<p> Over several decades, school reform efforts have been mounted in order to improve student learning and to prepare students for a global community. In 2010, governors from the fifty states met and supported the establishment of national standards, the Common Core State Standards, to prepare students for college and careers. Georgia adopted the Common Core State Standards, and as with any new curriculum adoption, professional development is usually provided. During the 2011&ndash;2012 school year, school systems across Georgia provided various professional development opportunities for teachers to learn about the Common Core State Standards. The purpose of this study was to examine teachers&rsquo; perceptions of their Common Core professional development and utilized a survey consisting of multiple choice and open-ended questions. Three hundred seventy-two educators from sixteen school districts across the state of Georgia participated in this study. Three main themes emerged: Teachers prefer working in smaller, collaborative groups in professional development; teachers were satisfied with their school and school district&rsquo;s training but did not receive consistent follow-up, modeling, or coaching afterwards; teachers utilized websites developed to support the Common Core State Standards and relied on their colleagues in order to learn more about the curriculum and to implement the standards.</p>

<p> This dissertation explored a type of qualitative case study based on the experiences of 11 graduates from Leadership Collier, a Naples, Florida-based leadership program, who had run for public office after completing the program. The researcher assessed the program goals, participant experiences and motivation with regard to community involvement and running for elected office. It was the belief of the researcher that there was a need for more qualified and effective leaders to run for public office at the local, state, and national levels of government. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation study was to understand what leadership experiences gained through participating in a leadership training program could empower and motivate a person to run for public office. </p><p> Information provided in this dissertation includes an introduction, the study&rsquo;s purpose and research questions, methodology, critical terms, an examination of the literature review, study findings, researcher reflections, and recommendations for future studies. Data analysis codes in this study include sense of community, social capital, program design, confidentiality, diversity, bonding, empowerment, and motivation. Research findings showed that Leadership Collier has motivated and empowered select citizens to run for public office by providing experiences that have enabled individuals to develop leadership skills, become aware of community issues, develop confidence and a sense of community, expand social capital, and increase engagement in the community.</p><p> <i>Keywords: leadership, public office, empowerment, motivation. </i></p>

<p>Researchers have connected student achievement to teacher collaboration; however, there is a paucity of studies conducted on how teachers use identified advantages and disadvantages of cross grade level collaboration to improve collegial interactions to achieve better student performance, professional development, teacher effectiveness, and job satisfaction. The purpose of this case study was to investigate how rural southeast Georgia elementary school teachers use identified advantages and disadvantages of cross grade level collaboration to improve collegial interactions. The theory of collegial coaching provided the conceptual framework for this study. The research questions focused on improving teacher effectiveness and student learning via collaborative dialogue. Data were collected via interviews, observations, and archival records from 14 teachers and administrators (maximum variation used) and analyzed for overarching emergent and dominant themes, patterns, issues, topics, ideas, relationships, cases, cross-cases, and concepts. Hatch&rsquo;s typological analysis was employed to decipher the data. Ethnograph v6.0 and QDA Miner 4.0 were used to code the data for triangulation. Quality control and validation were achieved through triangulation and member-checking. The findings illustrated the merits of ongoing collaboration and effective collegial interaction for teaching and learning. They also highlighted the potential of meaningful discussion in achieving effective collegial interaction. This study can lead to positive social change by providing teachers, administrators, and collaboration facilitators 2 models that can be used as guides for planning quality collegial interaction opportunities and in justifying time to collaborate across grades. </p>

<p>The purpose of this study was to examine the essential elements of a community of practice intended to increase communication and collaboration between traditional public and charter school leaders. Members of the Los Angeles Cohort of the School Leaders Network participated in this study. </p><p> This case study triangulated observation, interview, and document review data to identify the factors that were most beneficial to this particular community of practice. Drawing on the research of communities of practice, constructivism, and leadership theory, these factors were articulated into five domains with the hope that, with further research, this framework could influence the creation of additional communities of practice between traditional public and charter school leaders. </p><p> This framework, including indicators and action steps to aid in creating a community of practice, identified five key factors: knowledge, relationships, authenticity, constructivism, and leadership. The convergence of these five domains pointed to two key take-aways: Communities of practice must create a risk-free environment in which sharing can occur so that participants can use storytelling as a vehicle for the exchange of ideas. Essential in creating this environment is the influence of a skilled facilitator who can drive these conversations. Ultimately, in sharing stories and building community, these communities of practice are meant to further the cause of a socially just education for all students regardless of the type of schools they attend. </p>

