Since the "Nation at Risk" report, there has been a social microscope on the growing achievement gap and factors that contribute to the increasing lack of academic improvement from African American students. In the State of Texas, there are no publicized examples of at-risk schools that have traditionally been successful with African American students in mathematics. Therefore, there was a need to investigate researched-based strategies that promoted African American student achievement in mathematics. This study utilized surveys, interviews, focus groups, and data to determine why specific middle schools in the State of Texas were successful with African American student achievement in mathematics. Data was collected from selected schools with academically successful African American students. Pertinent information was gathered through the investigation of factors that fostered the success of African American students in mathematics. Organizational factors such as quality of leadership, positive school community structures, and instructional student leadership were examined to determine methods successful in motivating African American students to succeed in mathematics. Instructional factors such as teacher quality and teacher educational belief systems were also analyzed for components leading to successful performance of African American students in mathematics. The findings were that a progression of success factors must be present to ensure "exemplary" performance. Schools' ability to facilitate positive organizational factors, instructional factors, group processes, and faculty sponsorship was more likely to help African American students perform better than their marginal peers. Additional research at the high school level was recommended to investigate strategies proved to be effective in raising mathematical achievement of African American students at middle schools / text

This study identified perceived structural and instructional critical attributes of interdisciplinary teaming at the middle school. Through interviews with principals and teachers, data was collected on critical attributes of interdisciplinary teaming in areas such as the formation of teams and the implementation of interdisciplinary teaming as a process with specific functions, both structural and instructional in nature. The critical attributes identified in this study were associated with the results from two earlier studies on interdisciplinary teaming conducted by Hackmann et al. (2002) and Valentine et al. (1993). Additionally, this study gathered data from participants on the perceived benefits and challenges of interdisciplinary teaming. Using purposeful sampling, principals and teacher participants were selected from a school district located in a metropolitan city in Texas. There were a total of 13 middle schools in the school district and five schools were selected for participation in the study. From the five middle schools, ten participants were surveyed and interviewed for this study; five principals and five teachers. The researcher conducted interviews over the telephone with each of the participants. Data collected from the interviews were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Findings indicated that critical attributes of interdisciplinary teaming, identified earlier by Hackmann et al. (2002) and Valentine et al. (1993), were generally associated with results from the current research. The critical attributes were developed from the following categories: Team characteristics, team membership, team planning time, and curriculum design practices. The second part of the study described perceived benefits and challenges of interdisciplinary teaming. In general, participants identified more benefits than challenges. Specifically, participants found interdisciplinary teaming to be beneficial in the areas of relationships, instruction, and parent communication. Challenges in the implementation of interdisciplinary teaming were described by both groups of participants. Implications for school officials who are trying to maintain interdisciplinary teaming in the face of budgetary constraints will necessitate a balanced look at effectiveness and efficiency. Further inquiry into an important relationship between interdisciplinary teaming and student achievement is also necessary. This study identified perceived structural and instructional critical attributes of interdisciplinary teaming at the middle school. Through interviews with principals and teachers, data was collected on critical attributes of interdisciplinary teaming in areas such as the formation of teams and the implementation of interdisciplinary teaming as a process with specific functions, both structural and instructional in nature. The critical attributes identified in this study were associated with the results from two earlier studies on interdisciplinary teaming conducted by Hackmann et al. (2002) and Valentine et al. (1993). Additionally, this study gathered data from participants on the perceived benefits and challenges of interdisciplinary teaming. Using purposeful sampling, principals and teacher participants were selected from a school district located in a metropolitan city in Texas. There were a total of 13 middle schools in the school district and five schools were selected for participation in the study. From the five middle schools, ten participants were surveyed and interviewed for this study; five principals and five teachers. The researcher conducted interviews over the telephone with each of the participants. Data collected from the interviews were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Findings indicated that critical attributes of interdisciplinary teaming, identified earlier by Hackmann et al. (2002) and Valentine et al. (1993), were generally associated with results from the current research. The critical attributes were developed from the following categories: Team characteristics, team membership, team planning time, and curriculum design practices. The second part of the study described perceived benefits and challenges of interdisciplinary teaming. In general, participants identified more benefits than challenges. Specifically, participants found interdisciplinary teaming to be beneficial in the areas of relationships, instruction, and parent communication. Challenges in the implementation of interdisciplinary teaming were described by both groups of participants. Implications for school officials who are trying to maintain interdisciplinary teaming in the face of budgetary constraints will necessitate a balanced look at effectiveness and efficiency. Further inquiry into an important relationship between interdisciplinary teaming and student achievement is also necessary. / text

