accessing Linked…

Two major reforms have transformed California's K-12 education system over the past decade. To revamp English and mathematics instruction, the Common Core standards were adopted in 2010, with district implementation beginning several years later. In 2013, the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) was enacted to increase funding for disadvantaged…

In this multiple case study we examined six middle schools with above predicted student achievement outcomes on Common Core State Standards (CCSS) assessments in mathematics and English language arts. We drew upon the Universal Design for Instruction (UDI) framework to characterize the nature of teachers' practices with particular attention to how…

The Common Core State Standards were created with college and career readiness in mind to help prepare students to succeed upon graduation from high school. In this article, I examine college readiness as it has been described by both university mathematicians and educational researchers to precisely discern what will foster success in collegiate…

Suppose you were an alien trying to understand how people in the United States feel about the Common Core School Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM). You could look at the Internet, mass media, YouTube and all of the other venues available. Walking away from them, you would be very confused about whether the U.S. loves or hates the CCSSM, whether…

Measurement comprises an important set of concepts that are fundamental for students to competently navigate and work with objects and structures within their physical environment. Despite their importance, these concepts are difficult for students to grasp, as evidenced by low performance on measurement items on the National Assessment of…

Rising opposition to the Common Core Standards (CCS) has undermined implementation throughout the country. Yet there has been no scholarly analysis of the predictors of CCS opposition in the populace. This analysis uses poll data from a statewide poll of California voters to explore the demographic and policy predictors of CCS opposition. We find…

This article examines the issues of how Common Core State Standards (CCSS) will impact adaptive teaching. It focuses on 2 of the major differences between conventional standards and CCSS: the increased complexity of text and the addition of disciplinary literacy standards to reading instruction. The article argues that adaptive teaching under CCSS…

The Common Core State Standards for mathematics promote ideals about learning mathematics by providing specific standards focused on conceptual understanding and incorporating practices in which students must participate to develop conceptual understanding. Thus, how we define learning is pivotal because our current definition isn't aligned with…

Cassidy, Ortlieb, and Grote-Garcia (2016) have penned an important and insightful article. This reflection on the impact of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS; National Governors Association [NGA] Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers [CCSSO], 2010) through the lens of "What's Hot, What's Not" for two…

From comics to cathedrals, pie charts to power ballads, fashion to Facebook . . . students need help navigating today's mediarich world. And educators need help teaching today's new media literacy. To be "literate" now means being able to read, write, listen, speak, view, and represent across all media--including both print and nonprint…

Contrary to popular belief, modern cognitive assessments--including the new Common Core tests--produce test scores based on sophisticated statistical models rather than the simple percent of items a student answers correctly. While there are good reasons for this, it means that reported test scores depend on many decisions made by test designers,…

There are many thousands of education researchers in the world, thousands of higher education institutions, and hundreds of relevant research journals. But the EWA has chosen to rely almost exclusively on an infinitesimal proportion of it for expertise. Ironically, the tiny group on which they depend comprises some of the world's most poorly read…

Internet connectivity has become a critical resource for teaching and learning. The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) is a prime example, with schools expected to implement online assessments and use online resources for instruction. Yet there is little known about the extent to which local education agencies (LEAs) and schools are taking…