Positive transition from a traditional schedule to a block schedule involves not only much investigation and planning but also the successful acclimation of teachers to the necessary changes in how they deliver instruction. With this being said, the importance of teacher evaluation and professional development can not be understated. This study investigates the evolution of the teacher evaluation process and professional development after the adoption of a 4x4 model of block scheduling. Data were collected from 6 Virginia public schools by means of principal interviews, teacher interviews, and analysis of the individual school division's teacher evaluation methods and procedures. It was found that the 6 evaluation models shared similar components. The teachers and administrators believed that the models had not significantly changed since the adoption of block scheduling and, with some alterations by the administrators, did adequately evaluate teachers of 4x4 block scheduled schools. The most frequently offered suggestion for improvements to the block scheduled teacher evaluation process involved a larger narrative component. Considering both teacher and administrator comments, the researcher concluded that teacher developed portfolios would be a valuable part of the teacher evaluation process. / Ed. D.

Writing-to-learn strategies have been well documented in the promotion of student learning (Poirrier, 1997c). Less is known about how teachers come to use these strategies in every day instruction. This study is a description of the experiences of one science teacher at a large suburban high school who shared writing-to-learn strategies with his department to promote the use of these strategies in daily instruction of his colleagues. The strategies involved 1) improving reading comprehension using paraphrasing, 2) activating prior knowledge using generic questions: who, what, where, when, why, & how, and 3) writing before and after other classroom activities to activate prior knowledge and then better integrate new information. The strategies were shared during informal meetings at lunch. Participation was voluntary. Of the eighteen faculty members, four chose to implement the strategies on a longer-term basis. Follow-up analysis in subsequent years, showed that the strategies were still in use and that the colleagues who used the strategies had passed them on to newly inducted members of the department. Results were discussed with regards to how teachers acquire or decline the incorporation of new teaching ideas in the normal course of their work in collegial settings. / Ed. D.

The teachers' lounge was once the only oasis of camaraderie among teachers engaged in the rigors of public education. Today, fellowship among teachers looks quite different and is no longer relegated to the teachers' lounge. Indeed, in a successful school it is pervasive, and so are the teachers who become leaders of their fellow colleagues and play a significant role in school improvement and renewal. Operating in a variety of roles and possessed of personal and professional traits that have earned them the respect of their colleagues, principals, and district leaders, these teacher leaders have enriched the instructional landscape and the cultures of their schools. However, the research suggests that, in general, teacher leaders themselves have received little, if any, formal training for their jobs as leaders among their peers. As principals rely more on the expertise of these teachers, as the complexities of public education continue to multiply, and as the demographics of the teaching profession change, an obligation exists to investigate the professional development needs of teacher leaders. Teacher leaders must be skilled in building trusting, respectful relationships, a professional fellowship, among their peers if they wish for them to follow their lead down the path to self-improvement, student achievement, and school excellence. A mission of this importance deserves the best teacher leaders that training can produce. An examination of the necessary knowledge, skills, and dispositions and how teacher leaders develop them will help school districts provide specialized training for them. / Ed. D.

