<p> Much attention has been given to &ldquo;bridging the gap&rdquo; between research and practice since neuroscience research first made claim to its potential impact in classrooms. With the inception of Mind, Brain, and Education (MBE) as a new interdisciplinary field, an unprecedented opportunity to explore the educational implications of new research coming out of neuroscience has presented itself. And yet, the gap between research and practice persists while new problems arise as education looks to brain science for answers with ongoing social and academic difficulties faced by students. A critical bicultural methodology, grounded in a decolonizing interpretive approach, is utilized to interrogate the field of MBE in order to shed light on the epistemological power dynamics and social justice issues that inform the field. By examining the historical, philosophical, economic, and ideological roots of neuroscience and education, a colonizing epistemology and hidden curriculum of inequality is revealed. The lack of awareness of how MBE, if left unexamined, will continue to fall short of the democratic and socially just goals of education is also addressed. The argument made is that there exists an abyssal divide within the field that epistemologically privileges neuroscience with its reductionist, Eurocentric, and positivist discourse. The case is made that the field must move toward an itinerant position that honors hierarchical dialogue and praxis and places the voices, scholarship, and values of educators and students at the forefront of this educational movement, in order to close the gap between research and practice in emancipatory ways.</p><p>

<p> Extensive research on attitudes and beliefs relating to mathematics has been conducted over the past 30 years. Although the focus of this research has fluctuated at times, the results of this past research has often been applied to educational reform efforts, especially in the areas of curriculum planning and professional development. However, as suggested by Clements (2003), Woodward (2004), Ellis and Berry (2005), and Berry, Ellis, and Hughes (2014), the impact of this research on the implementation of mathematics education reforms may have been limited, at least in part, due to the complexities surrounding the study of attitudes and beliefs (Pajares, 1992; Richardson, 1996; Philipp, 2007), and the complexities surrounding teacher change (Ertmer, 1999; Cuban, 2013). </p><p> In an attempt to provide expanded support for the inclusion of attitudes and beliefs as a fundamental consideration addressed in the implementation of mathematics reform efforts, this study was designed to test what, if any, correlation exists between fifth-grade student performance in mathematics and the attitudes and beliefs held towards mathematics by the students and their teachers, and then to identify some elements that may contribute to the formation of these attitudes and beliefs. To achieve these goals, this study applied a mixed-methods approach as defined and supported by researchers such as Creswell and Clark (2007, 2011) and Crabtree, Magill, Scammon, Tomoaia-Cotisel, and Harrison (2013). According to this mixed-methods design, only the common findings that arose in the triangulation of the quantitative and qualitative data were identified as the results of this study. </p><p> For students, this study found a significant relationship and strong correlation between the students&rsquo; interactions with others in regard to mathematics and their enjoyment with math, and a significant relationship and moderate correlation between the students&rsquo; enjoyment with mathematics and their performance in mathematics. For teachers, this study found a significant relationship and strong correlation between the teachers&rsquo; past experiences and how the teachers think mathematics should be taught (their disposition), and a significant relationship and moderate correlation between the teachers&rsquo; confidence with mathematics and the students&rsquo; performance in mathematics. The identified results for students and for teachers were connected to past research on attitudes and beliefs.</p><p>

