This qualitative research study investigates teachers' perceptions of school safety and their adherence to specific safety procedures in a small, pre-K-eighth-grade school district in a small, suburban school district in Illinois. Data were collected through anonymous open-ended surveys distributed to teachers with varying experience levels. The…

The purpose of this quantitative comparative study was to explore kindergarten teachers' perceptions of student readiness. The factors that impacted readiness when students entered kindergarten had not been clearly and consistently identified. The study extended research on factors associated with kindergarten student readiness and included…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how teachers of kindergarten through second grade describe students' socialization opportunities during online learning and the supports needed for effective fostering of socialization during online learning in southeastern Pennsylvania. The theoretical foundation for this research…

With any new initiative, stakeholder insights provide critical information that can aid in the execution of the project. Gathering stakeholder perceptions of a new initiative is particularly critical in schools where teachers' varied beliefs may influence outcomes. Recognizing and acknowledging beliefs may make the difference in adoption of new…

The purpose of the current study was to better understand how pre-K-12 school leaders respond to the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Standards. The instrumental case study involved school leaders with demonstrated success implementing learning technologies in elementary and middle level settings in a large southern,…

Social-emotional learning is prevalent in schools and society. The problem addressed in this study was the possibility that general education teachers do not have enough professional development in social-emotional learning to support their students. A lack of professional development in social-emotional learning impacts teachers, but it also…

Research Findings: The purpose of this study was to test a theoretical measurement model representing four proposed dimensions of the classroom ecology in pre-K to third-grade classrooms. The four proposed dimensions of Classroom Composition, Peer Network and Norms, Teacher Practices, and Student Experiences were evaluated using data collected in…

Purpose: This study builds on research scrutinizing school autonomy in policy and school governance by shifting the focus from a formal structural view of autonomy to examining how principals negotiate autonomy in their daily work. Drawing on multiple dimensions of autonomy and street-level bureaucracy, this study examined how principals, as both…

Purpose: Professional development (PD) is an essential component of continuing learning for in-service teachers. This paper discusses a school-based example of using the best practice of coaching in early childhood education supported by a professional development school partnership. We explain how a teacher identified need led to a collaborative,…

Preservice classroom behavior management preparation is important and in need of prioritization. Teachers who have skills for managing behavior can more easily create and sustain a positive classroom environment conducive to learning. New teachers are expected to manage classroom behavior; however, underprepared teachers can find this difficult.…

This study illuminates the voices of literacy teachers. Findings from this study were based on a questionnaire about what teachers perceive as best practices in literacy instruction. We received 44 fully completed questionnaires. The 44 teacher respondents ranged from Pre-K through 6th grade with experience ranging from 1 to 20+ years of teaching.…

Including charter schools and pre-kindergarten programs, New York public school enrollment in 2017-18 was estimated at 2,608,473 million, 15,222 fewer than in 2016-17 and just slightly above the 1991-92 count of 2,584,967, according to the State Education Department. The latest U.S. Census data, which shows a continued decline in New York's…

This study examined a state-wide, policy-directed teacher evaluation model implemented across public schools and educator preparation programs. Such models are grounded in a theory of action that situates teacher learning within social relationships, yet does not account for the complexity of systems. Results challenge policy's implicit theory…

The purpose of the study was to explore Kindergarten public school teachers' perceptions of the effects of technology use in the classroom on reading achievement and barriers to technology use in the classroom. This study also examined the differences between technology-based learning interventions on Kindergarten students' reading growth.…

Data suggest students are not meeting grade-level expectations in mathematics. If high-quality instruction is not provided, the inequitable outcomes observed in schools will be maintained. The goal of this study was to identify the frequency in which rural special education teachers (SETs) serving students in prekindergarten through third grade…