<p> The purpose for this study was to add to the current research on the perceptions of superintendent preparation programs within Pennsylvania by examining how participants felt their preparation program prepared them for their current role as a superintendent, assistant superintendent, or assistant to the superintendent. One of the school board&rsquo;s most important responsibilities is selecting a superintendent who is prepared for the position. A superintendent is the top administrative position within a school district with roles and responsibilities that have evolved and changed over time. </p><p> With these various responsibilities, changes in preparation programs must occur in order to prepare qualified candidates for this role. Studies have occurred around the topic of superintendent preparation programs; however, no studies have been conducted examining superintendents&rsquo; perceptions of the preparation programs within Pennsylvania. </p><p> This study used a mixed-method sequential design to answer the four research questions utilizing a survey and an interview. The survey was used to examine how the participants perceive how their superintendent training program prepared them to perform their daily responsibilities as a superintendent, assistant superintendent, or assistant to the superintendent. For the qualitative component of the study, participants were chosen purposefully from those who completed the survey to participate in an interview. Three individuals from each position participated in the interview process.</p><p>

<p> The purpose of this research was to investigate whether new teacher and new teacher mentor perceptions of the effectiveness of the Missouri State Beginning Teachers&rsquo; Assistance Program (BTAP) were positive and whether the new teacher perceptions led to the new teacher remaining in the teaching profession at least five years. At the time of this writing, in the state of Missouri, new teachers must work through a six step process to upgrade their initial teacher certification to a continual (99 year) certification (Appendix A). This paper describes research on the second step of Missouri&rsquo;s process, which involved the new teacher working with a mentor for the first two years of their careers, to become accustomed to the expectations of a teaching career. </p><p> The method used in collecting data for this was study was three-fold. First, the education department at a local university conducted a new teacher panel discussion. The researcher attended this discussion and noted the results within this paper. Second, secondary data were collected from a conference presentation discussing the perceptions of new teachers and their administrators. New teachers gave their responses, as to how they thought they were performing in their classrooms and their administrators gave their responses, as to how they thought their new teachers were performing. Thirdly, data was collected online from new teachers and new teacher mentors on their perceptions of the Missouri new teacher mentoring program. </p><p> Results from the data in all three collection methods indicated that, while all surveyed districts were using a mentoring process for new teachers, each district implemented their program with varying degrees of effectiveness. Best practices seemed to indicate that a good new teacher and new teacher mentor personal connection was key to helping new teachers succeed in their new profession. The process for how these pairings were created varied from district to district. </p><p> Because of this research, the researcher recommends that individual districts make every effort to find a &ldquo;good&rdquo; personal fit between their new teachers and their mentors and that finding this ideal fit is bets performed by the administrator who will be supervising the new teacher and the mentor. </p><p>

This dissertation examines the attitudes and career plans of college-age Latino/a students in order to determine the best next steps for educator preparation programs as they seek to recruit, prepare, support, and retain teachers of color, specifically Latino/a teachers, for the K-12 public school system. A review of the literature regarding the recruitment of teachers of color informed this research. The components of recruitment programs were examined in terms of how they addressed the individual and the career of teaching. The effectiveness of these recruitment models is not completely clear, and many have not been proven to have long term success. However, there are a few promising models worthy of serious study. This research utilized data obtained from interviewing college-age Latino/a students who were making decisions about career choices. Data from student participants validated much of what is thought to be known about the challenges of teacher recruitment. For example, there is a continued perception that teacher salaries are relatively low and are not competitive with many other professions, the status and prestige of the teaching profession is low, and the often inadequate working conditions for teachers can dissuade students of color from pursuing careers as teachers. Also, minority student access to higher education continues to remain a problem. Access issues need to be addressed during the formative (K-12) years in order to fill the pipeline more fully. The findings also suggest that problems associated with recruitment models are systemic in nature. Challenges range from long-term commitment toward valuing diversity and program development to sustainability of programs via regular and reliable funding sources. Conclusions include specific recommendations that provide hope for future success. In order to help diversify the teaching force, educator preparation programs should consider the following recommendations: market the field of education; develop active recruitment processes; diversify college faculty and staff; develop sound mentoring and support systems on campuses; provide assistance with financial support; and increase collaboration with K-12 partners and policymakers. Each of these recommendations should be institutionalized in order to be fully utilized and effective.

This study examined the effectiveness of a national support program in Namibia designed to help new teachers improve teaching and enhance student learning. The support activities currently undertaken are short-lived and not effective, therefore not providing teachers with the continual support needed to strengthen and augment their repertoires. The study also examined problems experienced by new teachers in their initial years of teaching. A major problem affecting teachers' competencies in Namibia is the availability of teaching and learning resources. Another impediment perplexing teachers is learner discipline. Teachers need the appropriate skills to be able to adequately deal with these and other problems, so as to create a nurturing environment for teaching and learning. Based on the recommendations teachers made, a national support program for helping teachers deal effectively with aspects of teaching and learning was advanced. Teachers recommended that the support program incorporate induction and mentoring sessions for new teachers. They also strongly recommended that the program effectively deal with competencies in curriculum and instruction. Teachers reiterated the need for access to knowledge, provision of sufficient teaching and learning resources, and opportunities for further education.

