High School students in a local school district were having reading-related difficulties in certain subject areas and were at risk of failing high school courses. Success in reading is important because students must read the content within the End of Course Test in core content subjects, and their success on this test determines their eligibility for high school graduation. The purpose of the study was to examine the effectiveness of a Response to Intervention (RTI) reading class designed to improve reading skills for at-risk high school students. The constructivist learning theory was the theoretical framework for this study. The research questions addressed how teachers conceptualized RTI as it applied to students' performance in the reading intervention class and the benefits and challenges of the reading class. The research design was a qualitative instrumental case study with the reading class serving as the case. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with 7 educators, reading work samples, and RTI data from the school. Data were analyzed via open coding techniques to determine emergent themes. The findings indicate that the reading class was not effective in improving students' reading. Recommendations include creating reading resources, promoting a professional development plan for teachers, and designing or refining a reading curriculum. The implications for positive social change include better mastery of grade-level content reading, improved instructional practices and RTI intervention, improved students' scores on state assessments, and higher numbers of high school graduates.

Limited data connect teacher training in arts integration (AI) to evidence that students benefit from arts integrated instruction. As teachers are challenged to facilitate instruction for a wide continuum of learning needs, and students are challenged to demonstrate learning through high-stakes testing, more data are needed on how teachers learn and transfer AI strategies to classroom practice. Teachers (N = 38) from five elementary schools learned multi-modal AI strategies via the Intensive Development through the Arts (IDEA) model. Interview data in this concurrent mixed methods study illustrated the IDEA experience as a positive influence on (a) the learning environment, (b) teacher practice, and (c) addressing student diversities. Classroom observations, with the use of an observation rubric, documented the transfer of AI strategies to classroom practice. A Likert-type survey assessed teacher beliefs of self-efficacy in the practice of AI strategies. Findings revealed that sustained collaboration with artist/educators and student modeling were significant components of the IDEA model, and that Acting Right (c) provided the foundation necessary for successfully implementing AI strategies. Results indicated no significant correlations between IDEA level, years teaching experience, and teacher beliefs of self-efficacy. The significance of this study is the connection of teacher AI training to teacher practice, and effective teacher practice to increased student achievement.

Science content integration, or the simultaneous teaching of science with other subjects during learning activities, has been explored by multiple studies. However, due to a lack of consensus on its definition, it was difficult for educators in a local school district to discuss and evaluate the effectiveness of this instructional technique. This qualitative collective case study, based on a constructivist theoretical foundation, centered on the questions of how teachers defined and used science content integration, and perceptions of impediments to its use. Participants were five teachers in a suburban elementary school. The sources of data for this study were interviews, audio recordings of lessons, and teacher documents in the form of lesson plans. Data analysis was conducted through multiple coding procedures, allowing the emergence of themes. Data analysis showed that participants' beliefs and practices differed according to age levels and developmental needs of their students. Implications for positive social change include building from this study to provide content integration-based professional development, common planning time, and suitable materials to improve teachers' capacity to integrate science content into instruction.

Studies suggest that many promising new teachers who experience isolation do not reach their full potential and may leave the teaching profession prematurely. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between the experience of isolation among new teachers and the potential for teacher attrition in an urban school district in the northeastern U.S. Grounded in constructivist theory, the phenomenological research design examined in-depth interview data collected from 8 new public elementary school teachers with three or less years experience. A coding procedure began by extracting key phrases and statements from the raw data and reduced information into categories and themes based on frequency and alignment to the research focus. An analysis of the thematic data revealed several shared factors regarding mentoring and isolation including consensus that mentoring was instrumental in reducing feelings of isolation, that isolation is experienced in different ways and to varying degrees, and that new teachers have a strong desire to remain in the profession, but might leave their current assignment due to feelings of isolation. It was concluded that new teachers participating in the study found that mentoring and a strong belief in the importance of education helped them feel less isolated and more connected to their learning community. Recommendations for action included implementing quality induction programs for new teachers, requiring participation in these programs for at least two years, and providing better peer mentoring experiences for new teachers. These recommendations have the potential to create a more positive experience for new teachers. This study has implications for positive social change in new teacher training which involves mentors, school leaders, peer coaches, and communities of teachers working together to meet the needs of today's new teachers.

In a school district, teachers and administrators found that students lacked the academic technology immersion necessary to ensure their technological preparation for the 21st century. Professional development was offered to prepare teachers to integrate 21st century technology into their instruction; however, teachers were not fully implementing technology. Administrators and stakeholders have indicated concern. The purpose of this study was to explore whether professional development was effective in increasing teachers' capacity to integrate student-directed technology into instruction. The study, guided by Prensky's transformation and Siemen's connectiveness theories, indicated that technology immersion was necessary within schools. The overarching research questions explored the extent to which technology-based professional development experiences have most directly affected the integration of technology into the classroom. The research design was a qualitative explorative study comparing archival teacher learning logs of 15 teachers from 5 high schools with 2 questionnaires. The narrative findings from the learning logs were cross-checked through triangulation with the percentage data from a Likert-type scale and questionnaire to determine accuracy and reliability. Data indicated that professional development increased technology integration in a moderate way, whereas comprehensive integration will better prepare students for the future. The purpose of the white paper report was to encourage stakeholders to collaboratively discuss the needs of teachers and review strategies to meet the 21st century technology skills of students. Implications for social change are that high school stakeholders who read this white paper may be prompted to discuss options to equip students to use 21st century skills to address personal, local, and world issues.

