This study examines opportunities for teacher professional growth and innovation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Survey data, including responses to both closed and open-ended questions, were collected from 276 elementary-school teachers who taught online in two school districts in California. Quantitative and qualitative analyses document the…

Students with disabilities who are identified to receive special education services have the right to a free and appropriate public education until they reach the age of 21 according to The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [IDEA] (2004). This includes developmentally appropriate sex and reproductive health education for youth with…

San Antonio Union Elementary School District is a small district located in central California, just southeast of Big Sur. The district enrolls students in grades Prekindergarten through 8. Its student population is 49% White, 34% Hispanic, 7% Two or More Races, and 6% Black. Approximately 52% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch,…

The purpose of this replication study was to examine the impact of the Teacher Study Group (TSG) professional development in vocabulary on first-grade teachers' knowledge of vocabulary instruction and observed teaching practice, and on students' vocabulary knowledge. Sixty-two schools from 16 districts in four states were randomly assigned to…

Across the nation, nearly all teachers can expect to have EL students in their classrooms. The challenges of teaching ELs students are particularly acute in the nation's secondary schools. There is evidence to suggest that the lack of preparation to teach ELs is generally weak, but even more so for secondary teachers. We analyze data from a survey…

This article examines how inclusive education activities can be facilitated through coaching as a means of professional development. A review of literature on effective professional development practices is discussed, and a recent study focused on individualized peer coaching is examined.

Many K-12 teachers struggle to meet the needs of diverse learners as school reforms promote new disciplinary literacy requirements. In response, language education scholars have argued that teachers must develop "disciplinary linguistic knowledge" (DLK), or an understanding of language in their content area and an ability to design…

This project description examines how a teacher education program integrated new instructional technology through the creation of a Technology Facilitator position in the department. The project proceeded through a three-tiered system of learning "literacy" to establish a knowledge base amongst faculty members, "augmenting"…

This article reports on two studies using "Language Muse[superscript SM]" (LM), a web-based, teacher professional development (TPD) application designed to enhance teachers' linguistic awareness and to support teachers in the development of language-based instructional scaffolding for English language learners (ELL). In Study 1,…

This study examined the extent to which significant changes after one year of a longitudinal, state-funded teacher professional development program were sustained during the second year. Participants taught in elementary schools located in small, rural school districts in the state of California in the United States. The research examined changes…

To add to the evidence base on effective strategies for teaching English language learner students, the 2006-2011 REL West at WestEd conducted a rigorous study, using an intent-to-treat model, of the impact on middle grades student achievement of offering teachers the opportunity to participate in a teacher professional development program. The…

This article describes a 6-year, districtwide staff-development project that was implemented in an attempt to change teacher attitudes and practices as they relate to English learners (ELs). The specific goals of the project were (a) to help the district's teachers develop the knowledge base, pedagogical skills, and professional attitudes required…

With the United States' adoption of a standards-based approach to education, most attention has focused on the large-scale, high-stakes assessments intended to measure students' mastery of standards for accountability purposes. Less attention has been paid to the role of standards-based assessments in the classroom. The purpose of this paper is to…

For the past decade, students at California State University (CSU) campuses increasingly lack basic mathematics skills. To address this concern, Executive Order No. 665 (1998) called for CSU campuses to bring students to proficiency in mathematics. School districts have struggled to modify their mathematics curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment in…

Two papers examine the positive impact of professional development on student achievement. One discusses experiences in California which show that standards, assessment, and accountability are more likely to succeed when accompanied by extended opportunities for professional learning grounded in teachers' practice. The second explains that the…