Dr. Giang-Nguyen T Nguyen

We teach in one of the remaining six states that have not adopted the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). In this article, we share approaches to guide elementary teacher candidates through the process of deciphering the three dimensions of the NGSS to create lesson objectives. We modeled how to take steps toward the new vision for science education in our instruction while being mindful of the requirements of our state. We made sure to reinforce what inquiry-based teaching and learning looked like and provided them with authentic learning experiences in two-75 minutes lessons. These experiences helped candidates better understand both the standards and the content requirements and supported them in including the three dimensions of the NGSS in their lesson objectives.

Research has established that relatively higher levels of educational achievement are associated with better health outcomes. Thus, while providing every student with a high-quality education is always a public health concern, this matter garnered exceptional attention following the COVID-19 pandemic. It disrupted schooling across the globe, requiring elementary and secondary schools to address many resulting issues, including their students’ learning loss, interrupted learning of grade-level curricula, the need for accelerated learning, increased absenteeism, and staffing shortages. Consequently, this paper reports the many circumstances surrounding one approach employed widely in the United States to address the learning issues resulting from the pandemic: tutoring. First, the extent of students’ academic declines following the pandemic is documented, as is the association between educational attainment and health outcomes. Next, several facets of tutoring are explained, including (a) an operational definition, (b) research support of its effectiveness before and after the pandemic, (c) the characteristics of two types of effective tutoring germane to this paper, and (d) its fit within a school’s systems of interventions for all students. The paper concludes with a case report about relevant work performed at a high-needs school in the southeastern United States to establish a sustainable tutoring program resulting from the pandemic. It is one example of how K-12 schooling in the United States has improved in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This manuscript reports the results of an investigation of the simultaneous prompting procedure to teach a five-step algorithm for solving three addition basic facts. Four preschool students receiving Tier 1 services in their school's multi-tier system of supports (MTSS) framework participated. A multiple probe across participants single case design was employed, and a visual analysis of the data indicate a functional relationship between the independent and dependent variable. Three of the participants achieved the mastery criterion and maintained the targeted learning outcome for 2-6 weeks. These participants applied the five-step algorithm to three sets of novel addition facts and acquired incidental information consisting of mathematics terminology. The fourth participant voluntarily discontinued her involvement in the study but, prior to her withdrawal, her data were similar to that of the other three participants. Social validity data from the participants' teachers confirmed their satisfaction with the study's procedures and participants' learning outcomes. The results extend those from related research and validate simultaneous prompting's effectiveness in teaching mathematics to students receiving Tier 1 and Tier 3 services in an MTSS framework. Topics for future research are discussed, and include investigating the effectiveness of simultaneous prompting to teach mathematics across students receiving services through all MTSS tiers.

The author presents how to support preservice teachers (PSTs) in the development of problem-solving skills utilizing the following procedures: (1) assess PSTs' knowledge levels of problem-solving by utilizing a specified task; (2) examine PSTs' varying solutions to the selected task; (3) discuss PSTs' needs in developing and supporting problem-solving skills; and (4) identify the role mathematics teacher educators (MTEs) play in meeting PSTs' needs. The author ends with implications on how MTEs may best prepare the next generation of mathematics teachers.

Computer Science drives innovation and discovery, and Computer Science classes in High Schools, particularly AP Computer Science Principles, have also been linked to better performance in other High School courses, but a Code.org report shows that the state of Florida, particularly the Northwest Florida region, is far behind the rest of the nation in offering Computer Science classes at the High School level. This paper discusses strategies that are can be implemented to improve High School Computer Science offerings in like-regions that have lower Computer Science offerings. The paper also discusses the challenges that come up in addressing this issue and presents potential avenues for addressing these challenges. One major challenge that is addressed is creating the culture of inclusive computing by getting more women and under-represented groups interested in taking Computer Science courses. Though this is a Northwest Florida case study, most of the strategies discussed in this paper would be applicable to any other part of the country with low Computer Science offerings with a similar socio-economic background.

This chapter moves undergraduate education students forward into the field of educational research. The topics assist students in examining the importance and multifaceted components involved in preparing undergraduate education majors to explore and use human research activities. The chapter contents extend students’ learning to focus on educational research and applications as key components for fully understanding teaching and learning. Thus, it provides an overview of the procedures and considerations for undergraduates to conduct research in education including: (1) narrowing a Research Topic, (2) selecting an appropriate Research Design, and (3) understanding and practicing Research Ethics and working with the Institutional Review Board (IRB). In addition, this chapter provides a guide for students through the practice of complex, iterative, and transferable skills that lead to efficient, methodical, and ethical conduct of the basic steps in the research process. At the end of this chapter, undergraduate students will understand and become skilled in these essential components of the research process.

Students drop out of schools for many reasons, and it has negative effects on the individual and society. This paper reports a study using data published in 2015 from the Educational Longitudinal Study conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics to analyze the influence of parental involvement on low-achieving U.S. students’ graduation rates from high school. Findings indicate that both students and parents share the same perspective on the need for parental involvement in their academic progress. For low-achieving high school students, parental involvement in academic work is a positive factor influencing students’ graduation from high school.

This chapter addresses the challenge raised by researchers about how online learning provides an opportunity for interaction as compared to a face-to-face classroom. We exemplify how the Community of Inquiry theoretical framework informed our design of learning opportunities for primary mathematics preservice teachers (PSTs) in two courses offered in Australia and the USA. The cognitive presence focuses on helping PSTs experience mathematical practices as active learners (Course 1) and learning pedagogical practices to develop mathematical proficiency for their future students (Course 2). Two courses offer ways to address social presence for learning, intending to build two levels of community. Teaching presence is illustrated by the role the instructors play when designing, facilitating, and directing the learning experience in contrasting settings to maintain cognitive presence and social presence. Implications for research and development of online courses for preservice teachers are suggested.

A thoughtful decision confronting parents considering pre-kindergarten or pre-school programs across the United States provided from the literature has focused on school readiness of children within the pre-kindergarten years. Prior to children moving into kindergarten, parents are often concerned with the related potential for increased student achievement and student performance of these children in later years. Public opinion concerning the “worth” of preschool education as a readiness provider for preparing children to enter kindergarten adequately prepared for learning has been a topic of dissention among educators and parents for more than a decade. This qualitative study involved conducting structured interviews with five educators (two pre-school teachers, two kindergarten teachers, and one early learning district administrator) from the same school district located in the southeast region of the United States. The current qualitative study focused on eight specific interview questions generated from the literature review. Each of the eight interview question responses was examined relative to specific criteria, positioning, and information aligned from the related literature. Resulting literature analyses and discussions provide specific viewpoints from the interviews of the five educators regarding the merits and potential worth of early education experiences. Implications of the study findings involve describing potential future research efforts aimed at examining influences of early education or preschool experiences related to students’ performance levels and attitudes relative to later school achievement.