Teachers working in urban schools in the United States are among those most at-risk for leaving the profession due to poor working conditions and lack of collegial relationships with school leaders and peers, among other factors. Use of professional development tools, such as the School Improvement Engine (SIE), may improve teacher retention and school organizational health; however, little research exists on the use of the SIE in charter schools. The purpose of this case study was to investigate New York City (NYC) school data on teacher retention and student achievement, how NYC charter school leaders participating in the program implemented the SIE, and how teachers and administrators perceived the impact of the implementation on their individual growth and desire to stay in their positions. Peter Senge's organizational learning theory was used to examine how SIE tools may promote a healthy organization in 5 areas (systems thinking, personal mastery, mental models, building shared vision, and team learning). Teacher retention and student achievement archived data for NYC schools were descriptively analyzed. Individual interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of 10 teachers and 4 school leaders from NYC charter schools implementing the SIE. Interview data were analyzed using open coding to identify key themes. Results indicated that SIE schools outperformed other NYC schools (charter and public) in English Language Arts (ELA), math, and teacher retention. Participants stated that tools like peer review helped them to become more effective in their teaching. Positive social change impacts include providing data that support the use of the SIE to improve teacher effectiveness, teacher retention, and the overall school organizational health.

The implementation of the Common Core State Standards in English/Language Arts and Mathematics into the kindergarten through 12th grade curriculum in the United States presents a unique opportunity for teacher preparation programs to realign their curriculum with the curriculum of the primary and secondary schools. However, it is unknown how teacher preparation programs are approaching this possible change. This qualitative descriptive case study examined the organizational change process that was employed by one teacher preparation program to incorporate the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) into their curriculum. The change was examined through the organizational development lenses of Kotter and Rogers. Interviews and a focus group with key stakeholders in the change process ( N = 13) along with analysis of documents such as syllabi, research plans, and curriculum provided data to answer the research question. Data were initially coded into 5 main organizational categories, establishing, defining, implementing, refining, and finalizing, then further coded based on emergent themes. The last 2 categories, refining and finalization, were not clearly evident in the data, and therefore it was more difficult to use a priori coding. The data revealed that the leaders of the organizational change developed and delivered professional development activities to train faculty and aligned syllabi of general education and teacher education classes with the CCSSM. The results of this study can be used to help other teacher preparation programs plan organizational change and provide motivation for programs that have yet to address the CCSSM.

This study examined an urban school district in the southern United States that continued to experience student achievement gaps despite the implementation of initiatives as the African American Success Initiative. The school leadership needed a deeper understanding regarding what strategies were successful with closing the achievement gap. Using Gay's theory of cultural responsive pedagogy, the purpose of this study was to identify inward attributes, outward strategies, and professional development perceptions of teachers with no achievement gap among ethnically diverse students. Employing an instrumental case study design, 8 middle school reading teachers who closed the reading achievement gap were interviewed; these narratives were supplemented with classroom observations and archival data of district-administered students' surveys for the teachers, professional development plans, and teacher lesson plans. Data were analyzed using comparative and inductive analysis and were thematically coded. Findings indicated that teachers who closed the achievement gap shared culturally responsive characteristics and behaviors, including a caring attitude, high expectations, content relevance, and a belief that their existing Professional Development (PD) was not specific to the needs of teachers working in high-minority, low-socioeconomic urban school environments. A 3-day PD was designed to produce positive social change by reframing the beliefs, responses, and approaches to teaching minority students, allowing teachers to develop stronger teacher-student relationships, tolerance, and strategies, to ultimately increase student motivation and achievement.

The increasingly diverse population of the United States is reflected in classrooms across the country. Teachers often struggle with understanding students' cultural differences in the classroom and therefore also struggle with implementing culturally appropriate instructional strategies. The results of this study provide educational leaders with a viable option to enhance intercultural competence for implementing culturally appropriate instructional practices through the experiences gained in teaching abroad programs like Apufram International. This exploratory case study investigated how teaching experiences abroad contributed to implementing culturally diverse instruction in multicultural classroom settings. The multicultural educational theory of Banks was the theoretical framework used for this study. The research question addressed how a travel abroad experience contributed to the participants' insights into the cultural differences of students and strategies for implementing culturally diverse instruction in the multicultural classroom. The analytic process included a series of semi structured interviews and classroom observations, and a two-step process (thematic followed by open) to identify common themes. Eight teachers who participated in a teaching abroad experience with the Apufram International within the last 5 years provided the data that addressed the research question. The results of this study found that participating in a teaching abroad program increased cultural awareness and understanding of the need for implementation of culturally diverse instructional practices. Providing teachers with a creative means of improving student academic success helps develop students into global leaders for positive social change.

