Elementary Education Commons^™

Understanding The Virginia Literacy Act, Candace Bechtold, Kimberly Bridges, David Naff, Joan A. Rhodes, Valerie Robnolt, Tara Davison, Suzanne Alexandre, Michael Crusco, Karli Johansen, Amber Butler, Allison Yandle, Jennifer Askue-Collins, Jean Samuel, Sharrie Merritte, Regina Frazier

MERC Publications

This research and policy brief from the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC) offers an overview of the Virginia Literacy Act. It is structured to explore the following questions: 1) What are the recent trends in reading achievement in Virginia? 2) What are the policy implications of the VLA for Virginia school divisions? 3) What does the research say about Science of Reading (SoR)? 4) What core instructional programs are approved to meet the VLA? It concludes with a series of key takeaways and recommendations.

Click here to listen to our podcast episode on the Virginia Literacy Act and click here …

Equipping Early Childhood Educators To Identify And Support Students With Sensory Processing Disorder: Recommendations From Occupational Therapists, Linda Schueler

Teaching and Learning (MA) Theses

The prevalence of sensory processing disorder among children, its negative effect on learning, and the benefits of early identification and intervention require action on the part of early childhood educators. Prompt identification of students with sensory processing issues and implementation of occupational therapy strategies to support these students within the school setting will optimize their learning potential. Using an iterative approach, this qualitative study collected data from semi-structured, respondent interviews with five qualified occupational therapists who practice sensory integration therapy with children who experience sensory processing disorder. The information gained answered the research question, “What assessment tool and therapeutic strategies …

The Casnr L.I.N.K.S. Newsletter: Learning Innovation Network For K-12 Schools, Volume 3, Edition 1, January 2024, Bailey Feit, Tammy Mittelstet

CASNR L.I.N.K.S. Newsletter

The purpose of this L.I.N.K.S. newsletter is to provide a monthly update of opportunities and resources for K-12 schools to connect with the University of Nebraska's CASNR Food, Energy, Water, and Societal Systems (FEWS²) programs and partners.

Included in this edition:

K-12 curriculum and resources

2024 World Food prize Nebraska Youth Institute

Upcoming events on UNL's East Campus 2023-2024

Data Driven 2024: Statistics Field Day

CASNR Ag Tech Day, April 23, 2024

UNL-CASNR six interest areas

Food system futurists spotlight

Career exploration

Summer Camp 2024

Career pathways at Seed Your Future

Student opportunities including: Women in Ag Conference, BioNebraska STEM …

Decomposing The Complex Practice Of Whole Class Instructional Decision Making, Lara Dick, Melissa M. Soto, Mollie Appelgate, Dittika Gupta

Faculty Contributions to Books

No abstract provided.

Guide To The Alan Bersin Papers, Alan Douglas Bersin

Special Collections

The Alan Bersin papers consist of records collected by Bersin during his tenure as the Superintendent of San Diego City Schools and the Secretary of Education for the State of California. The vast majority of the records are in the form of correspondence, memoranda, meeting minutes, reports, and newspaper articles. These records delve into the workings of Bersin's office, planning behind such programs as the Blueprint for Student Success, the Institute for Learning, Special Education, and Charter Schools. Correspondence, news articles, and court cases document reaction to those programs from the public, labor unions, and the San Diego Board of …

Empowering Diverse Learners: A Comprehensive Approach To Differentiated Instruction (Di) And Culturally Responsive Teaching (Crt), Sujeong Lee

Education | Graduate Culminating Projects

Empowering Diverse Learners: A Comprehensive Approach to Differentiated Instruction (DI) and Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) explores the integration of DI and CRT to create inclusive and equitable educational environments. This project aims to transform classrooms into spaces celebrating students' cultural heritage and addressing diverse learning needs. The primary objectives are to develop inclusive classroom activities, curate practical resources, and design professional development modules. A central feature of this project is the interactive Padlet, "Teacher's Hub: Effective Teaching Resources", which provides a dynamic platform for educators to access and share valuable resources, lesson plans, and strategies for implementing DI …

Ucf Pegasus Plan – Kindergarten – American U.S Symbols, Nicki Lynn Elia, Alma Tovar, Valerie Day, Jasmine Molina

Pegasus Plans: Social Studies Unit Plans for Florida Teachers

This unit plan on U.S American Symbols includes interactive lessons, videos and context for Kindergarteners at any comprehension level including English learners.