<p> The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA) was signed into law on November 29th, 1975 by Republican President Gerald Ford and as he signed it, he acknowledged that while the intent of the law was a step forward, the aspirations were complex. The law was renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1990, and has undergone updates and revisions roughly every five years since its inception. Despite these continual modifications, the academic and social outcomes for students with disabilities lags far behind that of their regular education peers. In 2012, the Office of Special Education Programs initiated Results-Driven Accountability (RDA) to measure and improve the efficacy of Special Education programs. </p><p> In contrast to previous iterations of IDEA monitoring, RDA is not based solely on procedural compliance but makes a critical shift to evaluating special education services by also weighting student outcome based indicators. The literature traces the data that led to the practical and philosophical change to RDA and points to the critical role of State Education Agencies (SEAs) in the success of this initiative. SEAs, long expected to offer training, technical assistance, support and monitoring to all districts with special education programs, are now tasked with the implementation of RDA. </p><p> Through this qualitative case study, the researcher sought to investigate the efforts of a SEA in leading the implementation of RDA by focusing on the initial phases of that process with select Local Education Agencies who are participating in the pilot program. Seven school districts were involved in that program and three of those participated in semi-structured, one-on-one interviews with the researcher. During the interviews, participants were asked to reflect on the process of the RDA pilot program, known as the State Identified Measurable Result (SIMR), and how, in the perception of each district representative, the SEA had best assisted with the implementation scheme. Those interviews were analyzed for recurrent themes about the implementation process and the role of the SEA as perceived by each district. The researcher then conducted a comparative document review to triangulate the information from the interviews with the written plans from the SEA to check for congruency and response to the concerns and perceptions of the initial implementers. </p><p> The researcher concluded that the SEA, in providing a designated literacy coach and instructional strategy assistance through the implementation process, helped to create an environment for improved educational outcomes for students with disabilities in the schools that were part of the pilot program, and that the SEA did incorporate the SIMR LEA&rsquo;s input on areas of challenge in the implementation of RDA. </p><p> The researcher also concluded that LEAs face many barriers to the implementation of RDA, and although most of the barriers are not directly under the control of the SEA, they cannot be ignored as the SEA prepares for a state-wide implementation of RDA.</p><p>

<p> The purpose of this study is to investigate the existing influences faced by today&rsquo;s urban inner-city elementary school principals that impact the successful implementation of reform strategies as measured by student achievement data. The study examines dynamics such as the characteristics and qualities, leadership style and behavior, instructional leadership, school community, and political influences encountered by principals assigned to low-income urban inner-city schools and the impact of these forces on student achievement in South Los Angeles elementary schools. It utilizes a mixed method design phenomenological approach. The quantitative phase entails the use data from the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ)-5X from Mind Garden Institute and the Principal Instrumental Management Rating Scale (PIMRS) authored by Hallinger (1982). Information was collected from interviews with principals, assistant principals, and approximately 30% of classroom teachers at two underperforming schools. Grounded within the Coherence Framework by Fullan and Quinn (2015) and the Public Education Leadership Project (PELP) Coherence Framework by Childress, Elmore, Grossman, and King (2011), the study provides an insight into the effectiveness of the principal position and its impact on school reform efforts. The findings of this study revealed the transformative style of leadership is most preferred as it allows stakeholder voice in decision-making. Data also verified that urban innercity principals devote the least amount of time in their day to instructional leadership activities. These activities are focused on framing the school&rsquo;s goals and coordinating the school curriculum and require emphasis on engaging in the behaviors that develop the school&rsquo;s learning climate. Moreover, several themes emerged from the study. These included (a) teacher &ldquo;voice&rdquo; in school-wide decisions impacts reform efforts; (b) the school community severely impacts the principal&rsquo;s decision-making towards school improvement; (c) the principal&rsquo;s style of leadership influences teacher commitment; (d) the political/district influences can limit reform efforts.</p><p>

<p> This study, <i>Teacher Insight: The Implementation of the Common Core State Standards in California School Districts</i> was designed to glean teacher voice on the large-scale reform. With a need for a global workforce in a 21st century society the existing education system is undergoing a tremendous change in order to prepare students for college and career. The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed methods study was fourfold: (a) to determine how the implementation of the Common Core State Standards is changing teacher practices related to curriculum, instruction, and assessment; (b) to investigate the concerns and challenges faced by teachers as they implement the Common Core State Standards; (c) to determine what types of professional development teachers have been offered regarding the Common Core State Standards and what they perceive has been most beneficial; and (d) to determine what teachers still need from their site leadership to make the implementation successful. Additionally, this study was performed with surveys and interviews administered in three California school districts. Upon examination of the responses from teachers, this study yielded four conclusions. First, implementation of the Common Core State Standards has changed teacher instructional practices. With the fusion of the 21st century skills into the Common Core State Standards teachers are challenged with teaching the new academic standards and simultaneously providing instruction with 21st century skills. Second, implementation of the Common Core State Standards has generated concerns and challenges of teachers. Third, teachers state that collaboration is the most beneficial form of professional development. Fourth, the implementation has created needs from teachers of site leadership. The study also yielded four recommendations. First, it is recommended that school districts provide teachers with professional development on 21st century skills. Second, it is recommended that school districts allocate funding for the purchase of Common Core State Standard resources that have both rigor and relevance. Third, it is recommended that collaboration be the type of professional development that districts utilize, as teachers state it is the most beneficial. Fourth, site leaders are advised to address the needs of teachers by providing them with resources they need for the implementation.</p><p>

