Leadership plays an important role in determining organizational culture and maintaining a commitment to the collective goal. Leaders not only play a critical role in developing and implementing policies to direct an organization toward a goal, but also serve as role models for those with whom they work. Research has shown that relationships…

Substantial teacher turnover has been on a steady incline for over a decade. Studies show that 44% of teachers quit the profession within 5 years of teaching. Most of this loss is taking place in urban districts, where teacher attrition can have the greatest impact on school districts' outcomes. This costly issue is a significant factor disrupting…

One of the most complex student populations are those whose first language is not English. As such, multilingual learners (MLLs) are often disproportionately referred to special education. Educators cultivating equitable practices for MLLs is imperative, given many educators do not have adequate training or knowledge. Drawing on social learning…

This study examined the impact of instructional conversations about peer observations on the collaboration and perceptions of teachers at a western New Jersey middle school. This study's impetus comes from previous work of the same impact on an elementary school in Pennsylvania. The study focused on these conversations' reflective nature, and the…

The purpose of this correlational, quantitative research study was to examine the extent to which relationships exist between distributed leadership, school culture, and the self-efficacy of teachers within public middle schools in central New Jersey. This study was informed by Spillane's and Elmore's theoretical frameworks concerning distributed…

Current research suggests that faculty development should address a cross-section of personal and professional needs of the faculty, as well as support the institution's mission. Using evidence to support faculty development can foster reflective practitioners and close the gap between teaching and research by creating "sustainable…

How gifted students needs are addressed in elementary schools is different from school to school. They are a population of students who at times, are underserved and left to work independently. This is often because teachers do not have the foundational understanding of gifted pedagogy. The purpose of this study was to determine how three…

This study supports the notion that transformational leaders, over transactional leaders, produce more effective staff members, supportive school communities, and ultimately higher achieving students. Transformational leaders are relentless about the quality, integrity, and effectiveness of every facet of the position encompassed in daily…

The purpose of this initial exploratory research was to examine the extent to which burnout and turnover among special education teachers working within specialized schools were related to student maladaptive behavior (aggressive behaviors, self-injurious behaviors, and stereotypic behaviors), workplace support (from administration and…

To achieve equity, there is a need to recognize that both White educators and educators of color can add values and perspectives to the conversation (Singleton & Linton, 2006). Despite of a large number of studies on social justice, there is a scarcity of studies on how principals of color enact social justice leadership and what are the…

An intensive orientation program gives new teachers in one district and valuable introduction to the instructional culture. The authors argue that by aligning your orientation and onboarding processes to the mission and vision of your school, you are creating stronger relationships among school leaders and teachers and also reducing teacher…

Irrational beliefs have been linked to negative unhealthy emotions that can contribute to occupational burnout. Maladaptive cognitive schemas, such as irrational beliefs, are theorized to interfere with an appraisal of the perceived balance of resources and demands. The aim of the current study is to investigate the extent to which irrational…

Beginning teacher resilience has become a topic of international interest, as all school districts are invested in retaining talented teachers. This study builds on extant literature on the role of mentors by examining the influence of mentoring on beginning teachers' perceptions of acceptance not only in the school but in the larger community…

Recent and established research continues to demonstrate the need for school leaders to adapt their leadership practices to reflect the increasing demands associated with their role. This is particularly true for principals of large middle schools. Through the implementation of a distributive leadership framework, a principal can share…

This article discusses factors to consider as we evaluate the professional learning occurring in our schools. The article describes how a committee of six teachers and one administrator at Hershey Middle School in Pennsylvania's Derry Township School District adapted an activity for use in a two-hour professional learning session called "The…