<p> In an international university in Thailand, with students coming from 92 different countries, faculty members reported a need for professional development (PD). The purpose of this study was to understand faculty members&rsquo; needs and preferences in the undergraduate department to help the administration offer appropriate PD programs. In accordance with the situated cognition theory, professional learning was approached as a social process embedded in workplace interactions. Research questions pertained to teachers&rsquo; perceptions about their learning needs, program preferences, and the relationship between PD and student learning outcomes. In this descriptive case study, data were collected from fulltime faculty members via a focus group of 5 participants and 8 individual face-to-face and email interviews. In accordance with a maximum variation sampling strategy, the sample included faculty members from varied academic and cultural backgrounds and diverse lengths of experience in the university. Thematic coding analysis revealed 4 themes: (a) a desire to learn specific content such as classroom management techniques, pedagogy for university-level students, assessment design, and instructional technology; (b) a desire to observe and apply new techniques to better engage diverse students in large classes; (c) a desire to learn collegially to share context-relevant information; and (d) expectations from the university administration. As a result of this study, tailored recommendations for this university were derived to contribute to social change. Appropriate PD programs can enable faculty members to hone their pedagogical skills and improve student learning experience in this multicultural setting.</p>

<p> A Case Study of Initiating Mentoring in an Urban Charter School Most states exempt public charter schools from state policy that regulates the mentorship of new teachers. Regardless, there are charter systems that develop teacher mentor programs on their own. These system-created programs can create a dichotomy between charter expectation and mentor/mentee experience. Utilizing a case study approach, this dissertation offers a unique view into this phenomenon, by examining the inaugural year of a mid-sized urban charter system&rsquo;s effort to design and implement a teacher mentoring support program. Data include interviews with 15 teachers (paired and unmatched mentors and mentees) and administrators, meeting observations, and reviews of program documents and artifacts. Findings note challenges related to support, guidance, and expectations, in addition to a cautious optimism about future charter mentor endeavors. Miller&rsquo;s (1976) Relational cultural theory was used as a theoretical lens to explore teacher experiences in mentoring. </p><p> The results of this study enhance understanding of urban public charter school teachers engaged in the mentoring process by: (a) identifying clear mentoring program expectations, administrative involvement, and professional development as influential factors in mentoring relationships; (b) recognizing mentor experience, shared subject matter of mentor and mentee, and ability to meet in person as powerful predictors of mentor relationship success; and (c) illustrating how school context can and does affect the mentoring process in an urban public charter school. </p><p> <i>Keywords</i>: mentoring, charter schools, beginning teachers, teacher development</p>

<p> Leadership is important to the effective functioning of organizations. In education, what leaders do influences pedagogy and student learning. While knowledge on transformational leadership (TL) has been developed from transnational studies, what leaders actually do may not be the same in Ghana due to influences of contextual factors. The specific problem is the lack of knowledge on the TL practices and the factors that influence the leadership practices of the college of education (CoE) principal in Ghana. The purpose of this case study was to identify the nature of the TL practices of Ghana&rsquo;s CoEs principals, the perceived factors that influence their leadership practices, and how the principals define successful CoE leadership. The study participants comprised eight principals, five vice principals, and three assessment officers. The researcher gathered qualitative data for the study using a semi-structured interview protocol in face-to-face interview sessions. Each interview session was electronically recorded for accurate record keeping and ease of transcription. Following transcription, member checking allowed participants to review and certify the accuracy of the data. Data analysis involved the identification of convergent and divergent points grouped under themes and presented as the study results. The results revealed that Ghana&rsquo;s CoEs principals engaged in leadership actions under each of Kouzes and Posner&rsquo;s exemplary leadership practices. Primarily, the principals model the way by focusing on getting the job done; inspire a shared vision through meetings and discussions with stakeholders; challenge the process by outlining work schedules and assigning employees roles to perform; enable others through staff development initiatives; and encourage the heart of others by recognizing and rewarding efforts as well as addressing staff welfare and professional development needs. Also, the results show that two major factors that influence the principals&rsquo; leadership practices are their personal characteristics and work contexts. To the participating principals, the number one indicator of successful CoE leadership is the active involvement of stakeholders in decision making processes and college activities. Future research must focus on the extent to which the principals apply TL and the exploration of effective leadership competencies for developing Ghana&rsquo;s CoEs as the institutions become full-fledged tertiary institutions.</p>

