<p> Identifying teacher knowledge of motivational and engaging practices and barriers preventing them from using such practices.</p>

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<p> This dissertation utilized constructivism and identity frameworks to describe educators' interpretations of their work in an urban school located on a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Street (MLK Streets). MLK Streets have become more associated with the locality rather than the ideas of the late civil rights leader. Accordingly, how educators construct their knowledge of the community is as important as the development of instructional practices. The present case study analyzed data to explore the overarching research question: What are educators' interpretations of the work, the school, and community surrounding their school located on an MLK Street in the Central Valley of California? Emergent themes included urban teacher identity formation, teaching beyond academics, making connections, understanding community layers, and constructing knowledge of MLK Street localities. Findings indicated educators had an implied social justice awareness that led to significant understandings of the socio-cultural, economic, pedagogical influences, and historical understanding within the MLK Street community.</p>

<p> Teacher leadership in schools has evolved many times as schools have looked to utilize teacher leaders in various ways to help support school organization, school reform, and ultimately impact student achievement. The purpose of this study is to develop, and evaluate the impact of a curriculum for leadership development rooted in the Teacher Leader Model Standards. The Teacher Leader Model Standards were published in 2011 by the Teacher Leadership Model Consortium and using those standards as a foundation for research and development, a course was created that provided participants with readings and activities designed to have a positive impact on their understanding of teacher leadership from the classroom perspective. </p><p> This study utilized a mixed methods design as participants completed both pre- and post-surveys based on the Teacher Leader Model Standards, as well as participated in focus groups. The data collected in surveys, gleaned from the focus groups, as well as my own field notes were utilized to look at the overall impact of the curriculum in improving teacher efficacy. </p><p> The study results indicate that there was a significant impact in teacher efficacy in six of the seven domains assessed.</p>

<p> Historically, new teachers have entered the profession woefully underprepared to immediately be highly effective, primary literacy teachers. The twenty-first century has brought to education extensive reforms in literacy instruction, but are teacher preparation programs keeping up? This research examines the varying levels of perceived preparedness with which new primary teachers are entering the profession. The researcher surveyed K-3 teachers throughout three districts of varying sizes in a northwestern state. The survey focused on determining teachers' perceptions of their levels of preparedness in literacy instruction in general, as well as in the core literacy elements of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, and comprehension. The data collection portion of the survey differentiated between new teachers in their first 3 years, practiced teachers with 4-10 years of experience, and veteran teachers with 11 or more years of experience. The practiced and veteran teachers were asked to reflect upon their preparation and their first years of teaching when answering the survey questions. The researcher completed a comparative analysis of the three groups to determine if there has been improvement over time in perceived levels of preparedness for literacy instruction. The survey results determined that this sample population has, in fact, indicated an improvement in the level of literacy-related teacher preparation. This improvement better enables new teachers to be highly effective in primary literacy instruction, to the great benefit of their students.</p>

<p> With increasing demands on student achievement as set forth by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) (2001), teachers are the catalyst for improving their students' performance (Marzano, 2000). Existing studies on the use of formative assessment as a process by which teachers elicit information of their students' progress and use that information to inform their instruction have shown promising results in student achievement gains (Wiliam &amp; Thompson, 2007). Extensive teacher professional development is needed, however, to instill a change in teacher practice needed to successfully employ formative assessment resulting in improved student achievement (Trumbull &amp; Lash, 2013; Wiley &amp; Heritage, 2010).</p><p> The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between <i> Linking Learning and Assessment</i> professional development (including online training modules and communities of practice) as well as other forms of professional development on formative assessment and resulting self-perceived teacher practice, and what aspects of the professional development teachers found meaningful in improving their practice.</p><p> This study utilized a mixed-methods design. A questionnaire was administered to middle level educators (<i>N</i>=82) throughout the state followed by a focus group interview (<i>N</i>=5). Quantitative data analysis consisted of descriptive statistics, correlations, Anova, and <i>t</i>-tests. Qualitative data were obtained through open-ended questions and the focus group. Content analysis was conducted to analyze the qualitative data obtained through the focus group interview and the open-ended questions on the questionnaire. </p><p> A major finding of this study is that most teachers are in the early stages of implementing the formative assessment process and have begun to realize the power of formative assessment. Those who have had ongoing and intensive training have begun to see meaningful changes in their practice. Professional development found to be most meaningful to teachers includes: collaboration, active learning opportunities and coherence. In addition, teachers expressed the need for professional development to be differentiated to meet their individual needs.</p><p> The results of this study may serve to inform teachers, administrators, districts and state departments of education when developing and implementing professional development in general as well as professional development on formative assessment.</p>

