The teacher empowerment process emphasizes professional development and participation (i.e., increasing professional status, skills, knowledge and providing the opportunity to participate in decision-making); however, whether these efforts eventually lead to the realization of teacher power remains a critical concern, especially considering that…

Florida has experienced some of the greatest growth of Advanced Placement (AP) programs in recent years and student scores on the AP exams have evolved into a highly significant metric in evaluating student proficiency and teacher and school effectiveness. Despite this growth, it is not well known how AP teachers make decisions about the content…

In 2010, President Barack Obama's administration committed to reevaluate funding streams for No Child Left Behind (NCLB). This effort supported state and local initiatives designed to strengthen teacher quality. While a number of studies have examined preparation programs, candidate efficacy, and even candidate induction and attrition; few studies…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive case study was to research teachers' attrition in a central South Carolina school district by analyzing the experiences of 5 former teachers in the district. Highly qualified teachers are needed to educate students who come from diverse backgrounds. Unfortunately, many qualified teachers leave the…

Online learning is becoming an increasingly popular method of delivering instruction. Every year the number of courses provided online has increased compared to traditional courses offered at the same institutions (Allen & Seamen, 2010). In the online environment interactivity is one aspect faculty can use to evaluate online course…

Over a decade after the regulation change in Virginia allowing individuals without teaching experience to pursue school counseling careers, no known study had focused exclusively on differences site supervisors observe when training school counselors from different professional backgrounds and the extent to which those counselors employ a tailored…

As a proposed solution to the issues plaguing urban schools in the United States, Teach for America (TFA) continues to garner national attention and attract an increasingly competitive pool of applicants from the nation's most elite colleges. In fact, TFA has become the nation's largest provider of teachers to low-income communities and…

This case study examined teacher identity development among four pre-service teacher candidates during their student teaching experience. Guided by three complementary theoretical frameworks for investigating teacher professional identities (e.g., Gee, 2000-2001; Beijaard, Meijer, & Verloop; 2004; Moje & Luke, 2009), the study focused on…

The purpose of this study was to better comprehend the experiences of middle school teachers when they are asked to implement practices promoted in professional development. The professional development in which the teachers were involved centered on cultivating classroom discourse through the use of six Teacher Discourse Moves. These moves were…

This qualitative case study used focus groups to investigate the experiences of 11 high school English teachers in their implementation of the effective practices of adolescent literacy instruction while using the "SpringBoard" curriculum by College Board. Focus groups were held in three comparable suburban high schools that utilized…

The College Board's Advanced Placement (AP) Program continues to expand annually with increased numbers of high school students nationwide enrolling in AP courses and taking end-of-course AP exams, in hopes of earning college credit and strengthening high school transcripts. As the College Board promotes increased minority student participation…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if there is a relationship between teacher perception of students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and the number of regularly used ADHD appropriate classroom strategies. The population of interest was high school teachers in a Georgia school district. The study used…

Mentor teachers have a significant impact on pre-service teachers. Unfortunately, mentors are often underprepared for their role, and thus, the potential learning from a student teaching experience is not maximized. Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University provides training to mentors who host pre-service teachers during their…

The purpose of this dissertation research was to capture the lived experiences of teachers in an independent private school during a four-year period of multiple systemic changes. This was done in a retrospective manner to gain firsthand insights from within the systemic change. The perceptions on change from teachers with varying academic…

This study investigated the perceptions of three alternative and three traditional route participants of their experiences prior to receiving teacher certification. It further investigated whether their experiences proved to be educative, mis-educative, or a combination of the two. Observations, interviews, and lesson plans were analyzed according…