Changing patterns of immigration have caused schools in the U.S., which previously encountered few to no English Language Learners (ELLs), to see classrooms filled with many ELLs (Massey & Capoferro, 2008; Walker et al., 2004). Existing research on teaching ELLs focused heavily on the work of pre-service or early years educators’ teaching in secondary or post-secondary settings (de Courcy, 2011; Flynt, 2018; Rahman et al., 2018). This study uncovered the teacher lore of four veteran teachers of ELLs employed at a Title I, urban elementary school in the Rocky Mountain region. Data collection and analysis utilized techniques of narrative research, with a priori coding based in Bandura’s (1989) theory of reciprocal determinism (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000; Kim, 2016). The stories shared by these experienced educators revealed nine categories of teacher lore about the reality of teaching ELLs. Based on the lore revealed, this study concludes that 1) teachers need the freedom to exercise their professional judgment when teaching ELLs, and 2) the amount of resources available directly influence what any teacher can accomplish. The findings of this study apply to other teachers of ELLs, professionals interested in designing teacher-led, context based professional development, and policy makers interested in improving academic outcomes for ELLs (Marlowe, 2006).

The purposes of this research study were to identify the instructional leadership practices and beliefs of superintendents of high-performing, high-poverty districts, and develop a profile of an effective superintendent in these school districts. School districts were identified from data compiled by the Education Trust West, which identified high-performing, and high-poverty schools in California. Data were gathered through interviews of eleven individuals in three different school districts. In addition to the interviews, the respondents shared documents and internal communication tools, which the researcher reviewed. Qualitative research software (ATLAS/ti) was utilized to analyze the data from the interviews. The results indicate that the superintendents: (a) focused the entire school district on student achievement; (b) expected alignment between district and school goals; (c) utilized a variety of ways to communicate their messages to various constituencies; (d) faced conflict as a major part of their jobs, ranging from conflict with the school board to conflict with the teachers' association; (e) were perceived as strong instructional leaders; (f) placed a high priority on professional development for administrators and teachers; (g) expected schools to depend primarily on categorical and grant funds to provide supplemental services to students, but made staff resources available to support high student achievement; (h) relied heavily on data to inform their decisions; and (i) held administrators accountable for high student achievement. The researcher concluded that an effective superintendent in high-performing, high-poverty school districts can be characterized as one who (a) is relentlessly focused on high student achievement; (b) communicates constantly with all groups within and outside of the school community; (c) is able to withstand conflict and remain focused on student achievement; (d) provides the resources necessary for student achievement in terms of staff support, and professional development; (e) uses data to inform the decision-making process; and (f) holds people accountable for high student achievement, while providing them with the flexibility to achieve their goals in a way they deem appropriate to their particular circumstances.

I used teacher data from the Study of Personnel Needs in Special Education (SPeNSE) to compare the characteristics, qualifications (e.g., credentials, preservice preparation, self-efficacy, and induction) and work conditions (e.g., school support, work manageability and induction support) of early career special education teachers in high- and low-poverty districts and the effects of these variables on teacher commitment. Organized as a set of thee articles, this research presents findings from a nationally representative sample of 935 early career special education teachers. Data analyses included descriptive statistics, factor analysis, reliability analyses, and logistic regression. Significant differences were found in the credentials and preparation of teachers working in high poverty vs. more affluent districts, with those in high poverty schools having fewer credentials and less preparation. In contrast, the two teacher groups reported similar induction opportunities and gave themselves comparable ratings on both self-efficacy and in skillfulness in various work tasks. Teachers in high poverty districts also reported less desirable work conditions than their counterparts in more affluent districts. When compared to teachers in low poverty districts, those in less affluent districts viewed their principals and colleagues as less supportive, perceived less involvement in school decisions, reported having fewer materials, and indicated higher and more diverse caseloads. In contrast, the two teacher groups reported similar professional development and induction opportunities. Finally, logistic regression results suggest that problems with work manageability were negatively related to teacher commitment, whereas positive school support and good match between preparation and assignment positively influenced teachers' commitment. However, district level of poverty, district support, and perceived helpfulness of induction support were not significantly related to teachers' commitment. These studies draw attention to inequalities in the education of students with disabilities in high poverty districts; and emphasize the critical need not only to recruit and prepare qualified teachers for high poverty schools, but also to address disparities in work conditions. Policymakers and educational leaders concerned with fostering teachers' commitment should consider developing supportive work environments, involving teachers in decision making, and creating manageable work assignments. / Ph. D.

