This randomized controlled trial examined the impact of adaptive, web-based, scaffolded silent reading instruction on 426 fourth- and fifth-grade students in an urban US school district. Reading proficiency was evaluated in the fall and spring using the Group Reading Assessment Diagnostic Evaluation (GRADE) and an eye movement recording system…

This study tested whether writing skills, knowledge, motivation, and strategic behaviors (within the context of robust writing instruction) each made a statistically unique contribution to predicting fifth-grade students' (123 girls, 104 boys) composition quality and length on a persuasive writing task involving source material, after variance due…

This study described and analyzed the vocabulary of 4 current, best-selling core reading programs and developed word lists based on these analyses. Results showed a good deal of similarity but also some significant differences among the programs. Across grades 1-6, all of them included a substantial number of tokens (approximately 380,000-660,000)…

We examine (a) the development of 3 student learning practices (SLPs)--listening, speaking publicly, and making and using records--that are central to participation and engagement in academically ambitious classrooms and (b) the teacher's work supporting the enactment of the SLPs in the context of a summer mathematics laboratory. We identify…

Curriculum designers often assume that teachers implement curricula as written, yet research shows that all teachers adapt curricula. Adaptation is especially important in the context of sustained curriculum implementation, as some level of adaptation may be necessary for teachers to feel ownership over a program. However, whereas some adaptations…

We examined associations between maternal writing support, math support, and directiveness and children's literacy and math outcomes. Participants were 208 African American, Dominican, Mexican, and Chinese mothers and their first-grade children from low-income households. Mothers were video-recorded playing a grocery game with their children…

The limitations and challenges of paraprofessional training are well documented. These issues are magnified by the increasing reliance on paraprofessionals to provide vital support for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). Despite evidence supporting self-monitoring for improving teacher and paraprofessional skills, there are…

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…

This study examined the effects of coping power (CP) and the combination of CP with check-in/check-out (CICO) to determine whether the addition of CICO as a classroom component enhances the effects of CP alone. CP was delivered outside the classroom by research assistants, and all CICO components were implemented by classroom teachers. We…

The purposes of this study were (a) to test the efficacy of whole-class equal-sign instruction, (b) to contrast the effects of symbolic and nonsymbolic instructional representation, (c) to determine whether visual representation compensated for language deficits, and (d) to evaluate maintenance of intervention. We randomly assigned 195 children…

In this article, we present the results of a cluster-randomized trial of an inquiry-based science curriculum conducted in grades 6-8 with 551 students in 13 schools. The intervention integrates science and civics instruction in a unit about community and family water conservation. The intervention also includes teacher professional development and…

The purpose of this article was to examine the effects of distributed leadership on instructional change and school climate by integrating the functional and relational perspectives of leadership. The functional perspective focuses on the degree to which leadership functions are equally distributed among leaders, and the relational perspective…

Identifying driving factors of school attendance in elementary grades has come to the forefront of policy discussion. Little research has been dedicated to understanding the role of classroom context, and no studies have examined whether having classmates from the previous school year who are also present in the current classroom might influence…

Elementary and secondary principals were surveyed to better understand their perceptions of the roles and impact of specialized literacy professionals (e.g., reading specialists, coaches) in their schools. A 32-question survey was completed by 103 Pennsylvania principals across elementary and secondary school contexts. Findings include distinct…

Teacher evaluation systems that pair measures of teacher observation with measures of student achievement or growth have become widespread. However, little attention has focused on the impact of teacher evaluation systems--and, in particular, the intensive collection and use of data from teacher observations--on principals. Drawing on interviews…