Since changes to the reading/language arts State Subject Area Test (SSAT) in late 2010, elementary education teacher candidates at a teacher training college in the Southern United States have experienced declining scores resulting in test failure and delaying student teaching and graduation. The purpose of this case study was to identify factors that students and faculty perceived as most beneficial in preparing students to pass the SSAT. Constructivism served as the conceptual framework for this study addressing the effects of collaboration, hands-on learning, and application of knowledge. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit 6 elementary education students who had taken the SSAT and 4 full-time reading and language arts faculty members who participated in semistructured interviews. Analysis of coded data indicated themes of preference for experiential learning, intensive strategy instruction, and a review of tested content. Based on study findings, a 3-day professional development training was created to provide students a review of tested subject matter through embedded strategy instruction and opportunities for hands-on application of learning. Implications for positive social change include preparing students to pass the SSAT in fewer attempts so they can graduate on schedule and begin their careers. Local communities may benefit from the addition of highly qualified teachers ready to enter elementary classrooms across the state during a critical teacher shortage.

Increasing levels of teacher attrition in special education within Bahamian public schools are preventing students with learning disabilities from achieving their learning goals within inclusive classroom settings. Addressing factors that influence attrition is vital to enhance the quality of education and the efficacy of educators while supporting positive social change. The purpose of this general qualitative study was to ascertain why Bahamian educators leave special education. This was achieved by exploring the influencing factors that have incited the decisions of public special education teachers within The Bahamas to resign or request premature retirement from the teaching profession, as well as how job satisfaction influences teacher retention within The Bahamas' public education system. Twelve Bahamian public educators (8 former special educators, 3 current reading specialists, and 1 current resource teacher) from a major city were randomly selected to participate in semistructured interviews. Data were analyzed via open coding. Job satisfaction, social cognitive, and social cognitive career theories were used as a lens through which to understand educators' career decisions. Findings revealed that Bahamian educators leave special education due to (a) lack of specialized training, (b) lack of administrative support, and (c) burnout. Contrary to existing literature, findings revealed that poor student behavior does not significantly influence attrition among educators, and a love for children does not significantly motivate teachers to remain. Mentoring and induction programs were cited as ineffective means of teacher retention. Educators are more likely to stay when they feel valued, appreciated, supported, and respected by administrators, colleagues, and parents.

Professional Development for High School Teachers on the Implementation of Response to Intervention. Lolita M. Jones-Smith, 2015: Applied Dissertation, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education. ERIC Descriptors: Professional Development, Response to Intervention, Attendance, Achievement, Teacher Perception The primary purposes of the study were to develop a response to intervention (RTI) professional development plan and to determine if implementation of the professional development plan changed educators’ perceptions on RTI from preimplementation to postimplementation. Since the inception of (RTI) in 2008 in the researcher’s school district, substantive, consistent, professional development initiatives for certified staff were minimally provided.The participants in the quantitative part of the study were a convenience sample of 50 educators at 1 high school in Georgia. These educators were certified regular education teachers who were content-area teachers, certified special education teachers who were content-area teachers, and department heads. The participants in the qualitative part of the study were a purposive sample of 5 department heads at the high school. Data were collected for all participants with the Revised Survey of Teacher Perception of the RTI Process to respond to 5research questions. The intervention was the RTI professional development. The treatment period for the intervention was 10 weeks or 10 hours of training. There were 10 professional development training sessions based on a formalized and widely used RTI training curriculum by Windram, Bollman, and Johnson (2012). The study used a convergent parallel mixed-methods approach. Quantitative data (preimplementation and postimplementation) were collected from 50 educators. Qualitative data (postimplementation only) were collected from 5 department heads. Pre- and postimplementation means, standard deviations, and effect sizes were calculated for each of the quantitative research questions. The inferential statistical model was the one-tailed t test for paired samples. Data analysis for the qualitative Research Question 4 followed a modified version of the constant comparative qualitative data-analysis procedures. Findings for Question 1 showed the RTI professional development positively changed (1.64) educators’ perceptions of RTI related to students’ attendance and achievement, while for Research Question 2 the RTI professional development positively changed (1.94) educators’ perceptions related to the documentation of RTI procedures. Findings for Research Question 3 showed RTI professional development positively changed (3.00) educators’ perceptions of RTI related to involvement and support for RTI. Results for Research Question 4 revealed the department heads had different recommendations to improve the effectiveness of the RTI process and had mixed feelings on RTI’s effectiveness to improve the achievement of students. Findings for Research Question 5 revealed the qualitative data from the 5 department heads did not confirm the quantitative data from the 50 educators.

