As Latino English language learners (ELL) flood national classrooms their non-Latino, English-speaking teachers are faced with meeting the academic needs of limited English proficient students who hail from cultures unlike their own. This study investigated actions taken by teams of non-Latino, English-speaking educators of Latino (ELL) in order to be effective teachers of this minority population. Two premises prompted the search for what enabled non-Latino English speakers to be effective teachers of this minority population. The supposition was that the non-Latino teacher of ELLs must have: (a) familiarity with the language of the minority; and (b) a high affinity for Latino cultures to affect learning. Support for neither premise was found in this research. However, a mediating factor emerged showing that teams who were successful in moving toward instructional effectiveness for their ELLs incorporated other professionals in the building. These additional team members spoke the minority languages and were familiar with the minority cultures. Two avenues of action found through rigorous readings was the focus of this research. Each was found to be beneficial in moving a collaborative team toward instructional effectiveness for their Latino ELLs. The first is for the team embedded within the bounds of a Professional Learning Community (PLC) to team well adhering to the principles of the PLC. The second is to build an environment of trust within the team. Implications for future research could include a comparison of PLC element and trust facet strength in a multicultural setting as opposed to a single minority.

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本研究旨在瞭解國民中學校長分布式領導、教師專業社群學習與教師教學效能之現況，並分析不同背景變項之教師對於校長分布式領導、教師專業社群學習與教師教學效能知覺之差異情形，且探討三者之間的關係，最後則探討國民中學校長分布式領導、教師專業社群學習對教師教學效能之預測力。 本研究採問卷調查法，共計抽樣48所國民中學，發出445份問卷，回收423份有效問卷，問卷有效率達95.1%，問卷調查結果以描述性統計、獨立樣本t檢定、單因子變異數分析、皮爾遜積差相關及多元逐步迴歸分析等統計方法進行統計分析。 本研究最後獲得以下結論： 一、國民中學教師知覺校長分布式領導為中高程度，以「校長專業自信與謙遜」之知覺程度為最高，「營造適當的變革時機」之知覺程度為最低。 二、國民中學教師知覺教師專業社群學習為中高程度，以「關注學生學習」之知覺程度為最高，「分享教學實務」之知覺程度為最低。 三、國民中學教師知覺教師教學效能為高等程度，以「教學氣氛」之知覺程度為最高，「教學策略」之知覺程度為最低。 四、國民中學教師，因年齡、擔任職務、學校地區、及學校規模之不同，在知覺校長分布式領導上有顯著差異。 五、國民中學教師，因性別、學校地區、及學校規模之不同，在知覺教師專業社群學習上有顯著差異。 六、國民中學教師，因性別、擔任職務、及服務年資之不同，在知覺教師教學效能上有顯著差異。 七、國民中學校長分布式領導、教師專業社群學習與教師教學效能整體及各層面，彼此之間具有正相關的關係。 八、國民中學校長分布式領導、教師專業社群學習對教師教學效能具有預測作用，以「教師專業社群學習」的預測力最佳。 / The purpose of this study was to investigate the current development of principals’ distributed leadership, teachers’ professional learning community, and teachers’ teaching effectiveness in junior high schools, and to analyze the difference between teachers of different background variables, and to explore the relationship among the three variables. This study has aimed to predict teachers’ teaching effectiveness through principals’ distributed leadership and teachers' professional learning community. Through the use of questionnaire survey method, data were collected from 48 junior high schools, distributing 445 questionnaires in total. Valid questionnaires of 423 were collected, with a usable rate of 95.1%. All data were analyzed by the methods of descriptive statistics, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson product-moment correlation, and multiple stepwise regression analysis. The conclusions of this study are as follows: 1. Junior high school teachers’ perception of principals’ distributed leadership is above average, in which the dimension “principals’ self-confidence and modesty” was the highest, and “construction of a proper turning point” was the lowest. 2. Junior high school teachers’ perception of teacher professional learning community is above average, in which the dimension “focusing on students’ learning” was the highest, and “sharing teaching practices” was the lowest. 3. Junior high school teachers’ perception of teachers’ teaching effectiveness is above average, in which the dimension “teaching environment” was the highest, and “teaching strategy” was the lowest. 4. There are significant differences in the junior high school teachers’ perception of principals’ distributed leadership in terms of age, position, location of school, and scale of school. 5. There are significant differences in the junior high school teachers’ perception of teacher professional learning community in terms of gender, location of school, and scale of school. 6. There are significant differences in the junior high school teachers’ perception of teachers’ teaching effectiveness in terms of gender, position, and years of service. 7. There is a positive correlation among the principals’ distributed leadership, teacher professional learning community, and teachers’ teaching effectiveness. 8. Principals’ distributed leadership and teacher professional learning community have a predictive effect on teachers’ teaching effectiveness.

