Alternative education as defined by Sable, Plotts, and Mitchell (2010), is "a public school that addresses needs of students that typically cannot be met at in a regular school" (p. C-1). In many public alternative schools, the individuals chosen as leaders are licensed, certified school principals. Research focusing on alternative education is emerging yet, there is limited research directly devoted to alternative school leadership (Price, 2010). With the knowledge that students attending alternative schools have needs that cannot be met in traditional school settings, what specializations can leadership preparation programs and school division sponsored professional development offer to prepare secondary alternative school principals for alternative school leadership? Utilizing a phenomenological qualitative-based research design, secondary alternative school principals across the Commonwealth of Virginia were asked to participate in a study which employed semi-structured surveys to explore their perceptions of leadership preparation programs, division level professional development, and the impact of specialized training on leadership. The results of the study indicated that secondary alternative school principals in the Commonwealth of Virginia perceive that specialized leadership preparation is needed to effectively lead alternative schools and they were not adequately prepared by their leadership preparation programs to lead alternative schools. / Ed. D. / Alternative education as defined by Sable, Plotts, and Mitchell (2010), is “a public school that addresses needs of students that typically cannot be met at in a regular school” (C-1). In many public alternative schools, the individual chosen as leader is a licensed, certified school principal. Research focusing on alternative education is emerging, yet there is limited research directly devoted to alternative school leadership (Price, 2010). This dissertation studied alternative school principals’ views of leadership preparation, division-level professional development, and the impact of specialized training on alternative school leadership. Views of professional development needs for effective management of programs educating students categorized as at-risk of dropping out of school were also discussed. The research study discussed utilized a phenomenological qualitative-based research design, semi-structured interviews conducted to capture views of secondary alternative school principals regarding leadership preparation, professional development, and the impact of specialized training on leadership of alternative schools. Data were obtained that provided an optimal level of secondary principals’ views about what specialized training secondary school principals considered essential to effectively prepare them to lead alternative schools. Also, previous leadership experiences essential for effective alternative education environment management was part of the study. Lastly, leadership training and/or professional development necessary for individuals new to the area of secondary alternative education to be successful leaders of alternative schools was studied. The results of the study gives insight to secondary alternative principal views of leadership program preparation, district oriented professional development, and the impact of specialized training on leadership.

No / Aim. To determine the adequacy of initial nurse independent prescribingeducation and identify continuing professional development and clinicalgovernance strategies in place for non-medical prescribing.Background. In 2006, new legislation in England enabled nurses with anindependent prescribing qualification to prescribe, within their competence. In 2006,non-medical prescribing policies released by the Department of Health outlinedthe recommendations for education, continuing professional development andgovernance of non-medical prescribing; however, there was no evidence on a nationalscale about the exte nt of implementation and effectiveness of these strategies.Design. National surveys of: (i) nurse independent prescribers; and (ii) non-medical prescribing leaders in England.Methods. Questionnaire surveys (August 2008–February 2009) coveringeducational preparation, prescribing practice (nurse independent prescribers) andstructures/processes for support and governance (non-medical prescribing leaders).Results. Response rates were 65% (976 prescribers) and 52% (87 leaders). Mostnurses felt their prescribing course met their learning needs and stated courseoutcomes and that they had adequate development and support for prescribing tomaintain patient safety. Some types of community nurse prescribers had less accessto support and development. The prescribing leaders reported lacking systems toensure continuity of non-medical prescribing and monitoring patient experience.Conclusion. Educational programmes of preparation for nurse prescribing werereported to be operating satisfactorily and providing fit-for-purpose preparationfor the expansion to the scope of nurse independent prescribing. Most clinicalgovernance and risk management strategies for prescribing were in place inprimary and secondary care. / Department of Health (UK)

Yes / Based on the benefits of Team-Based Learning (TBL) in higher education, our project investigated possible benefits of TBL in secondary education. We found that, despite challenges, the benefits of using TBL in secondary schools make it worth teachers’ time and effort. We conducted a year-long qualitative study with 13 teachers from Ireland, Spain and UK. While teachers found preparation time, institutional requirements, and managing student team dynamics challenging, challenges were outweighed by benefits including improved student engagement, quality of learning, skill development, and teacher job satisfaction. We recommend further TBL training for secondary-level teachers and further research into this topic / ERASMUS+

