The purpose of this project is to develop a training manual that will provide a common foundation for all faculty, regardless of their academic field and to take a comprehensive approach to teaching and understanding environmental education within the context of different cultures. It looks at what shapes environmental attitudes and how these attitudes vary between cultures.

The purpose of the project is to construct a handbook for pre-school, elementary and middle school teachers that will provide the information essential in developing an awareness of the signs and symptoms of a traumatic brain related to a ocular motor injury. Also included in the handbook are recommended assessments and accommodations that can be utilized in the management of PTVS.

This study focuses on teachers' perceptions of their computer practices in various aspects of their work and the factors which enable or impede them.

The purpose of this project was to develop an instructional manual on in-service education for Certified Nurses' Aides. It provides examples of classes for staff developers to use when teaching continuing education classes. Topics covered include caring for the elderly, Alzheimer's disease, infection control, adult cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and end of life care.

The purpose of this project was to develop a handbook of inquiry activities that can be used in high school Earth sciences.

School districts face tremendous budget challenges and, as a result, professional development has been "trimmed" from many school budgets. (Habegger & Hodanbosi, 2011). School administrators responsible for planning professional development face a daunting task and often focus on PowerPoints, district mandated training, one-shot presentations, and workshops that are delivered by expensive experts. These types of activities lack teacher collaboration, time for sharing of ideas and opportunity for reflection and analysis (Torff & Byrnes, 2011, Coggins, Zuckerman & Mckelvey, 2010). The problem addressed in this study is that teacher professional development is usually planned by school administrators who are provided little support or training. This study used the problem-based learning approach designed by Bridges and Hallinger (1995) to determine the usefulness of a handbook for principals to utilize as they plan professional development. The handbook was developed, field tested and revised using Borg and Gall's (2003) research and development cycle. This qualitative study included surveys, observations, interviews and workshops to determine the usefulness of the handbook. The study consisted of preliminary field testing and product revision followed by the main field testing. The main field test was a workshop for K-12 school and district level administrators on how to use the handbook in planning meaningful, ongoing teacher professional development. The data collected in this study determined that the handbook,Teachers Teaching Teachers: Designing Successful Teacher Professional Development on a Shoestring Budget, is a useful tool for school administrators responsible for planning teacher professional development.

Thesis (M. Tech.) - Central University of Technology, Free State, 2009

This project was the development of a trail guide with background information about plants and animals commonly found at the Grassy Hollow Visitor Center, located in the San Gabriel Mountains in California. The guide is intended to enable volunteers to utilize the educational opportunities available at this location with kindergarten through second grade students.

Continuing education advances society. For every student, our educational system should provide a seamless transition from one level to the next until a degree or certificate is earned that reflects a mastery of skills needed to secure employment. This helps prepare each individual for a successful life after exiting the educational system and greatly benefit our society. Today, however, many students graduating from high schools are not ready for a postsecondary education. Transitioning students from high school to college is a complex process that requires many different approaches. Students making this transition are finding it more difficult to enter and succeed at a higher level of education because of the complexity of this process. Preparing students for postsecondary options is critical for every student. Students from low-income families and some ethnic and racial minority groups are most dependent on the ability of their high school to prepare them properly for college success (Conley, 2010). In what ways can schools better prepare students for postsecondary success? This study focuses on the creation of a Postsecondary Readiness Guidebook (PRG) which provides a comprehensive approach to help educational leaders prepare students for postsecondary success. The guidebook uses a problem-based learning design and follows the research and development process. The guidebook was field tested by educational leaders in a K-12 public school though a workshop using a qualitative methodology. During the field-testing of the guidebook, data were collected through assessments, interviews with educators, and questionnaires completed by educational leaders at the school. Data were analyzed using inductive coding, facesheet coding, enumeration, and typology. The findings of the study reveal that using a guidebook with a comprehensive approach to postsecondary preparedness can help school leaders prepare students for postsecondary success. Educational leaders in the school collectively focused on best practices and programs aimed at preparing students for postsecondary options through the use and interaction of the PRG. The guidebook gave them a compass for which to navigate the complex process of preparing students for postsecondary success.

As budget belts tighten in the public schools today, more and more schools are moving toward participation in federal Schoolwide Title I Programs to most effectively meet the needs of struggling students. This study seeks to inform school administrators how best to approach this yearlong change initiative by both meeting the needs of the rigorous federal standards and facilitating a positive school climate for staff, students, and community. Using a Problem-Based Learning method, the purpose of this study was to research, develop, and validate a handbook for shaping school culture during a major school change project while creating or maintaining a positive school culture. The handbook was developed as a resource for principals, and will ultimately be disseminated to Oregon school leaders with the goal of improving the transition process from a Targeted-Assistance Program (TAP) to a Schoolwide Title I Program (SWP). Research and development (R&D) methodology (Borg & Gall, 1989) was used to develop and validate Moving to a Schoolwide Title I Program: The Path Principals Should Follow to Maintain a Healthy School Culture. The literature review and the researcher's experience in Title I schools provided the necessary information to build the preliminary product (prototype). Field-test reviewers used an evaluation rubric to measure efficacy, practicality, effectiveness, and impact on school climate for each section of the handbook. The handbook was reviewed by three groups: principals of Title I schools, Title I directors and coordinators, and Title I compliance officials. The handbook was then piloted by the principal of an elementary school that is currently making the transition from a TAP to a SWP. Changes in the school's curriculum and innovations in the classroom, even if they are beneficial to student learning, can be challenging to the health of the school culture. Research suggests that school culture is defined by rituals, expectations, relationships, curricular focus, co-curricular activities, decision-making processes, school requirements, and a sense of the "way we do things here" (Bower, 1966, p. 22). School culture directly impacts a school's social, emotional, and academic end results. Through conversations with educators across the state, it is evident that the transition is not always sustainable or fully implemented by all staff, and many times the efforts for change are overcome by resistance, and the momentum toward change is abandoned. The handbook promotes the idea that though collaboration, shared leadership, data driven instruction, and staff buy-in, the yearlong transition process is not only possible, but it can also positively impact a variety of aspects which make up the school culture in hopes of creating a sustainable change.