<p> Students&rsquo; low academic performance in high-poverty schools has been a prevalent problem in the United States. Educational leaders have curricular options for underperforming students to make academic gains, particularly in Title I schools. Student performance accountability is part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, which was reauthorized as No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). NCLB mandates stipulate students attain academic proficiency. The purpose of the current quantitative, retrospective, quasi-experimental, static group comparison study was to determine if an increase occurred in reading achievement of 10^th grade students with implementation of a school-wide, interdisciplinary reading literacy plan intended to increase student performance on the state&rsquo;s high-stakes examination. This study used multi-year, successive 10^th grade cohorts from an urban, public Title I high school in Arizona. Academic achievement data were archived and retrospective from Arizona&rsquo;s high-stakes, criterion-based examination scores. A two-sample, one-tailed <i>t</i>-test was conducted to find differences in mean value, standard deviation, and variance between two cohorts. Statistical analyses revealed a significant statistical difference on the reading portion of the state&rsquo;s high-stakes examination scores between cohorts, revealing the control group outperformed the treatment group, thus challenging existing results from successful school-wide literacy plans in public Title I schools. Results indicated implementation of a school-wide, interdisciplinary reading literacy plan does not increase achievement for students on the reading portion of the state&rsquo;s high-stakes examination at a Title I urban high school in Arizona.</p>

<p> English Language Learners (ELLs) are no longer a part of specific areas of America. They have crossed all classroom boundaries of the United States. This means as ELLs have integrated into the classrooms, educators are becoming versed in methods and strategies to help ELLs learn and achieve proficiency on standardized assessments. The purpose of this study was to determine if ELLs learned enough to be proficient in English to do well on a standardized test as their non-ELL peers. The Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) and the Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State to State (ACCESS) were the two exams used to compare proficiency results. The MAP is the standardized test given to Missouri students beginning at Grade 3. The ACCESS is a language achievement test developed by the World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) Consortium to track levels of English in students beginning in Kindergarten. Students in Grades 3 through 8 were the focus for this study. The exam results of ELLs who took both the MAP and ACCESS were analyzed and compared to their non-ELL peers. The results showed that ELLs who meet academic proficiency on their ACCESS test also have as much English comprehension to do as well on the MAP as the non-ELLs. All groups of students, Grades 3 through 8, showed that if ELLs have reached a level of bridging, or Level 5, they are capable of working with grade level material in English.</p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to contribute to available literature by ascertaining student perceptions of benefits of student access to technology as correlated to students&rsquo; standardized test scores. Students and teachers were surveyed for perceptions of technology benefits. Survey results were analyzed and Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients were calculated comparing student perceptions to standardized Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) grade-level assessment results. As described in specific detail in this paper, it was found student standardized MAP testing data were positively correlated to the introduction of technology-integrated instruction in the classroom setting. Student perceptions indicated a more positive linear association to the support of technology in the content area of mathematics than communication arts. Teacher perceptions of technology integration into the classroom indicated the influx of technology into classroom instruction benefitted lesson preparation and availability of supporting materials.</p>

<p> This research investigates grades kindergarten - 5 English as a Second Language (ESL) and General Education (GE) co-teachers' perceptions of one another's roles, strengths, and areas for improvement in co-teaching academic language and content to English language learners (ELLs) in the GE classroom. Theories of social constructivism and cooperative learning guide this study, which approaches co-teachers' perceptions as a function of how they make meaning of their social interaction and experiences (Vyogotsky, 1978; Villa, Thousand, &amp; Nevin, 2004). Using QUAN-qual sequential explanatory design, this descriptive study uses survey methodology and small-scale follow-up interviews to create an illustrative, descriptive portrait of ESL and GE teachers' perceptions of one another's roles and professional development needs. Quantitative and qualitative survey results are triangulated with qualitative interview findings. </p><p> The integrated findings illuminate the areas of convergence and divergence in ESL and GE teachers' perceptions as co-teachers of ELLs in the GE classroom. The main conclusions are discussed with regard to existing literature on co-teaching. Overall, ESL and GE teachers appeared to have a general understanding of one another's roles, yet some perceptions diverged with regard to sharing responsibilities and whether the GE teacher was the "primary instructor". In addition, this study concludes that despite availability of some common planning time, co-teachers frequently desired to improve the quality and quantity of their co-planning, co-teaching, and reflection on students' needs. Co-teaching strengths that were identified include openness, flexibility, and the ability to differentiate instruction. However, in order to improve co-teaching, both ESL and GE teachers perceive the need to gain skills and knowledge in one another's areas of expertise. Data analysis shows that co-teachers' desired professional development topics and types of offerings interrelate thematically with perceived strengths and areas for improvement. </p><p> The study concludes with a discussion of implications for school administrators and teacher educators, including pre-service teacher educators, who want to support ESL and GE co-teachers. The discussion also addresses the implications for ESL and GE teachers whose co-teaching practice may benefit from reflection on the findings of the study. Finally, directions for future research emanating from this study are offered.</p>

