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Motivational interviewing (MI), a therapy strategy used to guide students to help students better understand how to develop their social emotional learning (SEL) skills to make positive choices that resolve social conflict, bodes promising for helping youth to cultivate the social and emotional skills needed to address bullying, peer drama, and other issues affecting their mental, physical, and emotional health. Bulldog Solution, Inc., a Chicago-based organization, utilized MI research-informed approach to increase students' social conflict management and leadership skills through self-awareness and self-discovery, as a mechanism for preventing bullying and supporting the social and emotional growth of young people. This study presents emerging themes resulting from a 9-week, motivational interview and SEL-based program titled, "Peace Over Drama," implemented with middle school students (sixth-seventh-eighth grade) with disabilities and/or at risk for disability-identification (n = 17) in one Chicago middle school on the south side. Implications for school-based prevention models and scaling of similar SEL and MI programing are discussed.

This quantitative study was conducted to determine if a relationship exists between former Missouri Career and Technical Education (CTE) concentrators' Technical Skills Assessment (TSA) performance and attaining related placement after high school, specifically analyzing for differences among racial/ethnic and socioeconomic status (SES) groups. The study included data from 65,606 students who graduated over a five year time frame. To investigate these relationships, multiple descriptive models were run and disaggregated by gender, race/ethnicity, and SES. Students who passed their TSA were more likely to attain related placement compared to those not passing, but disadvantaged (lower SES) and Black students across all CTE program areas had reduced odds of attaining related placement compared to not disadvantaged or other racial/ethnic students. Additional analysis to determine the relationship by CTE content areas included multiple binary logistic regression models. The findings demonstrate positive impacts of secondary CTE programs, but equity concerns are raised need further examination.

This study aims to compare teachers' self-efficacy across Turkish and American in-service middle-school mathematics teachers. The samples consist of 379 Turkish and 245 American in-service middle-school mathematics teachers. The self-efficacy questionnaire of the Middle-school Mathematics and the Institutional Setting of Teaching (MIST) scale was used in the study. The exploratory factor analysis revealed two dimensions of the self-efficacy measures across the American and Turkish teachers, such as classroom management and student support strategies. The measurement invariance property of the scale was evaluated before comparing the means of the groups. Despite the differences between the education systems, teachers' efficacy beliefs function quite similarly across the countries. The statistically significant mean differences in the subscale scores of efficacy measures between Turkish and American samples have no practical value. In both countries, teachers reported high level of confidence in efficacy beliefs in classroom management and student support strategies.

In 2018, Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) introduced an assessment of global competence to equip young people with the skills, knowledge, attitudes and values to create "an inclusive and sustainable world" (OECD, 2018: 1). Throughout this article, we take the OECD seriously at their claims around inclusion. We look critically at the global competence framework to ask what PISA means by inclusion and trouble the idea that inclusion can function effectively within a global standardized assessment. We put Bernstein's (2000) notion of recontextualization to work to demonstrate how inclusion takes on new meaning as it moves between each iteration of the global competence framework. We show how this recontextualization re-orientates inclusion from a social justice imperative toward supporting young people's inclusion into a globalized market economy.

The quest to enhance the quality of teaching in low-income countries has encouraged international aid agencies to look for alternative platforms to provide teacher education. Open Educational Resources have attracted the attention of the international community because of their ability to provide accessible and cost-effective teacher education programs across diverse cultural contexts. Yet, despite increasing support, little consideration has been given to whose knowledge, values, and cultural norms are legitimized within these open education platforms. This paper responds to such concerns by drawing on Bernstein's (2000) notion of regulative discourse to examine the Open Education Resources for English Language Teachers (ORELT) teacher education modules. Findings reveal that regulative discourse is strongly framed within these ORELT modules, which supports the socialization of teachers and their students into Western culture, values, and beliefs. This paper challenges the assumption that Open Educational Resources are a socially neutral pedagogical platform and raises questions about the educational and cultural implications for local contexts.

