Academic performance of students in public schools is a growing concern for school districts in the United States. The No Child Left Behind Act (No Child Left Behind [NCLB] 2001) has attempted to increase academic success, improve behavior, and promote positive school culture. Although equity has been achieved in some areas, the achievement gap…

With the federal initiatives of No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top, many school districts are employing literacy coaching in their quest to improve reading test scores. This study seeks sought to understand teachers' perceptions of literacy coaching to answer this primary research question: "What meanings do teachers make of literacy…

This qualitative semi-structured open-ended protocol research study provided information on middle school general educators' perceptions of barriers impeding completion of training on the FBA/PBIP, and the methods they perceived that could remove the barriers from the perspective of general educators as self-directed adult learners. The…

All states test students at specified times as required by the No Child Left Behind Act, but the results of these tests indicate that many students do not meet adequate yearly progress (AYP). This problem was evident in a school district in Missouri in which 3rd-grade students in 2 of the 3 elementary schools did not meet AYP on the communication…

High stakes assessments mandated by 2001 No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) have increased the focus on student achievement causing a closer examination of the link between student achievement and teacher quality. Teacher training, through professional development, has been documented to be one of the most important factors in student achievement and…

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological research study was to explore the effectiveness of programs and strategies used to recruit and retain highly qualified teachers in accordance with the No Child Left Behind Act (2001) from the perspective of highly qualified teachers in a rural school district in Central Virginia. The data…

Teacher accountability has gained attention since the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, also known as, No Child Left Behind (NCLB), enacted in 2002 by then President George W. Bush. Research shows a strong correlation between effective teacher instruction and student achievement, yet the area of feedback to teachers on…

In the early to late 1990s, school systems throughout the United States were undergoing a rash of educational reforms as a result of public demands for holding schools accountable for student learning. Schools were searching for the reform or innovation that would help them improve student achievement. All over the country, "professional…

Recent state and federal legislation have changed the manner in which schools educate students with disabilities. The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) have mandated that schools educate students with disabilities within the general education classroom "to the maximum…

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 requires all schools to be accountable for student performance. High-stakes accountability represents a growing concern among the field of education. Literature supports that teachers are vital to the success of students; however, the impact of high-stakes testing on instructional practice is changing…

This study was conducted to understand curriculum development in residential schools for the blind after the enactment of NCLB and was guided by the research question, "How do residential schools for the blind and visually impaired develop their curriculum to meet the unique needs of students who are blind and visually impaired?" In the…

The purpose of this study was to examine and explain the quality of teacher supervision of paraprofessionals. The researcher analyzed (a) pre-service and in-service supervisory training received by teachers who supervised paraprofessionals, (b) teacher knowledge of supervisory practices, (c) teacher supervisory practices applied to supervision,…

The focus of this research is in the area of academic interventions and their effect on graduation rates in secondary schools in Missouri. In light of the regulations within the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and its accountability requirements for schools, this study is important and timely in order to provide valuable examples of effective…

No Child Left Behind legislation and high stakes testing have increased the pressure for public schools to ensure academic achievement for all students. Each year, a large number of students do not demonstrate adequate achievement and are retained to repeat the grade level. The large number of students retained is an indication that the system…

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to identify factors that contribute to teachers' feeling culturally competent as they are being held accountable for student achievement under the mandates of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in the area of north Texas. Within the last decade, the most influential school policy has been…