The purpose of this study is to investigate conceptions that affects the results of school development in order to improve the language used while teaching within all subjects. The approach is a dialogical practitioner-research where the principal studies within her own occupation/school and is driven by a social constructionist framework of knowledge and learning. Laclau & Mouffe´s discourse-theory was used to analyze the articular-practice in eighteen teachers and their principal’s written reflections. The study focus discourses of school-development and second-language-development in relation to the nodal point ”learning”. It also focuses on teachers’ construction of identity within the school. The meaning of conceptions within school-development and second-language-development discourses are analyzed using discourse-theory methods. Conflicting meanings are also highlighted. The prior questions of the study investigates the conceptions of school-development and second-language-development and how they relate to current discourses and to each other. Conceptions that are connected to these discourses are compared with how the role of the teacher is described by the teachers themselves. The study shows an agreement on the necessity of school-development and improvement of language. Boundaries are made against those who don’t agree with school-development-projects. Different approaches are standing side by side within both fields and the role of the teacher are given multiple understandings due to their diverse experiences and framework of teaching. The understanding of the concept “diversity” alter in different fields. The meaning of “safety” varies, the teachers and principal have different thoughts on the idea of what safety is. The study shows a lack of research and science in the teachers written reflections. One implication of the study is that the conception of the role of teachers has to be reconstructed to be able to build a professional-learning-community. Different conceptions about safety has to be highlighted to avoid different understandings that prevents collaborative work between teachers. / Syftet med denna masteruppsats är att få syn på föreställningar som påverkar utvecklingsprocessen på en skola där målet är att arbeta mer språkutvecklande. Studien är att betrakta som praxisforskning med en dialogisk ansats, där rektor lär genom att forska i sin egen verksamhet. Studien utgår från en socialkonstruktionistisk syn på kunskap och lärande. Genom den diskursteori som utvecklats av Laclau och Mouffe synliggörs skolans artikulatoriska praktik, så som den framträder i arton lärares och deras rektors reflekterande loggar. De diskursiva fälten ”skolutveckling” och ”andraspråksutveckling” studeras i förhållande till nodalpunkten ”lärande”. Även lärarnas föreställningar kring subjektspositionen som lärare granskas. Genom diskursteorins verktyg synliggörs också de olika innebörder som ges kring begrepp som förekommer i diskurserna om skolutveckling och andraspråksutveckling. Även motsättningar lyfts fram. Studiens frågeställningar handlar om föreställningar kring skolutveckling och andraspråksutveckling och hur de förhåller sig till rådande diskurser och till varandra. Även föreställningar om begrepp som hör samman med skolutveckling, andraspråksutveckling, lärande och lärarrollen studeras. Studien visar att det råder enighet både kring nödvändigheten av skolutveckling och kring att utveckla det språkutvecklande arbetet på skolan. Markeringar görs mot ett diskursivt yttre, att motsätta sig utvecklingen. Olika diskurser kring andraspråksutveckling och lärande syns sida vid sida i de två fälten. Också lärarrollen ges skiftande innebörder, som kan kopplas till olika epoker och lärandeteorier. Föreställningar om begreppet ”olikhet” varierar i olika diskursiva fält. Motstående uppfattningar kring begreppet ”trygghet” framträder utifrån de olika subjektspositionerna som lärare respektive rektor. Studien visar att vetenskap och forskning inte är så framträdande i denna skolas artikulation. En slutsats som dras av studien är att lärarrollen behöver ges nya innebörder om man vill få till stånd en professionell lärande gemenskap. Även olika föreställningar kring trygghet respektive lärande behöver lyftas till ytan och synliggöras, för att undvika att motstridiga tankemönster står i vägen för det fortsatta gemensamma arbetet.

