In recent years, there has been an increase in paraeducator supports, in large part because students with low incidence disabilities are being included more frequently in general education settings. As a result, special education teachers have been given additional supervisory responsibilities related to directing the work of paraeducators in…

The role of teacher assistants has paralleled the changes in education over the years. The teacher assistants, who numbered 1.3 million in 2008 and are projected to increase by 10 percent by 2018 (Office of Labor Statistics, 2012) are valuable members of our educational communities providing support to students with special needs. These teacher…

Every school district is feeling the pressure to ensure higher academic achievement for all students. A focus on professional learning for an administrative team not only improves student learning and achievement, but also assists in developing a systemic approach for continued success. This is how the Fox Chapel Area School District in…

The challenges of maintaining highly qualified special education teachers are evident in public schools across the nation. Replacing educators who leave the field is a time consuming and expensive endeavor that impacts the achievement and progress of children with disabilities. This study is focused on explaining length of tenure in the profession…

During the 1984-85 academic year, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) initiated efforts to reform school districts' teacher supervision/evaluation (TS/E) procedures. The goal was to improve the quality of classroom instruction and develop more consistent, meaningful teacher evaluations. This paper describes a study conducted by Research…

Because of the individual authority of each State for its own educational program, practices and policies differ widely among them in many respects. Yet in the midst of differences there are also common elements of development. The U. S. Office of Education, in presenting this series of monographs, has attempted to point out those common elements,…

In the 1984-85 school year, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) began to actively encourage Pennsylvania school districts to reform their teacher supervision/evaluation (TS/E) procedures. To obtain data necessary for developing TS/E models, the PDE commissioned Research for Better Schools (RBS) to conduct a study of five school…

The educational advantages and the housing economies effected by the work-study-play plan have led administrative officers to adopt some form of this organization in many school systems. The plan is variously designated as the "platoon plan," "alternating school," "companion class method," or "duplicate…