The purpose of this investigation was to explore elementary teachers' beliefs about data and data use. Archived data from 2 research projects were used to address the following research questions: What are kindergarten and fifth-grade literacy teachers' beliefs about data and data use? What functions do the beliefs serve in teachers' actual use of…

We examined associations between the quality of kindergarten teachers' mathematics instruction and their students' achievement and motivation in mathematics. Using a sample of 20 kindergarten teachers and their 285 students, we rated 5 video-recorded mathematics lessons per teacher throughout the spring semester with the Mathematical Quality of…

Multilevel modeling was used to investigate the relationship between poverty status, mathematics achievement gains, and behavioral engagement in learning over kindergarten. Data included information on 11,680 poor, low-income, and non-poor kindergartners from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort of 1998-1999 (ECLS-K). Results…

In this study, a school district adopted Kindergarten Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (K-PALS), a scientifically based, class-wide peer-tutoring program for reading. Sixteen new K-PALS teachers were assigned randomly to receive ongoing support from a university expert or from experienced K-PALS teachers within the district. K-PALS teachers who…

This quasi-experimental study tested the potency of different sources of self-efficacy beliefs. Respondents were primary teachers (N = 93) in 9 schools who completed surveys of their self-efficacy beliefs and level of implementation of a new teaching strategy for beginning readers before and after participating in 1 of 4 formats of professional…

This research focused on finding ways to assess instructional practices in grades kindergarten through 3 that are consistent with the American Psychological Association's Learner-Centered Psychological Principles. In several stages of research, conducted with over 2,100 children and their 124 teachers in several states, specific instructional…

This investigation replicated and extended previous research regarding the attitudes of inclusive teachers toward their students with disabilities. Participating teachers included 46 inclusive teachers (grades K-5) from 16 elementary schools in 7 Northeast Ohio school districts. Teachers nominated 3 students in 4 attitudinal categories:…

In this study we examined the ways in which experience with a relational approach to education, the Responsive Classroom (RC) Approach, related to teachers' beliefs, attitudes, and teaching priorities. Questionnaire and Q-sort data were collected for a sample of 69 teachers in grades kindergarten through 3 at 6 schools (3 schools in their first…