This study is the first evaluation of Hopeful Minds: a novel school-based mental health promotion programme designed for children and pre-adolescents. Ten hope theory-based lessons were assessed. A mixed-methodology design was used with a sample of 127 participants (88 pre/post; 39 focus groups), aged 8-13 years. In the pre/post-study, there were…

In 2013, the National Academy of Education's (NAEd) report on teacher education program evaluation in the United States provided a substantial synthesis of how the nation approaches quality assurance for teacher education programs (Feuer et al., 2013). The United States, having no federal requirements for such quality assurance, proves to be a…

This evaluation report presents the findings from the project-level evaluation of the CareerTech Challenge, delivered between May 2020 and June 2021. The report examines how the design and delivery of evaluations were undertaken, the findings across process and outcome evaluations and key learning from capacity building support delivered by…

The "Promoting Alternative THinking Strategies (PATHS®)" program is a curriculum that aims to promote emotional and social competencies and to reduce aggression and behavior problems in elementary school children. "PATHS"® is delivered through short lessons given two to three times a week over the school year. The program is…

Pressing social problems and inequities call attention to the need for interventions that target root causes and change systems. A significant challenge facing system change efforts is the lack of systems-based evaluation theory and methods. To address this challenge, we conducted an instrumental case study of evaluation within an exemplary…

An emphasis on practice-based teacher education has led the Council for Exceptional Children to develop 22 high-leverage practices (HLPs). Each HLP is research based, used frequently in classrooms, and applicable across age, grade, and content area. In this article, we discuss the importance of a systematic process for teacher preparation programs…

Ensuring that students are reading on grade level by third grade is a critical factor that is correlated with future success both in the classroom and in future career and earnings potential for each child (Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2012 ; Sum et al., 2009). National data focused on the number of students reading below grade level depicts an…

Title I is the largest federal aid program in the United States. Title I funding is utilized to provide supplemental aid to campuses serving Title I students for two types of programs: targeted assistance or school-wide. One Texas public middle school applied to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) for the school-wide Texas Title I Priority Schools…

The public school system is charged with the task of ensuring that every student reaches grade level standards. However, students enter the school system with varying levels of prerequisite skills and knowledge, which creates a challenge for educators in enriching high-performing students while providing additional support to the students who…

While there is copious research regarding the troubling rates of teacher attrition within the United States, causes of attrition including stress and burnout, the impact of student trauma on teachers and how it can lead to compassion fatigue (also leading to attrition), as well as the negative impact of teacher turnover on student achievement,…

This study utilizes Wesleyan models of discipleship to design a model of resourcing churches to enable church planting and the creation of ecclesial communities by training identified laity for future leadership roles in a Methodist setting. This intervention allows for a small but formative sample of the means needed to recruit, equip, and form…

The objective of the audit was to determine whether the Florida Department of Education (Florida) established and implemented systems of internal control that ensured (1) displaced student count data provided to the U.S. Department of Education were accurate and complete, (2) Temporary Emergency Impact Act (EIA) program funds were appropriately…

Background: Traditional survey efforts to gather outcome data at scale have significant limitations, including cost, time, and respondent burden. This pilot study explored new and innovative large-scale methods of collecting and validating data from publicly available sources. Taking advantage of emerging data science techniques, we leverage…

Young students at risk for reading difficulties are likely to have long-term reading difficulties if they are not provided with evidence-based, supplemental instruction. This pilot study evaluated the feasibility of a Tier 2 reading intervention ("Reading RULES! Kindergarten;" RRK) and its promise to improve outcomes for kindergarten…

The responsibility of a teacher preparation program (TPP) goes beyond teaching future educators the knowledge and skills of the profession. It needs to provide experiences that help them succeed in the real classroom settings (GarzaRodriguez, 2019). However, there is evidence that disconnection between what is taught in TPPs and what is needed in…