Doctor of Education / Department of Educational Leadership / Trudy Salsberry / Today, students enter school with a variety of knowledge about technology. They are accustomed to using the Internet, cell phones, instant messaging, social networking, but that does not mean they have a deep understanding of the reading skills necessary to be successful at online reading (Leu et al., 2013). Reading on the Internet requires critical literacy skills and requires a different set of reading comprehension skills when compared to traditional print (Coiro & Dobler, 2007; Eaglerton & Dobler, 2007; Henry, 2006; Karchmer-Klein & Shinas, 2012; Leu et al., 2008; Leu et al., 2013). The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the knowledge, dispositions, and actions of principals perceived to be most meaningful by both the principals themselves and the teachers under their supervision in high-poverty schools with classroom teachers integrating new literacies. This study also examined the dimensions of instructional leadership (Hallinger & Murphy, 1985) and how these dimensions intersect with knowledge, dispositions, and actions of principals. Using a qualitative design, specifically a multiple-case study, the researcher interviewed teachers and principals at four, high-poverty elementary schools to gain insight into the principals’ role in the integration of new literacies. This study provides a deeper understanding of the many components involved in the leadership of a high-poverty school with classroom teachers integrating new literacies. The findings of this study include that the principals were literacy leaders. They were knowledgeable about the curriculum; ensured teachers had the appropriate resources to integrate new literacies (Internet, iPads, laptops, and tablets); and had high expectations for teachers in terms of technology integration. The principals created equitable opportunities for all students to participate in the integration of technology and literacy. Finally, the principals in this study created a culture of trust and professional growth for teachers.

<p>The education field is experiencing a shortage of qualified teachers, especially in high-poverty schools. All school districts struggle to find ways to prevent the increasing turnover rates in their schools; however, school districts serving impoverished populations have to deal with the impact of teacher turnover more frequently. This qualitative study focused on the lived experiences of four elementary school teachers with ten or more years of experience in Steele Community Schools, a high-poverty school district. This study focused on factors that have led participants to remain in their teaching positions. Using the framework of Fredrick Herzberg’s two-factor theory, the researcher examined motivation and hygiene factors to determine which factors had the greatest impact in increasing a teacher’s likelihood to remain in the profession; more specifically in high-poverty schools. The results of this study provides an understanding of the factors that impact a teacher’s decision to remain in their position and may serve as a reference for school districts that continue to experience high teacher turnover. Through semi-structured interviews, data were collected from four veteran teachers with ten or more years of experience in their district. This study found that, of Herzberg’s motivation and hygiene factors, coworker relations, salary/benefits, and the work itself had the greatest impact on a teacher’s decision to remain in their teaching position in a high-poverty school. The study also brought to light a element outside of Herzberg’s theory which has had just as great of an impact on teacher retention; the outside community. Based on the findings of this of the qualitative study school district leaders could potentially take a deeper look at factors that have been referenced in this study as having had a positive impact on teachers’ decisions to remain in their positions in a high-poverty school and increase teacher retention.</p>

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of African American female principals serving in high-poverty urban schools. This study was warranted due to the growing number of African American female principal leaders in urban schools over the last 20 years. School leaders in urban school districts are expected to increase academic achievement, support district initiatives, and foster the development of urban communities. The study results will serve as a source of information to educators on similar journeys.

