<p> This qualitative descriptive case study explored lived experiences of female Latina principals in a southern bay area California county. Researchers are in agreement that there are limited studies in describing female Latina principals advancing their careers by overcoming barriers and challenges. Six individual semi-structured in-depth interviews were used to gather the information related to Latina female principals&rsquo; career development, the female Latina principal, educational leadership, and educational administrator. Latina female principals are not entering the administrative ranks in proportion to the numbers receiving administrative credentials and in comparison to the Hispanic student population. Results of this study show female Latina principals encountered barriers of race, gender, power barriers, and lack of systematic mentors. Principals were supported to overcome these barriers through their commitment to their careers, personal drive and passion, cultural assets such as language and culture, and informal supports from mentors and families. Knowledge acquired from this study may prove beneficial to sustaining continued investigations of career advancement opportunities for Latina principals in California. Moreover, implications from this study may help clarify opportunities for career advancement, self-consciousness, and self- identity for Latina principals.</p><p>

<p> The research objective is to assess the possible gender differences in teachers, as it pertains to working with children and adolescents diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This study will hopefully ensure that the literature on ADHD and its effectiveness is evaluated in context with improvement of learning strategies. The study will refine and improve existing theory on effective ways of teaching children with ADHD by comparing effectiveness of teacher awareness on ADHD and reducing teacher frustration levels. The research explored the questions: 1. Is there a correlation between teachers&rsquo; gender and knowledge of ADHD? 2. Is there a correlation between teachers&rsquo; ethnicity and knowledge of ADHD? In order to get answers to the research questions, a quantitative, correlational research design will be used. Teachers were recruited 60 (30 men and 30 women) Kindergarten through 12th grade through a sample of convenience in the Southern State County district. The data analysis consists of the researcher who will only handle the collected data in order to ensure that it is not tampered with. Raw data was organized in an accurate and consistent manner in order to provide basis for inferences and conclusions. The result of the data analysis demonstrated the correlation between the teachers&rsquo; gender and knowledge of ADHD. Further, the analysis portrayed the possible impact of teacher training on ADHD and the results of how teachers&rsquo; strategies affect ADHD classroom management. </p>

<p> The focus of this study was school transformation to accommodate &ldquo;new literacies, skills, and dispositions that students need to flourish in a networked world&rdquo; (Richardson, 2016, p. ix). Many schools operate within a traditional model developed during the Industrial Revolution to fit the need for efficiency and compliance (Robinson &amp; Aronica, 2015). However, according to Robinson and Aronica (2015), &ldquo;These systems are inherently unsuited to the wholly different circumstances of the twenty-first century&rdquo; (p. xxiii). The purpose of this study was to determine if student choice of where to sit or type of seating positively impact student engagement. Observations were conducted in classrooms to identify whether students had a choice in where they sat; the types of seating available; and whether each student was engaged, compliant, or off-task as defined by a scoring guide. It was determined there is a positive significant difference in the engagement level of students who have a choice in where they sit as compared to students who are assigned to seats. It was also determined there is a positive significant difference in the engagement level of students who were offered flexible seating options compared to students who were seated in traditional desks or at tables with chairs. There are many opportunities to learn from this study and to change educational practices based on the theoretical framework about student engagement and the decline in student engagement according to Gallup polls (Gallup, 2016). The findings of this study bring additional awareness to student engagement and what factors impact learning in the classroom.</p><p>

<p> The math achievement of American students had been stagnant or falling since 2007, according to both national and international measures (NAEP, TIMSS, PISA). While the Common Core State Standards were partially a response to sinking levels of American math proficiency, those standards require a much greater depth of conceptual understanding of mathematics for teachers than previous standards, yet more than half of fifth- through eighth-grade math teachers are not certified to teach math. The federal government and school districts spend millions of dollars on teacher professional development, but little evidence shows what kind of professional development might be the most beneficial for math teachers. This study measured the impact of math content-based professional development on middle school math teachers. Findings suggest that the participating teachers&rsquo; content knowledge about ratios and proportional reasoning increased slightly during the study. Exit surveys indicated that the most recent PD session would have an impact on their teaching practice, although the impact would mostly be related to their pedagogy. However, there was little change in teachers&rsquo; self-efficacy toward teaching mathematics. As research indicates, content knowledge in math is connected to student achievement, the implication of which is that middle school math teachers can increase their content knowledge through professional development. Given that access to higher-level math courses is critical to college success, and the foundation for those higher-level math courses begins in middle school, it is imperative that all students and their teachers are supported to be successful in math.</p><p>