<p> This research study employed a mixed method sequential approach and investigated the number of Schools of Medicine within the United States that offer health literacy as a component of their curriculum and a course of study within the academic setting. Data were gathered from medical school surveys and personal interviews. Curriculum content, learning objective, subject matter sequence, assessment, course schedule, and other relevant elements were evaluated as comparison components of the data collected from these two methods. This study focused solely on 71 of the 154 Schools of Medicine in the United States, inclusive of 126 of those awarding a Doctor of Medicine degree and 28 which offer a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree. The study evaluated the status of the nation's effort to promote health literacy by adding courses in health literacy to medical school curriculum. </p><p> Surveys indicated evidence of a health literacy component in medical school curriculum, that the promotion of health literacy curriculum was being introduced to medical students during the first year of training, and a requirement for medical students years one through four, data revealed health literacy as a major concern within the U.S., and that both students and administrators were aware of the importance of the promotion of health literacy within medical school training. Use of telephonic interview for the qualitative portion of this research was employed to obtain factual information and to pursue in-depth information regarding the integration of health literacy curriculum in medical school training. Results from this segment of the research interview were used to facilitate both comparison and analysis points. Positive responses for this segment supported the findings of the descriptive quantitative results, yielding similar responses. Medical schools, or other health care training institutes considering implementing or expanding their curriculum, would benefit from this research in their efforts to address health literacy concerns.</p>

<p>The purpose of this study was to explore teacher experiences, attitudes, feelings, and beliefs regarding professional development in order to plan professional development in the future. Eighteen teachers, the elementary school improvement coordinator, and elementary principal were interviewed or participated in a focus group, in a semi-structured environment using a set of questions to gather data. Financial records for professional development expenditures, teacher credentials, agendas from professional development activities, school calendars, and grants were reviewed to get a better understanding of past professional development in the district. This research indicates that teachers: (a) are unsure whether professional development improves teacher quality and/or student achievement (b) have had a lot of diverse professional development experiences; (c) like professional development that is interactive, easily implemented, and applicable; (d) feel more time needs to be allocated for professional development; (e) do not feel they are involved in the planning process of professional development; and, (f) that there's a lack accountability, sustainability, and focus related to professional development. Implications can be generalized for all teachers, but more specifically, from this research for this individual district. </p>

<p>This final project report set out to design a peer-led learning model that would assist pastors in building competencies and strengthening peer relationships among Presbyterian pastors in northern New Jersey. The project addressed a national trend that reveals an increasing number of pastors are leaving Christian ministry today because of inadequate support and their lack of varied and specialized skills to serve congregations. However, some of the most recent research by the U. S. Congregational Life Survey (US CLS Wave Two), the Sustaining Pastoral Excellence (SPE) project, and the Faith Communities Today (FACT) survey confirmed pastors and their congregations benefit by pastors participating in peer learning. </p><p> Grounded in the theology that Christian ministry is nurtured by communities that embody and practice what they believe, and by theories that enduring learning takes place in association with others, this project drew from Presbyterian ecclesiology, the company of pastors (Calvin), a community of practice (Wenger), self-directed learning (Knowles), group theory (Johnsons), and the areas of learning pastors volunteered to lead. There were no attending costs and the monthly format was simple: pastors shared a meal and fellowship followed by worship and relevant teaching led by the pastors themselves. </p><p> Twenty-five pastors, representing one-fifth of the congregations in three regional bodies, attended one or more of the nine gatherings. A large part of the report concentrated on the more active twelve mature, highly stressed, and highly motivated pastors who represented different urban and suburban communities, genders, races, and sexual orientations. The report evaluated what facilitated and hindered this project's objectives. Its conclusion provided seven insights for pastors and seminarians, denominational agencies and regional body leaders, seminaries and foundations concerned about pastoral preparation for the rigors and challenges of congregational ministry. </p>