<p> Research in the area of early childhood has confirmed that children accessing high-quality programs lead to better outcomes in kindergarten as well as later in life (Committee for Economic Development, 2006; Frabutt &amp; Waldron, 2013; Hudson, 2014; Stewart, 2015; Temple &amp; Reynolds, 2007). The factors highlighted in research contributing to these outcomes have included teacher effectiveness and classroom quality (Armor, 2014; Fernandez, 2010; Ryan, Whitebook, Kipnis, &amp; Sakai, 2011). One factor missing from current research and policy is the role of the early childhood leader. The purpose of this basic interpretive qualitative study is to gain insights into how early childhood leaders&rsquo; experiences have shaped their understanding of leadership, focusing specifically on directors from licensed early childhood programs in Northern Virginia. The central research question guiding this inquiry is: What are the experiences of pre-kindergarten leaders in licensed pre-kindergarten programs in Northern Virginia that inform their development as a leader? Three sub questions are also included: What led an individual to become a pre-kindergarten leader? What has influenced the leadership philosophies of pre-kindergarten leaders? What has influenced the current leadership practices utilized by pre-kindergarten leaders? Data from interviews, walkthroughs, and document analyses with seven directors from early childhood centers in Northern Virginia were examined. Through this process, five themes emerged: generational influences, collegial influences, past work experience, environmental influences, and leadership characteristic and behaviors. Three conclusions were built upon these themes to address the research questions. First, participants entered the field of early childhood due to generational influences with their child entering preschool or just by &ldquo;falling into&rdquo; the field. Once in the field, collegial influences encouraged participants to pursue the director position. Participants also rose through the ranks, by beginning as a volunteer or teachers&rsquo; aide, becoming a teacher, and then ultimately becoming a director. Second, a director&rsquo;s philosophies were reinforced through the media as well as professional organizations. Finally, a director&rsquo;s practices were informed through collegial influences, past experiences, and environmental influences.</p><p>

<p> In education, mentoring is pivotal in the early development and long-term success and self-directed efficacy of new teachers. With increasing acknowledgment of the importance of mentoring as the preferred means of induction support for new teachers, mentors can serve to positively impact the overall quality of teaching and learning. Yet, like the induction protocols in other professional occupations, the nature of induction programs in education has taken a variety of forms in more recent years. For mentors, these experiences create added obligations and time away from their own professional responsibilities. Although previous research points to the importance of mentoring and its effectiveness in supporting novices, giving voice to the induction mentor as related to the most effective practices for high quality induction mentoring merits further investigation and an obligation to those who lead them. </p><p> The purpose of this study was therefore to contribute to the body of knowledge and literature pertaining to high quality mentoring experiences, specifically as related to the lived experiences and perceptions of effective practices for preparing, developing, and retaining K-12 teacher induction mentors. The participants in this study consisted of K-12 teacher induction mentors at a teacher induction program in Southern California. This study was made possible through the utilization of a phenomenological method, namely through a qualitative phone interview approach. </p><p> The findings led to the following five conclusions: (1) prior life and professional experience are pivotal to the manner in which situational learning is acquired and internalized, strongly influencing the way mentors engage in future action; (2) induction mentor preparation and support are crucial to the success of the mentor in their service to new teachers and in their own professional development as educators; (3) time is pivotal to the formulation of and reaping of quality induction experiences; (4) the value of required induction projects is key to the significance of the induction work; and (5) meaningful reflective practices are fundamental to the internal motivation and transformation of the mentor as a professional learner. Implications for policy and recommendations for additional research are discussed at the end of the study.</p><p>