Teacher attrition is a state and local concern. Teachers leaving the profession before they reach the age of retirement is costly to school divisions, hinders school achievement, and negatively affects student success. Studies of teacher attrition and retention state teachers are leaving the workforce and pointing to adverse working conditions of teaching in the schools as the main stressor. Increasing teacher resilience may be a pathway to increasing teacher retention in schools. The negative factors associated with teaching in high poverty elementary public schools present challenges that are driving away teachers in their beginning years as well as those with the most experience. Currently, resilience studies have taken on a profession oriented lens. Teacher resilience is how teachers overcome personal and job related challenges to become more resilient and therefore more equipped to manage stress associated with teaching in today's schools. This study uses a survey and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-25 to measure and compare the resilience of two groups of elementary teachers in Southwest Virginia. Teachers from high poverty (≥90%) and lower poverty (≤50%) elementary public schools were identified by their levels of Free and Reduced Price Lunch and qualification for the Community Eligibility Provision. The CD-RISC-25 resulted in statistically insignificant differences between the mean resilience scores between the two groups of teachers, however, the interviews with ten elementary school principals described and delineated the differences between the challenges faced by teachers in high poverty schools compared to teachers in lower poverty schools. / Doctor of Education / The number of teachers leaving the profession before reaching the age of retirement is a state and national concern. The cycle of replacing teachers who leave the classroom is costly to school divisions, negatively influences teachers' working conditions, functions as a barrier to consistent student achievement, and hinders the overall success of the school. Studies of the conditions influencing teachers who leave the profession indicate adverse working conditions as the primary concern. The negative factors associated with teaching in high poverty elementary public schools places additional stress and a litany of challenges for teachers to overcome before they are able to start the instructional day as well as maintain a status quo in the classroom. Currently resilience studies are taking on a profession oriented lens. Teacher resilience results from their capacity to overcome personal and job related challenges to become more resilient and therefore more equipped to manage stress associated with teaching in today's schools. Teachers have a complex set of internal systems (parent, spouse, daughter/son, sibling) interacting within a highly stressful professional environment ( high poverty elementary schools) using multiple skill sets (instruction, behavior management, record keeping, and counseling) at varying degrees of expertise (beginning teacher, experienced teacher, and master teacher). This study investigates the resilience of two groups of teachers working in Southwest Virginia public elementary schools. The first group of teachers were from high poverty elementary schools while the second group of teachers were from lower poverty elementary schools. A survey and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-25 (CD-RISC-25) measured individual teachers' resilience for comparisons between the two groups of teachers. Findings showed there were no statistically significant differences between the resilience of teachers in high poverty elementary schools and lower poverty elementary schools. In addition, there were no statistically significant relationships between teacher resilience, teachers choosing to remain in the profession, and teachers deciding to leave the profession. In contrast to the survey and CD-RISC- the differences between these two groups of teachers derived from the interviews with ten elementary school principals. The comments provided an in-depth perspective to the challenges of working in a high poverty elementary school as compared to a lower poverty elementary school. Understanding the role of resilience in Southwest Virginia teachers in both the high poverty and lower elementary schools may add to plausible policies, workable practices, and engaging professional development dedicated to increasing teachers' abilities to withstand the stressors associated with teaching in a public or private school.

When it comes to improving schools, context always matters (Murphy, 2013, p. 260). School leaders are "masters at brokering" (Murphy, 2013, p. 259) change. These changes are usually through the transfer of programs, interventions, and structures that worked elsewhere and pay little regard to the conditions and context that made them work (Murphy, 2013). School improvement reform will require "substantive systemic change" (Adelman and Taylor, 2007, p. 55) that considers the "current culture of schools and intended school improvements" (Adelman and Taylor, 2007, p. 56). This study will use a qualitative, multiple case-study methodology, a semi-structured interview protocol, and a document review to identify how school leaders in five, accredited high or mid-high poverty Virginia middle schools both identified and provided resources to address barriers to student learning. The instrumentation tool for this study was based on the learning or enabling components of the Adelman and Taylor improvement model (2008). The tool was used to qualify the school leaders' site-based school resource allocation and then analyzed for common themes. The study found that some learning or enabling supports were more represented than others. The study also found that there were three key leadership traits among school leaders who had effectively resourced the learning supports: instructional leadership; human-resource leadership; and culture and expectations leadership. Implications from this study include the need for further research on models for school improvement that require schools and districts to identify, plan, and provide for barriers to student learning. A second implication is the need for further study on leadership traits that might exist in school leaders who not only recognize but are able to inspire the implicit and explicit need to plan and provide for overcoming barriers to student learning. / Doctor of Education / The process of improving schools is important. The decision-making and school improvement structures that most schools employ is one that focuses mainly on classroom instruction with little regard to planning for students who may struggle because of outside barriers, like the effects of poverty, lack of exposure to background knowledge, or insufficient schooling and experiences. This study used a qualitative, multiple case-study methodology, a semi-structured interview protocol, and a document review to identify how school principals in five, accredited high or mid-high poverty Virginia middle schools both identified and provided resources to address barriers to student learning. The study used the learning or enabling components of the Adelman and Taylor improvement model (2008) to qualify the school leaders’ site-based school resource allocation and then analyzed them for common themes. The study found that some learning or enabling supports were more represented than others. The study also found that there were three key leadership traits among school leaders who had effectively resourced the learning supports: instructional leadership; human-resource leadership; and culture and expectations leadership.

