Data-based decision making refers to collecting, analyzing, and reporting data to drive school improvement. This can apply to any level of the school from individual students to the entire system. When applied to the field of secondary transition, it refers to using data to drive decisions to improve the in-school and post-school success of…

This capstone chronicles my leadership in piloting, designing, and creating both a district-wide and school-based partnership definition along with partnership effectiveness elements and standards for the Boston Public Schools (BPS). From July 2015 to March 2016, I accomplished these tasks by using two guiding frameworks: the user-centered design…

The current initiatives at European level urge more emphasis on the implementation of inquiry-based science education (IBSE). Although there are existing studies on the effect of IBSE on understanding science, fewer attempts have been made regarding the development of various inquiry skills. In this research, a model of consistent implementation…

The present review identified 15 studies that have evaluated the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) as an early intervention program for a total of 209 children with autism spectrum disorder. The articles were summarized in terms of participant characteristics, intervention characteristics, study design, quality of the study/research rigor, and…

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterised by social difficulties that can have a negative impact on an individual's psychological and social wellbeing. To date, reviews of social skills training groups have mainly focussed on children, rather than adolescents and adults. This review aimed to critically evaluate studies published in the past…

This review provided a systematic analysis of mathematics interventions for individuals with autism. Using success estimates, strength of evidence ratings, and percentage of non-overlapping data (PND), we identified 13 studies that provided evidence of effective to very effective outcomes using mathematics accuracy measures for at least one…

This study investigates the impact of adding an adaptive computer assisted instruction (CAI) program to current Head Start curriculum on low SES, African American pre-kindergarten students' reading and math gains. Students completed pre- and post-testing with a standardized reading and math measure in order to determine relative gains. The results…

Voter participation by young people has been in long-term decline in New Zealand. Many do not understand what elected representatives do, and assume that politics does not affect them. Voter advice applications (VAAs) are effective design-led tools for addressing these issues by providing game-like experiences that help voters compare their values…

The study described in this paper investigated how the major stakeholders of a teacher education institution responded to a particular suite of educational products that involved video-based educational learning objects. It aims to look into stakeholder attitudes to potential technological development in fostering student-centred learning in…

This article presents the design and development of i*CATch, a construction kit for physical and wearable computing that was designed to be scalable, plug-and-play, and to provide support for iterative and exploratory learning. It consists of a standardized construction interface that can be adapted for a wide range of soft textiles or electronic…

Teaching youths who affiliate with a gang can be a daunting task. Risk factors for gang membership often compound across life domains and affect pro-social connectedness, cause feelings of marginalization, and hinder life-skill development. Sports and physical activities that are structured within a positive youth-development framework provide an…

The paper traces a research process in the design and development of a science learning environment called WiMVT (web-based inquirer with modeling and visualization technology). The WiMVT system is designed to help secondary school students build a sophisticated understanding of scientific conceptions, and the science inquiry process, as well as…

As the only federal funding stream that provides dedicated funds for afterschool programs across the country, the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) initiative plays an important role in supporting the innovation that takes place in afterschool programs. Social innovation has been defined as "a novel solution to a social…

Since 1999, Nebraska's Early Head Start Infant/Toddler Quality Initiative has supported Early Head Start (EHS) and community child care partnerships to improve the quality and professionalism of infant and toddler care. EHS programs apply to receive funding to establish partnerships with center-based or home-based child care.The initiative has…

This article describes the process of replacing a modest Master's level school leader preparation program with an innovative Ed.D. program at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). The new doctoral program is intensive, highly selective, intellectually rigorous, and field-based. The authors provide side-by-side comparisons of the difference…