Teachers are given preparation time during the school day to complete necessary tasks, however, research shows that teachers continue to work longer hours than their peers in the past. Researchers have identified non-instructional teacher time use, which are the tasks teachers need to complete that are not directly related to instruction, as a…

The role of teacher has become increasingly more stressful (Overman, n.d.) making resilience increasingly more important as it is tied to teacher effectiveness (Beltman et al., 2016; Clotfelter et al., 2010; Gu & Day, 2007), teacher retention (Richards et al., 2016), and the success of our students (Gu & Li, 2013, Rivkin et al., 2005). The…

Increasingly, employers are demanding further development and attainment of soft skills from college graduates; namely, the cluster of personality traits such as time management, decision-making and creativity that characterize positive working experiences and relationships (Kamin, 2013; IBM, 2010). This phenomenon is due to employers recognizing…

Teachers are leaving the teaching profession before reaching the age of retirement at increasingly high numbers, many citing increased stress as a factor in their decision to quit, contributing to a national teacher shortage. This qualitative study investigated the stressors experienced by eight K-12 teachers in a rural Pennsylvania school…

This study investigated whether Pennsylvania school district superintendents acknowledge the importance of the 2008 ISLLC performance indicators that require collaboration to the same degree they practice them. Superintendents' ratings of importance and frequency were compared across demographic groups. A thirty-two question survey, derived from…

Over the last four decades, legislative mandates have increased both educational opportunities and accountability measures for students with identified disabilities in the public school setting. The intertwined relationship between those mandates and the processes used to monitor the progress of a student's individualized goals is complex. This…

This mixed methods study design explored the contributing factors to chronic tardiness, tardy behavior, and the impact on the secondary student. School tardiness is a growing problem and has been on a steady upward trend, as reported by the U.S. Department of Education. Tardiness and tardy behavior are consistently influencing the educational…

This qualitative study examined the amount of time that fourth and fifth grade teachers devoted to literacy instruction within the time allotted to them within the daily literacy block. Prior research of the literacy block focused largely on primary grades (Allington, McGill-Franzen et a1.,2010; Cunningham & Allington, 2003; Morrow, 1992);…

The purpose of this study is to identify the self-reported research-based instructional and assessment practices used by third through fifth grade teachers among rural school environments in Western Pennsylvania which have attained Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) pursuant to statewide assessments. Specifically, this study examines the…

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore salient nonacademic factors related to social, economic, and cultural aspects together with traditional academic factors that influenced college retention. The study design employed a mixed-methods sequential explanatory method design, collecting quantitative data for correlation and…

This study examined the relationship of stress, burnout, and coping strategies among middle school principals in Western Pennsylvania. This study assessed coping skill preferences among middle school principals, especially regarding their age, gender, marital status, experience, and school enrollment. A review of the literature included studies…