Systematic Observations of the Availability and Use of Instructional Technology in Urban Middle School Classrooms

The present study uses systematic observations to investigate the availability and use of instructional technology in 64 middle school classrooms serving predominantly minority students from economically disadvantaged families. The T3 Overall Classroom Observation Measure, a high-inference walk-through instrument, was developed to examine: (a) types and use of technology present in the classroom, (b) teachers’ technology usage, (c) students’ technology usage, (d) teachers’ general instructional behaviors, and (e) students’ general behaviors. The results revealed that instructional technology was widely available in the classrooms, but most teachers and students were only using it to “some extent.

Classroom observations of a cross-age peer tutoring mathematics program in elementary and middle schools

Article describes how a growing body of research has shown the positive effects of peer tutoring on students’ academic achievement, self-concept, attitude, social, and behavioral outcomes. The authors' study examined classroom practices, as well as program teachers’ and students’ behaviors within a cross-age peer-tutoring program implemented in elementary and middle schools that serve predominantly Hispanic students

Review of Research on Educational Resilience

One area of research that has important implications for improving the education of students at risk of academic failure is concerned with “resilient” students, or those students who succeed in school despite the presence of adverse conditions. In education, conceptual and empirical work on resilience has gained recognition as a framework for examining why some students are successful in school, while others from the same socially- and economically-disadvantaged backgrounds and communities are not. Such a framework could be useful in helping educators design more effective educational interventions that take into account “alterable” factors that distinguish resilient students from nonresilient students. The purpose of this report is to explain how a focus on educational resiliency might lead to improvements in the education of students at risk of academic failure. Issues related to the definition of resiliency are discussed, and several resilience studies that have helped to develop the field are reviewed. Recent studies in the area of educational resiliency are examined, specifically those that focus on the differences between resilient and nonresilient students, their family environment, and their perceptions of the classroom and school environment. The final sections of the report discuss implications for educational practice and research

Review of Research on Educational Resilience

One area of research that has important implications for improving the education of students at risk of academic failure is concerned with “resilient” students, or those students who succeed in school despite the presence of adverse conditions. In education, conceptual and empirical work on resilience has gained recognition as a framework for examining why some students are successful in school, while others from the same socially- and economically-disadvantaged backgrounds and communities are not. Such a framework could be useful in helping educators design more effective educational interventions that take into account “alterable” factors that distinguish resilient students from nonresilient students. The purpose of this report is to explain how a focus on educational resiliency might lead to improvements in the education of students at risk of academic failure. Issues related to the definition of resiliency are discussed, and several resilience studies that have helped to develop the field are reviewed. Recent studies in the area of educational resiliency are examined, specifically those that focus on the differences between resilient and nonresilient students, their family environment, and their perceptions of the classroom and school environment. The final sections of the report discuss implications for educational practice and research

The relationships among high school STEM learning experiences, expectations, and mathematics and science efficacy and the likelihood of majoring in STEM in college

<p>This study examines college students’ science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) choices as they relate to high school experiences, parent, teacher, and self-expectations, and mathematics and science efficacy. Participants were 2246 graduates of a STEM-focused public Harmony Public Schools in Texas, Harmony Public Schools (HPS). Descriptive analyses indicated that the overall percentage of HPS graduates who chose a STEM major in college was greater than Texas state and national averages. Logistic regression analyses revealed that males and Asian students are more likely to choose a STEM major in college than females and non-Asian students, respectively. Moreover, students whose parents had a college degree in the U.S. are more likely to major in STEM fields than those who did not. Furthermore, males with higher mathematics efficacy and females with higher science efficacy are more likely to choose a STEM major than their counterparts with lower mathematics and science efficacy.</p

Principals&apos; Perceptions of the Importance of Technology in Schools

Abstract A sample of 311 principals from a large metropolitan area in the southwest region of the U. S. responded to a questionnaire that addressed public school principals&apos; perceptions related to the major functions of technology in their schools. Principals reported that the major functions of technology were: (a) communication, (b) instruction, (c) data sharing and management, (d) a resource, (e) administrative tasks, and (f) student learning. Male principals felt that technology was used as a resource and for administrative tasks more than female principals. Furthermore, principals with 12 or more years of experience perceived that technology was used for instruction, data sharing and management, and administrative tasks more than principals with less than 12 years of experience. These results indicate that both gender and years of experience influence how principals perceive the functions of technology in their schools. This could affect the technology leadership of principals, which may influence the success of technology implementation in schools

Observing Classroom Instruction in Schools Implementing the International Baccalaureate Programme

&nbsp; The International Baccalaureate (IB) programme utilizes an inquiry-based multi-disciplinary approach and focuses on the teaching of critical-thinking skills. The IB programme is growing at a rapid rate within the United States, with the overall number of IB schools having more than doubled in the last five years. The purpose of the present study was two-fold: (a) to specifically focus on classroom instruction and students&rsquo; behavior within Texas IB schools, and (b) to highlight the importance of systematic classroom observation as an evaluative method; in particular, the simultaneous use of three observation instruments to illustrate the importance of examining instruction from multiple perspectives. Systematic observations of 85 classrooms from eight Texas IB schools revealed that instruction in most of the schools was active, with teachers often engaging students, exploring new skills and key concepts, explaining, elaborating, and evaluating. Overall, the general instructional practices and student behaviors/activities observed were favorable and were higher than those found in similar classrooms in Texas schools. The amount of time that students were observed as being on-task was dramatically higher than the amount of student on-task time measured in other observational studies

Case Studies of Online Testing in Multicultural School Districts

In this chapter, the authors use excerpts from in-depth case studies to explore the implementation of computer-based testing in diverse contexts. The case studies describe the online testing experiences of six Texas school districts and several individual campuses within each district. The challenges that district personnel reported experiencing in planning and implementing online assessments are highlighted, and the issues that may differentially affect students in multicultural contexts based on variables such as setting (i.e., urban or rural), student age (i.e., elementary or secondary), district financial resources, and student language status (English learner or native English-speaking) are described in detail