<p> The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to better understand how teachers experienced the implementation of a guaranteed and viable curriculum. Interpretative phenomenology within a single case study was used to explore the experiences of the teachers as they moved through this significant reform. Thirteen teachers were interviewed and the findings were analyzed according to Van Kaam's method. The key findings are presented in the form of three continua: GVCIA: I like it...but; Leadership: From empowering to demoralizing; and Attitudes toward change: A grand adventure through don't they trust me. </p><p> Although most teachers understood the need for unifying the curriculum and appreciated the content, they were also concerned with specific aspects of the implementation, including the speed of the implementation, the lack of resources to support the change, and losing the "art" of teaching. How each specific building-level leader presented the implementation made a difference in the attitudes of the participants towards acceptance. The essence of their experience was <i>hearts in the game</i>. The shadow of<i> hearts in the game</i> was loss of passion and loss of efficacy.<i> Hearts in the game</i> means teachers were able to adjust and adapt to the new curriculum by daily remembering their mission for teaching. Leaders who trusted them to be professionals, honored what they had done in the past, and allowed some flexibility within the curriculum helped keep<i>hearts in the game</i>. Although the focus of this study was the experiences of the teachers as they adopted the GVCIA, one factor that appeared to affect the implementation was the fact that many other changes were happening at the same time.</p>

<p> The landmark 2001 No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act has been a step forward in federal policy for the ever-increasing population of English Learners (ELs), fostering inclusion in standards-based assessments and college and/or career-readiness efforts, yet, ELs continue to struggle academically. The current 5.4 million ELs make up <i>the</i> lowest performing academic group in the United States (US) today. Despite its good intentions, NCLB is leaving behind the very students it was designed to help. The emphasis on various programs/services adopted by public schools based on the plethora of evidence-based instructional strategies has uncovered a less emphasized, yet, critical gap in research: attention to, enforcement, and/or a comprehensive and systematic analysis of the educational rights of ELs. Across the US, districts are learning of their lack of knowledge needed to meet legal requirements. The incentive to increase EL-related knowledge, beyond instructional strategies, is paramount. </p><p> This study presents a systematic analysis of EL-related case law outcomes using a four-step method of analysis and "simple-box scoring." Seven trends were identified using these legal policy research methodologies: (1) EL-related legislation, claims, and violations, (2) equal education opportunity violations, (3) inequitable educational programs, (4) inadequate EL programs and services, (5) funding issues, (6) ineffective EL identification, and (7) assessment. </p><p> As NCLB reauthorization draws closer, persistent focus on improving ELs' education suggest policy-making needs will increase, particularly with Common Core State Standards (CCSS), including alternatives to costly litigation. While essential knowledge may be gained from this study, such data are but one aspect of overall challenges and do not reveal uncontroverted guidelines for educating ELs. This study bridges the gap of critical knowledge needed to meet legal requirements for ELs, each of whom are entitled by law to access mainstream curriculum. Further limitations and implications are presented. </p>

<p> The seven-month participatory qualitative inquiry (Emerson, Fretz, &amp; Shaw, 2011) explored how a first grade team in a metro Charlotte elementary school perceived and enacted instructional grouping and differentiation for English Learners within a prescribed literacy curriculum. Informed by a Vygotskian theoretical framework for understanding the social construction of teacher identity (Holland, Lachicotte, Skinner, &amp; Cain, 1998), the study examined how institutionalized practices interacted with teachers' lived experiences and professional subjectivities to mediate how they made sense of and potentially improvised their teaching of the English Learners in and outside of mainstream classrooms. Data analysis revealed the complexities of teachers' professional selves as they made sense of their teaching within the structure of "Balanced Literacy." Findings included teachers' recasting of English Learners as "struggling readers;" the ambiguity of ESL within the context of the standardized reading curriculum; and, finally, the conflicting subjectivities of teachers as they negotiated the remediation of English Learners. </p>

