This study utilized a qualitative focus group methodology to explore special education directors' perceptions of current barriers, facilitators, roles, and practices related to RtI implementation in secondary settings. Based on their unique potential to affect change and promote collaboration between general and special educators, special…

Creating a culture of inquiry rather than continuing to work in a culture of isolation represents a significant change within schools that must be supported. In this article, the author presents and discusses a well-constructed agenda template which shows topic, purpose, guiding questions, and background or process. He states that an agenda…

Rio Salado is a nontraditional community college that is highly integrated in the global economy. This chapter describes the Rio Salado College systems approach, which relies almost exclusively on adjunct faculty to accomplish its mission, vision, and purposes.

It should surprise no one that there are faculties throughout North America that refer to themselves as professional learning communities (PLCs) yet do none of the things that PLCs do. Conversely, there are faculties that could serve as model PLCs that may never reference the term. A school does not become a PLC by enrolling in a program, renaming…

This narrative describes my learning process in becoming a teacher-researcher as I worked with an ELL, Jayla, who experienced a transient lifestyle. As a member of a teacher-inquiry group, the Bilingual Teacher-Research Forum I collaborated with other bilingual and ESL teachers from schools in a large city in the northeastern part of the United…

This study investigates the use of Lesson Study in three U.S. schools. Lesson Study is part of the culture of teaching in Japanese K-8 schools. Researchers in the United States brought the practice of Lesson Study ("jugyokenkyo" in Japanese) to light in the late 1990's while investigating reasons for differences in the performance of…

This exploratory qualitative case study investigated rural K-8 special education teacher perceptions of their positional status as special education teachers who co-teach with their regular education peers. Four special education teachers participated in journal prompts, one-on-one interviews, and a focus group interview. The conceptual lens for…

Teachers in the United States are utilizing technology in their classrooms on a daily basis. However, some schools struggle to implement effective technology usage opportunities for staff. In a 21st century world that is laden with technology, teachers should instruct students using updated technology. In two rural Virginia high schools in eastern…

The proliferation of mentoring programs for new teachers has led to a tremendous interest in the skills that mentors develop in order to effectively support their mentees. Consequently, a substantial body of research has focused on the practice of mentoring and mentored learning. Majority of these studies have relied upon data collected at single…

In 2006 and 2007, the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) awarded Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) grants for the development of systems to compensate teachers and principals in part based on increases in student achievement. New Leaders for New Schools (NLNS) received five of these grants and is using them to implement its Effective Practice…

This study is the result of my work as a teacher educator in an English methods course and a member of an inquiry community I formed with eight of my students, all middle and secondary student English teachers at the University of Pennsylvania. I investigate what was at stake for them in learning to teach English in Philadelphia urban schools in…

No Child Left Behind has increased the demand for evidence of student achievement in America's public schools. As a result, the importance of the role of superintendent as instructional leader has increased. Some superintendents have responded to this demand by mandating that principals increase their presence in classrooms; yet, research on…

Current research indicates that a professional learning community (PLC) is an effective means for helping teachers to bridge the gap between research and practice. A PLC is a team of educators systematically working together to improve teaching practice and student learning. This study evaluated the PLC formed by teachers at a public elementary…

This article begins with a vignette about Carla, a 4-year-old girl with a diagnosis of developmental delays. It then describes a model to facilitate inclusion of young children in early childhood settings. The authors developed this model as they worked with practicing early childhood professionals. The model places emphasis on the following…

The purpose of this study was to provide an exploratory investigation of college-level instructors' sense of teaching and collective efficacy. We investigated the relations of teacher- and collective-efficacy with a series of variables: experience, professional level, age, gender, academic domain (for teacher-efficacy only), and academic…