Este trabalho tem por objeto a realidade da escola pública da periferia, sob a ótica do professor de matemática. Nele são desenvolvidos estudos teóricos preliminares à construção de uma leitura crítica sobre as tramas que constituem essa realidade, tendo como condicionante o fato de o pesquisador fazer parte dela. A metáfora da trama é utilizada para pensar a articulação dos inúmeros fatores que interagem na configuração dos processos e contextos analisados, servindo para aproximar as experiências particulares de sua totalidade social. Essa leitura se mostra importante para intensificar e orientar as predisposições para uma ação educativa transformadora. Sendo algo difícil de ser alcançado pelo professor em exercício, em face da agitada dinâmica da vida contemporânea, duas questões se impõem: (a) como essa barreira pode ser transposta? (b) como esse nível de criticidade pode ser alcançado? No percurso do trabalho, tenta-se responder essas questões mediante a reflexão sobre as próprias ações do pesquisador diante do desafio de construção dessa leitura crítica. Tal leitura consistiria numa forma de interpretação da realidade apurada mediante um processo filosófico-reflexivo de organização das percepções por meio das quais essa realidade é acessada. Isso pressuporia a aquisição de um capital teórico-filosófico que viabilizasse a ampliação das possibilidades dessa leitura. A necessidade desse capital teria apoio nas ideias de Norwood Hanson, para quem os conhecimentos apreendidos previamente é que dão suporte à observação. A organização dessas percepções, por sua vez, teria a finalidade de aclarar as incoerências, inconsistências e contradições que se formam historicamente nos meandros dessas tramas contribuindo para a submissão do ser humano a condições indesejáveis. Esse nível de esclarecimento também requereria certo capital sociológico, que neste caso foi constituído principalmente pelas teorias de Marx, Bourdieu e Adorno. Os estudos teóricos são aqui apresentados na forma de ensaios, sendo o primeiro dedicado às prévias à socialização no campo científico; o segundo, às abordagens teóricas no estudo da realidade; e o terceiro, às tramas da realidade da escola pública da periferia e do ensino de matemática nessas escolas. / The object of this work has been the reality of the urban high poverty public school in Brazil, from the perspective of a mathematics teacher. In it are developed theoretical studies preliminary to the construction of a critical reading of the woof making up that reality, given the fact that the researcher is part of it. The metaphor of woof is used to help thinking the articulations of many factors that interact in the shaping of the process and contexts that was analyzed, serving to approximate the particular experiences of their social totality. This reading shows itself important to step up and guide the predispositions to a transforming educational activity. Being something difficult to achieve by the teacher in exercise, due to the troubled dynamics of contemporary life, two questions are imposed: (a) how that barrier can be transposed? (b) how this level of criticality can be achieved? In the working path, is tried to answer these questions by reflecting on the actions of the researcher facing the challenge of building this critical reading. Such a reading would be a kind of reality interpretation enhanced by a philosophical-reflective process of organizing perceptions through which this reality is accessed. It presupposes the acquisition of a theoretical-philosophical capital that makes feasible the expansion of the possibilities of this reading. The need for this capital would be support by the ideas of Norwood Hanson, for whom the knowledge previously seized is what supports the observation. The organization of these perceptions, in its turn, would have the purpose of clarifying incoherencies, inconsistencies and contradictions that are formed historically in the intricacies of these plots contributing to the submission of the human being to undesirable conditions. This level of information would also require certain sociological capital, which in this case consisted primarily by the theories of Marx, Adorno and Bourdieu. The theoretical studies are presented here in format of essays. The first, dedicated to the preliminary studies in support of the socialization of the researcher in the scientific field; the second, the theoretical approaches in the study of reality; and third, the woof of the urban high poverty public school and the mathematics teaching in such a school.

