School principals are facing an increase in demand and challenges from district, state, and federal agencies for improvements both behaviorally and academically. Each year, more school principals exit their positions for other professions. The concentrated poverty school districts have been hit the hardest by this exodus. The purpose of this basic…

Teacher self-efficacy has been shown to impact student's achievement. This study examined teachers' self-efficacy beliefs as it related to their ability to implement culturally responsive teaching and reading instructional practices as part of Response to Intervention Tier 1 practices in a high-poverty school district. The belief scores of 99…

Each year, rural school districts and economically depressed areas struggle to attract and keep certified teachers. Resources, finance, and lack of local attractions are what cause teachers to leave rural areas. These difficulties have made some of the best instructors unsatisfied with their school district, which has led them to look for a school…

The research questions addressed in this exploratory survey research were: (1) what is the degree of teachers' morale, and what perceptions do teachers have about their district and school leadership, (2) how does the degree of teachers' morale differ by their background characteristics, and (3) how are teacher perceptions of district and school…

With this study we explored financial risk management practices in public schools in selected quintile (1, 2 & 3) township schools in the Tshwane South district in Gauteng. The schools involved were previously disadvantaged schools and learners were from the same area as the schools. We adopted a qualitative research approach and thematic…

This dissertation uses qualitative research to examine the contextual factors that affect high poverty urban school districts and what successful district leadership looks like in these spaces. Using the lens of Critical Race Theory the stories of six successful urban district leaders is examined to determine the dispositions and characteristics…

In efforts to better understand program availability, quality, and characteristics related to family choice among universal prekindergarten (preK) programs in Vermont, this study examined the characteristics of approved preK programs overall, public school and private programs separately, and programs in local education agencies with different…

Using a community-partnered research framework, the goal of this study was to rapidly assess coronavirus disease (COVID-19) impact on teachers, students, and families and guidance received to navigate distance learning. Participants were teachers (N = 430) working in elementary schools (n = 301), middle schools (n = 56), high schools (n = 60), and…

This study uses framing theory and the concept of causal stories to examine beliefs about causes and solutions to improving chronically low-performing schools in response to Michigan's school turnaround policy. Across cases, policymakers and district leaders assigned most responsibility to poor leadership, poverty, and chronic educator turnover as…

In an effort to increase access to high-quality prekindergarten (preK) programs for all young children in Vermont, the state passed universal preK legislation in 2014 (Act 166). All 3- and 4-year-olds have access to 10 hours a week of state-funded preK through a mixed-delivery system of public school and private programs. Families can enroll their…

These are the appendixes for the report, "Characteristics of Approved Universal Prekindergarten Programs in Vermont in 2018/19." In an effort to increase access to high-quality prekindergarten (preK) programs for all young children in Vermont, the state passed universal preK legislation in 2014 (Act 166). All 3- and 4-year-olds have…

In spring 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic led to an unprecedented and abrupt stoppage of in-person learning in schools across the country. State education agency leaders in Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Wyoming needed information on proposed strategies in districts' remote learning plans to ensure continuity and better support remote learning in…

The "Variations in District Strategies for Remote Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic" study examined proposed strategies in districts' remote learning plans to ensure continuity and to better support remote learning in Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Wyoming. This study used document analysis to examine proposed strategies related…

Cooperation and partnerships between schools and public organisations, private companies and non-profit organisations have become a common model as a form of governance for addressing social problems. The aim of this article is to explore the strategies used by professionals to counteract segregation at a school located in a multi-ethnic suburb,…

Despite growing awareness of the teacher staffing crisis in rurally isolated, impoverished Montana school districts, little has been done to effectively address the issue. As opposed to a general lack of supply, current state and national research attribute the problem to challenges in teacher recruitment and retention. While many of these studies…