The intent of this qualitative study was to investigate changes in teacher understandings and student achievement as a result of job-embedded coaching, a professional development model. The study focused on the literacy initiative within 1 school district during a 7-year period from 2001 through 2008. Interviews and classroom observations with principals, literacy coaches, and teacher leaders coupled with rich artifacts and documentation provided data for analysis. To change from a traditional model of professional development was a cultural shift for schools, administrators, and teachers. "Remember that a culture of change consists of great rapidity and nonlinearity on the one hand and equally great potential for creative breakthrough on the other" (Fullan, 2001, p. 31). The interviews, observations, and documents illustrated evidence of new teacher understandings and a rise in student achievement coupled with enhanced relationships, communications, and teaching strategies. The paradigm shift from one adult learning mode to another brought about the cultural change within the school district, the schools, and the individual classrooms. The challenge will be sustaining the momentum and continuing to grow as new scientifically-researched best practices and strategies are released for teaching reading and writing. Recommendations from this study include examining Reading First schools and their job-embedded coaching programs. Reading First is a federal program with money appropriated to states and school systems that qualify with low socioeconomic status and student achievement scores. Further research opportunities are available at middle and high school sites where coaching has been adopted. There are some sites within the United States following the guidelines written for elementary teachers.

The academic career path for tenure track faculty in most four-year universities in the United States allows those who earn tenure to make an individual choice about whether to pursue promotion to the rank of full professor. Limited research exists on the intrinsic motivators that individuals possess and draw upon to push past obstacles or challenges they encounter along their academic career journey. This study explored the role of intrinsic motivation in the decision of tenured associate professors to pursue promotion to full professor. Using a basic qualitative research design, this inquiry involved two in-depth interviews each with seven participants. Data analysis followed a thematic approach to make meaning of the participants’ thoughts and elicit findings guided by the research questions and the framework of career motivation theory encompassing three constructs: career resilience, career insight, and career identity. The findings from this study show both intrinsic motivations and external influences that are at play in the career decision process and illustrate how the tenured university professor’s career is a journey rife with obstacles that intrinsic motivation alone is insufficient to navigate. The implications of this study suggest ways to better support tenured faculty who aspire to promotion to full professor and offers advice for faculty who find themselves pondering this career decision with limited guideposts to direct them.

This article focuses on lessons learned from district implementation of Utah Senate Bill 64 passed in 2012, which requires large-scale reform in evaluating teacher quality. This statemandated reformation effort requires all principals to evaluate teacher performance using new state teacher standards adopted in 2011. District implementation efforts used effective professional development that included peer collaboration and practicum experiences as evidenced by successfully certifying all principals in the evaluation of teacher performance. Twenty-seven principals representing nine districts were selected for this qualitative study. Data was collected during a one-on-one interview with each principal to gather insights about district efforts to prepare them individually to effectively evaluate teacher performance. In addition, data were coded and analyzed for evidence of change knowledge principles. The central lesson learned is that sustainable and continuing teacher quality improvements require a continual collective capacity vision and approach at all levels of the educational system. Certifying principals in the use of an improved teacher evaluation tool through effective professional development efforts is one step in achieving improvements in teacher quality. Consideration of the following four components of change knowledge principles foster and strengthen district efforts when implementing strategic targets for the continuation of teacher quality improvements: (a) expand teacher quality improvements to include both individual and collective capacity building opportunities; (b) create a plan of action that builds on efforts to comply with state law and expands implementation efforts to use the evaluation tool for improved student learning through continual teacher quality improvements; (c) provide professional development that includes strategic opportunities for principals to build their capacity in their critical role and responsibilities to continue teacher quality growth; (d) provide supports in the context of a principal's school through practicum experiences that foster the acquisition and sustainability of skills that support teacher quality improvements.