The Texas A&M University System recently developed six quality standards for educator preparation programs, the Texas A&M Quality Standards for Educator Preparation, that are to be implemented and met by all system schools. These standards are: quality of selection of teacher candidates; quality of content knowledge and teaching methods;…

Schools across the county are transitioning from balanced literacy to researched based reading instruction. This shift impacts not only instructional practices in reading, but the fundamental understanding of reading development. Teachers are on the frontline of this huge endeavor. This research examined five first grade teachers' self-efficacy…

Lorenzo De Zavala is a low-income school in West Dallas, Texas, and a part of the large Dallas Independent School District. Reading achievement has been low and stagnant over the past few years at this campus due low reading levels in grades Kindergarten through 2nd grade. Additionally, there is a lack of adequate teacher development and…

The current study examined teachers' perceptions with regard to the Guided Reading (GR) approach in elementary level education. Specifically, this study examined the following research questions: a) What are Alberta teachers' perceptions about the GR approach? b) What are Alberta teachers' perceptions about how they enact GR in the classroom? and…

We investigated the understanding of the role of instructional visual aids in shaping the learning experiences of both national and international children among early childhood education teachers. To achieve this objective, a meticulously crafted questionnaire incorporating visual elements such as pictures and drawings was administered to a…

Reading proficiency is one of the expected core outcomes of a successful elementary school experience for students, yet many school systems do not provide teachers with the requisite training, support, or resources to meet this fundamental objective. Providing teachers with professional learning paired with educative curriculum materials within a…

Conservatoires train musicians to high levels of proficiency in performance and other 'principal study' disciplines, but often, teaching is perceived as a second-class profession, and little is known about how music students learn to facilitate music making in others. Yet, conservatoires have a responsibility to contribute to the development of…

This qualitative study explores the perceptions of 24 female first-grade teachers from northern Israel regarding parental emotions during their children's transition to first grade. Using semi-structured interviews, it examines the teachers' communication strategies and their self-assessed skills and training to effectively engage with parents at…

Beside research evidence on the importance of teachers' emotion socialization behaviors and students' social-emotional outcomes, there is less evidence on teachers' discrete emotion socialization behaviors and students' social and emotional outcomes. The current study investigated early childhood teachers' self-reported expression of emotions and…

Teacher evaluations serve as a measure of accountability and should improve instructional practice. The problem addressed in this study is that too much focus is placed on accountability while improving instruction is rarely realized, abandoning teacher development that promotes student achievement gains. This research is a qualitative,…

This qualitative study examined how elementary school leaders from K-5 schools in eastern New York addressed contextual factors in implementing and sustaining professional learning communities (PLCs). Senge (1990) posited structures need to be in place to create and facilitate collaborative communities. A complementary position presents…

The state of Arkansas adopted ACT 1063 in 2017, which was designed to improve reading achievement for all students. Included in the law was the requirement that "curriculum programs that are supported by the science of reading and based on the instruction that is explicit, systematic, cumulative, and diagnostic be implemented (Division of…

Handwriting instruction is often seen as less important in the curriculum, particularly due to pressures of passing high stakes assessments and the need to develop technology competencies, as technology in education and society has become commonplace. Current research shows that literacy skills are supported through the direct instruction of…

This study investigates the claim that in states where elementary education (ELED) and early childhood education (ECED) licenses share the same grades, the preponderance of generalist teachers in the early grades hold ELED rather than ECED licenses. We investigated this question by sending information requests to 43 states where stand-alone,…

During semester-long courses in inclusive methods and beginning reading instruction, pre-service teacher candidates participate in weekly tutoring sessions with elementary students in grades K-5. We outline principles identified for effective service-learning and describe how to embed them to integrate community service. We discuss…