The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine educators' perspectives of the value of their workload and the many influences that affect those perceptions. A cross-sectional survey was developed and distributed to general educators in a northern region of Illinois that were teaching kindergarten through fifth grade. The developed survey…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive case study was to focus on teachers' perceptions regarding professional development training for early childhood education. The problem addressed in this study was the inadequate amount of professional development training available for early childhood teachers to address children with challenging…

This qualitative research study investigates teachers' perceptions of school safety and their adherence to specific safety procedures in a small, pre-K-eighth-grade school district in a small, suburban school district in Illinois. Data were collected through anonymous open-ended surveys distributed to teachers with varying experience levels. The…

The purpose of this explanatory mixed method study was to assess teachers' perceptions of whole brain learning (WBL) and its effects on student success within eight southern Illinois school districts in rural and suburban areas in kindergarten through fourth grade. Quantitative data were collected from survey questions in SurveyMonkey, providing…

Although Asian Americans are the fastest-growing racial minority group in the United States, projected to be 10% of the population by 2050, they only comprise 2% of the teaching force. There is relatively little research about the experiences, recruitment efforts, or retention of Asian American teachers. This qualitative study seeks to add to the…

The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of Imagine Learning's MyPath program on student mathematics and reading achievement growth. This study examined achievement growth trajectories of kindergarten students in one suburban Midwestern district in the 2022-23 school year. NWEA MAP mathematics and reading scores served as the main…

Research Findings: A total of 54 videotaped mathematics activity observations drawn from 27 different pre-kindergarten classrooms in an urban public schools system in the U.S. were coded using 2 observational measures: (1) a general measure, the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS); and (2) a math-specific measure, the High Impact…

The purpose of this study was to explore whether PreK-5 teacher perception of their unconscious bias impacted student achievement levels in Title I schools of varying performance levels. To achieve the overall outcome, this quantitative study was guided by the following research questions: (1) To what extent is there a statistically significant…

Disruptive behavior problems frequently emerge in the preschool years and are associated with numerous, long-term negative outcomes, including comorbid disorders. First Step is a psychosocial early intervention with substantial empirical evidence supporting its efficacy among young children. The present study reports on a validation study of the…

This article highlights two competency-based coaching and mentoring models for the incumbent infant-toddler workforce, designed and implemented at two Illinois institutions of higher education. Each model has been intentionally developed with an antibias and equity lens, focused on cultivating a diverse workforce of practitioners through…

The early childhood education care (ECEC) practitioner landscape is complex and encompasses many roles including center-based and school-based administrative, teaching, and support staff as well as home-based unregulated child care family child care (FCC) providers and home-based regulated (e.g., registered or licensed) FCC providers who…

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore how different generations of educational professionals perceived themselves and one another, framed into the context of work ethic characteristics, teamwork abilities and leadership abilities among and between three generations of educators: Baby Boomers, Gen Xers and Millennials. The results…

This study investigated the assessment literacy required for K-12 educators to interpret score reports from a K-12 English language proficiency assessment. The assessment in concern is ACCESS for ELLs, which is an annual summative assessment that is delivered to nearly 2 million English learners (ELs) across 39 US states and territories. This…

Student problem behaviors occur across all classroom settings, but preschool children are three times more likely to be expelled than students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Determining the extent to which preschool students exhibit problem behaviors may help promote preventative practices in early childhood settings. This study examined…

The early childhood educator workforce has widely ranging credentials and degrees, qualifications and compensation, typically varying by setting. Yet, there is a national call for aligning and strengthening requirements for preparation of the early childhood workforce to ensure that young children thrive and reach their potential at each stage in…