Interest in the effects of prekindergarten generally can be traced back to the 1960s, while interest in state-funded prekindergarten programs through rigorous methods has been a more recent policy question of interest. The major goal of the project is to evaluate the impact of Connecticut’s statewide School Readiness Program on prekindergarten students’ academic achievement and social skills.

Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to answer the following questions:

1. What are the characteristics of students who have participated in Connecticut’s prekindergarten programming during the 2011-12 and 2012-13 academic year?
2. How have these students sorted subsequently into public schools offering kindergarten?
3. What are the implications for how students sort for evaluation studies employing the use of regression discontinuity designs?

For more information about the Collaborative on Strategic Education Reform (CSER):

• Visit CSER’s homepage: http://cser.uconn.edu/
• Contact Hannah Dostal, representative from the Department of Curriculum & Instruction, at hannah.dostal@uconn.edu

Collaborative on Strategic Education Reform (CSER), Montrosse-Moorhead, B., PI. (2014-2016). Evaluation of Connecticut’s Prekindergarten Program using a Regression Discontinuity Design. Funded by Connecticut General Assembly/ Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering.

SIWI Gets to the Core! provides up to 30 teachers and administrators of the deaf and hard of hearing (d/hh) with professional development specific to increasing teacher knowledge in the Grade 6-12 Common Core State Standards in Reading (CCSS-Reading): Literature and Informational Text. Implementation of the CCSS-Reading by teachers of the d/hh, specifically teachers in the content areas, is enacted using Strategic and Interactive Writing Instruction (SIWI) pedagogical approaches. Teachers are introduced to a model of SIWI as evidence-based instruction whereby they can effectively integrate the CCSS-Reading along with content area standards to accomplish language, literacy and content area objectives. The program includes a spring online discussion, a one-week workshop, and a fall classroom observation and reflection.

 

Wolbers, K., Dostal, H., Stephenson, B., & Bowden, H. (January 2014-December 2014). SIWI gets to the Core! Reading and Writing in the Content Areas. Improving Teacher Quality grant funded by Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC).

 

For more information contact Hannah Dostal at hannah.dostal@uconn.edu.

Math Literacy in English Across Disciplines: Professional Enhancement for teachers and school professionals.

Findings from studies conducted by practicing educators guided by Neag Faculty (Rojas, PI and Reyes, Co-PI) funded by the U.S. Department of Education for professional development and enhancement support integrating math vocabulary across disciplines.  Research conducted by practitioners reinforces the importance of creating access to high level math classes for ALL students (Rojas 2010).

Rojas, E. (2010) “Using Mathematics as an equalizer for gifted Latino/a adolescent learners. In J. A. Castellanos and A. D. Frazier (Eds.) Special Populations in Gifted Education (pp. 353-382). Waco, TX: Pufrock.