Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2008. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on June 19, 2009) Includes bibliographical references.

Title from title page of PDF (University of Missouri--St. Louis, viewed March 22, 2010). Includes bibliographical references (p. 120-124).

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of North Texas, Aug., 2009. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--UCLA, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 226-238).

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2008. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on June 2, 2009). Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of North Texas, Dec., 2008. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.

Dissertations (Ed. D.)--Rowan University, 2010. / Typescript. "UMI Number: 3398603"--T.p. verso. Includes bibliographical references.

The retention of special education (SPED) teachers is problematic throughout the United States. Many SPED teachers are leaving education due to burnout which can be caused by feeling isolated and having a lack of collegial support. Studies suggest that collegial support is a main contributor to the retention of SPED teachers. Induction programs, mentoring, and professional learning communities (PLC) have been widely used; however, there is not much research showing how professional learning communities impact the retention of special education teachers. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify novice elementary school SPED teachers' perceptions regarding PLCs. Specifically, this study examined how elementary school SPED teachers' perceptions of PLCs affect the retention of this group of teachers. Themes from this study may indicate what schools can do to make their PLCs more meaningful for the SPED teachers participating in them. The study was guided by the following research question: What are the perceptions of novice SPED teachers regarding professional learning communities and their impact on teacher retention? Twenty SPED teachers with between 0 – 5 years of experience participated in online focus groups. Data from the focus groups were analyzed and themes were developed. The results of this study indicated that SPED teachers stay at their current schools due to support provided by colleagues such as SPED teachers, general education teachers, and reading and mathematics specialists. In addition, SPED teachers are more likely to stay at their current schools if the PLCs they attend are relevant and are more likely to leave when they miss instructional time with their students due to attending mandatory PLCs. The results from this study may help school and division leaders implement PLC support for SPED teachers that will positively impact the retention of SPED teachers. / Doctor of Education / The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify novice elementary school special education (SPED) teachers' perceptions regarding PLCs. Specifically, this study examined how elementary school SPED teachers' perceptions of PLCs affect the retention of this group of teachers. Themes from this study may indicate what schools can do to make their PLCs more meaningful for the SPED teachers participating in them. The study was guided by the following research question: What are the perceptions of novice SPED teachers regarding professional learning communities and their impact on teacher retention? Twenty SPED teachers with between 0 – 5 years of experience participated in online focus groups. Data from the focus groups were analyzed and themes were developed. The results of this study indicated that SPED teachers stay at their current schools due to support provided by colleagues such as SPED teachers, general education teachers, and reading and mathematics specialists. In addition, SPED teachers are more likely to stay at their current schools if the PLCs they attend are relevant and are more likely to leave when they miss instructional time with their students due to attending mandatory PLCs. The results from this study may help school and division leaders implement PLC support for SPED teachers that will positively impact the retention of SPED teachers.

The purpose of this research was to explore professional learning communities (PLCs) and their impact on teacher practice. The focus of this single case study was on reviewing the process of the implementation of a PLC (DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, and Many, 2010) within MidAtlantic Elementary School, a Title I school. This school implemented the PLC (DuFour et al., 2010) process following the guiding principles set forth by Richard and Rebecca DuFour and the MidAtlantic School District. The guiding principles include a shared vision and mission, collective inquiry, collaborative teams, action research and experimentation, continuous improvement, and being results oriented. By following these guiding principles, the goal was to show how this process improved teacher practice enough to help students be successful in the first year of opening the school and each consecutive year since the school opened. Results of this research showed the PLC (DuFour et al., 2010) process leads to improvements in teacher practice that positively affect student learning. / Doctor of Education / The purpose of this research was to explore professional learning communities (PLCs) and their impact on teacher practice. A PLC can be defined as a group of professionals who come together to create a culture of collaboration, and then develop a way to share their reflections related to their work. The focus of this single case study was on reviewing the process of the implementation of a PLC within one elementary school. The guiding principles included a shared vision and mission, collective inquiry, collaborative teams, action research and experimentation, continuous improvement, and being results oriented. Results of this research showed the PLC process led to improvements in teacher practice that positively affected student learning at this school. This is important, because it shows how the PLC (DuFour et al., 2010) process affects teachers’ practice in a positive way. Implications for how this research might be used include (a) implementing the PLC (DuFour et al., 2010) process in middle and high schools to improve teacher practice, and (b) the importance of making sure teachers have buy-in for the PLC (DuFour et al., 2010) process throughout its implementation.

The purpose of this study was to examine data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study: Kindergarten Class of 1998-99 (ECLS-K) report, identify questions and statements that correlate to the dimensions of professional learning communities (PLCs), and determine the effect PLCs have on student achievement based on the ECLS-K data. In addition, the rationale for doing this research was to measure growth in student achievement over time. A multilevel growth model was used for this research. Univariate analysis was conducted in order to reveal frequencies and percentages associated with teacher responses. Bivariate analysis was applied in order to determine the inter-correlations between the fourteen variables. Once the inter-correlations were determined from the bivariate analysis, principal component analysis was applied in order to reveal the theoretical relationship between the variables. Through the use of principal components a set of correlated variables is transformed into a set of structure coefficient: support and collaborative. Finally, a multilevel growth model was used in order to determine the effect that each variable within the support and collaborative structure coefficients had on student achievement over time. This study revealed a number of variables within the ECLS-K report that correspond to the dimensions of PLCs have a statistically significant effect on student achievement in math and reading over time. This study demonstrated that support and collaborative variables within PLCs have a positive effect on both math and reading IRT achievement from 3rd grade to 5th grade.