This article describes the Student Perception Project, a two-year opportunity for educators in Washington state to explore student perception surveys and ways the data students provide can inform educator practice. Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and led by the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and the…

Physical education is critical to addressing childhood obesity, yet many school-based programs do not meet established quality standards and teachers are called upon to change. Little is known about how change is initiated and its associated internal and external factors. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate physical education…

Although participation in extracurricular activities for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities has been advocated, a limited number of students appear to be involved in such activities. Further, there is little empirical research on how extracurricular activities are valued, supported, and encouraged. This study surveyed a…

This policy brief summarizes the responses by early-career science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) teachers in Washington State to the Washington STEM Teacher Survey. These early-career STEM teachers were asked about their perspectives of their teacher education program (TEP) and STEM subject preparation, with a focus on their student…

Recent calls to reform undergraduate biology education, including Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education, have led biology departments to examine their curriculum to determine the extent to which it aligns with Vision and Change content and competency recommendations. The recently released BioSkills Guide translates the broad Vision…

Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS) offers an alternative to reactive and exclusionary school discipline practices. However, the shift to SWPBS requires substantial change in the practices of staff, and many leadership teams struggle to rally staff support for implementation. With a more thorough understanding of staff perceptions, level…

The purpose of this study was to gather information from educators and parents on their perceptions of the effectiveness of Individualized Learning Plans (ILPs) in assisting students with disabilities in gaining the experiences needed to develop college and career readiness skills. Results from focus groups and surveys of 1,117 parents and 484…

Climate change (CC) is an important issue students should understand to be productive members of society. The objectives were to evaluate the instruction and teacher perceptions relating to CC in the Inland Pacific Northwest (IPNW) secondary (7-12) classes across disciplines. The teacher perceptions, instructional frequency, perceived barriers to…

The implementation of schoolwide positive behavior interventions and supports (SWPBIS) requires a shift from a reliance on reactionary discipline to prevention-oriented supports, and it requires that staff adopt and regularly apply the practices throughout the building. This level of systemic change in staff thinking and practice is challenging to…

The need to improve the quality of early childhood education is urgent. Researchers are diligently studying which forms of professional development will yield positive changes in teacher practices. Communities of practice (COPs) and coaching have both been shown to be potentially effective and efficient means of professional development in early…

The purpose of this multi-state study was to identify agricultural education teachers' perceived level of importance regarding selected instructional supervisory practices used in the nonformal components of agricultural education. The theoretical frame supporting this study was the theory of andragogy. Data were reported on the perceived…

The purpose of this quantitative non-experimental study is to determine the leadership competencies most desired by members of the community college board of trustees and faculty for a community college president. The study will examine the alignment of those competencies between the trustees and their faculty groups to determine if the two groups…

Objectives: To provide further information regarding physical education (PE) teachers' perceptions of incorporating music in PE lessons and to evaluate the influence of music on the classroom environment using a qualitative approach. Method: Electronic survey interviews were conducted with 26 veteran PE instructors (10 male, 16 female), from 7…

Since its inception, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) blue print has attracted interest from more than 40 states in the United States. The overall objective of these proposed changes is to align K-12 science education with current trends in technology and career needs. However, the assessment of teacher preparedness and classroom…

The increased interest in program- and university-level assessment over the past few decades has led to increased faculty involvement in developing program learning outcomes and performing program assessment activities. Depending on the level of support and encouragement faculty receive from administration and other entities, they may support or…