In a 2012 paper for the Center for American Progress, "The State of Evaluation Reform," Patrick McGuinn (Drew University) identified the opportunities and challenges facing education agencies in Race to the Top (RTTT) grant-winning states as they prepared for the implementation of new teacher evaluation systems. The 2012 study undertook…

This fall in schools across the nation, students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) will experience educational opportunities that, until recently, were denied to them. Because the No Child Left Behind Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ensure that students with ASD are included in the student body, principals must make…

As the "No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001" and high-stakes accountability have come to define the work of teachers, one wonders if "teaching" is becoming more or less attractive. Teaching in today's classrooms is arguably very different from teaching in classrooms from previous decades and generations. Moreover, the…

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to determine the effect of lesson study on teachers' mathematical understanding. This study reviewed a three year program called SEISMIC which implemented lesson study within a school district. The goal was to increase teacher and student understanding of mathematics' Teacher understanding of…

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…

The National Education Association is poised for a change in leadership this year as its president of six years, Reg Weaver, bumps up against term limits. Now, speculation is widespread that Edward J. McElroy, his counterpart at the American Federation of Teachers, might not seek re-election in July. The possible exit of Mr. McElroy--and the…

Many investigators have documented the need for valid and credible program evaluation research of teacher professional development programs. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to conduct a comprehensive program evaluation of the Lincoln School District's Teacher Collaboration Time (TCT) staff development program. The study questions…

Using collaborative teamwork to build unique response-to-intervention (RTI) systems responsive to the needs and strengths within their separate schools and communities, two Montana elementary schools forged a trail for other schools. Each school encountered different obstacles along the way as well as distinctive ways of defining success. How can…

The implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act (2001), and the resulting intense focus on standards and student accountability, has changed the education environment significantly (Rammer, 2007). Ultimately, the mounting pressures from federal and state agencies, that all students reach 100% proficiency in reading and math by the year 2014,…

For some educators, being an integral part of a school community happens naturally. School psychologists, however, often are inhibited by the "visitor syndrome," whereby they walk into a building, sign in the visitor register, and immediately seek the help of an administrative assistant or custodian to help them find a place to land.…

Instead of putting the entire achievement burden on schools, what would it look like to hold a whole community responsible for long-range student outcomes? This report explores the concept of "shared accountability" in education. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act ushered in a new era of accountability in American education: for the…

Despite No Child Left Behind legislation, there has been little significant progress in literacy for African American and Hispanic high school students. This issue reflects a failing school system and an urgent need for educational reform in the United States. Using social cognitive theory as the conceptual framework, this qualitative study…

The purpose of this article is to share information related to the emergence of mathematics renewal (i.e., enhancing teacher instruction) for struggling learners within an elementary PDS. Specifically, background related to the PDS and three phases of the renewal process are discussed (i.e., identification of needs, implementation of new…

This paper examines the impact of discourses upon teachers who strive to be professionals amidst the US No Child Left Behind era. Using qualitative research methodology and ethnographic techniques, a case study was conducted within the context of a teacher learning community comprised of two female secondary teachers and the researcher. Data were…

In today's educational climate, where inclusion and response to intervention (RTI) are valued, the use of coteaching represents one potential way for schools to meet the diverse needs of students in their classrooms. Although school psychologists are not typically involved in delivering instruction through a coteaching paradigm, they have the…