The issue of teacher shortages has long been a concern in schools across the nation. Currently, the majority of states have reported persistent shortages, with special education experiencing the most severe gaps. The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of school climate on teacher retention in special education schools. Special…

This study analyzed Pennsylvania School Climate Survey data from students and staff in the 2021/22 school year to assess the validity and reliability of the elementary school student version of the survey; approaches to scoring the survey in individual schools at all grade levels; and perceptions of school climate across student, staff, and school…

These are the appendixes for the report, "Strengthening the Pennsylvania School Climate Survey to Inform School Decisionmaking." This study analyzed Pennsylvania School Climate Survey data from students and staff in the 2021/22 school year to assess the validity and reliability of the elementary school student version of the survey;…

Over the last several decades, significant pressures resulting from financial challenges, declining undergraduate enrollments, changing demographics and now the COVID-19 pandemic, have caused college and university leaders to consider interinstitutional merger for both economic and strategic purposes. However, both knowledge and methodological…

The purpose of our mixed-methods study was to examine the motivations and obstacles associated with curricular revisions in music education degree programs. During Phase I, we surveyed a nationwide sample (N = 533) of music education program coordinators. Participants who had engaged in the curriculum revision process within the previous decade…

The use of social media in teaching and learning has been widely recognized in academic practice and research. Despite the noticeable increase, many of the social media studies particularly focused on the student's perspectives and self-reports. Previous studies have explored potential and pedagogical use of social media tools, however, there…

In response to federal accountability measures, the Pennsylvania Department of Education introduced the School Performance Profile, shifting the student achievement spotlight from school districts to individual schools, thus placing the onus squarely on the shoulders of teachers and school leaders. Shared leadership has been touted in the…

This qualitative study focused on how teachers in a small, urban elementary school in Pennsylvania negotiate their beliefs and instructional delivery the classroom. In the area of literacy instruction, there has been an increased reliance on Core-reading programs in elementary school. Classroom teachers, caught in the middle, are charged with the…

Staff development training is a method many public schools employ in an effort to prepare their teaching staff to better meet the demands of effectively educating district students. In this mixed methods case study quantitative and qualitative data was incorporated to answer four research questions: (1) How accurately do scores achieved by…

When a student at Carnegie Mellon University became concerned about perceived grading bias in 2005, he proposed an amendment to the university's student-rights policy. Drawn from David Horowitz's "academic bill of rights," the proposal included assertion of a student's right to have his or her "work evaluated based on the stated…

This monograph was a preliminary investigation of the parameters of faculty perceptions of the legitimacy of governance. It was in part a test of an untried method for measuring those perceptions. The results suggest several conclusions: (1) In assessing dynamics of collegiate governance, it is necessary to take type of institution and issue…

Patterns of decision making were described at six institutions in one study and perceived legitimacy of governance on the part of faculty was assessed on the same campuses. Discussion of findings explores effects of decision issue, institution, and type of institution on each pattern and on relationships between governance patterns and perceived…

The 2005-2006 year at Olney High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was the first year that Olney was split into two medium-sized schools. This report is about one of those schools, Olney 705 East. As reported from the School District website during the 2005-2006 school year, the race and ethnic composition of Olney 705 East High School was…

Sixty-one graduate student teachers (from seven urban, rural, and suburban districts) responded to five questions relating to how they viewed their involvement and importance in making decisions in the operation of their schools. Questions were designed by 14 teachers who met twice for about 2 hours each meeting. This development group believed…

In 2007, the Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS) requested that the RAND Corporation monitor implementation of year 2 (2007-2008) of the district's Excellence for All (EFA) initiative and provide feedback to district staff, the PPS board, and other stakeholders. In 2008, RAND expanded to a more comprehensive focus on effective implementation of EFA's…