Access to technology has increased significantly in K-12 classrooms in recent years, with many districts and schools achieving a 1:1 device-to-student ratio. Considering this increased access to technology, blended learning has become more commonplace as an instructional approach. However, the advancement of blended learning has outpaced the…

Purpose: Annually, the National Association of School-University Partnerships (NASUP) awards individuals with the Exemplary PK-20 Boundary Spanner Award. The award goes to a university-based or a PK-12 school or school district-based individual who "innovates the systems or practices to enhance the learning of all of those involved in the…

Research shows that schools struggle with conducting high quality functional behavior assessments (FBA) and implementing effective behavior intervention plans (BIP). Access to training is a documented challenge to effective implementation. One training with preliminary empirical support is Basic FBA. This pilot study extended the research on Basic…

Effective implementation of the science of reading requires robust professional development. This Spotlight explores how districts, teacher-prep programs, and states are working to equip educators with the knowledge and skills needed. From training the trainers to sharing leadership insights on implementing the science of reading, these articles…

As schools face increasing student achievement accountability, many educators have turned to school-level professional learning communities (PLCs) as a possible solution. The challenge is that many schools are not implementing PLCs with fidelity. It is imperative that school leaders assess PLC practices to ensure that critical components are being…

Professional development (PD) for teachers is a ubiquitous feature of the American educational landscape. Yet we know little about how districts navigate the variation in teacher learning needs when designing and implementing district-wide PD programs. In this paper, we describe how the District of Columbia Public Schools implemented an ambitious…

Background: Educator professional learning is an essential component of teacher policy aiming to both improve the quality of the workforce and retain high-quality staff, yet research has found mixed results in whether the professional learning teachers experience supports teachers in changing their instructional practices to meet student needs.…

The purpose of this study was to determine the structures and support systems implemented to foster a district educational equity and culturally responsive professional development series. In this qualitative study, an action research design team implemented a four-part professional learning series to describe the impact of an educational equity…

The current study examined the effectiveness of blended learning systems in a selected group of five elementary schools in one school district. It analyzed the influence of on-site leadership and teacher professional development on the implementation of blended learning and its influence on student engagement. Although blended learning integrates…

In this study, I explored professional learning community sustainability at the school, district, and state levels. Researchers have found that professional learning communities are a means of effective professional learning for teachers and a vital factor in increased student achievement. However, there is very little multi-case research…

Grounded in sense-making theory, this qualitative study examines how school principals make sense of tensions while leading a teacher professional learning initiative under the broad districtwide instructional reform and the Science of Reading (SoR). This study gathered data from interviews with seven elementary school principals who were…

A significant number of educators depart from the profession within their initial 5 years, particularly in urban and rural schools with a notable prevalence of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. This circumstance often presents school districts with the challenge of either hiring underqualified personnel or leaving instructional…

This research attempted to explore, based on the broaden--and--build theory of positive emotions, the relationships among high school teachers' savoring and instructional design imagination, and to verify the mediating effects of resilience and inspiration through action on the aforementioned relationships. Data were collected from 497 high school…

During a two-year span, a cohort of K-8 science teachers undertook the task of creating formative assessments aligned with the Next-Generation Science Standards for their individual classrooms. Practice-based professional development was utilized to support teachers in a cyclical manner as they cooperatively developed, administered, and reflected…

In the fall of 2021, Beech Grove City Schools (BGCS) received a federal Teacher and School Leader (TSL) Incentive Program grant to strengthen their human capital management system and create opportunities for professional growth. Through this grant, BGCS partners with the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) to enhance their…