<p> This study examined the relationship between school leaders&rsquo; self-reported levels of emotional intelligence and teacher perceptions of school climate in K&ndash;12 Catholic schools in Indiana. This study built upon the findings of a mixed-method study by Juma (2013) that was limited in scope and generalizability, and examined the relationship between a principal&rsquo;s perceived emotional intelligence and teacher perceptions of school climate. The current study used a quantitative methodological approach and a larger sample size to enhance understanding of the relationship between school leaders&rsquo; perceptions of emotional intelligence and teacher perceptions of school climate. The Emotional Intelligence Quotient 2.0 (EQ-i 2.0) and the Organizational Climate Questionnaire (OCQ) were completed by 200 teachers and 30 school leaders in 30 K&ndash;12 Catholic schools in Indiana. This study did not find a significant relationship between a school leader&rsquo;s perceived level of emotional intelligence and teacher&rsquo;s perceived school climate. Prior research on these variables has been inconclusive. This study adds to the body of research examining the possible connection between a school leader&rsquo;s emotional intelligence and school climate.</p><p>

<p> Private sector businesses employ performance pay compensation plans in order to incentivize increased employee effort. Legislation offers opportunities for school districts to experiment with performance pay plans in an attempt to encourage teacher effort, productivity, competition, and recruitment. Despite the potential benefits of performance pay, providing a task-contingent reward for an interesting activity has the tendency to undermine an individual&rsquo;s intrinsic motivation for a task. This study sought to assess psychological ownership as a potential moderator for the undermining effect, which may shield an individual&rsquo;s feelings of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, allowing for intrinsic motivation in light of a task-contingent reward. This study analyzed data from 127 undergraduates and graduate students enrolled at Long Island University, CW Post Campus and an additional 27 teachers from Brooklyn, New York. Full and trimmed path analyses were conducted on a series of Likert-type scales to test three primary hypotheses. The findings confirmed that a task-contingent reward undermined intrinsic motivation for an interesting task. This study&rsquo;s psychological ownership intervention and the combination of the intervention with a task-contingent reward also negatively effected intrinsic motivation. Job-based psychological ownership, a measurement of feelings of possession, however, did positively effect intrinsic motivation providing evidence that feelings of psychological ownership lead to feelings of intrinsic motivation. This study contributes to the fields of psychological ownership theory and self-determination theory by presenting empirical evidence connecting these two theories. Recommendations are offered for the improvement of teacher motivation, job design, compensation and educational policy. </p><p>

<p> Information technology is not new to academia. Numerous educators and research scholars studying the usefulness of digital technologies in the classroom seek to determine whether the underlying pedagogies effectively bridge the gap between quality of instruction, student engagement, and eventual acceptance of the technology tool in use. With the increase and sophistication in the delivery of online courses in colleges across the country, we now see the recent emergence of an online course structure called Massive Open Online Courses, MOOCs (Sandeen, 2014). MOOCs have intensified the interest and desire for students and universities to become engaged in educational opportunities by thinking of new and advanced systems for content delivery. The purpose of this study was (1) to explore student perceptions of the MOOC Virtual Learning Environment Scale or MVLE, characteristics including general systems, pedagogy, social presence, individual characteristics and satisfaction, (2) to examine the interrelationships between theorized MOOC virtual learning environment technology constructs, (3) to develop a conceptual model of the MVLE to create and validate a MOOC Virtual Learning scale, and (4) to understand administrator&rsquo;s perceptions of the characteristics of MOOCs and their futuristic views of MOOCs. The major findings for this study are: (1) the MVLE model is an appropriate scale to measure MOOC design, implementation and evaluation, (2) the creation of a more &ldquo;learner focused&rdquo; approach to MOOCs that includes a definition of the MOOC learner is important to understanding MOOC course designs and their impact within a virtual learning environment, and (3) the characteristics of higher education leaders as it relates to MOOC development must be transformational with a shared vision among university stakeholders, staff, faculty, and the community that must be sustained through ongoing support both academically and financially.</p><p>