Resource Library

This case study details the implementation and impact of the Learning Differences program at Manning Elementary School (MES) in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina. Section one provides an overview of the Learning Differences program. Section two describes how the Learning Differences program was implemented at MES and how data were collected. Section three draws on qualitative and quantitative data to illustrate the program’s impact on MES teachers and students. Section four discusses the seven key lessons learned from the implementation process. The authors intend for this case study to be a practical resource that schools and districts can reference as they implement their own learning differences initiatives.

This case study details the implementation and impact of the Learning Differences program at Centennial Campus Magnet Middle School (CCMMS) in Raleigh, North Carolina. Section one provides an overview of the Learning Differences program. Section two describes how the Learning Differences program was implemented at CCMMS and how data were collected. Section three draws on qualitative and quantitative data to illustrate nine key lessons learned from the implementation process as well as the program’s impact on students. The authors intend for this case study to be a practical resource that schools and districts can reference as they implement their own learning differences initiatives.

From January-December 2021, five school districts participated in The Innovation Project’s (TIP) Early Learning Network, an initiative that centers equity in addressing vulnerable children’s learning needs. Participants on district teams underwent the Liberatory Design Process—a seven step approach to centering equity in reimagining and redesigning educational interventions. Researchers from the Program Evaluation and Education Research (PEER) Group from the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation sought to better understand (1) how the design process impacted district teams and (2) the supports and barriers to design thinking and how to improve the design thinking process. Through case study methodology that incorporated focus group interviews, one-on-one interviews and artifact analysis, the researchers found that notions of accountability and intentionality, the awareness of self and others, and the development of community partnerships were impactful for districts conducting this equity work. Further, intradistrict dynamics, the availability of resources, team-level dynamics and non-linear processes frequently acted as supports and barriers to successful implementation of the Liberatory Design Process.

The 1:1 Administrator Survey is a survey tool that collects teacher perceptions of the behaviors and characteristics of a principal leading a digital learning initiative. It is a tool that can help in the process of identifying areas for leadership improvement and professional development.

The 1:1 Classroom Teacher Survey is a survey tool that collects teacher reflections on digital teaching and learning in their school. More specifically, regarding digital teaching and learning it asks teachers about their: perceptions of professional development, infrastructure, and administrative support; frequencies of their own teaching behaviors; beliefs about digital teaching and learning; and several open-ended reflection prompts.

The 1:1 Student Survey is a survey tool that collects student reflections on digital teaching and learning in their school. More specifically, regarding digital teaching and learning it asks students about their: frequencies of activities and device use; perceptions of the level of support at their school; beliefs and perceptions about digital teaching and learning generally; comfort with variety of digital technology skills; and several open-ended reflections.

The School Connectivity Initiative launched in earnest with the publication of the Developing Regional Education Networks report in May 2006. In the ten years since the inception of the SCI program, NC public schools have procured nearly $800,000,000 in network services and infrastructure with State appropriations totaling $184,000,000 leveraged against over $600,000,000 in federal communications commission (FCC) E-rate discount funding. During the ten-year stretch, the telecommunications and computing markets have shifted dramatically, the regulatory environment has been in near constant flux, and the NC legislature has called for and invested in a digital transition in public schools. Perhaps most impressively, NC public schools Internet usage has grown from about 1000 Megabits per second (Mbps) in 2009 to over 98,000 Megabits per second at the writing of this report – with a similar growth forecast for the foreseeable future.

Community Focused Partnerships: Harnessing Intercultural Competency

While many organizations and individuals purport and support the benefits of the use of technology to learn mathematics, many teachers are unsure about how to use technology in ways that promote students' conceptual learning (e.g., Ertmer, 2005). Evidence suggests a model that integrates pedagogy, content, and technology is more effective for preparing teachers to use technology in classrooms (Lee & Hollebrands, 2008; Niess, 2005; Suharwoto, 2006) and this is the approach we have taken in the development of the Preparing to Teach Mathematics With Technology (PTMT) materials. This paper elaborates on our Technological Pedagogical Mathematical Knowledge (TPMK) framework, how we used it to guide the development of materials, and how we embody each of its components in our curriculum.

In their first publication, A Leg Up, the student authors at CORRAL Riding Academy explore their stories in their first published book. Use these guides for readers and educators as you read A Leg Up.

With nearly $400 million over four years dedicated to funding twelve state initiatives and multiple local initiatives that serve over 1.4 million students, nearly 100,000 teachers, and over 5,000 administrators, North Carolina’s Race to the Top (RttT) grant is a broad and extensive undertaking. The RttT grant is intended to allow North Carolina to develop and implement innovative education policies and practices, but as the end of the grant period approaches, decisions must be made as to which policies can and should be continued. In making these choices, it is imperative that decision-makers understand the costs as well as the outcomes associated with each initiative. The state RttT proposal included a commitment to an independent evaluation of all of its grant-funded initiatives, and this report provides a preliminary cost analysis of seven of the state-level RttT initiatives to help inform that understanding.

