Educators rely on a conglomeration of assessment instruments to appraise, measure, monitor, and document evidence of students' academic readiness, learning progressions, acquisition of interdisciplinary knowledge, and extensive educational needs. The Mississippi Academic Assessment Program for Mathematics (MAAP-M) and the i-Ready Assessment…

Over the past several decades, science education reforms have called for students to develop appropriate views of the nature of science and have a comprehensive understanding of subject matter. Additionally, education research has demonstrated that teachers must have appropriate views of the nature of science and strong content knowledge as…

The problem investigated in this study was the struggle of rural schools to successfully implement inclusion due to limited financial resources. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine strategies to promote inclusion in a rural school district despite limited financial resources. Self-efficacy theory and school climate theory…

The problem addressed by this study was that general educators and administrators in rural school settings are unprepared to ensure the provision of successful inclusion programs to differently-abled students, which negatively impacts rural educators' attitudes and perceptions of including differently-abled students in the general education…

Classrooms are becoming increasingly diverse, and multicultural literature can be an essential tool utilized to provide representation for students from these diverse backgrounds. However, while multicultural literature can be beneficial, it is important for educators to be cautious in their selection of these books. Many of these books contain…

This research study examined how students and I navigated learning and teaching about genocide and mass violence in the context of a semester-long high school comparative genocide and human rights elective course at DeWitt Junior-Senior High School in rural south-central Wisconsin. Specifically, the study examined how students individually and…

The purpose of this correlational, explanatory, cross-sectional quantitative research was to determine whether teacher absenteeism and student achievement are related in rural schools. This correlational study examines the predictor variable of teacher absenteeism on academic outcomes and also is inclusive of control variables teacher mobility,…

The North Dakota Teacher Support System (NDTSS) mentoring program is available to 1st-year teachers employed in the state public schools. Because there has been limited research on the topic, the purpose of this study was to increase the understanding of how participation in the mentoring program affects the experiences and developing…

Principals have many responsibilities and priorities daily. For principals serving in small rural schools, their role as instructional leaders can be even more challenging. Given the complexities of their job, principals are charged with ensuring that all students are safe and receive the required instruction, supports, resources, special…

Recruitment and retention concerns for teachers, particularly in rural school districts and in science, fill the daily news and research literature. The shortage of STEM workers is also another concern as well. Then why do nationally recognized secondary science teachers remain in rural schools with lower salaries, increased responsibilities…

This descriptive qualitative case study examined how rural superintendents implement the eight turnaround principles to foster and sustain improvement in the school district organization. The eight turnaround principles are as follows: school leadership, school climate and culture, effective instruction, curriculum, assessment and intervention…

The shortage of nursing faculty is limiting the number of students community colleges are able to enroll (National League for Nursing, 2014). The use of adjunct clinical nursing instructors may help lessen the impact of this shortage, while allowing nurses to gain valuable academic experience. An understanding of the process these nurses go…

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine those factors influencing a teacher's level of adaptation to a one-to-one laptop program in a middle-school setting. The school chosen for this study is located in a semi-rural district with approximately 500 students in sixth through eighth grade. Over the past 10 years, the school…

Principals need support throughout their careers in order to lead effectively and promote continuous improvement. However, some elementary school principals of small, rural schools lack access to structured systems of support that could increase their knowledge and skills as instructional leaders. The purpose of this study was to examine a central…

Learning Management Systems (LMS) are software-based platforms that provide the framework and tools needed to create online learning and/or training. Integration of a Learning Management System (LMS) in public education "opens new possibilities for online interaction among teachers, students, and parents" (Blau & Hameiri, 2010, p.…