This qualitative study reviewed the preparedness of pre-service teachers to meet the needs of struggling readers in an urban Florida school. The research was guided by the overarching question: What is the impact of targeted diversity training on rural university pre-service teachers when creating performance-based tasks (PBTs) for urban-core…

The purpose of this study was to examine the social validity of the Social Skills Improvement System-Classwide Intervention Program (SSIS-CIP) for teachers in the primary grades. Participants included 45 first and second grade teachers who completed a 16-item social validity questionnaire during each year of the SSIS-CIP efficacy trial. Findings…

This applied dissertation was designed to verify the effectiveness of professional learning communities (PLC), as it relates to the participation of administrators and teachers. Prior studies have emphasized the importance of continuing learning experiences for school administrators while working. Chiptin (2013) pointed out the importance of a…

Despite decades of research supporting family engagement's benefits on children's social, emotional, behavioral, and academic development (Hill & Tyson, 2009; Jeynes, 2012; Patall et al., 2010; Sheridan et al., 2010), teachers are not always adequately prepared to work with families (Chavkin & Williams, 1988; Epstein & Sanders, 2006;…

This mixed method study was a practitioner inquiry into the teacher evaluation system that was enacted as a result of Pennsylvania House Bill 1901 (Act 82 of 2012). The study was an effort to gain an in-depth understanding of (a) factors that led to the passage of the Act 82 teacher evaluation policy, (b) what the policy was intended to do, and…

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a two-hour professional development workshop g focused on content knowledge (CK) utilizing an upper elementary knowledge packet on the task selection and instruction (PCK) of a teacher delivering a three-day tennis unit to 4th and 5 th grade students. A secondary purpose was to examine student…

Instructional coaching has been a professional learning opportunity that many school districts have employed to support teacher practice. Pairing instructional coaching with on-going workshops is a relatively new approach to professional development. Participants for this study include fourteen middle school teachers that teach either mathematics…

State report cards should help families, educators, policymakers, and other critical stakeholders in various states understand and act on education information for schools, school districts, and states as a whole. While each state finds itself in a different place regarding its own progress in building state report cards with such an impact,…

Ensuring equal access to digital learning skills for all students is a timely goal. This paper describes results of a quasi-experiment study to test the effectiveness of an online professional development (PD) model to prepare teachers to implement web-based Strategies for Online Academic Research (SOAR) with middle school students, including…

This report summarizes Austin Independent School District dual language teachers' feedback that was collected individually or during focus groups in the fall and winter of 2016-2017. Teachers gave their opinions about program components and suggestions for how to improve the program.

Despite evidence that high-quality preschool programs have substantial, long-lasting impacts on young children's developmental outcomes, associations between preschool quality measures and children's cognitive outcomes within preschool programs are generally small or null. Using data from a large urban prekindergarten program, we examined…

While many states mandate some type of sexuality education in schools, state legislation varies widely across the United States. Nevertheless, though much has been written about the behavioral outcomes of sexuality education programs shown to be effective at reducing one or more risky sexual behaviors in teenagers, less is known about the exact…

This study is part of a larger randomized efficacy trial examining the impact of Behavioral, Emotional, and Social Training: Competent Learners Achieving School Success ("BEST in CLASS"), a Tier 2 intervention that targets the prevention of emotional/behavioral disorders in young, high risk children. In this investigation, we examined…

Relationships are important in helping youth, including vulnerable youth, achieve their goals and a transition into adulthood. Having the skills to manage healthy intimate partner relationships can make a difference as youth make decisions related to school, employment, pregnancy prevention, and establishing strong relationships. These skills may…

This paper examines current interventions to reduce barriers to access into higher education for refugees in North America and Europe. We analyze a diversity of interventions sponsored by host governments, higher education institutions, foundations, nongovernmental organizations, and individuals. These interventions differ in size, delivery…