Following the push to improve science literacy and implement science education programs in the 1970s, organizations such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) and American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) have worked fervently to develop programs aimed at reforming science education and increasing science literacy among America’s students. The emergence of teacher-scientist partnerships in K-12 classrooms has proven influential in broadening teachers’ content knowledge, understanding of scientific inquiry, and increasing teachers’ confidence in their abilities to teach science. Unfortunately, research exploring how these partnerships impact teachers’ identities, in general, and teachers’ self-efficacy, pedagogical practices, and identities as scientists, more specifically, has remained limited.

A case study of inquiry-based learning at a small rural school in Indiana and students' integration of social justice and global literacy with their project.

The Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at NC State University’s College of Education conducted site visits at four schools (Ed Tech High School, Washington High School, P.S. Jones Middle School, and John Small Elementary School) in Beaufort County, North Carolina. Beaufort County Schools (BCS) is a rural school district located in the southeastern part of the state with 14 schools and 6,673 students. Our team interviewed teachers, students, and administrators in Beaufort to learn how BCS are providing equitable learning opportunities for all students.

What does it mean for youth to take action in our communities? In this webinar entitled, "Activating Youth Voices: Promoting Activism and Advocacy in Teens and…

With the transition to remote learning, we must be vigilant in addressing students who need additional supports in order to be successful. In this session,…

With the transition to remote learning, we must be vigilant in addressing students who need additional supports in order to be successful. In this session,…

In a moment in history where we are all isolated, it has never been more important for us to feel connected to our students and…

In 2011, as a part of the State Board of Education’s implementation of North Carolina’s Race to the Top (RttT) initiative, a sixth standard—a measure of student growth, the Educational Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS)—was added to the existing five standards for evaluating teachers. The purpose of this report is to describe the outcomes of teacher evaluations that have occurred since the sixth standard was added and trends in those outcomes through 2013-14.

The purpose of this report is to evaluate the effects of adding an eighth standard, school-level Education Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS) scores, to the evaluation of school principals that is based on the seven standards in the North Carolina Standards for School Executives (NCSSE). To that end, this report describes the relationship between the principal evaluation ratings and other measures of administrator effectiveness, as well as trends in the administrator evaluation between the 2010-11 and 2013-14 school years.

In order to better understand the current state of the Arlington Public Schools' 1:1 program transition, the district partnered with the Friday Institute Research and Evaluation (FIRE) team at North Carolina State University to conduct a small-scale study. The purpose of the study was to identify implementation successes and challenges and to signal opportunities for program growth moving forward.

Arlington Public Schools (APS) partnered with the Friday Institute Research and Evaluation (FIRE) team at North Carolina State University to evaluate the progress of their 1:1 project, which aims to ensure that every student from grade 2 through 12 has a personal digital learning device (1:1) to support instruction.

The NC ASSISTments Replication Study began in the 2017-18 school year and aimed to replicate the findings from a prior study conducted in Maine. That study found that the students of 7th-grade mathematics teachers who used ASSISTments for homework scored significantly higher on the Terra Nova mathematics exam than the students of teachers who did not use ASSISTments. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic forced North Carolina’s schools to move to all-remote instruction in March 2020 and the End-of-Grade exams were canceled, which made the replication study impossible to complete. This forced a change in the ASSISTments study and a re-evaluation of what researchers could learn about the use of ASSISTments in schools in North Carolina. Using surveys and interviews, researchers at the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation conducted a case study of teachers’ use of ASSISTments in in-person instruction and in remote instruction, both during the NC ASSISTments Replication Study and outside of the study.

The lack of students who choose to major in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) fields is a growing concern in the United States and across the world. Because an individual’s attitudes and understandings of STEM are likely shaped by “an individual’s direct, personal experiences, needs, expectations, and culture” it is important to address the issue from a systems perspective. Family Influence: Family culture plays a vital role in developing STEM interests. Parents have been shown to be important in encouraging the STEM interests of youth. Parents who discuss the value and importance of STEM tend to have children with a higher level of self-efficacy and STEM outcome expectancies. Youths’ interest in STEM careers is related to their families’ science capital and science habitus. However, most programs aimed at increasing youth interest and career aspirations focus on the youth and little is known about programs that seek to approach the problem from a systems perspective. Of particular importance is increasing the tools parents have to support the STEM interests and career aspirations of their children.

Despite decades of school reform initiatives focused on closing the racialized achievement gap, Black, Latinx, and Indigenous students continue to experience systemic barriers to a…