Increased enrollments of nontraditional students in U.S. higher education institutions have prompted many college and university administrators to consider student service programs. These programs ensure that support services are available to nontraditional students to cultivate healthy graduation rates among that student population. The purpose of this study was to discover factors that influence nontraditional students to become disengaged or be retained. The study was a qualitative case study with data collected from individual interviews with 10 nontraditional students participating in online and traditional onsite delivery systems at a private, nontraditional higher education institution in the western United States. The theoretical framework that guided this study was Knowles's andragogy theory. The research questions addressed students' perceptions of the role of persistence, barriers, self-direction, intrinsic motivation, delivery systems, learning modality, and academic and support services in their academic success. Data analysis was conducted to identify themes by coding the narrative responses and using member checks to validate data interpretations. Findings derived from the interviews indicated that students believed that they benefitted from a community of support within the university system. A professional development workshop was designed as a project to train university employees on how to create a professional learning community (PLC) to support students. This PLC was designed to promote positive social change by enhancing retention of adult students in academic programs until graduation and create an environment where people work together in a collaborative way within the university to ensure student success.

本研究旨在瞭解北北基地區國民小學校長正向領導與教師專業學習社群的現況，並分析教師人口變項、學校環境變項在校長正向領導以及教師專業學習社群的差異情形，最後探討校長正向領導與教師專業學習社群之關係。 本研究以問卷調查法為主，問卷內容以「國民小學校長正向領導與教師專業學習社群關係之調查問卷」（內含基本資料、校長正向領導量表與教師專業學習社群量表）為工具，對北北基地區國民小學進行問卷調查。調查所得資料分別以描述性統計、t考驗、單因子變異數分析、Pearson 積差相關、逐步多元迴歸分析等統計方法實施資料分析，據以進行研究結果的分析與討論。 研究主要發現如下： 一、國小校長在整體正向領導與教師在教師專業學習社群方面表現為中 上程度。 二、國民小學教師人口變項中，不同性別、年齡、服務年資與現任職務 之教師知覺校長正向領導有差異。 三、國民小學教師人口變項中，不同性別、年齡、學歷與服務年資之教 師知覺教師專業學習社群沒有差異。 四、國民小學在環境變項中，不同學校規模之教師知覺校長正向領導與 教師專業學習社群有差異。 五、國民小學校長正向領導各層面與教師專業學習社群為正相關。 六、校長正向領導各層面對於教師專業學習社群有預測力。 最後依據研究結果與結論，提出具體建議，以作為教育行政機關、 學校校長、教師以及未來研究之參考。 / This study aimed to explore the relationship between principals’ positive leadership of elementary school and teacher’s professional learning community in Taipei City,New Taipei City,and Keelung. The research has been done with the method of questionnaire survey in order to unveil the current situation of principals’ positive leadership and teacher’s professional learning community. This study also analyzed the differences of perceptions to principals’ positive leadership and teacher’s professional learning community which possessed by teachers with different background and investigated the predictability of principals’ positive leadership towards teacher’s professional learning community while this study also examined the relationship among these two variables. Questionnaire "elementary school principals’ positive leadership and teacher’s professional learning community relationship questionnaire" was used as a researching tool in the implementation of questionnaire survey. Survey data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, one way ANOVA, Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient, and stepwise multiple regression. The findings are as follows: 1. The perception of elementary teachers towards principals’ positive leadership and teacher’s professional learning community performance was above average. 2. The perception of elementary teachers towards principals’ positive leadership varied due to genders ,ages, working seniorities, current position ,the difference was significant. 3. The perception of elementary teachers towards teacher’s professional learning community varied due to genders, ages, working seniorities, diplomas, the difference was not significant. 4. In the environment variables, the different size of school, teachers perceived difference in principals’ positive leadership and teacher’s professional learning community. 5. Principals’ positive leadership was positively correlated to teacher’s professional learning community. 6. The predicted relations between principals’ positive leadership and teacher’s professional learning community were supported.This study made concrete suggestions to educational authorities, elementary school principal, teacher, and future related studies based on the findings and results.