Combining The Concrete Representational Abstract Framework And Video Modeling To Increase Basic Addition Skills Among First Grade Students, Sara Ebner

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

Proficiency in mathematics is fundamental for academic success and is linked to numerous skills that are essential for success in the real-world. Despite its importance, many students struggle with math, leading to nationwide declines in math proficiency. This decline highlights the need for effective interventions that are accessible, able to be individualized, and feasible for implementation across settings. In the present study, a single case multiple probe across participants design was used to assess the efficacy of a concrete-representational-abstract (CRA) framework with video modeling intervention on the basic addition problem-solving accuracy of three first-grade students. Results show that participants’ accuracy …

Strengthening Foundational Learning In The Asean Region: A Review Of Promising Practices, Yung Nietschke, Adeola Monty, Anna Dabrowski, Payal Goundar, Syeda Kashfee Ahmed, Debbie Wong, Jeaniene Spink

International Education Research

In the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region, there is a learning crisis. Children from the most marginalised groups face insurmountable barriers to accessing a quality education, while many of those who are in school are not learning. Foundational learning is often described as the essential skills and knowledge that serve as the basis for further learning and development, and includes basic literacy (reading and writing) and numeracy (mathematics), and more recently, a focus on critical thinking, problem-solving, and socioemotional skills. In collaboration, ASEAN and the United Kingdom have established the Supporting the Advancement of Girls' Education (SAGE) Programme …

A Neuroscience-Based Curriculum For Addiction Prevention For Fourth-Grade Students, Paola Andrea Benitez

Social Work Theses - Archive

Substance use is one of the main problems affecting adolescents and young adults. While the consumption of alcohol has decreased, the consumption of marijuana has increased rampantly due to youth's positive perception after being legalized in 24 states with no clear message of the many adverse effects this drug causes. Different approaches to prevention have been used throughout the years: scare-led tactics, socio-emotional learning skills, and neuroscience-based curriculums. Since substance use results from the conjunction of different biopsychosocial factors that lead to this relapsing brain disease, the solution should integrate different preventive solutions as well. Public policy, schools, social workers, …

Baseline Study For A Refugee Children’S Programme In Sudan, Acer India

ACER India

This is a brief report on a project to measure the baseline metrics of UNICEF’s Integration and Mainstreaming of Refugee Children into the Sudanese Education System (IRCSES) programme.

Pennsylvania K-8 General Education Teachers’ Perceptions Of Preparedness For The Inclusion Of Students With Autism: A Mixed Methods Study, Erica Tate

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Abstract

This convergent mixed-methods study gathered insights from Pennsylvania kindergarten through eighth-grade general education teachers regarding their perceptions of preparedness for including students with autism. Utilizing Bandura's theory of self-efficacy (1962), which underscores the importance of continual opportunities for individuals to build confidence in their abilities, the study sought to understand teachers' viewpoints on their readiness for inclusion. To achieve educator insight, a combination of surveys and interviews was employed to understand better what preservice and in-service educators learned in their pre-professional and professional experiences. In the survey phase, (n=51) general educators responded to questions covering demographics, teacher education programming, …

Understanding The Experiences Of A First Grade Class With Explicit Phonics Instruction: A Qualitative Case Study, Haley Fry

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

The reading wars in American education have raged on with the most recent Science of Reading movement, with the discussion centered around phonics. This qualitative case study examined a real first-grade class as they experienced explicit phonics instruction within the context of a classroom environment in public elementary school in northeastern United States. Participants of this study included eight first-grade students and one first-grade teacher, in one first-grade class. Data collection was broken down into two phases that were rooted in Social Constructivism’s Zone of Proximal Development and Ehri’s Phases of Word Learning Theory. Phase I consisted of classroom observations …

The Interactive Read-Aloud: A Case Study Of Children With Intellectual Disabilities, Christine Cuozzo

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Interactive read-alouds engage children in active thinking while reading, with the overall purpose of helping them understand that text should make sense (Scanlon et al., 2017). During an interactive read-aloud, adult readers read books aloud to children and include comments and questions before, during, and after reading aloud to initiate conversations. Discussions and transactions with text can also occur spontaneously (Scanlon et al., 2017). A paucity of research exists on how children with intellectual disabilities (ID) experience interactive read-alouds. The purpose of this instrumental case study was to determine how children with ID experience interactive read-alouds delivered by a parent …

