Numerous national reform reports have been written about the quality of teacher education. Improving the skills of beginning teachers has been a major area of concern to educators and legislators. In order to address the issues of improving teacher training, teacher performance and teacher retention, mentor teacher programs have been developed. Since beginning teachers have much to learn about the teaching/learning process, becoming a fully competent teacher can be facilitated during the early stages of professional development by a mentor teacher. Principals have played a critical part in this process. However, there is an absence of literature on their role in the induction of beginning teachers. The purposes of this study were to determine the impact the principal makes in sharing, advancing, and encouraging teacher leadership; as well as, to determine what mentor teachers felt were effective leadership strategies employed by their principals as teachers assumed a leadership role in their schools. The mentor teachers and principals of the sixteen schools who participated in a pilot mentor teacher program in a large urban district in Massachusetts were the subjects of this study. Fourteen principals and twenty-one mentor teachers completed questionnaires. In order to gain additional data and insights beyond the questionnaire responses, interviews were conducted with three of the fourteen principals. The researcher concluded: the pilot mentor teacher program functioned in isolation within many of the participating schools; principals were supportive of the concept that shared leadership can successfully contribute to enhanced training and preparation for new teachers; and mentor teachers did not positively view the contributions of their principals to the program. The support and involvement of the principal and a school climate conducive to schoolwide sharing and learning are important to the success of a mentor teacher program. Continued documentation of the effect of mentor teacher programs and the role of the principal will be essential as experienced teachers help new teachers improve the practice of teaching.

<p> Working in school settings can present school social workers, teachers, and counselors with multiple risk factors that increase their likelihood of experiencing burnout. Providing direct services to students on a regular basis can have a negative impact on their overall sense of well-being along with other factors associated with being employed as a social service provider. Promoting Resilient School Personnel project (PRSP) consists of a series of on-site mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) workshops aimed at providing school social workers, teachers, and counselors at a public school in Los Angeles County with the resources to understand and help prevent burnout, the opportunity to learn and practice different mindfulness-based techniques, and strategies to establish long term self-care habits that promote a high sense of well-being. A potential funder was identified, although actual funding and submission of this grant proposal were not requirements for the successful completion of this project.</p>

<p> Reading proficiently opens doors to college and career pathways. The success of children depends on this fundamental skill, yet students are failing to learn to read. This research investigated the relationship between teacher knowledge of phonemic awareness and the development of early literacy skills in kindergarten students. The study was conducted in a suburban school district of more than 20,000 students. This study sought to identify a kindergarten teacher profile linked to positive student achievement growth in phonemic awareness. Kindergarten student data was collected from 1,258 kindergarten students in 57 classrooms from 21 different elementary schools. Participants ranged between 5 and 7 years old who attended full-time kindergarten classes. The Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS Next Edition, 2011) assessment was used to collect kindergarten student data on the First Sound Fluency measure. Kindergarten classroom teachers were assessed on their knowledge of phonemic awareness. The results of this study demonstrated a general lack of knowledge about phonemic awareness by kindergarten teachers, however, no clear kindergarten teacher profile correlated to student performance on the phonemic awareness measure. Findings may be useful when identifying effective instructional materials for teaching phonemic awareness to kindergarten students. A possible explanation for increased levels of student achievement may be the degree to which the kindergarten teacher utilized the provided phonemic awareness instructional materials. Recommendations for future studies include investigation into the relationship between the use of phonemic awareness instructional materials with fidelity and kindergarten student achievement. </p>

<p> This case study on Crellin Elementary School in Oakland, Maryland, examined the pedagogical practices of 7 teachers/administrator from the school. It examined implementation of placed-based education (PBE) using researcher observations and teachers&rsquo;/administrators&rsquo; narratives, two learning partners, and the former superintendent about the efficacy of the PBE learning model. This study also examined the commitment level of adopting critical pedagogies of place to meet the learning needs of students, many who come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Community members provided narratives of their connections to placed-based educational activities with Crellin and their insights on the impact on the community and the participating organization. The research study indicated that PBE can be a contributing factor in narrowing the achievement gap by focusing on the lower socioeconomic subgroup, using data from students who receive free and reduced-price lunch. Measurement tools included the Maryland State Assessment and Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers assessments scores between the years 2003 through 2010 and 2017. Other contributing factors determining the efficacy of PBE included leadership and sustainability and the number of highly qualified teachers, specifically at Crellin Elementary School. Benefits of PBE were also discussed, including teacher empowerment, community empowerment, and an enriched curriculum due to partnerships with academic experts. Recommendations included replication of a study on middle and high schools implementing the PBE learning model and its effects on student achievement. A recommendation was to track alumni student achievement including a longitudinal study of Crellin students&rsquo; academic performance through middle school and high school (e.g., Advanced Placement, Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career, SATs, and ACTs). </p><p>