O estudo buscou realizar pesquisas teórica, legal-financeira e empírica sobre os recursos financeiros descentralizados que são transferidos diretamente às escolas públicas municipais de São Paulo, pelos governos federal (Programa Dinheiro Direto na Escola, PDDE) e municipal (Programa de Transferência de Recursos Financeiros, PTRF, e Verba de Adiantamento), investigando sobre os procedimentos legais, administrativos e participativos que envolvem a gestão destes recursos, de forma a apresentar dados quantitativos e qualitativos sobre eles, tendo como amostra de pesquisa cinco escolas de diferentes modalidades de ensino: um Centro de Educação Infantil (CEI), uma Escola Municipal de Educação Infantil (EMEI), uma Escola Municipal de Ensino Fundamental (EMEF), um Centro Integrado de Educação de Jovens e Adultos (CIEJA) e uma Escola Municipal de Educação Básica para Surdos (EMEBS). A dimensão empírica da pesquisa se dividiu em duas subdimensões: macro e micro. A dimensão empírica macro se deu numa perspectiva legal-financeira, pesquisando sobre as origens e os procedimentos legais dos programas que transferem recursos financeiros descentralizados às escolas públicas, suas normas de utilização, movimentação e prestação de contas. Essa dimensão também buscou desenvolver uma série histórica, contemplando o período de 2007 a 2013, a qual compara os montantes dos recursos financeiros descentralizados transferidos anualmente às escolas municipais de São Paulo com o orçamento total anual da educação do município, objetivando demonstrar o quanto estes programas representam em termos percentuais para o planejamento orçamentário municipal. A dimensão empírica micro da pesquisa se deu a partir da verificação em campo, no âmbito das escolas pesquisadas, levantando suas dificuldades e avanços em lidar com os recursos financeiros transferidos, trazendo dados sobre seus montantes e aplicações anuais (2007 a 2013), a partir da verificação dos documentos de prestação de contas das Associações de Pais e Mestres (APMs), de instrumentos de entrevista e de levantamento de dados, especificamente elaborados pelos métodos da pesquisa. Os dados e as informações apresentados abordam questões importantes sobre financiamento e gestão financeira escolar, tendo o intuito de contribuir para o debate sobre políticas públicas de gestão financeira escolar e fornecer subsídios que possam compor estudos cujo objetivo seja uma abordagem sobre a realidade financeira das escolas públicas e a gestão democrática de seus recursos financeiros, com vistas à melhoria da qualidade de ensino. / The study sought to carry out theoretical, legal-financial and empirical research on the decentralized financial resources that are transferred directly to public schools in São Paulo, by the federal government (\"Direct Money to School Program\", PDDE) and by the municipal government (\"Financial Resources Transfer Program\", PTRF, and \"Verba de Adiantamento\"), investigating on the legal, administrative and participatory procedures that involve the management of these resources in order to provide quantitative and qualitative data about them. As a research sample there were five schools of different types of education modalities: one Early Childhood Center (CEI), a Municipal School of Early Childhood Education (EMEI), a Municipal Elementary School (EMEF), an Integrated Centre for Youth and Adult Education (CIEJA) and a Municipal Basic Education School for the Deaf ( EMEBS). The empirical dimension of the research is divided into two sub-dimensions: macro and micro scales. The macro empirical dimension was given a legal and financial perspective, researching the origins and legal procedures of the programs that transfer decentralized financial resources to public schools, their rules of use, handling and accountability. This dimension also sought to develop a historical series, covering the period 2007 to 2013, which compares the amounts of decentralized resources transferred annually to public schools in São Paulo with the total annual budget of the municipality\'s education, aiming to show how much (in percentage) these programs represent in terms of the municipal budget planning. The micro scale empirical research took place from the field verification, along with the surveyed schools, raising their difficulties and advances in dealing with the financial resources transferred to them, bringing data on their amounts and annual applications (2007 - 2013), from verification of the accounting documents of the Parent Teacher Associations (APMs), interview and data collection tools, specifically designed by the methods of the research. The data and information presented address important matters about funding and school financial management, with the aim of contributing to the debate on public policies to school financial management and provide subsidies that can compose studies whose aim is the approach to the financial reality of public schools and democratic management of its financial resources, looking forward to improving the quality of education.