<p> The United States' Public Education system shared concerns regarding declining achievement results across the nation. Numerous research studies suggested significant correlations to various variables, such as, SES (Socio-Economic Status), LEP (Limited English Proficiency), IEP (Individualized Educational Programs), ethnicity, and student mobility. The literature suggested these areas of concern need continued research to address specific issues, such as, how to close the educational gaps between students in these categories and students without these characteristics. </p><p> The Primary Investigator completed a case study to assist decision makers with transient students at a Midwest near-urban elementary school by specifically focusing on fifth grade students from the class of 2019. The methodology created by the Primary Investigator differentiated among Persistent, Transitional, and Transient mobility populations who entered a supplemental reading model program called, Blitz. The Primary Investigator divided mobility groups into specific categories to determine if needs were met for transient student populations, as compared to non-transient students. Few studies had addressed programs that specifically focused on methods of measurement tool that allowed for comparisons among mobile students in settings where non-mobile students reside. </p><p> The Primary Investigator's methods used in this case study allowed decision makers to continue to develop their program to fit the needs of all students at the case study school and to make decisions as to the effectiveness of their efforts to assist their Persistent, Transitional, and Transient students in their large near urban elementary school. </p><p> Results indicated there were improvements in each mobility group that participated in the Blitz supplemental reading model. Students in the most transient group significantly increased achievement and decreased variance in scores when compared to the Persistent population. The Primary Investigator's collected data suggested that students in the Persistent population averaged the highest achievement scores for all data sets. Achievement scores of students in the most Persistent populations who were of Caucasian and African American ethnicity and of low SES-socio-economic status did not have negative impacts on scores. Overall, this case study supported a positive effect of additional reading assistance on a student's independent reading ability and Communications Arts achievement in this large near-urban Midwest elementary school.</p>

<p> This action research study explored if changes in the reading curriculum, specifically implementation of critical literacy approaches that acknowledge bicultural students, increase student learning as perceived by teachers and students in a Catholic elementary school, where students have been chronically performing at the lowest level in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. By using critical pedagogy (Darder, 1991; Freire, 1970; Giroux, 1983; Macedo, 1994; McLaren, 1988) as a theoretical framework, this action research project investigated the effective elements of critical literacy (Cadiero-Kaplan, 2004; Shor &amp; Pari, 1999) that promote academic learning for Latino middle school students in a low-income Catholic elementary school. </p><p> This study explored the approaches and perceptions of novel studies, as a form of literacy, to increase student learning in reading at a low-income, urban, Catholic elementary school. Classroom observations, teacher interviews, teacher lesson plans, student work, student focus groups, and a teacher focus group validated the findings that critical literacy approaches positively impacted student learning in reading. </p><p> Changes in the school and reading curriculum, specifically the implementation of literacy approaches that acknowledge bicultural students, increased learning for Latino middle school students as perceived by teachers and students in this low-income, urban Catholic elementary school. Teachers implemented effective elements of critical literacy, including direct vocabulary and grammar instruction, analysis of literary tools, incorporation of Spanish, varying forms of assessment, and inclusion of student voice, through the use of novel studies. The school and classroom environments further promoted academic learning for Latino middle school students with high expectations, strict humor, and predictability where teachers, who viewed their students with promising futures, taught as a form of service. Although the school and teachers incorporated literacy practices, teachers fell short of practicing critical literacy because they failed to examine the underlying social ramifications of hegemonic forces.</p>

<p> With a growing population of English Language Learners in our schools, their specialized classroom needs must be addressed. California state testing shows that English Language Learners (ELL) consistently perform below proficiency as compared to other students who are not English Language Learners. Many times, in response to pressure placed by the state testing requirements, administrators and educators focus on English Language development strategies at the cost of other content areas such as science. The Science and English Learning Development Blended Program is a professional development project that combines English Language Development (ELD) strategies within science lesson plans to address the language needs of English Language Learners through science content. The Blended Program was in place for four years in an urban school district in southern California. During its initial year of implementation, a research study focused on the types of changes teachers made to their science lesson plans as a result of their professional development: all of the changes made had to do with English Language Development and not Science. Implications of this study suggest that at the start of the program changes to support science content were not made because the teachers did not have the science knowledge to be comfortable enough to make changes to address the science portion of the lesson. The data analyzed for this study was collected during the Blended Program's third and fourth year of implementation. The findings show changes which reflect the following themes: science concept acquisition, oral language development, and scaffolding instruction. These themes reflect changes . that address both English Language Development and science. The individuals involved with the Blended Program have now had training for ELD and Science content for three or four years. Results suggest that the training not only equipped the teachers with English Language Development strategies but has also improved teachers science content knowledge and as a result teachers are better equipped to address the science in the lesson.</p>