The purpose of this study was to explore the evolution of collaborative practices of PLCs as they emerge when using technology based formative assessment via iFAIT or innovative Formative Assessment with Instruction and Technology developed by the researcher using audience response systems and the online data compiler, Eduphoria!. This study used sequential explanatory mixed methods to address the problems that schools face when implementing technology based formative assessments to improve instruction and student achievement. A survey administered in September 2012 and again in December 2012 provided a measure of teacher use of formative assessments, technology use in formative assessments, and perceptions of teachers using the PLC as a mechanism of support for technology based formative assessment. Training was facilitated by the researcher as PLCs worked together to develop, administer, and interpret formative assessments. Teacher interviews were conducted, and the study ended with the administration of the December 2012 survey and open-response questions for further qualitative analysis. Quantitative data analysis was completed using ANOVAs to determine if there were significant differences of teacher groups (subject taught, grade level taught, and years of teaching experience) use of iFAIT. This data analysis also included measures of frequency and paired sample t tests between the September and December 2012 responses. Qualitative data was analyzed using hand coding, word clouds, and WordSmith Tools. The triangulation of qualitative data in the quantitative data provided a narrative to document what collaborative factors affected the use of iFAIT. For school improvement and implementation of iFAIT, the study revealed that (1) with the right technology infrastructure, on-going professional development must be offered by administrators or sought after by teachers; (2) teachers must have strong beliefs in formative assessment and the technology that supports it; (3) open lines of communication must be supported through the PLC and administration; (4) teachers must see purpose in using revealing student data to drive instruction; and (5) PLCs must have common beliefs and believe that student achievement is connected to school improvement. PLCs should discuss data, share successes, and plan instruction through extended involvement in face-to-face and online venues as communities of practice.

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abstract: ABSTRACT This mixed methods study examined how a high-poverty urban school district implemented four initiatives to support special education teachers and increase student achievement. The initiatives that were implemented consisted of direct instruction teaching methods, the use of a district-approved curriculum, monitoring program fidelity with walkthroughs, and increased professional development opportunities. Quantitatively, the study compared walkthrough data and student achievement scores. The walkthrough data was collected from 52 special education teachers employed at the 19 schools making up the district while teaching reading and math. Student achievement scores were collected from the students taught by the 52 special education teachers. The walkthrough data compared the percentage of students making academic growth on district assessments with the percentage of teachers implementing the district initiatives with a high level of fidelity. Data was collected and analyzed between the first and third quarters of the 2013–2014 school year. Qualitatively, six special education teachers were interviewed to examine their thoughts on the change process and to determine their needs to be successful as they continued to implement the district initiatives. The results of the quantitative data indicated that students demonstrated growth as walkthrough scores increased in 16 out of 19 schools, specifically in the area of math. Fidelity to the initiatives increased throughout the year as teachers began to use and implement the initiatives. The results of the qualitative data indicated that special education teachers positively responded to the support they received through the Special Services ii Department and the district’s initiatives. Using grounded theory, it was determined that teachers need opportunities for collaboration, feedback, and time to practice in order to be successful. Lastly, the epilogue discusses the next steps that are being taken by the district to support all students with their learning needs. / Dissertation/Thesis / Appendix G--Contains Qualitative and Quantitative Data Used in the Study / Doctoral Dissertation Educational Administration and Supervision 2015

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