Although every state in the United States is experiencing a shortage of special education teachers, projections indicate that rural communities are disproportionally impacted (Levin et al., 2015). Despite professional development being widely identified in the literature as a possible method for improving teacher quality and readiness in rural schools, and thereby preventing teacher attrition, few studies have empirically examined the relationship between special education professional development experiences and attrition in rural schools. This project will test the hypothesis that early-career professional development opportunities for rural special educators are related to job satisfaction and attrition. Data for this study came from the 2017-2018 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS). Extraction of data from the NTPS data set isolated early career special education teachers working in rural communities. A latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify a teacher typology concerning early career professional development, resulting in a two-class model, 'Greater Access to Professional Development' (Latent Class 1) and 'Less Access to Professional Development' (Latent Class 2). These two classes had similar access to a variety of professional development opportunities; however, those in the Greater Access to Professional Development class had greater access overall. Additional analyses examined whether LCA groups differed on measures of job satisfaction and attrition and found that teachers with greater access to professional development experiences report higher levels of job satisfaction than teachers with less access to professional development opportunities. Implications for these findings are described in detail. / Doctor of Philosophy / Every state in the United States is experiencing a shortage of special education teachers. Rural school districts are disproportionately impacted, meaning they are at greater risk for hiring underqualified special education teachers in an effort to address these shortages. Professional development is one way that school districts can improve teacher quality and readiness. This will help prevent turnover, because teachers will be better prepared to handle the challenges associated with their job. However, it is not clear which professional development opportunities are most impactful in terms of improving job satisfaction and preventing attrition. This project examined the relationship between professional development opportunities of special education teachers working in rural communities, job satisfaction, and attrition using data from a nationally representative data set. Results found that special education teachers fell into two groups, those with 'Greater Access to Professional Development' and those with 'Less Access to Professional Development.' These group had similar access to various professional development opportunities; however, those in the 'Greater Access to Professional Development' group had greater access to professional development overall, and especially on preparing students to take annual assessments and analyzing and interpreting student achievement data. Results also found that teachers in the 'Greater Access to Professional Development' group reported higher levels of job satisfaction. These findings suggest that certain professional development opportunities can result in greater job satisfaction amongst rural special education teachers.

Two themes appear to be prevalent today in K-12 physical education-- the challenges of workplace conditions in relationship to teachers professional development, and the increasing use of the Internet and its services. These two themes are reflected in this study. The purpose of this study was to explore how USPE-L was being used by its subscribers and describe the influence, if any, it had on K-12 physical education teachers. USPE-L is a physical education listserv which encourages teachers to discuss and share ideas about improving their teaching and programs--and perhaps also gain support from distant colleagues when it may not be immediately available in a local community. This study used multiple sources of data collection including an on-line (electronic mail) survey (N=113), follow-up phone interviews (N=10), and the investigator's fieldnotes. Data analysis included quantitative descriptive statistics and a qualitative inductive content analysis. The findings revealed two overarching themes--benefits of participation and factors limiting participation. These findings indicated that teachers read messages almost daily, yet prefer to interact with others through private e-mail. Participation on the listserv appeared to be a valued resource leading subscribers to teaching activities, teaching resources, curricular materials, and reduced feelings of isolation. Implications are provided for listserv owners and K-12 physical educators. / Ph. D.

Over the past decade there has been a growing investment in professional development (PD) programs for K-12 mathematics teachers. Researchers and policy makers often inquire about the effect of professional development programs and whether they are having a positive impact on students' learning, and which type of programs aid in students ' academic improvements. In view of the continued concern about the low achievement of U.S. students in mathematics there is a strong need to better understand the effect of PD on student learning and more specifically, which components of PD are more beneficial and are likely to enhance students' math learning. This study offers evidence in an effort fill the gap in the literature by examining the relationship between professional development and student achievement. A meta-analysis methodology was used to synthesize quantitatively and aggregate the results of the prior studies that have used scientific methods and reported numerical results. The time period for the selection of studies is from 2003 to 2014. Findings in this study confirm earlier literature and offers guidance about three effective components (duration, content, and intervention modality) in professional development programs that have been found to have a positive relationship with students' achievement. The results also highlighted the importance of content focus, sufficient duration and multiple modalities of professional development programs aiding teachers in their ability to become more effective in the classroom leading to increased students' achievement in math. / Ph. D.

