This qualitative study explored the development, implementation, and measurement of a district-wide equity initiative in a suburban Chicago school district. The study used a qualitative research design and the researcher as the primary instrument for data collection. The research questions used in the study were designed to document the…

Substantial research has clearly established the relationship between school attendance and indicators of student achievement over time in large, urban cities using longitudinal studies. However, there is an insufficient amount of literature that focuses on an immediate relationship in smaller, suburban areas with differing demographics. This…

Asian Americans are the fastest-growing racial group in the US but we know little about how Asian immigration has affected cities, neighborhoods and schools. This paper studies white flight from Asian arrivals in high-socioeconomic-status Californian school districts from 2000-2016 using initial settlement patterns and national immigrant flows to…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine teachers' perceptions of the impact of the RULER approach on both student academic achievement and emotional regulation in one suburban school district. This study explores teachers' perception of the impact of the RULER program in a large suburban district by examining the following factors:…

Elementary school students face developmental challenges resulting in decreased social and emotional learning and academic success. These challenges include outbursts in class, physical confrontations, or low motivation that will cause students to lose focus and fail academically. This research explored teachers' perceptions about the efficacy of…

Federal policy recognizes the importance of effective educators, particularly in high-needs schools. Research has shown that the most critical school-related factor that influences student learning and achievement is teacher quality (Hanushek, 2011). The Texas Center for Educator Excellence (TxCEE) aims to address the research-based and…

School District Effectiveness Research (SDER) works to identify unusually effective organizations for in-depth qualitative study that significantly outperform peer districts over multiple years. Yet, critiques of SDER include a focus on cross-sectional data, individual states, and percent proficient metrics. Here, we analyze the Stanford Education…

To enhance society through equitable educational attainment, efforts are being made in school districts to investigate practices and student data to provide more equitable opportunities for the students and families they serve. Given the importance of school leaders and their impact on student achievement and school climate (Bass & Riggio,…

Within the confines of this study, the Researcher investigated Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Gateway program outcomes at a Midwest suburban school district. The study examined specific academic achievement outcomes and attitudes regarding STEAM courses and STEAM careers among students who completed at least one semester in a middle school PLTW…

The achievement gap has been identified as a significant challenge faced by school districts across the nation and has been an item on the national agenda for quite some time. Students that are part of the identified disaggregated groups are not achieving at the same rate as their White and Asian counterparts. While urban schools have had to deal…

This article addresses what we are calling "the gaps," the divergent and contextual understandings of "opportunity gap" and "achievement gap" evident in interviews with principals and school district leaders. Drawing from a sample of 22 interviews in urban, inner-ring suburban, and outer-ring suburban schools in a…

The purpose of this longitudinal, mixed methods quasi-experimental study was to investigate the impact of balanced literacy coaching on teacher efficacy, practices, beliefs, and student achievement. The participants were third- through sixth-grade teachers from five elementary schools within the same south suburban Chicago public school district.…

Although numerous studies have examined the relative performance of charter and traditional public schools, as well as the competitive effects that charters may have on their district neighbors, to our knowledge, no prior study has addressed whether overall achievement increases as the "market share" of charter schools rises.…

Enacting a vision and surviving as a first-year high school principal in a new suburban school district can be a complex and difficult journey. Secondary-level principals have varied roles, including the improvement of teachers' practice and student achievement, branding (or rebranding) the school, and acting as community leaders. This…

The departure of an effective school leader can influence staff turnover and student achievement for several years. With school systems facing an unprecedented public health crisis due to COVID-19, principal retention is a key area of concern for many local and state education agencies. The Regional Educational Laboratory West undertook this study…