Professional development is a concept with which all educators are familiar. The research for this dissertation, focusing on suburban high school teachers in Northeast Ohio, aims to show that the professional development needs of teachers vary throughout their educational careers. Additionally, this dissertation aims to help school districts…

All students must graduate high school with the knowledge, skills, and competencies needed to succeed in today's world. One of the most current educational reform efforts to meet this goal is the development and implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), which guides learners to achieve success in solving real-world problems…

The purpose of this action research study was to examine grading practices in one military-connected high school and to make recommendations for aligning grading practices to improve student achievement, engagement, and equity. Through iterative research cycles of look, think, and act, teachers from one military-connected high school participated…

This study addressed the problem that teachers have had minimal or no training in how to implement evidence-based practices when educating students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD); consequently, teachers struggle with which intervention to implement and when to implement the intervention. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to…

This qualitative study engaged twelve high school general education teachers in the state of Kentucky with certifications in varied secondary education content areas. This study included in-depth, one-on-one interviews and lesson planning observations. Based on study participants' perceptions, it is recommended that pre-and in-service training and…

There is a lack of self-efficacy of teachers in meeting the needs of students with health conditions, in particular, seizures. This can be linked to a lack of knowledge and education. Interventions/Methods: To improve teachers' self-efficacy when working with students with seizure disorders, an online educational module was created. Teachers in a…

Studies have shown that conflict resolution and violence prevention education may be lacking within school-based environments. There is a gap in the literature regarding pre-service and in-service conflict resolution and violence prevention education for urban high school educators. The purpose of the study was to understand the experiences and…

This qualitative study investigated the partnership programs established between a total of seven secondary schools who partnered with colleges and or universities to provide and afford teachers with opportunities to receive professional development support. Additionally, the study investigated the strategies, frameworks, and protocols organized…

Humic substances (HS) are the humified portions of totally decomposed soil organic matter that are ubiquitous in nature. Although these substances have been studied for more than 200 years, neither their metabolic capabilities nor a specific chemical structure has yet to be determined. HS have been studied as a carbon source in many environments…

Examines relationships among the levels of pre-service and inservice teacher preparation in various topic areas within environmental education (EE) and the levels of implementation of those topic areas in public high school science and social studies classrooms in Illinois. Measures teacher attitudes toward EE. Findings indicate that teachers who…

The focus of this action research study was the implementation of a professional development initiative comprised of two phases: a training program for teachers on Marzano's nine research-based instructional strategies, and the implementation, supported by follow-up coaching, during "Pear Mountain" High School's (a pseudonym) six-week…

There has been a significant decline in the amount of priests and brothers who live and work at Jesuit secondary schools in the United States. The presence of Jesuits in the schools shaped the Ignatian identity of the schools' cultures. The Jesuit order, the Jesuit Secondary Education Association (JSEA), and the high schools have recognized that…

This study characterizes teaching practices that involve students' funds of knowledge ([FoK], Gonzalez, 1995; Moll, 1992; Moll, Amanti, Neff, & Gonzalez, 1992). FoK may be defined as bodies of knowledge, skills, language, and experiences found in students' homes and communities for potential use in formal learning. I investigated how high…

The School of Education and the Department of Physics at Boston University offer a sequence of 10 two-credit professional development courses through the Improving the Teaching of Physics (ITOP) project. The ITOP courses combine physics content, readings from the physics education research (PER) literature, and the conceptual history of physics…

The objective of this project is to review the literature on adolescent depression with a focus on prevalence, risk factors, symptomology, comorbidity, and the need for increased awareness within the secondary school system. Adolescent depression is one of the most overlooked, undertreated, and debilitating psychological disorders (Cicchetti &…