Yes / An exploratory qualitative study design was adopted for this study and underpinned by Rex’s migrant workers framework (Rex, 1999). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten ward managers from four NHS trusts in the north-east of England to gain an insight into their experiences of working with black African nurses with regard to equal opportunities in accessing professional development and promotion. Managers reported that black African nurses experienced racism from patients, racism from colleagues, discrimination and lack of equal opportunities. A unique finding of the study was that managers stereotyped black African nurses as lacking motivation for professional development and promotion. The authors recommend that NHS ward managers receive training in implementing antidiscrimination policies and valuing equality and diversity.

Libraries can have a significant impact on today's students and the schools of today and tomorrow. The way students learn is changing as technology changes: rapidly. The knowledge and skills that today's librarians carry can influence the students immensely, including their use of technology. However, with many districts suffering budget cuts, one of the first positions to cut is the certified librarian, replaced by a library paraprofessional. These budget cuts will impact what the libraries can offer students. It is vital that districts support their library program and the person in charge, whether a paraprofessional or certified librarian, to positively impact the students for their future. The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of library programs within a technology-rich school district that utilizes paraprofessionals supported by a certified librarian.

The findings of this study serve as an exploratory case-study examining the conditions of professional learning for in-service principals in one north Texas suburban district with changing student demographics. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of a variety of data collected sought to reveal how professional development of principals increased a principal's contingent leadership skills to positively affect student achievement through school improvement efforts. Perceptions were examined from the sample of seven executive directors at the district level; six campus principals (two elementary, two middle, and two high school); and eight teachers selected from among four of the six campuses whose principal participated in a semi-structured interview. Additionally, responses from a principal survey were examined. Findings were organized around three themes that surfaced from the deductive and inductive analysis of data collected in response to the three research questions. The themes were: instructional leadership and other principal responsibilities, principal professional development and components of professional learning, and measuring the effectiveness of principal professional learning. Findings revealed that there are many offerings of professional development opportunities available to principals in Learning ISD. The components essential in effective principal professional learning opportunities in the studied district consisted of embedding social capital, professional capital, and decisional capital to develop contingency leadership skills. Measuring the effectiveness of principal professional learning remains an area of growth for the district studied as well as the adherence to a meaningful principal evaluation system that can properly quantify and qualify a campus administrator's effect on school improvement and student learning.

This study investigated the viability of a Digital Badge system to deliver professional development to teachers working with English language learners. The study asked several research questions to determine if Purdue’s Passport system was effective at delivering ELL teacher PD. First, the study asked, is a digital badge system a viable tool for delivering professional development to in-service teachers of English language learners? This question helped determine if the in-service teachers participating in this study would be able to obtain the training materials and navigate the online system on their own to obtain the digital badge.<div><br> <div>Then, the study asked, what types of training do ELL teachers think could be converted to digital badges? This question was asked to identify the types of trainings the participants in this study believed could be transferred to an online system such as Purdue’s Passport system and delivered as individual badges teachers could complete with little to no assistance. This question also helped investigate how teachers perceive the current training they attend in face-to-face sessions. <br></div><div><br></div><div>The final question the study asked was, what are ELL teachers’ perceptions of digital badges and their role in professional development? The final question was asked to determine if the participants’ attitudes toward digital badges changed throughout the study and what the participants believed digital badges’ role could be in delivering ELL teacher professional development. <br></div><div><br></div><div>The data collected in this study included the participants’ written reflections within the digital badge system, pre and post-surveys and interviews after they completed the running record badge. The results of this qualitative study suggest that for in-service teachers there are some benefits to delivering ELL teacher PD through digital badges. Results indicate that the participants enjoyed the ability to complete the training on their own schedule and had no issues viewing the content within the running record digital badge. The participants also had numerous recommendations for the types of training they believed could be converted to digital badges and how a digital badge system could be implemented at their school.<br></div></div>

