Instructional Research Group

The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of the Teacher Study Group (TSG) professional development on observed teaching practice and on academic vocabulary knowledge of English learners. The TSG approach will be tested when implemented with eighth-grade teachers in low-achieving Title I schools, within the context of the social studies curriculum.

Reading First includes the use of professional development with teachers in low-performing schools to improve low-income students' reading achievement. Although solid research evidence supports the core classroom practices and instructional assessment principles of Reading First, some of the specific professional practices under consideration for use as part of the Reading First initiative lack such evidence. Research has not yet used rigorous techniques to test these practices sufficiently ...

In this project, the researchers will conduct a systematic review and component network meta-analysis on the effects of kindergarten through grade 6 (K-6) mathematics interventions on student mathematics outcomes and to identify the individual instructional components that are the most predictive of positive student learning outcomes. Over the past decade, there has been an increase in the research and development of mathematics interventions for students struggling with mathematics. These m...

The purpose of the project is to conduct a network meta-analysis and a narrative synthesis of relevant, high-quality studies that were used to inform the development of the recently released What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) mathematics intervention practice guide, Assisting Students Struggling with Mathematics: Intervention in the Elementary Grades. Competency in mathematics paves the way for later academic and occupational success. Because of the association between mathematics proficiency in...

With a third of US students failing to develop foundational reading skills by 4th grade, calls have grown to renew the focus on this critical learning and to use scientifically-based teaching methods. Many elementary schools are seeking to adopt a more strategic approach to improve the quality of reading instruction and the ways struggling students are identified and provided with extra help. These efforts, often under the umbrella term <em>multi-tiered systems of support for reading</em> (MTS

Boosting literacy among school-age children remains a national priority. Nearly one-third of students in the U.S. have not developed the foundational reading skills needed to succeed academically, with those living in poverty, those with disabilities, and English learners (ELs) especially at risk. Since 2010 Congress has provided funds for preschool through grade 12 literacy improvement efforts, including through the Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy (SRCL) program and the newer Comprehe