Given the predicted shortages of minority dental healthcare providers in the United States and the expanding diversity of the general population, it is important to recruit and retain an ethnically and culturally diverse allied dental workforce. The objectives of this study were to explore why the profession of dental hygiene exhibits minimal…

Preparing all students to succeed in today's increasingly global economy and complex world requires a shift from a teacher-centric culture to learner-centered instruction, according to a new report from the Alliance for Excellent Education. This report examines the characteristics of learner-centered instruction and the support that educators and…

According to the Carnegie Foundation, faculty job satisfaction has declined drastically over the past few decades at institutions of higher education (Shuster and Finkelstein, 2006). Researchers have also found that faculty satisfaction is critical to the vitality of colleges and universities (Clark, Corcoran, and Lewis, 1986; Farrell, 1983).…

Teacher induction programs provide the critical support that new teachers need as they move from university teacher education studies to the everyday realities of teaching. Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs) work through a range of new and challenging experiences as they explore their sense of themselves as professionals. Their identities are being…

Everyone wants kids to grow up smart. A child's educational success depends on good teachers, challenging curricula and involved parents. Student achievement also can be affected by the healthfulness of a school's environment. That environment includes the restrooms that consume millions of gallons of water on campuses throughout the nation.…

This article presents the state education finance and governance profile of Texas. In 1854, the Permanent School Fund (PSF) was established by a legislative appropriation of $2 million. Today, the PSF has an approximate balance of $25 billion and continues to receive revenue from state taxes on land and minerals. The State Board of Education…

Preparation of high quality personnel to provide educational services to students with disabilities living in rural areas is, at best, challenging. Findings from a comprehensive study concerning the status of the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in rural settings and the issues such implementation presents…

The 2013 edition of the "Annual Condition of Education Report" provides a rich tapestry of information about Iowa's education system. The data presented in the report examines longitudinal trends about Iowa's students, teachers, and schools from many perspectives. Information such as demographic characteristics, assessment results,…

Each year, Austin Independent School District Department of Research and Evaluation (DRE) staff develop a plan of work to describe the scope of work for the coming year. The plans that make up this document identify programs to be evaluated and services to be provided by DRE staff and provide the blueprints for evaluation that staff will follow…

While women have made progress in many areas of higher education, institutions still need to focus attention on the advancement and retention of women at the highest academic ranks. According to data from the U.S. Department of Education's 2005 Fall Staff Survey, women represent only 40.6 percent of full-time faculty and 25.1 percent of full…

Over the past 20 years, alternative certification for teachers has emerged as a major avenue of teacher preparation. The proliferation of new pathways has spurred heated debate over how best to recruit, prepare, and support qualified teachers. "Alternative Routes to Teaching" provides a thorough and dispassionate review of the research evidence on…

Project TRREE (Teacher Recruitment and Retention for Educational Excellence) is a federally funded project conducted by the Kentucky Department of Education. The purpose of the project is to develop a systemic approach to increase the number of highly qualified special education teachers with a focus on recruitment of linguistically, culturally…

Research indicates that state pre-k programs with higher teacher qualification requirements improve children's school readiness so states get the most out of their investment in early education. This 2010 report, authored by Marisa Bueno, Linda Darling-Hammond and Danielle Gonzales, reviewed research on training for pre-k teachers and concluded…

Studies suggest that low retention rates in the beginning years of teaching are a significant problem for school culture and threaten student achievement. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of factors that influence new teachers to remain in the profession and to determine whether a new teacher training academy model affected…

The study sought to determine factors that affect faculty decisions regarding their involvement in teaching online distance education courses. A survey was administered to online distance education faculty across the United States to determine those factors that encourage or discourage them from continuing to teach online courses. The factors were…