The search for instructional methodologies which maximize student achievement has been of central concern to educators for many years. Intensified by the recent focus on staff development and school reform initiatives, this search has begun to produce models for school improvement. The majority of the research studies on these models have centered on the academic achievement of inner-city elementary school students in reading and math. One effort to operationalize the research findings has been the instructional model developed by Dr. Madeline Hunter. The few research studies which have been done on her model focus on the effects of teacher training on teacher performance at the elementary level and on student achievement in reading and mathematics. Claims about the effectiveness of teacher training at the secondary level across a wide variety of subject areas and on selected student variables have not been thoroughly substantiated. It was the purpose of this study to determine if the Instructional Effectiveness Model of Madeline Hunter could be applied at the secondary level and to determine what effects the training would have on teacher performance and on selected student variables. This study was conducted employing 14 secondary school teachers, seven in the experimental group and seven in the control group. one class from each teacher's schedule was videotaped prior to and after training. Using the Instructional Skills Observation Instrument each videotape was scored by outside observers. Teachers in the experimental group were also presented with four questionnaires which were used to determine the teacher's perceptions of the content and process of the training sessions. Students in each class (N= 245) were measured in regard to class attendance, number of class discipline referrals, class grade point average, class attitude, and class achievement. In addition, four students from each teacher's class (56 students in total) were interviewed to determine their opinion of how the training affected them. The information obtained from the classroom observations, teacher questionnaires and student interviews was supplemented by ethnographic data. The findings indicated that the teachers in the experimental group did not teach differently than teachers in the control group. The findings also indicated that the selected secondary students of teachers in the experimental group did not differ from selected secondary students of teachers in the control group in overall class attendance, class grade point average, class attitude, and class achievement. There was a significant difference in overall number of class discipline referrals by sex. The correlation between the teacher's performance score as measured on the ISOI and their mean class score on each of the student variables was not significant. The findings from the ethnographic data corroborated the quantitative findings. / Ed. D.

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Teachers of English language learners (ELLs) are often ill prepared to provide content area instruction tailored to their students' needs. This explanatory mixed method study examined the relationship between 15 ELL teachers' multicultural attitudes and use of sheltered instruction (SI). The purpose of the study was to ascertain whether teachers' multicultural attitudes influenced their use of SI. Data were gathered using a Demographic Questionnaire, Multicultural Efficacy Scale (MES), Classroom Instruction Questionnaire, and semi-structured interviews. A correlational analysis found no statistically significant relationship (i.e., r = -.34; p = .22) between participants' scores on SI observations and the MES. A correlational estimate for the four highest SI scorers indicated a relationship between the two sets of scores (i.e., r = .75; p = .25). Qualitative data did not indicate any patterns that might distinguish the high and low SIOP scorers; however, Aptitude Measurement Interaction may explain the different correlational results.

Historical documentation of the impact of PL 88-164 on the field of emotional and behavioral disorders (E/BD) and the development and implementation of teacher-training programs for children and youth identified as E/BD is limited. This study was designed to document the historical significance and professional contributions of Dr. Richard J. Whelan, Professor Emeritus, University of Kansas and his work in the development of teacher preparation training programs in the field of E/BD in institutions of higher education (IHE). The second purpose of this study was to document the legislative and program initiatives that have impacted the services, education, teaching, and research initiatives in the field of E/BD as interpreted by Dr. Whelan. The final purpose of this study was to examine the views of Dr. Whelan regarding the need for future developments in the field of E/BD. Legislative and policy efforts continue to change the climate in which children are educated. The field of special education relies on the efficacy of the training programs in IHE to provide appropriate teaching and research efforts in a manner that is consistent with the current needs of students with E/BD, their families, and the schools in which they seek to be educated. As this study revealed, understanding the history of the field, the foundational framework from which research and evidence-based practices have emerged, is paramount to forward movement in the field and necessary to the measurement of effective interventions and strategies in support of the students, their families, and those who choose this field as their lifework. It is the foundation from which educational theory is developed, researched, revised, and reflected.

Although in recent years there has been increased attention on bullying prevention and bullying legislation in the United States, there is limited research on the implementation of anti-bullying policies. Moreover, few studies have addressed the use of anti-bullying policies to protect LGBT youth from bullying. The present study seeks to examine the role of anti-bullying policies as a means to protect against bullying based on perceived sexual orientation and gender identity. Qualitative interviews with high school teachers, administrators, and staff members within an urban school district in the United States were conducted to gain insight into how those charged with the task of protecting LGBT youth engage with their school and district policy in efforts to create a supportive environment for their students. In this study, I argue the following: 1) the policy structure, both in the language of the state law and district policy on bullying, created barriers for schools to implement the anti-bullying policy; 2) the barriers created by the policy structure limited teachers' ability to protect LGBT youth from bullying; and 3) despite the evident barriers, teachers found ways to create supportive classroom environments for their students. Results indicate that teachers are not knowledgeable of the contents of their school's anti-bullying policy, and have had limited exposure to the policy through training specific to their school's anti-bullying policy. Similar results occurred when teachers and administrators were questioned about their awareness of trainings specific to the prevention of bullying against LGBT youth, posing significant barriers to effective policy implementation. In addition, interview data suggests that although teachers lack the sufficient support in terms of training on the anti-bullying policy, there were multiple examples of teachers serving as advocates for LGBT youth in both their classrooms and in their schools more broadly. The displays of advocacy by teachers, in addition to the presence of district and school administrator support for LGBT students, serve as an example of how school districts can find ways to implement school policies, address bullying in their schools, and raise awareness for the unique experiences of LGBT youth in terms of bullying.