In this article, we review research on the outcomes of diverse reading programs on the achievement of struggling readers in elementary schools. Sixty‐five studies of 51 different programs met rigorous standards. Eighty‐three percent were randomized experiments and 17% quasi‐experiments. Outcomes were positive for one‐to‐one tutoring and were positive but not as large for one‐to‐small group tutoring. There were no differences in outcomes between teachers and teaching assistants as tutors. Whole‐class approaches (mostly cooperative learning) and whole‐class/whole‐school approaches incorporating tutoring for struggling readers obtained outcomes for struggling readers as large as those found for all forms of tutoring, on average, and benefited many more students. Technology‐supported adaptive instruction did not have statistically significant positive outcomes for struggling readers, however. In agreement with findings of previous reviews, in this synthesis, we found that substantial impacts can be obtained for struggling readers, with interventions aligned within a Response to Intervention network.

This article reviews research on the achievement outcomes of elementary mathematics programs; 87 rigorous experimental studies evaluated 66 programs in grades K–5. Programs were organized in six categories. Particularly positive outcomes were found for tutoring programs (effect size [ES] = +0.20, k = 22). Positive outcomes were also seen in studies focused on professional development for classroom organization and management (e.g., cooperative learning; ES = +0.19, k = 7). Professional development approaches focused on helping teachers gain in understanding of mathematics content and pedagogy had little impact on student achievement. Professional development intended to help in the adoption of new curricula had a small but significant impact for traditional (nondigital) curricula (ES = +0.12, k = 7), but not for digital curricula. Traditional and digital curricula with limited professional development, as well as benchmark assessment programs, found few positive effects.

With the COVID-19 outbreak and the resulting lockdown, Italian schools have continued to provide education using distance learning systems. In this emergency, the primary aim of the Ministry of Education was to guarantee each student's right to education. The expression "School Never Stops" ("La Scuola non si ferma") is a clear response to the country's isolation and a demonstration of the school staff's commitment. This paper describes Italy's educational response during the lockdown by illustrating the measures undertaken by the Ministry of Education and the initiatives by private and public organizations. The challenges of distance education during the pandemic emergency and future directions for the reopening of schools in September are also examined and discussed.

Overall, knowledge regarding influenza, implications during pregnancy and influenza vaccine was poor among pregnant women. In Italy, the National Vaccine Prevention Plan 2012-2014 recommends influenza vaccine during pregnancy, but only 18/309 were aware of this recommendation. These results suggest that in order to increase influenza vaccine acceptance it is necessary to improve pregnant women knowledge about influenza and to offer education to healthcare providers.

Background: Motivation is an important factor in the learning process and supporting students' motivation in mathematics is a significant challenge for educators.Educational technologies, such as digital games, offer potential for engagement in mathematics learning activities.Objectives: To contrast the general decrement in student motivation in mathematics, a multilevel meta-analysis was carried out to synthesize the results of studies concerning the impact of digital games on K-12 student motivation in mathematics.Methods: Standardized measure of effect size (dppc2) for pre-post-control group designs was used, and different sources of dependency among the effects were taken into account. Moreover, through meta-regressions, we examined whether specific characteristics of the participants, interventions and outcomes were associated with effect size differences throughout the studies.Results and Conclusions: A total of 20 primary studies (43 effect sizes) meeting eligibility criteria was included. Results showed a significant overall effect (dppc2 = 0.27; 95%CI = [0.14; 0.41]) and a great heterogeneity between studies. Moderator analyses showed differences in effect size associated to the duration of intervention and motivational construct in terms of expectancy and value.Implications: Overall, the findings indicate that digital games are effective tools compared to conventional teaching practices. The results are promising and could be useful for the design of digital educational interventions aimed at promoting motivation in mathematics.