This article explores how inservice teachers articulate and challenge notions of effective teaching as part of an environment of high-stakes teacher evaluation (HSTE) in Tennessee. Drawing on data from public forum speeches at school board meetings, policy documents, and interviews, we used thematic discourse analysis to investigate how teacher effectiveness is discursively constructed by teachers. Findings demonstrate how participants drew upon competing definitions of effective teaching to build a discursive case for potential areas for improvement regarding the observation of teaching as part of HSTE policies. Because measures of teacher performance are an issue of much debate in the United States, teachers’ descriptions of the relationships between teaching evaluations, observations, professional development, and student learning are critical to understanding how to develop effective procedures for observation and evaluation. Implications for developing evaluation informed by teachers’ experiences are discussed.

There has been growing interest among parents, teachers, researchers, and policymakers in better understanding children’s school readiness and the precise mechanisms by which early care and education programs promote these early skills. Two key, but understudied, mechanisms include preschool instruction and parenting practices. The present study used the Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) 2006 cohort and examined whether gains in young children’s (n = 2,308) math, literacy, and behavior problems over the Head Start year were predicted by increased stimulation across children’s homes and school using structural equation modeling. Net of all other factors, parent learning support was uniquely associated with lower levels of behavioral problems and greater math achievement. Although there were no direct effects of parent involvement on child outcomes, the effects of parent involvement on children’s math and behavior were mediated through parent learning support. Children also demonstrated reduced problem behaviors when they received greater teacher instruction. However, the observed benefits for math achievement and reduced problem behaviors appear to be stronger when young children receive stimulation across both the home and school contexts. These findings have implications for children’s early problem behaviors and achievement, suggesting that parenting practices and teacher instruction are important avenues that can promote young children’s early skills. For optimal academic and behavioral outcomes, however, greater effort needs to be coordinated across children’s home and school settings. / text

This action research study investigates classroom visual art assessments and their potential to improve teacher instruction and student learning. In order to examine this topic more thoroughly, a National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)-related classroom assessment was designed and administered to the researcher’s Drawing and AP Art History classes. Students were also asked to fill out a questionnaire that asked about their past art experiences and motivation to participate in art activities such as creating artwork outside of the school setting or attending an art museum. Students observed, described, and analyzed contemporary artwork, and they created and wrote about their own original works of art. The use of contemporary art exemplars led to some of the most interesting findings; namely, that students felt free to create their artwork in a contemporary style that was less about technical elements and more about the meaning they wished to convey. In general, the AP Art History students’ written contemporary art criticism scores were significantly higher than the scores of both of the studio drawing classes. Artwork scores of AP Art History, Drawing I, and Drawing II students showed no significant difference. Interestingly, all three groups indicated they were highly motivated to look at works of art, create art in school, and make artwork outside of the school setting. Also noteworthy was the relatively high number of students who indicated that the contemporary artwork they analyzed influenced the mother and child artwork they created. It could be surmised by this study that a NAEP-related iv assessment is a beneficial method for improving teacher instruction and student learning in visual arts education

Educators involved in the teaching, learning, and assessment of social and emotional learning (SEL) competencies face challenges on how to integrate these competencies into instruction. Limited research has been conducted about how to integrate such SEL competencies into instructional practices, particularly in the context of a summer enrichment program. The purpose of this single case study was to explore how teachers and counselors at a summer enrichment program for preK-4 students integrated SEL competencies into instructional activities. The conceptual framework was based on core competencies and standards for quality program design that the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) developed. Participants included 2 teachers and 2 camp counselors at a summer enrichment program located in a western state. Data were collected from individual interviews with participants, observations of activities that integrated these SEL competencies into instruction, and documents related to the summer program. Data analysis included coding and categorizing of interviews and observations and content analysis of documents to identify themes and discrepant data. Key findings were that the 5 core competencies were intentionally and systematically integrated into the instructional activities of the summer enrichment program as evidenced by program planning, curricular development, implementation of a variety of instructional strategies, and informal teacher and parent assessments. This study contributes to positive social change because students who have mastered these competencies may demonstrate fewer behavioral issues and form more positive interpersonal relationships, which may lead to improved academic achievement.

This study addressed the issue of struggling student writers in a K-5 rural elementary school. This phenomenological study, based on social constructivist theory, investigated elementary teachers' experiences to determine effective writing strategies. Six teachers who had taught writing in the elementary grades for 5 consecutive years volunteered to participate in the study. All teachers participated in a focus group, and 2 teachers provided additional data via individual interviews. Member-checking was used to ensure trustworthiness of data. The data were analyzed; emerging themes developed categories and, through horizonalization and triangulation, gaps in writing instruction were revealed. Analysis from the teachers' perspectives led to key factors which contribute to successful writing instruction, incorporate more writing instruction school-wide, promote unity of teachers for planning and discussion of writing instruction, and use curriculum plans in writing instruction that leads to enhanced student success. This study sought to provide teachers with strategies for developing efficient writing instruction for students using a 9-week curriculum writing guide. This study will improve teachers' skills and lead to enhanced writing instruction and student learning by making connections between enriched teacher experiences; this study will also provide insights into the design and delivery of more effective writing instruction that creates local-to-global changes in student writing success.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the nature of changes in preservice elementary mathematics teachers&rsquo / views and reflections about elementary mathematics classes based on their observations in School Experience I and School Experience II courses. Specifically, this study investigated pre-service elementary mathematics teachers&rsquo / views and reflections about instruction, assessment, and classroom management issues in elementary mathematics classes based on their observations in School Experience I and School Experience II courses. The sample consisted of 19 pre-service elementary mathematics teachers from a teacher education program at Middle East Technical University (METU). Pre-service elementary mathematics teachers involved in this study made their observations in their cooperating schools for 3 months during the spring semester of 2004-2005 academic year and the fall semester of 2007-2008 academic year. The data were collected by means of their School Experience I and School Experience II course reports. The results indicated that although there was commonality in the views and reflections of pre-service elementary mathematics teachers&rsquo / about instruction, assessment, and classroom management issues in elementary mathematics classes, there were differences in their knowledge in the way they perceive instruction, assessment, and classroom management as they progressed through their education. In other words, when School Experience I course reports were compared with School Experience II course reports, pre-service teachers perceived the mathematics instruction as more student-centered and they gave more importance to the alternative assessment strategies in their School Experience II course reports. Furthermore, they defended more positive classroom management methods in their School Experience II course reports.