<p> The purpose of this exploratory correlational research study was to examine the degree to which school leaders&rsquo; engagement in distributed leadership practices builds the capacity to empower expert teachers so that they can provide their colleagues with instructional and pedagogical support and thus advance teacher practice. &nbsp;More specifically, the aim was to examine relationships between teachers&rsquo; perceptions of school leaders&rsquo; use of distributed leadership, which may then influence the mediating variable of collective teacher efficacy and, finally, the dependent variable, which is the level of implementation of professional learning communities in New York City public elementary schools. Online surveys were distributed to teachers in districts that serve minority students at schools with high poverty identification. </p><p> </p><p> The responses were exported from the survey to SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science) for data analysis. The results showed that scores on distributed leadership practices range from 1.33 to 6.00, with an average score of 4.48 (<i>SD</i> = 1.01) (1=Strongly Disagree and 6= Strongly Agree). Collective teacher efficacy correlated significantly and positively with distributed leadership practices (<i>r</i> = .45, <i>p</i> &lt; .001); the professional learning community correlated significantly and positively with distributed leadership practices (<i>r</i> = .62, <i> p</i> &lt; .001); and collective teacher efficacy correlated significantly and positively with professional learning community (<i>r</i> = .24, <i>p</i> = .001). A mediation analysis was conducted using multiple linear regression. The results showed that, although the first two conditions for full mediation were met, the third condition for full mediation was not. Additionally, a partial mediation analysis revealed that no significant partial mediation effect existed. The implication is that collective teacher efficacy did not have a significant mediating effect on the relationship between distributed leadership practices and the professional learning community. </p><p> Distributed leadership provides an organizational structure for reciprocal accountability and professional learning communities that affords teachers a forum for collegial discourse and capacity building. The variability within teachers&rsquo; perceptions of group members&rsquo; ability to provide quality instruction is not a predictor of collective action. Therefore, the relationship between distributed leadership and professional learning communities is not mediated by collective teacher efficacy. The level of implementation of professional learning communities is not contingent on collective teacher efficacy. Distributed leadership practices provide an essential framework for &ldquo;stretching&rdquo; leadership across many individuals in order to build capacity. </p><p> Keywords: distributed leadership, collective teacher efficacy, professional learning communities, reciprocal accountability, capacity building</p>

<p> In the state of Missouri, 550 public school superintendents were selected to have their district teachers participate in a study to provide information regarding the perception of teacher tenure. Approximately 64,000 PreK-12 public school teachers in Missouri were sent an 18 question online survey designed by the researcher to assess Missouri public school teachers&rsquo; perception of teacher tenure. A sample of 497 Missouri teachers participated in this study. Sub-questions of the purpose of the research study were adapted from Kersten (2006): (1) When teachers achieve tenure, are they more effective and highly qualified? (2) If teacher tenure was eliminated, would student achievement increase? (3) Does the teacher tenure law in Missouri protect good teachers from arbitrary dismissal? and (4) Do teachers have knowledge of the proposed revised tenure law in Missouri? The respondents were prompted to identify gender, years in current position, education level, description of grade levels in school building, and school district&rsquo;s region. The research study findings produced several conclusions which included the following: (1) Teacher tenure in Missouri does not determine if teachers are effective and highly qualified; (2) Abolishing tenure or changing the current tenure law will not improve student achievement; (3) Tenure is perceived to protect competent teachers from arbitrary dismissal; however, incompetent or ineffective teachers are seldom dismissed; and (4) Many teachers have knowledge of the proposed revised teacher tenure law in Missouri, and they learned of the upcoming legislation from professional teaching organizations.</p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to examine whether teachers&rsquo; trust in their principal would positively affect their implementation of skills they learned in professional development. Four questions guided my research: To what extent is teachers&rsquo; positive engagement in professional development related to teacher trust in their principal? To what extent is trust in their principal related to a teacher&rsquo;s sense of efficacy? To what extent is a teacher&rsquo;s sense of efficacy related to positive engagement in professional development? And to what extent are the trust variables and positive engagement in professional development related to student achievement? </p><p> This study used the faculty and principals of five schools in Macomb County, Michigan for the data set. Two surveys were administered to each faculty, one on trust and one on efficacy. The respondent pool was n = 37. Each principal was asked to fill out a survey on their perception of teachers&rsquo; implementation of the skills learned through Classroom Instruction That Work (Marzano, 2009). All principals responded to their surveys. A correlation was run to examine the relation of the trust variables: Trust in principal, trust in teachers, and trust in students. Simple and multiple regression analysis v was used to examine the relationship each variable had to trust in their principal, and student achievement data was ranked and analyzed versus the trust variables using a Kruskal-Wallis test. </p><p> The results of this study did not match my original hypothesis. It is not apparent from the data that there is a suggested relationship between trust in one&rsquo;s principal and implementation of skills learned in professional development. The sample size, n = 37, renders this interpretation as suggestive, but the data did reference a possible relationship between teachers trusting one another and increased implementation of skills learned in professional development.</p><p>