Este trabalho tem por objeto a realidade da escola pública da periferia, sob a ótica do professor de matemática. Nele são desenvolvidos estudos teóricos preliminares à construção de uma leitura crítica sobre as tramas que constituem essa realidade, tendo como condicionante o fato de o pesquisador fazer parte dela. A metáfora da trama é utilizada para pensar a articulação dos inúmeros fatores que interagem na configuração dos processos e contextos analisados, servindo para aproximar as experiências particulares de sua totalidade social. Essa leitura se mostra importante para intensificar e orientar as predisposições para uma ação educativa transformadora. Sendo algo difícil de ser alcançado pelo professor em exercício, em face da agitada dinâmica da vida contemporânea, duas questões se impõem: (a) como essa barreira pode ser transposta? (b) como esse nível de criticidade pode ser alcançado? No percurso do trabalho, tenta-se responder essas questões mediante a reflexão sobre as próprias ações do pesquisador diante do desafio de construção dessa leitura crítica. Tal leitura consistiria numa forma de interpretação da realidade apurada mediante um processo filosófico-reflexivo de organização das percepções por meio das quais essa realidade é acessada. Isso pressuporia a aquisição de um capital teórico-filosófico que viabilizasse a ampliação das possibilidades dessa leitura. A necessidade desse capital teria apoio nas ideias de Norwood Hanson, para quem os conhecimentos apreendidos previamente é que dão suporte à observação. A organização dessas percepções, por sua vez, teria a finalidade de aclarar as incoerências, inconsistências e contradições que se formam historicamente nos meandros dessas tramas contribuindo para a submissão do ser humano a condições indesejáveis. Esse nível de esclarecimento também requereria certo capital sociológico, que neste caso foi constituído principalmente pelas teorias de Marx, Bourdieu e Adorno. Os estudos teóricos são aqui apresentados na forma de ensaios, sendo o primeiro dedicado às prévias à socialização no campo científico; o segundo, às abordagens teóricas no estudo da realidade; e o terceiro, às tramas da realidade da escola pública da periferia e do ensino de matemática nessas escolas. / The object of this work has been the reality of the urban high poverty public school in Brazil, from the perspective of a mathematics teacher. In it are developed theoretical studies preliminary to the construction of a critical reading of the woof making up that reality, given the fact that the researcher is part of it. The metaphor of woof is used to help thinking the articulations of many factors that interact in the shaping of the process and contexts that was analyzed, serving to approximate the particular experiences of their social totality. This reading shows itself important to step up and guide the predispositions to a transforming educational activity. Being something difficult to achieve by the teacher in exercise, due to the troubled dynamics of contemporary life, two questions are imposed: (a) how that barrier can be transposed? (b) how this level of criticality can be achieved? In the working path, is tried to answer these questions by reflecting on the actions of the researcher facing the challenge of building this critical reading. Such a reading would be a kind of reality interpretation enhanced by a philosophical-reflective process of organizing perceptions through which this reality is accessed. It presupposes the acquisition of a theoretical-philosophical capital that makes feasible the expansion of the possibilities of this reading. The need for this capital would be support by the ideas of Norwood Hanson, for whom the knowledge previously seized is what supports the observation. The organization of these perceptions, in its turn, would have the purpose of clarifying incoherencies, inconsistencies and contradictions that are formed historically in the intricacies of these plots contributing to the submission of the human being to undesirable conditions. This level of information would also require certain sociological capital, which in this case consisted primarily by the theories of Marx, Adorno and Bourdieu. The theoretical studies are presented here in format of essays. The first, dedicated to the preliminary studies in support of the socialization of the researcher in the scientific field; the second, the theoretical approaches in the study of reality; and third, the woof of the urban high poverty public school and the mathematics teaching in such a school.