<p> This non-experimental dominant-less dominant mixed-methods study examined data specific to principal and teacher perceptions of the leadership support for Indian Education for All (IEFA) professional development in their school. The data from each instrument were compared to (a) the administrators' and teachers' Peak Stage of Concern of the Indian Education for All innovation, (b) the highest IEFA training level attained, and (c) the amount of time that administrators and teachers report spending on supporting and implementing IEFA in their school and classroom. Spearman's <i>rho</i> correlations were utilized to examine these relationships. </p><p> This study examined if the level of leadership support, or the level of training received by teachers, had the stronger relationship to the teacher's highest stage of concern. Additionally, this study examined which factor&mdash;the level of leadership support, or the level of training received by teachers&mdash;had a stronger relationship on the amount of time spent on implementing the Indian Education for All innovation in the classroom. </p><p> Leadership support was defined by the <i>Standards for Professional Learning</i> (Learning Forward, 2011), and measured by the Self-Assessment Inventory 2 (SAI2). The Peak Stage of Concern is identified by scores on the Stages of Concern Questionnaire (SoCQ) and is useful in determining a teacher's "readiness" for implementation of a new program in their classroom (George, et al., 2008). The levels of IEFA training were defined by the Montana Office of Public Instruction's three-tiered training model. </p><p> Statistically significant relationships were found between the Highest Level of IEFA Training completed by the teacher to that of two other variables (a) the teacher's Peak Stage of Concern, and (b) the actual amount of time the teacher implements IEFA in the classroom. The data from this study revealed a clear indication that the highest level of IEFA training the principal participated in had a positive and statistically significant relationship to the teacher's highest level of IEFA training. This study found that it is the level of IEFA training completed by the teacher that has the stronger relationship to both the teacher's stages of concern and their classroom implementation of the mandated initiative.</p>

<p> Since the statement of then -Secretary of Education Paige on the "soft bigotry of low expectations," the necessity of holding "high expectations" appears to be generally accepted as an important factor in student achievement. Secretary Paige asserted that not all teachers hold high expectations of their students, yet the possibility of such thinking is not typically acknowledged among educators. Instead there appears to be a presumption that all teachers do hold high expectations for their students and there is no evidence that this assumption is ever questioned. The assumption that high expectations are universally held negates belief that expectations should be part of the professional conversations in which educators engage and precludes the topic from being included in the professional development programs in which school staffs are engaged. </p><p> My review of literature includes learning from the other social sciences on beliefs, cultural assumptions, and expectations. This dissertation examines the development of negative stereotypes and manifestations of those stereotypes in the educational experiences, past and present of African Americans, as representatives of those segments of the population who have historically been under-served by education. </p><p> The results of the survey conducted as part of this study indicate that expectations are rarely included in professional development programs. Additionally, the results demonstrate a lack of consistency among districts in approaching similar challenges. Finally, a model developed to increase the effectiveness of professional development is proposed.</p>

<p> Research has found that effective FPD activities improve faculty's instructional practices and pedagogy, technology skills, and knowledge and that the impact last over time (Rutz, Condon, Iverson, Manduca, &amp; Willett, 2012). FPD activities also reduce job burnout and increase a sense of belonging and morale among faculty (Thomas, 2012). However, many colleges and universities are observing low participation rates, and there is a concern about a mismatch of FPD activities and changing faculty needs. Using a mixed methods research design and an online survey instrument that consisted of Liked scale and open-ended items, this study identified factors that motivate faculty to participate in FPD activities and evaluated faculty perceptions about the value and usefulness of FPD activities. A total of 892 full-time and part-time faculty at nine California State University campuses participated in this study.</p><p> There were three categories of major findings: (a) relationships between faculty demographics, motivation, and perceived value and usefulness of FPD activities, (b) faculty motivation and perceptions about FPD, and (c) There are positive interrelationships between faculty motivation, perceived value and usefulness of FPD activities. Highlights among the findings included a positive association between off campus FPD involvement with faculty motivation and positive associations between online and off campus FPD with both the perceived value and the perceived usefulness of FPD. The discussion of implications and recommendations included (a) the need for campuses to conduct faculty needs assessments for clear and aligned goals; (b) strategies for planning FPD activities; (c) the use of data to improve FPD effectiveness; (d) the need for policies, resources, and recognitions that promote a culture of FPD; (e) the importance of collaboration; and (f) recommendations for further study related to the regression findings.</p>