Managing a caseload of students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) is a demanding working condition for special education teachers (SETs). Large and unmanageable caseloads are important because of the connections to the instability of the SET workforce, including the longstanding SET shortage. Researchers have recommended hiring more…

The purpose of this study was to examine the challenges that teachers faced when it came to the implementation of interventions and recommendations in the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS). Through the MTSS, educators provided concentrated teaching, detected early signs of issues related to academic, behavioral, and speech deficiencies, and…

Teachers continually report receiving inadequate training and support in classroom management practices. If teachers do have the opportunity to receive professional development, most are designed as a one-time learning opportunity and do not provide any follow-up training or coaching. Performance feedback has been shown to improve teachers'…

A plethora of technology resources currently exists for the music classroom of the twenty-first century, including digital audio and video, music software, electronic instruments, Web 2.0 tools and more. Research shows a strong need for professional development for teachers to properly implement and integrate instructional technology resources…

Role clarity for any individual leads to more successful implementation of his or her job expectations. In a school, there are many individuals with various roles to fill. The Instructional Technology Resource Teacher (ITRT) has multiple roles within a school including: training teachers, designing integrated curriculum, managing learning…

This dissertation examines the school factors which support and limit efficacy in rural special education resource room teachers. To explore these factors, a qualitative case study involving interviews, observations, and data analysis was conducted during the spring of 2010. Data collection included interviews and observations of the teachers,…

Based on special education teachers' lack of strategic professional development, as well as a lack of collaboration with general education teachers, students with disabilities are not making the expected benchmarks for academic achievement. Knowing there was a need for professional development, the purpose of this action research study using…

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to describe to what extent seven collaborative behaviors were demonstrated by general education teachers assigned students with disabilities, special education Resource Specialists, and the principals in selected California elementary schools that met their 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 English language arts annual…

The purpose of this grounded theory study was to identify the need for educators' use of lesson study as a professional learning community to increase communication between colleagues. Lesson study is considered a form of professional development in that, educator colleagues work with one another to plan, implement, critique, and revise a lesson…