Supporting students' engagement in meaningful mathematics discussions can be challenging. It involves, for example, choosing tasks that are worth discussing (e.g., Stein and Lane 1996), negotiating norms for how students engage with one another's ideas (Kazemi and Stipek 2001; Horn 2012), eliciting students' thinking, and pressing students to explain their reasoning in ways that other students can understand (Cobb 1998; Thompson et al. 1994). As such, improving the quality of mathematics discussions is not an easy task and requires ongoing support in planning for and leading discussions as well as analyzing whether students learned through discussions and how teachers' instructional decisions contributed to that learning (Kazemi and Hintz 2014; Smith and Stein 2018). In this article, the authors describe a set of surveys that collect information about students' experiences of small-group and whole-class discussions and that can inform planning for and subsequent analysis of discussions, especially in professional learning settings (e.g., coaching, professional learning communities). First they describe how the survey items provide information about key aspects of discussions that shape students' opportunities to learn. Then they share two cases that highlight how teachers and instructional leaders can use the surveys in professional learning settings to identify and work toward shared goals for improving classroom discussions.

Principals and instructional coaches are asked to organize their schools to support teachers' ongoing professional learning. Prior studies have examined what principals do to support coaches rather than the ways they work together to support instructional improvement. We build on prior studies by examining how principals and coaches coordinate their work to support instructional improvement. To examine coordination, we selected cases in which coaches were or were not successful in interacting with teachers around teaching mathematics. We then analyzed the data within and across each of four cases. In schools where coaches were identified as successful in interacting with teachers, principals and coaches coordinated their work across three settings in order to jointly support teachers: teacher collaborative meetings, classroom visits, and coach-principal informal meetings. This study contributes to the literature on leadership by specifying how principals and coaches can coordinate their individual and collective work to organize supports for teachers.

We report on five-year professional development collaboration with a group of middle-school mathematics teachers during which their views of what constitutes a productive classroom statistical activity changed. The teachers' statistics instruction was initially typical in the US context and focused on producing calculations and following conventions for making graphs. In contrast, towards the end of the collaboration, teachers routinely planned statistical activities in which the generation and analysis of data was driven by a need to gain insight into a specific problem at hand. We document the changes in teachers' views of a productive classroom statistical activity and the means by which these changes were supported. In doing so, we highlight how explorations of the role of problem context in statistics provided a productive professional development focus, where teachers both built on their existing practices, and tested, in their classrooms, ideas that were novel or incongruent with their prior experiences.

Purpose: This study examines the content and efficacy of instructional leaders' expectations and feedback (press) in relation to the improvement of middle school mathematics teachers' instruction in the context of coherent systems of supports. Research Method/Approach: This mixed methods study is a part of a larger, 8-year longitudinal study in four large urban school districts across the United States. We used transcripts of interview data, surveys, and video recordings of instruction of 271 cases, over 4 years, to determine the content of administrator press, as reported by teachers, and the relationship between the content and change (if any) in instruction. To do so we used qualitative coding of interview transcripts, and ran a series of statistical models to examine the nature of the variance in and impact of administrative press. Findings: Most of the administrators' press, as reported by teachers, was not targeted toward specific teachers' mathematics instruction in ways that would likely lead toward improvement in those practices. Rather, the press focused on content-neutral instructional practices or classroom management and organization. Implications for Research and Practice: The instructional leadership practice of administrator observation and feedback is widespread, yet understudied as it relates to changes in teacher practice. Our findings indicate that current policies that mandate principals to spend substantial time in classrooms are unlikely to result in significant improvements in the quality of instruction unless meaningful resources are invested to support administrator learning.

A review of the software Just Another Gibbs Sampler (JAGS) is provided. We cover aspects related to history and development and the elements a user needs to know to get started with the program, including (a) definition of the data, (b) definition of the model, (c) compilation of the model, and (d) initialization of the model. An example using a latent class model with large-scale education data is provided to illustrate how easily JAGS can be implemented in R. We also cover details surrounding the many programs implementing JAGS. We conclude with a discussion of the newest features and upcoming developments. JAGS is constantly evolving and is developing into a flexible, user-friendly program with many benefits for Bayesian inference.

District leaders often feel that working with researchers is not mutually beneficial. Researchers do not provide enough practical guidance, and they are often unable to present their findings in time to inform district decision making. Research-practice partnerships (RPPs) are a potential new strategy for addressing these challenges. RPPs are long-term, mutual collaborations between practitioners and researchers that are organized to investigate problems of practice and solutions for improving district outcomes. By focusing on real-time district challenges, RPPs can lead to research that is informative, timely, and relevant to district stakeholders.

