The shortage of teachers necessitates systems of certification that quickly provide teachers for the field, especially in hard to staff schools. Alternative certification programs have attempted to address the need by enlisting non-certified college graduates and offering these individuals shortcuts to certification, special assistance, or opportunities to study that prepare them for eligibility to obtain their teaching credential. (Darling-Hammond, 2000). These types of programs bring consequences with the benefits. This mixed methods study examined the effect of alternative certification programs on teacher self-efficacy. The Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale (Tschannen- Moran & Woolfolk Hoy, 2001) was administered to interns prior to entering the field and after four months in the field. The results demonstrated a significant drop in teacher self- efficacy from pre- to post-test. In addition, semi-structured interviews identified factors that contributed to the drop in teacher self-efficacy. Implications for teacher education programs are discussed.

The bully has been a figure in adolescent life for decades; however, the nature of bullying in the 21st Century has changed as it has moved to cyberspace. Bullying has taken on a new form termed cyberbullying. This quantitative survey design study examined Catholic school teachers’ legal understanding and perceptions of cyberbullying. In examining Catholic school teachers’ understanding of the law governing cyberbullying, their concerns about cyberbullying, their perceived responsibility in addressing cyberbullying, and their perceived ability to respond to cyberbullying, the study examined the human interactions that reflect not only legal responsibilities, but also ethical obligations as caring and just leaders in Catholic schools. A survey instrument was distributed online to eight Catholic schools within the Diocese of St. Aquinas (a pseudonym). The study showed that Catholic school teachers had limited understanding of the law governing cyberbullying. Findings indicated that Catholic school teachers were concerned about cyberbullying and perceived a high level of responsibility in addressing cyberbullying, but did not perceive an ability to effectively respond to cyberbullying. The findings support the need for professional development programs to increase Catholic school teachers’ awareness of cyberbullying and provide comprehensive training on how to respond effectively. Findings also suggest re-examination of teacher preparation programs to provide training to teachers on how to recognize and effectively manage cyberbullying. Persistent attention to private school law and current case analysis should be an ongoing practice at the diocesan level with the intent to disseminate legal information and direction to Catholic school principals and teachers.

Given the negative impact of students' challenging behaviors on the learning process, a need exists to gain a more comprehensive understanding of how teachers' beliefs, practices, and knowledge relate to their abilities to effectively manage classroom behaviors. Three-hundred and forty-two (342) public school (PK-12) teachers in a mid-Atlantic state responded to an on-line survey. Data were examined using correlational statistical analysis to measure the relationship between teachers' sense of efficacy (TSE) and use of evidenced-based practices (EBP) in managing students with challenging behaviors, teachers' use of EBP and how they value types/topics of professional development and years of teaching experience. Significant correlations were found between TSE and use of EBP. Moderate correlations were indicated between use of EBP and type or topic of professional development. Years of experience did not correlate significantly with use of EBP in managing students with challenging behaviors. A significant difference was found between special and general educators' use of EBP, with special educators reporting a higher use of EBP. Results inform educators as to what teachers need in order to increase the use of EBP in an effort to effectively manage students with challenging behaviors. Research indicates TSE is enhanced and student outcomes improve.;Keywords: challenging behaviors, classroom management, evidence-based practices, positive behavior supports, professional development, student discipline, students with disabilities, teacher belief, teacher efficacy, teacher preparation, public schools.

