Developmentally Responsive Grade 6 Structures
This report compared the strengths and challenges of two approaches to Grade 6 within the middle school model: self-contained humanities and STEM instruction versus departmentalized instruction. Additionally, the report also reviewed the existing research on academic behavioral impacts within both self-contained humanities and STEM and departmentalized classes.
Enrollment and Student Mobility Trends
This report investigated national trends in public school enrollment following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how these trends were reflected in urban school districts. Research provided information about where students that left urban public schools went and how districts are responding. Also, the report presented strategies and recommendations to encourage families to return to urban public schools.
Preparing Teacher Leaders: Pathways to Leadership Development
This literature review explored important factors in leadership development including distributed leadership, the identification and development of potential leaders, and the retention and support of the growing number of millennial teachers in the workforce. The report also shared examples of leadership development models and recommendations.
Using Improvement Science for Innovation in Kindergarten
This report provided assistance in designing a program evaluation model for the improvement and evaluation of the nine sites involved in the district’s pilot Kindergarten Innovation Cohort program. Researchers provided a literature review, recommendations, and relevant resources.
Interest-Based Bargaining Approaches to Negotiations in Education
This report will explore key information about interest-based bargaining approaches to negotiations in K-12 educational settings, including the history and background, the key differences between interest-based bargaining and positional bargaining, and evidence from studies of interest-based bargaining in K-12 education communities.
Bilingual Education Programs: Goals, Models, Best Practices
This literature review presented up-to-date information on goals and models of bilingual education programs and best practices to serve English Language Learners. Additionally, the report explored recommendations for dual language program implementation, preschool-level language immersion, and considerations for special populations.
Research-Based Practices in Developing and Implementing Multi-Tiered Systems of Support
This report reviewed the key features of the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) model, including the integration of Response to Intervention (RTI), Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) and Social-Emotional Learning (SEL). Additionally, the report presented operational steps for implementation with fidelity, case studies, and resources.
Evaluating Curricula for Culturally Responsive Practices
This report explores existing tools for use in the curriculum adoption process to evaluate instructional material for cultural responsiveness. As the district currently uses The Culturally Responsive Curriculum Scorecard for language arts and social studies, this report focuses on tools targeting math, science, and electives.
Best Practices for School Staffing
The purpose of this report was to conduct a literature review to determine best practices for school staffing models. This report explored research-based best practices for improving staffing practices at a school or district level.
Pre-Instruction Conference
This report included data results from one school district’s pre-instruction conference, a new form of professional development offered to teachers, which allowed for teacher choice regarding session attendance. Survey data included feedback from participants regarding the keynote speaker and other session results, as well as feedback on session timing, attendance, quality, and preparation. The results were quantitative and qualitative, and recommendations for future conference preparation were made. MCPER conducted a follow-up study providing longitudinal data on the results of this pre-instruction conference for teachers.
Recruitment and Retention of Teachers and Administrators: Research-Based Best Practices
This report addressed considerations surrounding the recruitment of teachers and administrators and identified reasons for attrition. Recommendations for the recruitment of culturally and linguistically diverse candidates was included.
Translation and Interpretation Services
This report will discusses a variety of translation and interpretation services that educators can offer to help student and families with limited English language skills to communicate more effectively with teachers and other school officials.
Bonds 101 and Tips for Success
The purpose of this literature review was to provide basic knowledge about bonds and strategies to pass a successful bond measure.
Year-Round Schools
This report examines the literature on year-round school recommendations, cost for implementation, and the impact year-round school models compared to traditional school as it relates to “summer slide.”
Summer School
This report summarizes various research-based summer school models that target elementary school students. This report highlights various goals for summer school, including reducing the achievement gap, providing literacy interventions, school readiness, and supporting English Language Learners.
Appreciative Survey
This report provided quantitative and qualitative data analysis of survey results. Findings included how and when participants felt most valued by the district, how participants learn most effectively, and recommendations for future research.
Middle School Models
This report explored the literature on characteristics of effective middle schools. The literature review included research on creating a school climate and how to help underserved youth.
Physical Environment and Student Achievement: School Facilities, Designs, and Perceptions
This report summarized current research on the impact of the physical environment on student learning. The report included models for assessing facilities and characteristics of learning environments that promote safety and health.
International Field Trips
This report investigated the pros and cons of international field trips to better understand its effects on students. Also, virtual field trips, as a substitution to regular, international field trips, was investigated as well. Finally, a series of phone interviews involving parents, students, teachers, and school principals within the school district being studied was conducted to more thoroughly understand findings and meet the needs of the school community.
School Calendar
In an effort to help close the opportunity gap prevalent in schools, many school districts are examining the utility of the traditional September-through-June school calendar. Therefore, this report summarizes current research on the two most common school calendars: traditional and year-round.
Recruiting and Retaining Teachers of Color
This report seeks to explain the measures being taken in Oregon and throughout the country to recruit and retain teachers of color while also providing information about the challenges and benefits of such efforts.
Strategies for Transitioning to a Co-Teaching Model
This report provided a review of the literature to identify common co-teaching approaches and suggested strategies for how a district might meet the needs of ELLs through collaboration teaching models.
Teacher and Administrator Perceptions of Participating in the School Improvement Grant
This report investigated the impacts of a School Improvement Grant (SIG) program on two elementary schools located in the Pacific Northwest by reporting the themes within participants’ interview responses. The report includes recommendations based from the interview data.
Community-Based Partnerships: A Spectrum of Collaborative Relationships
This report explored a range of types of school-community partnerships with the corresponding desired outcomes and required resources. Additionally, the report describes examples of community school models in current practice.
The Impact of Science Detracking on Equitable Enrollment
This mixed methods study evaluated the impacts of science detracking reform on students and teachers. Quantitative enrollment data was analyzed to determine whether the reform resulted in increased enrollment in core and Advanced Placement science courses by underrepresented populations, and qualitative interview data provided themes found in the perceptions of the teaching and administrative staff.
Strategies for Retaining Millennial Teachers
This report provided strategies regarding how to recruit and retain qualified millennial teachers.
The Relationship Between Teacher Attendance and Student Achievement
This study explored whether significant relationships existed in a school district between teacher attendance and corresponding student grades.
Community Priorities for Student Success Act Funding
This study was commissioned by a school district to determine how best to spend money allocated from the Student Success Act. Researchers analyzed survey results gathered by multiple stakeholders in order to determine which spending areas were most highly ranked by all constituents.
Supporting Teachers in Using Data to Improve Teaching and Learning
This report evaluated the results of a survey conducted with a range of stakeholders, including students, parents, and teachers, in response to a swift transition to online learning in the spring of 2020. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were conducted, and recommendations for future actions are included based on the findings and the current literature.
Alternatives to the Traditional School Schedule: Considerations for Implementing Year-Round and Staggered Schedules During the COVID-19 Pandemic
This report surveyed current literature to investigate the benefits and consequences of various existing models of alternative schedules, particularly as they related to student academic achievement, cost of program implementation, and applicability to the situation caused by the COVID-19 crisis.