Gene Lee

The majority of students with special needs in California score below proficient levels on statewide assessments, and their special education teachers report feeling overwhelmed. In this study, the teachers were no different. The special education teachers studied serve a dual role as case manager and direct service provider for their caseloads of approximately 20 studentsread more

Improving the academic outcomes for English Learners is a challenge faced in the Oakland Unified School District as this population continues to grow. Academic data has found that these students often have lower academic proficiency rates than their English-only counterparts and this achievement gaps continues to widen over the course of their academic careers. Englishread more

Students all over the world face similar challenges analyzing science texts as the language of science contains abstract symbols and complex terms. The challenges are particularly acute for California traditionally underserved high school students partially due to insufficient modifications and accommodations. To facilitate equitable participation in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics), this intervention is designedread more

Student engagement is critical to academic success; researchers have found that student engagement is one of the strongest predictors of student outcomes and is highly correlated with academic achievement. Key factors that contribute to engagement include providing students with opportunities to collaborate, building in opportunities for students to process and make meaning of material, andread more

Developing students to be bilingual and biliterate is a primary goal of dual language immersion programs. Research has shown that these programs have positive benefits for students including higher academic achievement and increased cognitive abilities. Despite the growing evidence that dual language programs can provide outstanding opportunities for students, implementing a strong program with highread more

There is an urgent need to bridge the divide between the knowledge and skill sets of novice and expert teachers. For too long the vast majority of pre-service programs have failed to address the core competencies of the profession, focused as they are upon ivory tower approaches and research rather than the practical skills andread more

Not all high school students are taught reading skills and strategies that allow them to be strong readers. When students enter college or the workforce after graduating high school without the necessary reading skills to comprehend complex texts, opportunities for deeper understanding, critical thinking, career advancement, and financial success are negatively affected. When teachers areread more

Curriculum is often at the center of school and district efforts to transition to the new, more rigorous Common Core State Standards. These new adoptions are taken on with the hope that the new curriculum will ensure students develop skills and learn content that will ready them for the challenges ahead. Research has shown thatread more

The urgent challenge of teacher retention has compelling implications for schools — especially those serving urban, low-income students. Retaining strong teachers is central to student learning and instructional coherence. Teacher turnover, as well as teacher retention, is marked by interdependent root causes. This study explores the range of system-level factors that impact teacher retention. Ultimately,read more

As the number of English Learners (ELs) steadily increases in our nation’s schools, the new and rigorous demands of Common Core State Standards (CCSS) have placed additional academic demands on these students resulting in a widening achievement gap. The review of literature has shown that as ELs are learning a new language, they must also beread more