<p> This study was designed to examine the ability of traditional and standards-based grading practices to predict student performance on the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) Grade-Level Assessments at the middle school level. This study also explored the perceptions Missouri middle school teachers and administrators had concerning the use of standards-based grading and identified obstacles educators faced during and after its implementation. The research was conducted in phases to observe two sets of data. Phase One involved the collection and analysis of quantitative data from two schools in Missouri that use standards-based grading in the seventh and eighth grades and two schools in Missouri that utilize a traditional method of grading. Data consisted of semester grades and subsequent MAP achievement levels for each student in math and English language arts in the seventh and eighth grades. Student data were analyzed using the chi-square goodness-of-fit test to determine if a statistical difference existed between the ability of standards-based and traditional grading systems to predict MAP achievement. Phase Two included the collection and analysis of qualitative data which consisted of teacher and administrator responses to open-ended interview questions. Phase One data showed no ability of either standards-based or traditional grading to accurately predict subsequent MAP achievement levels. Phase Two data revealed that while the majority of respondents believed standards-based grading was a more accurate measure of student knowledge, teachers harbored negative feelings concerning this grading system, and administrators failed to provide adequate initial and ongoing professional development.</p>

<p> Assistive technology is used in education to support and increase students&rsquo; learning. Many of these are math and science virtual manipulative applications, studies of which are well documented. Studies documenting the effects of social studies software on special education students, however, are scarce due to the small number of applications and the difficulty of gathering consistent data. This is because students often suffer from mental, emotional, behavioral and physical instability. This study was intended to determine whether assistive technology is beneficial in this regard. The study used Study Island software, which provides students and teachers self-adjusting, customizable social studies coursework. The study examined the suitability of the software in increasing the academic performance of middle school special education students at Pandale School, a public separate school. This quantitative, experimental study compared two sets of randomly assigned students who used identical learning materials, presented in either print or software form. The demographics of the school dictated the participant pool, which consisted of 11-20-year-old African American males. Using two mixed model ANOVAs, the pretest and posttest scores and test completion times of each group were compared to determine the software's efficacy. Every experimental group participant saw an increase in test scores from pretest to posttest. After controlling for preexisting conditions, it was observed that the type of instruction variable explained 18% of the test score variance between groups, as represented by partial <i>&eta;²</i>, <i>p</i> &lt; .0001, indicating a rejection of the null hypothesis and a finding that the software had a positive effect on the participants' test scores. An analysis of test completion times for the pretest (<i>M</i> = 43.64) and posttest (<i>M</i> = 33.23) showed that the mean test scores differed significantly, <i> F</i>(1.000, 38.0000 = 90.184, <i>p</i> = 0.001) from pretest to posttest and amongst both groups, and suggested that the null hypothesis should not be rejected and that the Study Island virtual manipulative had neither positive nor negative effect on test completion times. Study results indicated the usefulness of Study Island as one tool of many in the classroom. Future studies targeting specific demographics and student needs are indicated. </p>