In an effort to provide greater access and progress in the general education curriculum and higher levels of standards proficiency for students with disabilities, school districts across the nation have substantially increased placements in inclusive classroom settings. This thrust has significantly challenged and frustrated general educators due to their perceptions of incompetence related to meeting the needs of students with disabilities in the absence of appropriate training and support.;This study used mixed-methods research to explore differences in general educators' self-efficacy beliefs based on IEP-identified students' learning or behavioral challenges; variation in classroom practice between high and low self-efficacy teachers relative to instructional strategies, behavior events, and student engagement; and lastly, perceptions of professional development experiences related to skill and knowledge areas supportive of inclusive instruction. Study results revealed significant differences between general self-efficacy and the student engagement, management, and use of instructional strategies subscales for both students with learning and behavioral challenges. Classroom observations and follow-up interviews provided support of the many important differences between low and high self-efficacy teachers. Bivariate correlations indicated significant, positive relationships between professional development format delivery and perceived implementation level. Bivariate correlations also revealed significant, positive relationships between perceived follow-up support and implementation use. Implications of this study include the importance of targeted professional development and subsequent follow-up support to improve teacher understanding and use of effective practices with students who have IEP-identified learning and behavioral challenges.

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Students who exercise a deep approach to learning connect classroom content to real-life experiences. To help first-year students develop a deep approach to learning, Brigham Young University offers a program called Freshman Academy. Participants join a "learning community" based on their intended major. As part of this learning community, participants take recommended first-year courses together and engage in service-learning and problem-solving activities. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore changes in learning approach that followed participation in a Freshman Academy learning community for prospective elementary education majors. These changes were explored through a survey that asked students how they prioritized certain goals related to learning before and after participation. Significant findings of difference were found in post-test survey scores, indicating a marked change in learning approach at the end of Freshman Academy participation.

This study presents a multicase study that looked at the fluency development of three fourth grade readers of varying reading abilities. The participants were chosen based on two scores, their words correct per minute (WCPM) score and their Multidimensional Fluency Scale score (MFS). The three students participated in an eight-week intervention in which readers theaters were used for fluency instruction and practice. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used as the researcher observed the students during the literacy block of the day; interviewed the three participants three times; one-on-one, gathered self-report sheets that the participants filled out weekly; and recorded their WCPM and MFS scores weekly. Findings of this study suggest that students' engagement in readers theater helped develop various aspects of fluency: expression, volume, and pace. Motivation and confidence were also found to increase through the use of readers theaters.

Despite the prevalence of separate reading classes in middle-level schools across the country, there is much debate about the effectiveness of these courses. Many researchers advocate content-area literacy or interdisciplinary teaming instead, claiming that students do not transfer the skills they learn in reading classes to other subjects. This qualitative case study of one middle school student is an intensive description of a biracial Navajo and Piute teenager who attended a separate reading class. The case study looked at three specific areas of the student's reading in regards to this class: comprehension, motivation, and perception. The student did not transfer the skills he learned in this class to his content areas, nor did he change his at-home reading and writing practices while participating in this class.

The purpose of this study was to determine the status of social studies in elementary classrooms in a local school district. Status was determined by assessing the amount of instructional time that was devoted to social studies, its perceived importance in the curriculum, and challenges associated with teaching social studies. Three research questions were identified in order to examine the status of social studies in Apple School District (pseudonym): (1) To what degree is social studies being taught in the elementary grades one through five? (2) How important is social studies compared to other areas of the curriculum? (3) What do elementary teachers identify to be challenges associated with teaching social studies? Data for this study were gathered through a single distribution of a survey. Teachers of grades one through five from 19 elementary schools participated in this study. Surveys were collected from 351 teachers. Results of this study indicated that social studies was being taught in 98% of the classrooms of teachers surveyed. A post hoc analysis of variance revealed that fifth-grade teachers reported teaching social studies significantly more days per week than first, second, and third-grade teachers. Results also revealed that fourth-grade teachers taught significantly more days per week than second-grade teachers. Participants reported their perception that social studies was less important than literacy, math, and science. Participants also identified challenges to teaching social studies. The three most often mentioned challenges were time constraints, lack of resources and core curriculum issues.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of teaching text structure as a tool to assist first grade students' understanding of science content in a unit of study on plants. A quantitative analysis was performed to reveal any difference in mean post-test scores between a control group and a treatment group. Results indicated that the treatment group students' science content knowledge was increased significantly more than students in the control group. Usage of specific text structure keywords did not increase. However, students did use synonyms of keywords. Recommendations for further research are discussed.