The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which the following factors may differ between chronically tardy and non-tardy students: Parental attitudes, family structure, socioeconomic status, teacher attitudes, and schoolmates' influence. The population of this study was the students at an elementary school in the Dekalb County School System, Georgia. Thirty students participated in the study. The ages of the participants ranged from 8 through 13. The instrument used in this study is entitled The Home and School Environment Questionnaire. Of the five variables analyzed, only two proved to have significant differences as perceived by the two groups of students. The two variables were: (1) Family structure in terms of the presence of the father in the home, and (2) teacher attitude. Along with the findings, conclusions, and implications, it was recommended that the following initiatives be developed: (1) Parenting Workshops for the parents of those students identified as chronically tardy; (2) Schoolwide strategies that encourage students to arrive at school on time; (3) A Big Brother program in which male adult figures spend time with chronically tardy students; (4) A communication system that will inform parents of tardies on a daily basis; (5) Workshops to enhance positive teacher-student interactions that will improve students' perceptions of teachers; and (6) rewards for students and praise parents for maintaining good attendance records in school.

<p> Increasingly, more high school teachers are providing instruction using blended learning. This provides benefits to students such as having more time flexibility in their learning as well as the ability to work through assignments at their own pace (Oliver &amp; Kellogg, 2015). However, this also involves student challenges, such as the need for self-motivation and time management. </p><p> The purpose of this qualitative study is to gain insight regarding teacher perceptions, experiences, and recommendations regarding transitioning from teaching in a face-to-face classroom environment to blended learning. The theoretical frameworks that form the basis for this research include the Community of Inquiry (CoI), Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Concerns Based Adoption Model (CBAM), and Disruptive Innovation Theory. Hence, this research is based on diverse frameworks to incorporate those that focus on the change process along with frameworks that address online learning for instruction. Through administering background surveys, in-depth participant interviews, review of course design, and time-ordered matrices of syllabi, triangulation of data was used to provide &ldquo;convergence of evidence&rdquo; (Yin, 2009, p. 117). </p><p> The research focus on in-depth interviews yielded the opportunity to learn details of the blended course teachers&rsquo; experiences from their point of view. By shedding light on teacher perceptions and experiences while transitioning to blended learning, this study sought to inform how teachers may approach this journey and how districts/Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) may better assist them. Ultimately, this may inform educators of research-based approaches to provide effective blended learning instruction regarding academic, personal, and social skills. </p><p> This study showed that high school blended learning teachers enjoyed having the opportunity to meet with their peers to share their ideas and learning strategies. They take pride in coming up with new and improved ways to assist their students in learning. Hence, this will provide more student engagement opportunities. </p><p> Furthermore, high school blended learning teachers may gain additional ideas from attending conferences and workshops. Although this does cost money and result in reduced teacher time in the classroom, based on teacher willingness and perceptions, the benefits in attending are very valuable. The teachers are able to learn about diverse areas of blended learning through attending sessions and networking. Ultimately, this will provide greater options for student learning in blended learning environments.</p><p>

<p> <b>Purpose:</b> The purpose of this study was to describe the best practices of English language development programs in rural South San Joaquin Valley elementary schools in the targeted areas of reading, writing, listening and speaking and best practices in teacher professional development to prevent Long Term English Learners from the perspective of principals. An additional purpose was to identify and describe obstacles to the implementation of best practices of English language development in rural South San Joaquin Valley elementary schools from the perspective of principals. </p><p> <b>Methodology:</b> Through data analysis, rural elementary schools in South San Joaquin Valley were identified as high-achieving from the California Department of Education&rsquo;s Five-by-Five English Learner Indicator based on the rate that English learner students within the school attain English proficiency. The primary focus of this study was to gain the perspective and lived experiences of rural elementary school principals in the implementation of successful English language development programs. In this study, data were collected through in-depth interviews and archived artifacts, which were analyzed to identify patterns, and draw conclusions based on the research questions of this study. A field-test was conducted.</p><p> <b>Findings:</b> Major findings include creating a culture of high expectations for all students, ensuring that designated English Language Development occurs daily, intentional teacher professional development, and a focus on students&rsquo; production of academic language.</p><p> <b>Conclusions:</b> Numerous conclusions were drawn based on the major findings, and from these findings, a list of implications for action were generated. One implication for action is that school boards create and enforce progressive policies that promote native language as a vehicle to proficiently developing academic English language, as well as literacy in the native language (dual-immersion programs).</p><p> <b>Recommendations:</b> Recommendations for further research are described in Chapter V, including the exploration of whether the change in local control with LCFF funding and the district created LCAP, has changed the implementation of ELD programs in rural elementary schools, hence improving academic achievement of English Learners.</p><p>