<p> The purpose of this study is to chronicle the experiences of an elementary music educator incorporating composition and improvisation activities into her elementary general music curriculum. I interviewed a primary music specialist with the purpose of discovering her background in teaching music. The questions focused on the teacher&rsquo;s experience with music composition. After this interview, I observed the teacher in a third-grade general music composition lesson. I documented how the teacher approached the lesson and any steps she took to adapt the lesson to the needs of their students and her teaching style. </p><p> After the observation, I interviewed the teacher again to record her reactions to teaching the lesson. After coding the transcripts of the interviews and observation, four themes developed from the data: Personal Initiative, Teacher Reassurance, Student Engagement, and Teacher Improvement. The participant involved in this study received training in improvisation and reported that it had a positive effect on not only how she taught composition and improvisation, but also how comfortable she felt while teaching. As the training this teacher received was not through her teacher training program, her case may be unusual among experienced music teachers. Although this teacher was successful in teaching composition, her positive reactions to professional development indicate a desire for more training among in-service music education specialists. This study supports the idea that there is a need for more pre-service and in-service teacher training in how to teach younger students to compose. </p><p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to explore the linguistic architecture of instructional language used during first grade read aloud lessons. The participants were from the CTL Year-3 Read Aloud study. The study&rsquo;s random assignment created 20 teachers in the treatment group and 19 teachers in the control group. My study investigated the variability of their teacher&rsquo;s use of instructional language during direct instruction read aloud lessons. Specifically, I analyzed the following linguistic attributes: (a) clausal density, (b) number of different words, (c) words per minute, (d) percentage of maze words, and (e) number of abandoned utterances. Exploratory associations for these variables were compared against the Quality Classroom Instruction protocol (QCI), a measure of teaching effectiveness. The results of my study yielded null effects due study limitations. However, the explored area addressed a blind-spot within the literature and provided preliminary data, insight, and recommendations pertaining to the linguistic attributes of instructional language used by first grade teachers during read aloud lessons. </p><p>

<p> In an ever-changing labyrinth of standards, accountability, and standardized testing, educators seek ways to improve instruction. Teachers need learning experiences that help them navigate an environment in which a growing list of student performance standards and standardized tests determine their success in teacher evaluations (Crawford, 2015; Terehoff, 2002). In this same pursuit, many administrators are challenged in their efforts to provide meaningful professional development to support teachers (Terehoff, 2002). The goal of this study is to gain insight into which TPD delivery types and which levels of student presence create the most meaningful and applicable learning for educators and to provide insight and guidance to administrators and TPD planners who are seeking ways to provide quality TPD. </p><p> The study data was gathered through qualitative methods, including participant observation, surveys, interviews, and focus groups. The data was exlored through the SPLT model. The major findings of the study suggest that higher model levels&mdash;which included student physical presence&mdash;led to an increased application of teacher-learning in the classroom and an increased confidence in attempting to apply newly learned techniques and tools. Teachers also suggested that these in-classroom session were more valuable when a pre- or post-discussion accompanied the session. The results demonstrated that learning at all model levels had value for different intended learning purposes. They also suggested that the TPD learning could be more effective when lower model level sessions are followed up with higher-level SPLT model sessions that occur in the classroom during instructional time with students physically present.</p><p>