<p> The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to determine if the literacy intervention program for reluctant readers in one middle school was effective as measured by an increase in student reading scores measured by the Student Reading Inventory Assessment. I investigated perceptions of 100 students and 28 teachers regarding the literacy intervention program through the use of district-administered surveys. I also interviewed eight teachers regarding their delivery of the literacy interventions in the classroom setting.</p><p> The literacy intervention program targeted the population of students identified as reluctant readers who were not already receiving any reading intervention, but were reading below grade level. The study investigated whether or not the intervention contributed to an increase in student reading abilities with 44 students who read 0 to 6 months below grade level, as measured by the Student Reading Inventory Assessment. The study also investigated eight teachers' opinions of professional development that was implemented in 2014-2015 that focused on literacy instruction across all content areas, other than English Language Arts.</p>

<p> In recent years students' academic engagement has gained increasing favor as a necessary component of authentic learning experiences. However, less research has focused on what students do when they run into everyday problems in school that allows them to return (or not) to a state of ongoing engagement. Expanding on these ideas, this project explores students' <i>motivational resilience</i> in school, that is, the dynamic interactions among their ongoing engagement, emotional reactivity, academic coping, and re-engagement after encounters with difficulties and setbacks in school. Grounded in an established motivational model based on Deci &amp; Ryan's (1985) self-determination theory, and building on earlier studies suggesting that these components of motivational resilience form self-reinforcing internal dynamics (Skinner, Pitzer, &amp; Steele, 2015), this project comprises two free-standing manuscripts that examined key components of this process. </p><p> Study 1 explored the external dynamics of motivational resilience within a single school year to identify the extent to which outside forces (e.g., students' experiences of teacher support and self-system processes) can shape students' motivational systems which tend to be self-sustaining. The study used data from 1020 3^rd through 6^th grade students to examine feedforward and feedback effects between students' composite motivational resilience and a set of hypothesized antecedents and consequences, and also investigated whether teacher support can shift established motivational patterns. </p><p> Study 2 looked more closely at motivational resilience and its antecedents and consequences as students made the transition from elementary to middle school. Data following 281 students as they moved from fifth to sixth grade were used to test a structural model examining the extent to which students' ongoing engagement and teacher support act as resources that encourage adaptive coping and re-engagement, which then lead to continued engagement and subsequent achievement. Students' coping was explored as a particularly important mediator between students' resources at the beginning of fifth grade and their subsequent motivational actions and achievement. The study also examined differences in patterns of motivation across the transition for students who had high levels of teacher support and adaptive coping profiles as compared with students who had fewer of such resources. </p><p> This project provides a deeper understanding of students' experiences in dealing with everyday challenges and struggles in school, especially during the transition to middle school. Discussion focuses on the utility and potential drawbacks of examining the individual components of students' motivational resilience through this conceptual lens, with suggestions for next steps for future research. Implications of this model for improving students' academic development highlight the important role teachers can play in supporting or undermining students' ability to bounce back after encounters with setbacks. </p>

Background: Children and adolescents are not meeting the dietary guidelines and overweight and obesity related diseases are on the rise among youth in the United States. However, research is inconsistent with regard to the most effective method of educating urban youth. Purpose: To determine the effect of a supplemental nutrition education on the knowledge and behaviors of urban school students. Methods: Six nutrition lessons were provided to students attending the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Atlanta (BGCMA) in Atlanta, GA. A pre- and posttest was administered to assess differences in students’ nutrition knowledge and behaviors. Chi-square analysis compared the number of correct answers for the entire intervention population and after stratification by gender and number of classes missed. The Wilcoxon signed rank test compared the median number of correct answers in pre- vs. posttest responses for all participants and by the number of classes missed. Results: 15 students enrolled in the study. 2 students did not complete the study. A significant but negative change in knowledge was found in 1 of 15 nutrition questions. A significant negative change in the median number of total answers correct on the pre- vs. posttest was also observed (p=0.049). Approximately 60% of the participants reported that they were more likely to make positive, nutrition-related behavior changes after the intervention. Conclusion: We found a negative association between the nutrition education intervention and knowledge gain. This study suggests that nutrition education alone does not have a significant effect on nutrition knowledge of urban youth.