<p> Community colleges have become highly desirable partners of 21^st century workforce development initiatives due to their ability to address skilled labor shortages. As flexible, teaching-centered institutions, community colleges are catalysts for workforce programs due to their ability to receive funding, develop relationships with business and industry, and connect workers to industry through the provision of non-credit educational services. Government initiatives and funding originating with the Obama administration have helped community colleges meet the growing demand for a skilled workforce to ease unemployment and spur economic growth. </p><p> The expansion of initiatives and workforce development programs puts a greater imperative on developing a standard for theory-based program evaluation by which to monitor program outcomes and provide feedback to collaborative WFD partners. The purpose of the study was to investigate and improve workforce program outcomes using appreciative inquiry action research to gain the perspectives of program partners at community colleges, industry and businesses, and federal program initiatives. Appreciative inquiry is used to learn what is working well, to envision processes that can be improved, and to create dialogue about changes that should be implemented. The findings indicated that WFD programs are generally perceived to be successful in meeting stakeholders&rsquo; goals, but that current evaluation methods are insufficient to provide timely or in-depth feedback necessary for recursive program planning. Full time WFD professionals average 13% of their time on outcome assessment, most of which involves students&rsquo; end of term self-reports or informal industry measures. Participants suggested six areas of improvement to current evaluation: evaluating on-the-job outcomes, including various people in evaluations, refining and developing evaluation tools, increasing knowledge of evaluation methods, obtaining data to inform program evaluation, and using best practices. The results were used to inform community colleges in their expanding role as WFD partners in designing strategies for future improvements.</p><p>

<p> Educators and researchers have noted teacher retention as a matter of concern as the newest members of the educational field leave after only a few short years of service. Recent studies indicate the possibility of several factors that contribute to the exit of newer teachers. Many teachers commit to staying the course even as they are faced with educational challenges that motivate others to leave teaching. The goal of this study was to explore possible motivations for the perceptions and behaviors of experienced teachers as they respond to educational challenges, what conditions affect their decisions during challenges, and what characteristics are present in those who choose to stay in the field despite the educational challenges associated with teaching. </p><p>

<p> While broad attempts have been made to investigate values undergirding school choice (Bosetti &amp; Pyryt, 2007; Zeehandelaar &amp; Northern, 2013), research has yet to employ a means for subjectively and holistically investigating parents&rsquo; values for the education of their children across multiple school contexts. Q methodology was used with 29 parent participants who rank-ordered 40 statements aligned with the four-quadrant model of human development and holistic education: cognitive, social and emotional, psychomotor, and intuition and creative. Results yielded a three-factor solution interpreted along with interview data and field notes to be <i>Reverence in Tradition, Diversity in Experiences</i>, and <i>Morality in Decisions. Reverence in Tradition </i> reflects a priority of spiritual development. <i> Diversity in Experiences</i> emphasizes autonomous student growth through diverse interactions and ideas. <i>Morality in Decisions</i> emphasizes respectful and positive interaction with others. Three conclusions emerge from this research: there are three ways that parents who enroll their children in public, private, or homeschools express the priorities for the educational needs of their children; a four-quadrant model of education assists in understanding parents&rsquo; subjective views related to the educational needs of their children; and school setting serves as an interesting role in understanding priorities for the developmental needs of children. Of interest is the finding that all three academic contexts were represented in each of the three viewpoints; however, some parents may place children in school contexts that align with preferences, such as most <i>Reverence in Tradition</i> were home or private schools, the other two parent groups favor public schools. Findings from this research can assist policymakers, administrators, and teachers who want to understand parents&rsquo; values for the education of their children. </p><p>