This research investigates whether teachers' unions influence student academic achievement in Southern states that prohibit collective bargaining. Our data are from the School and Staffing Survey and the Stanford Education Data Archive. We measure the strength of teachers' unions by union membership rate and meet-and-confer status of a district…

We used 14 years of state licensure and classroom data from Virginia to follow 19,878 special education teachers (SETs) who completed either the alternative route (AR) internship or traditional programs. Findings reveal that a greater percentage of SETs of color participated in AR programs compared to traditional licensure programs, while a…

Special education teachers enrolled in a Virginia-based alternate route certification program were surveyed to determine if they perceived the program was valuable for creating effective special educators, and the focus of the study was on the effectiveness of alternative route programs for teacher preparation. The literature review showed scant…

In a country with an increasing population of nonwhite students, there are far too few teachers of color. The numbers are particularly distressing when it comes to finding male teachers of color, who are essential role models for black boys. As a result, black and Latino children sitting in classrooms with white teachers, day after day and year…

While perceived overqualification (POQ) has received increased research attention in recent years, the identification of variables that moderate POQ-outcome relationships is critical to our understanding of how the construct affects career outcomes. This study, involving 170 full-time primary and secondary school educators in a suburban…

Healthier, happier teachers promote healthier, happier, and more effective learning environments. Yet, many teachers experience considerable stress. Studies have found that between one fifth and one fourth of teachers frequently experience a great deal of stress (Kyriacou, 1998). Stress in teaching appears to be universal across nations and…

Teachers join the profession hoping to inspire students, but their training does not fully prepare them for the realities of the classroom. What is more, the lifelines administrators provide to new hires are not always reliable. Most veteran teachers mandated by state or local officials to serve as mentors are not given time or money to provide…

The paper commences with a brief summary of the literature on the quality assurance process in e-Learning in higher education. This is followed by an overview of the U21Global quality assurance framework. Within this framework there is particular emphasis on the process governing the appointment (and re-appointment) of adjunct faculty; a process…

Thus, this study examines two beginning teachers' perceptions of a high-stakes test in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Data analysis revealed that the teachers' perceptions towards the test had changed during their first year of teaching. This issue is important because how first-year history teachers perceive and respond to the high stakes tests…

Relates stories about the benefits of project-based learning. Describes engaging students through projects, motivating hard-to-reach students, and challenges for teachers. Includes list of common features of project-based learning. (PKP)

This study used path analysis to examine the effects of work-related factors--including principal support, stress, role problems, job satisfaction, and commitment--on 542 Virginia special educators' expressions of intent to stay in teaching. The study concluded that these work-related variables should be included in strategies for retaining…

A questionnaire was completed by 463 special educators and 493 general educators in Virginia. Analysis indicated that work-related variables, such as leadership support, role conflict, role ambiguity, and stress, are better predictors of commitment and job satisfaction than are demographic variables. Findings were similar for general and special…

The most important asset of any enterprise is the talent and enthusiasm of its workforce. In operating a successful business, there is no greater challenge than to attract and retain the best-qualified, hardest-working employees. And perhaps the most important factors in keeping the best people are providing workers with the tools to succeed at…

A survey of 385 special and 313 general education teachers in Virginia found that groups had similar perceptions of principal support. Work-related variables were better predictors of extent of perceived support than were demographic variables. Specific types of support were significant predictors of job satisfaction, school commitment, and…

This study investigated teacher attrition and retention in seven Virginia school divisions representing urban, suburban, and rural localities. Focus group interviews of teachers who stay in their school divisions and telephone interviews of teachers who migrated to another school division or who left the teaching profession revealed a hierarchy of…