<p> This study analyzed the results of undergraduate and graduate teacher candidate scores on the Elementary Missouri Content Assessment at a private Midwestern University. The intent was to examine the possibility of a difference between pre-service teachers who satisfied coursework requirements through an undergraduate program or through a graduate program. This study focused on the content knowledge domain of teacher knowledge that had been the focus of teacher competency studies since Lee Shulman&rsquo;s research in 1986. This study used pre-service teacher Missouri Content Assessment scores, subtest scores, number of attempts to earn a passing score, number of years since a college math or science class was taken, cumulative grade point average, and grade point average in each content area in order to determine if any correlation existed between academic performance and performance on the Elementary Missouri Content Assessment. </p><p> The researcher anticipated that pre-service teachers with higher GPA would receive higher scores on the Missouri Content Assessment. The 12 hypotheses in this study tested the relationship of both undergraduate and graduate pre-service teacher academic performance and performance on the Missouri Content Assessment. The site of the study was a medium-sized Private Midwestern University. A random sample of 50 undergraduate and 35 graduate pre-service teachers were selected from a total population of 205 graduates, which included 169 undergraduate candidates and 36 graduate candidates. The study was quantitative utilizing the Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient and a <i>z</i>-test for difference in means. The analysis of the 12 hypotheses revealed no statistically significant correlation between academic performance and the Missouri Content Assessment scores. The lack of a significant correlation suggests that further studies are conducted to determine what factors could be indicators that both the Researched University and future pre-service teachers enrolled at the Researched University use as predictors of readiness and success on the MoCA. Because the MoCA assessment has a limited implementation of four years, it may be beneficial to examine what changes the research university has made in course and program design to meet the requirements and then examine the MoCA scores after the changes.</p><p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to investigate the selection and use of picture books about issues of race by an early elementary school teacher, and to critically examine the content of selected picture books about race. The research questions were: How does a self-identifying anti-racist transitional kindergarten teacher in a public elementary school select and utilize children&rsquo;s picture books to address issues of race with their students? What are the underlying messages about race in the books? The case study utilized Seidman&rsquo;s (2013) three-interview series and critical content analysis was used to analyze ten selected picture books. The case study findings revealed that the personal identity and experiences of the participant and her relationship with her students and their families shape her professional race-related goals. Further findings demonstrated that the participant uses picture books to teach about race for a variety of reasons, including that they make race, an abstract concept, concrete for her students. The critical content analysis revealed that the race and experiences of the author or illustrator informed the content and underlying messages in the books. The results of this study add new dimensions to the field&rsquo;s understanding of what factors inform a teacher&rsquo;s selection and use of picture books about race, and what themes are common in children&rsquo;s picture books that address the topic of race. Additionally, this study demonstrates the need for books written and illustrated by people of color in order to provide young children with more authentic representations of the lives and experiences of racially and culturally diverse people. </p><p>

<p> <i>Professional Development Tools to Enhance the Abilities of Veteran Teachers in Pre-K Through Eighth Grades</i> examined the variety of professional development tools available to veteran educators. The quasi-experimental study allowed veteran teachers to participate in a pretest survey consisting of questions about teachers&rsquo; desire for continued professional development, learning preferences, tools and ideas, and demographic information. An intervention in the form of PowerPoint was then presented to the veteran teachers outlining the adult learning theory and a variety of professional development tools. After the intervention, a posttest was conducted and compared using an ANOVA. </p><p> The results in the study indicate that while there is not a significant difference in the pretest and posttest following the intervention, veteran teachers are interested in learning, growing, and enhancing their classroom. Veteran teachers would like to be actively involved in the planning and expansion of professional development opportunities and would like to learn from their peers in how to make their classroom more effective. Veteran teachers also feel that their peers can learn from watching them teach in the classroom and would like to use the peer coaching model and Instructional Rounds to be able to learn from their colleagues. Veteran teachers feel that tools such as observations and feedback are helpful in the classroom and would like to learn more about student engagement, instructional strategies, classroom management, differentiation techniques, Instructional Rounds, growth mindset, and subject specific programs. </p><p> The results from the teachers&rsquo; survey were given to administrators for feedback about how to use the responses to develop effective professional development opportunities in schools. The interview results from the administrators revealed that teacher observation and collaboration are optimal for teachers to grow professionally. The one-on-one interviews also resulted in the overwhelming need to include teachers in the creation of professional development opportunities. </p><p>