Yes / This paper suggests that health librarians who teach or support Higher Education (HE) students can and should gain accreditation and recognition for their teaching by the route of HEA Fellowship. We outline the process by which Fellowship could be attained by those working within HE and those in NHS libraries who work with HE students, suggesting which aspects of librarianship practice could provide the necessary evidence for Fellowship. The synergies between Fellowship and Chartership are examined and the criteria for HEA (UK Professional Standards Framework or UKPSF) are mapped against those for Chartership (Professional Knowledge and Skills Base or PKSB)

Sensory processing difficulties (SPD) can significantly impact a child's behavior, learning, and overall well-being. However, many educators, particularly those teaching in the early grades, lack the necessary training to recognize and effectively respond to these challenges. Consequently, students exhibiting atypical behaviors are often mislabeled or misunderstood, leading to inappropriate interventions or missed opportunities for early support. The B-SENSE (Behavioral and Sensory Exploration for Nurturing Successful Educators) program aims to bridge this critical knowledge gap by providing training and resources to educators. The B-SENSE program is a multi-faceted professional development initiative designed to enhance educators' understanding of SPD and their ability to distinguish these conditions from behavioral issues (BI). The program comprises several key components including a needs assessment survey, two training modules, informational emails, and a post-training survey. It is grounded in the principles of effective professional development approaches, constructivist theory and sensory integration theory. Using a variety of methods, this training incorporates evidence-based strategies, such as active learning, collaborative problem-solving, and the application of concepts to real-world scenarios. The B-SENSE program equips educators with the confidence and competence necessary to identify SPD, make appropriate referrals, and implement inclusive practices within their classrooms. This initiative aims to foster reflection leading to positive changes in attitudes, behaviors, beliefs, and methods. By fostering collaboration among educators, parents, and school administrators, and promoting a culture of empathy and acceptance, this program may positively impact student outcomes, lead to inclusive policies, raise job satisfaction, and increase employee retention rates within school districts.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship, if any, between teachers' grade distributions and other moderating factors (i.e., teacher perceptions of grading practices as indicated on the Teacher Perceptions of Grading Practices Survey (TPGPS), grade level taught, enrollment in teacher preparation program, and grading practice methodology). A Pearson correlation was used to research statistical significance in the relationship of a teacher’s perceptions of grading practices as measured by the TPGPS and their grade distribution (as measured by an average of scores, calculated on a 4.0 scale, in one course over one academic quarter). A one-way ANOVA was used to research a statistically significant relationship between the grade level taught and grade distribution. The same methodology was used to study relationships between grade distribution and enrollment in a teacher preparation program and the grading methodology used in practice (i.e., traditional, standards-based, hybrid). Findings from this study resulted in no statistical significance in the relationship between grade distribution and any of the moderating factors, with the exception of grade level taught. School leaders and policymakers may benefit from learning that factors traditionally used to guide the development of supports in grading practices have no statistically significant relationship to a teacher’s grade distribution. This study leaves space in the research community to explore what factors, if any, impact a teacher's grade distribution in our work in grading and assessment and the implications for practice and policy in grading reform.

This study provided insight into the impact a professional development series on cognitively demanding tasks had on teachers’ identification and implementation of tasks, as well as, determined which aspects of the professional development were beneficial to participants’ understanding of cognitively demanding tasks. The professional development included five sessions and was centered on the Instructional Quality Assessment (IQA) Potential of the Task and Implementation of the Task Rubrics (Boston et al., 2019). As part of the study, participants submitted tasks and student artifacts pre and post professional development. The investigation included an analysis of tasks, student artifacts, and a thematic analysis of collaborative conversations and interviews. A single case study was conducted, with the case being the professional development series. Additionally, case participants provided insights on their experiences and learning on cognitively demanding tasks. Findings suggested that there was an impact on participants’ implementation of cognitively demanding tasks after they participated in the professional development series. Throughout the thematic analysis, aspects of the professional development were identified as beneficial to participants’ learning and understanding of cognitively demanding tasks. Discussion of the findings in relation to the current literature and their implications were provided. Additional research was suggested to continue the professional development series with the IQA Teachers’ Questions, Teacher’s Linking, and Teacher’s Press Rubrics (Boston et al., 2019) which follow the IQA progression. Further research into the complexity of schools under heightened state or county supervision should be investigated in regard to professional development and teacher autonomy. These findings add to the literature and research in the field of mathematics education, cognitively demanding tasks, and professional development.