A cultural shift occurring in education today calls for more collaborative interaction between school personnel and parents. Many school leaders and most parents, however, lack experience with this type of interaction for school improvement. The three questions which framed this qualitative, multiple-case study were: 1) What are school leaders' conceptions of fully engaged parents in school improvement processes? 2) What do school leaders offer as evidence of parental engagement? 3) What do visiting school leaders offer as evidence of parental engagement? The theoretical framework for this study was derived from the research-base on parent involvement and the application of social capital theory to parent involvement, which included asset, market based and school centric approaches. An archival document review was conducted to collect and analyze accreditation self-studies and visiting team reports from five high schools. Follow-up interviews with each of the visiting team chairpersons were conducted. Data were analyzed using content analysis, replication logic and comparative contrast methods. Substantial differences were found between what school leaders provided as evidence of full parental engagement and what visiting team members expected to find as evidence. While school leaders most often presented one-way communication activities as evidence, visiting teams were expecting to find evidence of meaningful, decision-making. These findings led to the development of a project to engage parents alongside school leaders in on-going, collaborative problem solving and authentic decision-making for school improvement. Implications of positive social change from this project are that common experiences such as these, which lead to shared understandings, effect a substantial improvement in the relational dynamics of the home and school partnership.

Teacher attrition has become a concern at local, state, and national levels. As a result, a number of researchers have examined the factors that affect teacher job satisfaction and retention. However, in spite of all the efforts in research to find a solution, problems associated with teacher attrition have not significantly improved. This study was developed to examine new teachers' job satisfaction as based on their perceptions of principals' transformational and transactional leadership behaviors. Hezberg, Maunser, and Snyderman's 2-factor theory and Burns's and Bass's transformational and transactional leadership theory guided the research questions. A convenience sample of 71 new teachers with 1 to 3 years of experience participated in this study. Instruments used to collect data for the study were the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire and the Job Satisfaction Survey. Pearson product-moment correlations and partial correlational methods were employed to examine the relationships between the variables. Findings revealed statistically significant positive relationships between new teachers' perceptions of principals' transformational leadership behavior and their overall job satisfaction. Further, the findings showed that perceptions of more transactional leadership behavior were significantly and negatively related to their overall job satisfaction. Results suggest that organizational leaders who adopt the transformational leadership model and implement effective leadership practices can cultivate positive change within the organization through the development of a team-centered environment that fosters inclusion, support, growth, recognition, stability, and satisfaction.

Under the federal No Child Left Behind law (NCLB), schools that fail to make adequate yearly progress (AYP) receive assistance and eventually are subject to corrective action if they do not improve. This qualitative case study used interviews with 10 elementary and middle school administrators from 8 public schools to assess the influence of NCLB on schools with a high percentage of students of color and students in poverty. This study was viewed through the lens of Toffler's conceptual framework of how change occurs, and on the current school reform climate surrounding NCLB and how its accountability system of assessments for students of color and high poverty makes it difficult for them to participate in the American economy. The data analysis strategies included the use of data triangulation through the review of archival data, participant interviews and employing member checks to insure the trustworthiness of data. Results showed that administrators in the targeted schools have difficulty retaining highly qualified teachers. Interventions such as extending the school day, increasing test preparation, using test data to drive instruction, and using academic intervention services have met with mixed results. Participants generally believed that NCLB has prompted a lack of curricular innovation and has promoted too much teaching to the test. Outside academic intervention, services were described as expensive and inconsistent. Interview data from the study indicated that the prevalent challenge was dealing with unmotivated and disrespectful students. This study has the potential to influence social change by providing further support for both social policy advocacy and other research on NCLB. Scheduled for reauthorization in 2009, state, federal policymakers and education advocates have called for sweeping modifications. The results of this study will contribute to the ongoing debate on student achievement, teacher quality and school equity.

Engagement in mathematics lessons has a positive impact on student numeracy achievement. Yet special education students have experienced a significant drop in mathematics achievement from one year to the next, and this gap continues to grow. This mixed methods study examined the extent to which equal opportunities, similar to those offered to regular education students, are provided to special education students. It contributes to the body of knowledge regarding level of engagement of regular and special education students, the impact of their increased participation and engagement on numeracy achievement, and the ways to increase their level of engagement. Grounded in Kamii's theory of constructivism, Vygotsky's notion of the zone of proximal development, and Schon's reform of teaching and learning, the research questions addressed the level of participation of special and regular education students, the impact of increased engagement, and ways in which teachers can increase the level of engagement during lessons. Utilizing a concurrent nested strategy, the study utilized a sample of 375 students. The qualitative portion focused on text analysis of interview transcripts, and the quantitative portion focused on teacher/student interactions for each group. Results indicated that special education students are not as engaged in numeracy lessons, which may hinder their numeracy achievement. Findings revealed that special education students are being denied more than one-third of their deserved engagement time. Implementing more effective teaching strategies is recommended as a means to increase levels of engagement. Educators in every role may benefit from the results of this study. Social justice and positive social change is an urgent need for them in terms of quality of service.