<p> The purpose of the qualitative descriptive case study was to explore the perceptions and experiences of middle school general educators using Individual Education Plans (IEPs) of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The study participants consisted of 13 teachers selected from two public middle schools in a suburban county in the State of Georgia. The descriptive case study examined six links associated with the phenomena. The links were inclusion, a description of ASD complexities, and the global significance. Other links to the phenomena were the middle school structure, the legal ramifications, and stakeholder involvement. The six themes and three subthemes developed from the analytic generalizations related to the research question. The data collection procedure included semi-structured face-to-face interviews. Data analysis included using NVivo 10 software to code, organize, and categorize data. The results of the study recommended training and support for general educators using the IEPs of ASD students in middle schools. The conclusion of the study acknowledged the necessity for allowing general educators to make suggestions and accommodations to update middle school IEPs. The study recommended five suggestions to improve the education of middle school ASD students. Three of the recommendations were a project study, developing middle school mini IEPs, and detailed structuring to manage on-going training sessions. Also, parent and student meetings and meet and greet sessions can stabilize parent, student, and every middle school general educator&rsquo;s involvement. </p>

<p> The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the teaching practice and educational beliefs of four middle grades teachers who were identified as effective in forging relationships with their students. In this study, relational expertise is defined as the ability to create a positive connection with students, one in which students feel recognized and valued as individuals. This research answers questions concerning (a) how the teachers define teacher-student relationships, (b) how and why they use relational skills in classrooms, (c) the strategies they use for developing and maintaining relationships and (d) the outcomes of relational teaching they identify. </p><p> Data collection included interviews and classroom observations of teacher participants and the collection of documentary evidence such as teacher evaluations and photographs of classroom artifacts. The data were analyzed and the cases were compared in a search for themes and patterns. The case studies were written as narrative portraits to record the thoughts and classroom experience of the participants and to provide a detailed view of their principles in action. Their stories provide a sense of what it is like to experience the classroom operations of the participants and allow the teachers to explain the rationale for what they do. </p><p> The participant teachers care deeply about the well-being and healthy development of students and strive to provide a nurturing classroom climate that meets the students&rsquo; psychological as well as cognitive needs. Their use of immediacy behaviors and other relationship-establishing techniques was a result of their personal beliefs about effective teaching.</p>

<p> Writing instruction in schools is taking on increasingly narrow focuses, which reflects reliance on high-stakes standardized tests and standards movements that privilege some forms of writing over others. Researchers in writing have called for studies that connect macro forces influencing the educational environment to the instruction occurring at the classroom level. This study does so by exploring how a teacher sponsors multiple writing literacies across time and how and why students take up those writing practices for their intended uses and in ways that serve their own purposes. I examine the writing instruction of one skilled English Language Arts teacher through the lens of Deborah Brandt&rsquo;s theory of <i>sponsors of literacy</i> (1998; 2009) and through sociocultural theories of writing (Prior, 2004, 2006; Englert, Mariage, &amp; Dunsmore, 2006) and identity (Davies &amp; Harr&eacute;, 1999; Holland, Lachicotte, Skinner, &amp; Cain, 1998; Lave &amp; Wenger, 1991; Wenger, 1998). Data drew from a) five months of observations in the classroom across multiple units of instruction marked by multiple writing practices; b) interviews with the teacher before and after the observation period; and c) interviews with five focal students at the end of the observation period. Findings suggest that the teacher&rsquo;s instruction reflected a variety of sponsors across multiple writing practices. The teacher&rsquo;s instruction highlighted the skills, values, and purposes associated with sponsored writing practices. Students appropriated some writing practices more than others, and some more faithfully to the intentions of sponsors than others. Students imagined a range of possible uses for the writing practices in which they were sponsored, reflective of their individual literate identities.</p>