In mainstream education, the transition from primary to secondary school ("school transition") is difficult for children with autism spectrum disorder, being marked by high levels of emotional and behavioural difficulties. The Systemic Transition in Education Programme for Autism Spectrum Disorder (STEP-ASD) is a new, manualised school transition intervention. We investigated its feasibility and efficacy for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (N = 37; mean age = 11.47 years; mean IQ = 85.24) using an unblinded, non-randomised, controlled design. Teachers found the intervention feasible and acceptable. Children receiving STEP-ASD (n = 17) showed a large (Cohen's d = 0.88) reduction in school-reported emotional and behavioural difficulties, whereas controls (n = 20) showed a slight increase (d = -0.1) (p = 0.010). These encouraging findings suggest the value of STEP-ASD as a low-intensity intervention for reducing problem behaviours and distress in children with autism spectrum disorder as they transition to mainstream secondary school.

The importance of teachers developing adaptive instructional practices consistent with metaphor of whole-class scaffolding has been well documented. However, teachers' development of such practices is currently not well understood. We draw on a 5-year professional development (PD) design experiment in which a group of middle school mathematics teachers developed aspects of such practices. We address questions of "how can teachers' development of instructional practices consistent with whole-class scaffolding be supported", and "what challenges should be anticipated when designing to support such development?" Findings indicate that leveraging teachers' existing practices and concerns was important in supporting them to focus on students' mathematical reasoning and develop adaptive practices. We discuss how the notion of whole-class scaffolding can orient the design of PD activities that remain grounded in classroom practice, and also consider how this notion can be further refined through analyses of teachers' learning in PD settings.

A key aspect of supporting teachers' learning on a large scale concerns mathematics leaders' practices in designing for and leading high-quality professional development. We report on a retrospective analysis of an initial design experiment aimed at supporting the learning of three math leaders who were charged with supporting the learning of middle-grades mathematics teachers across a large US school district. Initial goals for the math leaders' learning included: (a) viewing teachers' improvement of their classroom practices as a progression; (b) designing supports for teachers' learning that were informed by assessments of teachers' current practices, were oriented towards long-term goals for teachers' practices, and would enable teachers to attain short-term goals that constituted reasonable next steps; and (c) facilitating professional development by pressing on teachers' ideas differentially and building on their contributions. Findings suggest that the math leaders increasingly viewed teachers' improvement of their classroom practices as a developmental progression and began to design connected sequences of activities. However, they struggled to facilitate the activities in ways that would meet their ambitious goals for teachers' learning. Based on our findings, we indicate potential improvements to our design for supporting math leaders' learning. More generally, we provide the field with a set of potentially revisable learning goals for math leaders' learning, a set of principles to guide the design of supports for their learning, and a provisional design to support the development of their practices.

Suspension from school is a commonly used, yet controversial, school disciplinary measure. This paper uses unique survey data to estimate the impact of suspension on the educational outcomes of those suspended. It finds that while suspension is strongly associated with educational outcomes, the relationship is unlikely to be causal, but rather likely stems from differences in the characteristics of those suspended compared to those not suspended. Moreover, there is no evidence that suspension is associated with larger educational penalties for young people from disadvantaged family backgrounds compared to those from more advantaged family backgrounds. These results hold regardless of whether self-reported suspension or mother-reported suspension is considered. The absence of a clear negative causal impact of suspension on educational outcomes suggests that suspension may continue to play a role in school discipline without harming the educational prospects of those sanctioned.

This meta-analysis examines current North American research on the work of school principals in the special education milieu. More specifically, it considers how elementary and secondary principals envision and act in ways that foster inclusion within a school community. Three core special education-oriented domains arose in the 19 studies examined in this meta-analysis: inclusive programme delivery, staff collaboration, and parental engagement. Within these three domains, research indicates that principals take on seven key roles as they work to foster inclusion: visionary, partner, coach, conflict resolver, advocate, interpreter, and organiser. When taking on these seven roles principals draw from various approaches to leadership, such as transformative, distributive, and democratic leadership. In striving to offer a supportive special education programme, principals face a number of challenges, such as fostering collaboration where perspectives diverge, establishing a cohesive school vision of inclusion and practice that offers differentiated learning experiences, and reducing situations involving litigation and teacher attrition. In detailing the three domains and seven roles of special education leadership, this article outlines a number of key recommendations for research, policy, and practice.

