Using longitudinal data from the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) era, I applied regression techniques and found a positive association between school failure to reach "adequate yearly progress" in mathematics and subsequent changes in the quality of middle grades mathematics instruction in districts where district leaders adopted robust…

In an article written for The Clearing House in 1974 titled, "Alternative schools: Can they survive?", Gerald Brunetti described features of schools that served as an alternative to mainstream public education. He raised the question of whether or not such schools would continue to exist in the future. A search of the literature reveals…

Using a learning design perspective on No Child Left Behind (NCLB), I examine how accountability policy shaped urban educators' instructional sensemaking. Focusing on the role of policy-rooted classifications, I examine conversations from a middle school mathematics teacher team as a "best case" because they worked diligently to comply…

During the last ten years, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) has ensured that educators at every level focus on accountability, use scientifically-based research, be data driven, and use standardized tests in an effort to improve student learning. Love it or hate it, NCLB has been the catalyst for huge changes in the world of education…

In the United States, teachers' job-related stress and self-efficacy levels across all grades are influenced in some manner by the demands of high-stakes testing. This sequential mixed-methods study aimed at examining the dynamics among assigned subject matter, teacher job-related stress, and teacher self-efficacy in a large south-eastern Texas…

This article explores the discourse practices of an Indigenous, community-based charter school and its efforts to create space for Indigenous both/and identities across rural-urban divides. The ethnographic portrait of Urban Native Middle School (UNMS) analyzes the discourse of making "a space for you", which brings together rural and…

The Supplemental Educational Services (SES) policy, under No Child Left Behind, requires underperforming Title I schools to offer academic tutoring to eligible students. A meta-analysis of findings from 44 external evaluations of district operated SES programs in Ohio showed that scores increased on the academic performance of at-risk students.…

Professional development programs tailored to address co-teaching performance in Arkansas provided data for 3 cohorts of middle school co-taught teams. This study provides an analysis of middle school plans and provides recommendations as to how to more effectively meet the needs of co-taught teams. Using a content analysis approach, monthly…

In the new millennium, the No Child Left Behind Act (2001) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) (2004) ask educators to maximize opportunities for students with disabilities to succeed in inclusive classrooms. To make autonomy and integration seamless, many students with special needs will need to make use of…

This article address the falsehoods regarding No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top legislation, the educational reformers' stance that schools are failing, the privatization movement in education, and the issues of technology in the schools. The importance of poverty is emphasized, although policymakers ignore it and advocate school choice as…

This article examines how SEAs in three states designed, installed, and operated statewide, longitudinal student information systems (SLSIS). SLSIS track individual students' progress in K-12 schools, college, and beyond and link it to individual schools and teachers. They are key components of the information infrastructure of test-based…

This article examines innovative approaches to augmenting science lessons taught in middle and high school, with special emphasis on the importance of the early teen years, when experiences both in and out of school have significant impact on career decisions. This is a reflective essay on the recent work of science educators and educational…

Implementing Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles can provide solutions for general educators in inclusive mathematics environments. Any lesson can be planned to provide learning experiences appropriate for meeting diverse learning needs. This article explores an example of both how to approach a topic in middle school mathematics and…

Background/Context: Despite problems with accountability systems under No Child Left Behind, the policy has been widely commended for exposing the depth and breadth of educational inequality in the United States. As states implement new accountability systems, there is growing concern that attention to achievement gaps and the performance of…

Computer-assisted instruction (CAI) in English-Language environments offer practice time, motivates students, enhance student learning, increase authentic materials that students can study, and has the potential to encourage teamwork between students. The findings from this particular study suggested that students who used computer assisted…