Teacher attrition remains a significant challenge in high-poverty urban schools, contributing to educational inequities and disrupting student learning. This study explores how teacher empowerment, encompassing systemic flexibility, supportive leadership, autonomy, and peer collaboration, influences teacher retention in these settings. Utilizing a…

Amanda is in her fifteenth year at Mashpee Middle High School where she teaches Technology, Engineering, Robotics, and Intro to Computer Science at the secondary level. She has been recognized for her innovative efforts in STEM Education including in 2020 as an ITEEA Teacher Excellence recipient and in 2019 as the Massachusetts STEM Teacher of the…

For well over a year, school shutdowns and sputtered reopenings have tested educators' resourcefulness and resolve. As the new school year begins, many are reflecting on small triumphs and lessons learned from that experience. One practice that proved central to many schools' resolve and resilience during this crisis was teachers' collaboration on…

In 2020, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) created emergency licensure to help address teacher vacancies and shortages in Massachusetts districts and schools. Alternatively licensed novice teachers like those who are issued emergency licensure or provisional licensure are entering the classroom with limited…

The problem of practice being explored in this work was first identified at a suburban middle school in Massachusetts, where the assessment scores of students with learning disabilities were significantly lower than those of peers not on Individualized Education Plans. The collaboration between general education science teachers and special…

As American teacher educators and teachers are being roiled by restrictive legislation around critical race theory and divisive concepts in some states, our investigation explored the impact of critical communities of practice (CoP) on redesigning and teaching introduction to education courses with a transformative lens. This manuscript details…

As state educational standards increasingly emphasize cultural awareness, this study explores how White elementary school teachers in predominantly White schools can be better supported to meet these expectations and enhance their self-efficacy and cultural competence. This study was conducted at a small rural elementary school on the coast of…

The most innovative and progressive ideas have arguably come from the minds of American scholars who thrive on the creation of new ways to increase effective instruction and promote life-long learning that is not only essential, but also competitive and exemplary in our global society. And, yet, for decades the American high school has been…

Effective mentor-mentee pairings tend to increase mentees' efficacy and motivation, bolster commitment, enhance instructional quality, and positively enhance student achievement. In response to situations in which school-provided mentoring is not possible or where music mentees receive a school-assigned, non-music mentor, an increasing number of…

An arts curriculum director of an urban, Pre-K-12 school district north of Boston, Massachusetts researched literature about feelings of connectedness and professional learning among itinerant, art teachers. The study employed a framework of communities of practice for itinerant art teachers. The strands found across the literature were the state…

The purpose of this retrospective case study was to examine the implementation of turnaround practices in an underperforming urban elementary school. The research was guided by the overarching question: What are the lessons that can be learned from one turnaround school in Massachusetts, United States that could be shared with other urban…

Mentoring has long been viewed as a powerful means of enhancing the professional success and personal wellbeing of early-career faculty; however, little is known about its benefits for senior faculty. Using data from a peer mentoring community of six senior faculty women in leadership roles at a research university, this study explores the impact…

Teacher teams focused on developing collective expertise in high-leverage, equity-promoting practices can chip away at low expectations, racism, and cultural biases that marginalize special education students, English language learners, students of color, and other at-risk students. With appropriate professional learning on formative assessment,…

Three early childhood teacher educators from different institutions engaged in a collaborative self-study to explore the role of empathy in preservice teacher professional development. The two-fold purpose of the study was to: (1) develop and refine their practices to build teacher candidates' empathy in their interactions with children, families,…

Capstone projects serve as the centerpiece for an assessment system that values problem-solving and frames assessment as learning opportunities for students and teachers. Every January and May for one week, Chelsea High School, in Chelsea, Massachusetts, breaks from their traditional, four- periods-a-day bell schedule and the fast pace of a…