k Name First Last Select up to four of the following Research Nuggets that would be relevant to planning interventions for students and aligning services and promoting success. STEM Asian students are most likely to enroll in Algebra 1 by 8th grade, with 34%. Among black students, only 12% enroll in Algebra 1 by 8th grade (United States Department of Education, 2018). Students who have not taken Algebra 1 by 8th grade will not likely be able to take advanced math or science courses before they graduate. Only 59% of U. S. schools offer algebra in 8th grade, and only 24% of students take it in 8th grade (United States Department of Education, 2018). Being good at math should not be thought of as an innate ability that some students have and others lack. All students can learn math if it is taught incrementally, in small steps. Student confidence will grow if they are praised at the steps they perform correctly (Bornstein, 2011). Young children will learn math and become “math-minded” if their teachers incorporate math into many aspects of the classroom. Have them count the students at their table and determine how many pairs of scissors would be needed for a project. Ask “what-if” questions. What if two guests arrive? How many fish are in the aquarium? What if one dies and another has three babies? (Early Childhood Today Editorial Staff, 2017) One study found that students will learn math more easily if teachers make real world applications that connect to their prior knowledge (National Center for Educational Achievement, 2009). Children learn math differently. Some will learn rote things better with flashcards, while others will learn better using physical objects. Evaluate learning preferences and teach accordingly for the best results (Duncan, 2017). Math and science scores have the highest correlation to graduation rates when compared to all other subjects (Lamm, Harder, Lamm, Rose, & Rask, 2005). To significantly improve student math achievement, a student should spend from 45 to 100 hours on math instruction in an after-school program (Hammond & Reimer, 2006). Parents and teachers can foster a growth mind-set in children through praising effort (rather than intelligence or innate ability), sharing success stories that emphasize hard work and love of learning (great mathematicians fell in love with math and developed the skills rather than were born geniuses), and likening the brain to a learning machine (teaching that the brain is like a muscle that gets stronger with use) (Dweck, 2007). Females who are unaware that people generally think of them as being worse at complex math than males will perform significantly better on math tests than females who are aware of the stereotype (Haslam, Salvatore, Kessler, & Reicher, 2008; Osborne, 2006). The sequence of math students take in middle school essentially determines their math track for high school. In North Carolina, this is true because of math prerequisites for higher level math (North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, 2009). Literary Nuggets Until recently, many people thought learning to read was a natural occurrence, like learning to speak. In fact, children must be taught to connect sounds with letters, i.e., phonics (Hanford, 2018b). Students will comprehend and retain what they have read better if they anticipate having to provide a summary afterward (Reading A-Z, 2010). In 2000, after a decades-long war on phonics vs. whole language for a method of teaching children to read, Congress commissioned a National Reading Panel to review all the research. The panel discovered that teaching children phonics helped them become better readers, whereas teaching them whole language did not (Hanford, 2018b). Students who are not reading at grade level will benefit greatly from one-on-one tutoring (Hammond & Reimer, 2006). In 2015, in one large Pennsylvania school district, more than half of kindergartners tested below a reading benchmark score. After an intense program to teach teachers to introduce phonics into their reading instruction, 84% of kindergartners scored above the benchmark. At three schools, 100% of students scored above the benchmark (Hanford, 2018b). Improving students’ vocabularies by making connections among words and exposing students to content-related words can positively affect their reading abilities (Neuman & Wright, 2014). In 2017, less than 40% of fourth- and eighth-grade students were proficient in reading (Hanford, 2018a). To truly teach writing, teachers should provide feedback throughout the process. Outlines and rough drafts should be critiqued before the final version is turned in (Barber, 2016). Teachers who believe in the “fixed theory of mathematical intelligence,” i.e., they believe people simply have good or poor math skills and cannot change, are more likely to use “kind” strategies for poor performing students. They assign easier or less work, thus contributing to lower achievement and lower self-esteem. Teachers who believe in the “incremental theory of math intelligence” believe poor students can improve if taught correctly. Their students not only perform better mathematically, but have better self-esteem and enjoy mathematics more (Li & Schoenfeld, 2019). To significantly improve student reading achievement, a student should spend from 45 to 210 hours on reading instruction in an after-school program (Hammond & Reimer, 2006). Silent reading in the classroom does not help struggling readers. To improve the reading fluency of struggling readers, teachers should provide support and guided oral reading (Hasbrouck, 2006). To encourage critical reading, teachers should ask students questions about the text before, during, and after they read. This method is useful for most subjects, from reading to social studies, and is an excellent way to structure literature homework (Family Education Network, n.d.). Difficulty of reading materials is often assigned arbitrarily. In a North Carolina State University study, researchers found that seven of eight readability formulas were less than 49% accurate, with the worst being only 17% accurate. It is better to know your students and their capabilities (Begeny & Greene, 2014). From first to third grade, students learn to read. Beyond third grade, they are expected to read to learn. Those who have failed to learn to read are likely to fall behind in all their subjects, putting them on a downward spiral that often leads to dropping out (Reach Potential Movement, n.d.). Reading aloud to students has been found to expand their imaginations, provide new knowledge, support language acquisition, build vocabulary, and promote reading as a worthwhile, enjoyable activity (Family Education Network, n.d.). General Nuggets Teachers should prepare in advance for online learning. Make sure you close any files you won’t be using and find what you will need. Looking for files, browsers, or links after class has begun is distracting and can leave you frustrated, which the students will pick up on and mirror (Terada, 2020). Use feedback from students to improve your online learning. Early in the year, ask the students: On a scale of 1 to 5, how comfortable do you feel using technology in our virtual classroom? What technical issues have you encountered? Are my lessons well organized and assignments clear? Can you easily find what you need? Do you feel like your voice is heard? What can I do to improve? (Terada, 2020) “The first five minutes of the class period set the tone for the entire lesson. Ideally, teachers would start by sharing the agenda for the class period so that students will know the expectations for what will be occurring” (Beyranevand, 2016). Low attendance during the first 30 days of 9th grade is a more powerful predictor than any 8th grade factor for failing 9th grade, including test scores, age, and academic failure (Neild & Balfanz, 2006). Providing teachers with access to and training on how to use student performance data, classroom management tools, and connections with other teachers can all improve student learning (Achieve Inc., 2008). One study found that dropping out is often a long-term, cumulative process, with risk factors present as early as 6th grade predicting whether a student completes school. In Philadelphia, it was found that a 6th grader with even one of the following four signals had at least a three in four chance of dropping out of high school: • A final grade of F in mathematics • A final grade of F in English • Attendance below 80 percent for the year • A final “unsatisfactory” behavior mark in at least one class (Neild, Balfanz, & Herzog, 2007). Examples abound of school systems that expect all of their students to perform rigorous coursework. The outcomes show the gap can be narrowed—and even eliminated—when all students, regardless of race or socioeconomic status, are held to high standards (Achieve Inc., 2008; Bromberg & Theokas, 2014; Education Trust, 2006; Garrity, 2004; Singleton & Linton, 2006; Theokas & Saaris, 2013; Van den Bergh, Denessen, Hornstra, & Voeten, 2010) High rates of teacher and staff turnover can negatively affect school climate, which in turn increases the dropout rate (Ahn, Wyant, Bonneau, & Owen, 2008) Counselors should involve parents in the task of closing the gender gap in STEM courses through activities such as family technology nights and STEM career days (Burger & Sandy, n.d.). Two characteristics found in HROs (highly reliable organizations—including schools) were: • Constant, targeted training and retraining • Rigorous performance evaluations (Stringfield & Schaffer, 2011).