Individuals Who Experienced Early Reading Difficulty: How Teacher Connections And Educational Practices Shape Motivation, Nicole Tinney

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Reading instruction is consistently controversial in education, whether it be the Reading Wars, a debate over the Science of Reading, or issues surrounding standardized reading testing. An often overlooked component in reading instruction is motivation. Why do some students struggle to learn to read while others sail seemingly effortlessly through reading benchmarks? How do some students overcome early reading difficulty while others struggle throughout their education? Students who have a difficult time reading in elementary school often lack motivation to read and continue to have low achievement on reading tests throughout schooling (Becker et al., 2010; Mcgeown et al., 2012). …

Bilingual Students' Language Use, Identity, And Investment In Dual Language Classrooms, Stephanie Eller

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative multi-case study examined the co-construction of elementary dual language students’ language use and identity to understand how five individual students positioned themselves as bilingual individuals as well as how this relates to their investment in the language-learning process. This study also investigated the influence of translanguaging on student language use and identity expression. The classroom investment of the students was explored through the students’ identity expression, ideology and beliefs, and through forms of capital in which students expressed importance. Framed by a dynamic understanding of both language and identity, as well as investment theory, this study collected data …

Pk-12 Faculty And Staff Capacity To Support Student Mental Health, Chin-Chih Chen, David B. Naff, Xun Liu, Jennifer Murphy, Margaret Wallace, Sunny Shin, Kade Goldin, Shenita Williams, Caleb Armwood, Riley Jenkins, Marlene Gooding

MERC Publications

This report from the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC) depicts findings from a regional survey of PK-12 faculty and staff exploring their professional capacity to meet the mental health needs of their students. Based on responses from approximately 1,000 educators in the MERC region, there were six dimensions of capacity: mental health knowledge, mental health training and confidence, multi-tiered systems of support, positive mental health culture, supportive policies and practices, and responsibility and impact. Findings in the report include position comparisons along these six dimensions as well as an exploration of how capacity varies by school size and demographic composition. …

The Manifestation Of Elementary Teachers’ Mathematical Identities: An Explanatory Mixed Methods Study, Kyle Brun

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

In the most simplistic form, mathematical identities manifest in the statements, “I am good at math” or “I am not good at math”. Once established, individuals’ identities influence how they interact and approach mathematical problem-solving (Bishop, 2012; Boaler, 2013; Boaler & Selling, 2017). The purpose of this mixed-method explanatory sequential study is to explore a deeper understanding of how elementary teachers’ mathematical identities influence their beliefs about effective math instruction. Utilizing an explanatory sequential mixed-method design, a questionnaire was used for the initial quantitative analysis of teachers' mathematical identities. Analysis of survey submissions identified three unique mathematical identity profiles. Two …

‘Somos Bilingües’: Translanguaging Socialization Of Dlbe Teachers During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Grace Jue Yeon Kim

Faculty Journal Articles

After the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, the disruption of in-person schooling has significantly affected many students including emergent bilingual students. Designed as an ethnographic study, this research study examines two Spanish-English dual language bilingual education teachers’ implementation of translanguaging pedagogies and language socialization during the pandemic through the following research questions: (1) What adjustments did the teachers make to their teaching and curriculum to support the students as they navigated the pandemic times? (2) How did the teachers and students use languages in their interaction in blended learning environments? Findings from the 2^nd grade Spanish Language Arts and 4^{th …}

Reacciones De Los Docentes Ante Las Prohibiciones Y Biblioclastia De Los Nuevos Libros De Texto Gratuitos De México En 2023: Un Estudio Cualitativo Descriptivo, Eric Silberberg, Armida Liliana Patrón Reyes, Pedro Chagoyán García, Eric Manuel Benjamín Sánchez Barragán

Publications and Research

El lanzamiento de los nuevos libros de texto gratuitos (LTG) en México al inicio del ciclo escolar 2023-2024 provocó una crisis política. Varios estados prohibieron su distribución y segmentos de la sociedad civil pro- testaron aduciendo que los LTG “adoctrinarían” a los niños en la ideología izquierdista y la diversidad sexual y de género. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo investigar los efectos de las prohibiciones y polémicas en docentes de escuelas primarias, secundarias y telesecundarias. Se empleó una metodología etnográfica con entrevistas semiestructuradas y apuntes de campo rescatados en tres escuelas de Guanajuato y tres de Puebla. Los resultados revelan …