This article reports on Phase 1 of a pilot programme on self-management of behaviour with challenging class groups of students as part of the evidence-informed practice of the National Behaviour Support Service. The Alert Program is a structured active learning programme using an engine analogy. The person's engine runs on high, low or just right for the task in hand. The focus of this first phase of the pilot was on the appropriateness of module content, teaching approaches, resource materials and classroom management strategies. Eighty-five first year students (aged 12-13 years) and four teachers in four second level partner schools in areas of social disadvantage were involved. Trial 1 offered five class sessions and Trial 2 offered eight. Phase 1 was occupational therapist led with class teacher support. Perceptions from teachers and students were gathered by questionnaires. Teachers reported that the content and class management strategies were appropriate. Students gained an understanding of their behaviour and identified self-management strategies for use in the class. They recommended that all teachers working with the class group should be familiar with the language and techniques of the programme to reinforce learning. Feedback from 85% (72) of students confirmed that the learning tasks were considered by the majority to be enjoyable and relevant. The group of students perceived to be the most challenging gave the most positive scores, and 100% of these indicated their intention to use their new self-management strategies in class. The positive results led to Phase 2 of the pilot in which teachers took the lead role with occupational therapist support in a national pilot in 16 schools in areas of social disadvantage.

The relationship between functional or life skills curricula (the intervention) and transition-related outcomes for secondary-aged youth with disabilities is explored in this systematic review. A total of 50 studies intervening with 482 youth with (largely) disability labels of moderate to severe mental retardation were reviewed. The findings of this review provide tentative support for the efficacy of the use of functional or life skills curricular interventions across educational environments, disability types, ages, and gender in promoting positive transition-related outcomes. These findings are discussed in terms of characteristic features of the literature set and competing trends in secondary education. Selected studies in a number of specific curricular areas are recommended. (Contains 1 table.)

The relationship between transition planning/coordinating interventions and transition outcomes for secondary-aged youth with disabilities was explored in this systematic review. A total of 31 studies intervening with 859 youth with a wide variety of disabilities were reviewed. Using the transition intervention framework of Kohler and Field (2003) the findings of this review support the efficacy of student-focused planning and student-development interventions in improving the transition-related outcomes for youth with disabilities. There were not an adequate number of studies meeting minimal standards of methodological adequacy to assess the efficacy of family involvement, collaborative service delivery, and program structure interventions. Implications for practice are suggested as well as directions to the reader to locate more detailed descriptions of how several interventions associated with student-focused planning and some areas of student development might be acquired and implemented in secondary educational environments. (Contains 3 tables.)

The relationship between cognitive-behavioral interventions and therapies on the one hand and school dropout outcomes and violent verbal or physical aggression on the other hand for secondary-age youth with disabilities was explored in a systematic review. A total of 16 studies intervening with 791 youth with behavioral disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and learning disabilities were reviewed. The findings of this review strongly support the efficacy of the use of cognitive-behavioral interventions across educational environments, disability types, age groups, and gender in the reduction of dropout and correlates of dropout. A series of more detailed implications for practice are suggested, as well as directions to the reader to locate more detailed descriptions of how these interventions might be implemented in their secondary education environments.

The effect of block scheduling on high school student achievement in mathematics and reading was investigated in this study through the use of an ex post-facto, longitudinal research design. Specifically, student scores from 9th and 11th-grade standardized tests were matched and sorted by junior high and high school attended. Outcome measures consisted of Levels tests and ACT exams in mathematics and reading. Statistical analyses of student gain scores included main effects of scheduling type, gender, and ethnicity as well as interaction effects for these independent variables. Results indicate that students in 4 x 4 block scheduling had greater gain scores in reading and mathematics than did students in both traditional scheduling and A/B block scheduling.

Analyzes two classroom episodes using a classroom mathematical practice together with students' diverse ways of contributing to its continual regeneration as the unit of analysis. Asserts that a classroom mathematical practice is composed of three interrelated types of norms: a normative purpose, normative standards of argumentation, and normative ways of reasoning with tools and inscriptions. (Author/MM)

Discussion of the relationship between the school-to-career transition research findings and current school reform argues that secondary special educators should align their advocacy and research efforts within a "whole school reform" context as opposed to a "students with disabilities" context. Analysis examines program administration, curriculum and instruction, support services, and formalized articulation and communication categories. (Contains references.) (Author/DB)

Describes the role of an instructional sequence and two accompanying computer-based tools in supporting students' developing understandings of statistical data analysis. Documents the emergence of the sociomathematical norm of what counts as a mathematical argument in the context of data analysis. (Author/MM)

Recounts the story of one young man's wraparound team, composed of and organized by his friends, to illustrate the positive influence that peers can have when they are involved in the wraparound process. Provides practical suggestions for recruiting peers and for roles they can play on the team. (Author/GCP)