<p> Student literacy rates across the country are unacceptably low. Teacher preparation has emerged as a priority in both research and practice in efforts to improve the nation's literacy rates. Teacher knowledge and beliefs influence the quality of instruction teachers are able to implement. This study was designed to help educators and mentors of novice teachers understand the relationship between literacy pedagogical content knowledge and literacy teacher efficacy beliefs and changes to this relationship during the course of student teaching. </p><p> Using a sample of 36 pre-service teachers assigned to student teaching in kindergarten, first or second grade classrooms, literacy pedagogical content knowledge was measured in a multiple-choice assessment that covered a variety of early literacy instructional areas including phonology, orthography, vocabulary, morphology and comprehension. Literacy teaching efficacy beliefs was measured using a self-report questionnaire. Participants completed the survey at two time points, at the beginning and end of student teaching. </p><p> To determine if a literacy pedagogical content knowledge and literacy teaching efficacy beliefs demonstrated a relationship, Pearson correlations were calculated at both time points. Results of this study suggest that these constructs are not related and operate independently. Additionally this study suggested that while literacy teaching efficacy beliefs improved significantly over the course of student teaching, literacy pedagogical content knowledge did not. Results from this study can inform teacher educators, mentors of novice teaches and professional development programmers on the relationship of literacy pedagogical content knowledge and literacy teaching efficacy beliefs in pre-service teachers.</p>

<p> Recruitment and retention of ethnically diverse students in college education preparation programs remains a difficult challenge for many colleges and universities across the United States. Low numbers of education majors yield low numbers of ethnically diverse teachers in the teaching workforce. According to 2010 data from the National Center of Education Statistics, African American students comprise about 16% of our public school students nationwide, but African American teachers only represent about 8% of the teaching workforce. While Asian students comprise 4.6% of the total public school population, only 1% of the teachers in American public schools are Asian (National Center of Education Statistics, 2010). Additionally, Latinos are expected to make up a third of the total U.S. school-age population (ages 3&ndash;17) by the year 2036, while Latino teachers represent only 14% of the teacher workforce (NCES, 2012). </p><p> Although college going rates for ethnically diverse students are increasing, many of those students are not choosing education as a major. Researchers have studied the perceptions ethnically diverse students have about teaching and have identified numerous barriers, such as: limited educational opportunities, more lucrative career options and standardized testing requirements (Madkins, 2011). Furthermore, Gordon's (1994) research points to not graduating from high school, negative experiences in school, lack of respect, teachers not being prepared for diversity, lack of support for college, lack of academic encouragement, racelessness, absence of role models of color, low status of the profession, too much education for the return, low pay, negative image, poor school conditions, having more opportunities elsewhere, and racism as contributing factors affecting students' decisions not to pursue a career in education. Graham and Erwin (2011) who studied African American boys discovered three themes: negative perceptions of teachers and teaching, perceptions of schools as oppressive institutions, and African American men are nonconformists. While these are all significant potential barriers to ethnically diverse students choosing careers in education, those ethnically diverse students who do choose to pursue teaching may be able to shed some light on the issue. Since much of the research focuses on the barriers and limitations ethnically diverse students face in our society, part of the purpose of this research is to highlight what is working for ethnically diverse students who are pursuing a career in education. </p><p> The purpose of this dissertation is to describe the factors that contribute to an ethnically diverse education major's career aspiration and college success. Since the disparity problem is multifaceted, I addressed historical, personal and social aspects that may impact the overall phenomenon, including: desegregation of teachers of color, students' experiences within the context of secondary schools, issues surrounding institutional racism, students' perceptions of teachers and teaching, college readiness, college recruitment and retention of teacher candidates, mentoring, personal motivations and identity development. </p><p> I endeavored to capture the rich stories of ethnically diverse college students' journeys to becoming a teacher and to understand what impact mentoring may have had on their career aspirations and college success. Results from this study can inform students, schools, and colleges and universities about the barriers and support systems that successful education majors of color report affect them. Since the primary focus is on the perceived effect of mentoring, the results may also provide insights regarding the retention of ethnically diverse students once they enroll in college.</p>

<p> As teacher recruitment intensifies to locate qualified teachers for our nation's classrooms, alternative teacher certification programs are becoming prevalent. Initially these programs were designed to attract professionals and college graduates to enter urban classrooms. However, what has occurred is that over 140 alternative certification programs are available to teacher candidates. Some of these programs are well designed with education courses and content area methodology along with pre-service teaching internships while others may not provide the opportunities for new teachers to be successful in their first years of teaching. This study investigated the perceptions of secondary school principals regarding the effectiveness of traditional and alternative teacher preparation programs.</p>