This self-study examined the learning that emerged from a change in teaching assignment coupled with self-initiated, teacher-led professional development in order to understand a high school science teacher's development as a teacher. The two participants in the study were the teacher/researcher, an experienced high school biology teacher who was taking up a new assignment teaching biotechnology, an advanced science course; and a first-year teacher assigned to teach biotechnology, who served as collaborator in the professional development and critical friend in the study. In order to uncover the teacher/researcher's learning and thinking, self-study of teaching practice methodology most clearly met the demands of the study. Data emerged from three research conversations and included transcripts of the conversations, artifacts from the participants' practices, notes from meetings, and memos. Data were analyzed using constant comparative methods and the understandings generated are grounded in the data. The study reveals shifts in teacher identity as the expert teacher takes up novice roles, the challenges encountered when teacher knowledge is insufficient for the teaching task, and the experienced teacher's need to return to a place of expertise when faced with a new teaching context. The study finds that (a) teacher identity shifts and develops in new teaching contexts, and teaching expertise facilitates expert identity development in such contexts; (b) expert teacher knowledge mediates novice-ness when experiencing new teaching contexts such as new teaching assignments; and (c) teacher-led professional development is a viable model for professional development experiences and can lead to increased teacher knowledge. The author suggests that (a) teachers are capable of determining what they need to learn and how they might best learn it in a professional development setting; (b) teachers' specific contexts should be honored when designing professional development, which should be practice-centered, and special attention should be given to developing specific subject matter knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, and science knowledge for teaching; and (c) capable others should be included in collaborative professional development teams.

Teacher self-efficacy (TSE) has been linked to the academic success of students. This association has been found in contexts where teachers have received training relevant to working with the student population being served. In the suburban Pennsylvania school district targeted in this study, there was little district-sponsored professional development (PD) available to general education teachers regarding strategies for teaching students with disabilities in the inclusion setting. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to determine whether a difference exists in perceived TSE when instructing in the inclusion setting compared with the traditional setting, and whether an association exists linking prior experience and organizational support in the form of PD with TSE. Bandura's social cognitive theory framed this study. A sample of 99 secondary general education teachers completed a 3-part online survey including the TSES and TSES-Learning Disabilities (LD) scales measuring self-efficacy in the traditional and inclusion settings, and demographic questions that served as potential predictors of self-efficacy. Correlated t tests and partial correlations were used to test for differences in perceived TSE across the inclusion and traditional settings and to test whether demographic factors were associated with TSE. Teachers perceived themselves as less efficacious in the inclusion setting when compared to instructing general education students in a traditional classroom, and setting-specific training was the greatest predictor of TSE. An inclusion PD program was created focusing on strategies for teaching students with disabilities in the inclusion setting. This endeavor may advance positive social change by increasing teacher self-efficacy and ultimately student achievement.

Special education (SPED) service providers in the military are often underprepared to use the needed assistive technology (AT) in the classroom. This concurrent mixed-method study sought to explore the attitudes, skills, and quality indicators of assistive technology (QIAT) among 19 currently employed military SPED certified multidisciplinary team members. The conceptual framework of this study was based on the professional learning community model, which holds that the team members work collaboratively to educate the families it serves. All team members completed a quantitative QIAT survey and open-ended questionnaire, and individual qualitative interviews were conducted with a subsample of 8 volunteer staff. QIAT survey data were descriptively analyzed, while questionnaire data were transcribed, open coded, and thematically analyzed. All data were triangulated and member checking and peer debriefing were used to strengthen validity and credibility of the findings. Survey data revealed teachers' willingness to utilize AT in the classroom, although qualitative data suggested that the multidisciplinary team lacked the knowledge to consistently and confidently utilize AT within their classes daily. Additional emergent themes included collaboration, viable resources, unifying guidelines, AT support, training, and guidance. Administrators at the local site can use these findings as guidance in the development of in-service and district AT trainings and support. Through consistent usage of these interventions, the military community can impact positive change in the lived experiences of SPED service providers and the families that it serves.