Instructional coaching is a model that continues to grow as a form of support for teachers. Instructional coaches provide job-embedded professional learning through one-on-one development and team building. The instructional coaches have an opportunity to influence change in the school through direct relationship building with their teachers. This…

The purpose of this study was to examine professional learning practices of school districts that have included choice and differentiation in their approaches to professional learning, and to examine the impact educational leaders' knowledge of andragogy, or adult learning theory, may have had on program development. Andragogy is often ill-defined…

Teacher evaluations have varying platforms and models used to provide feedback to teachers on their instructional practices. While research shows the importance of effective and meaningful feedback on teacher impact, there is little research on the specific model of evaluating administrators using Cognitive Coaching. The purpose of this study was…

Researchers have provided evidence of the effects of academic engagement on the achievement of all students. Despite the known benefits of academic engagement, low rates of engagement have been reported across studies examining engagement rates of students with extensive support needs (ESN). Students with ESN are often placed in more restrictive…

This is an exploratory study to examine the perceptions of special education instructional coaches on their role in retaining alternative licensure special education teachers. As public education is an area experiencing hard to fill open positions for special education teachers, many districts are hiring special education teachers on alternative…

The problem addressed by this qualitative case study is the lack of effective training for paraprofessionals to deliver systematic prompting to students with moderate-to-severe disabilities in the community setting. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the perceptions of paraprofessionals, families, and community-based…

This mixed methods study analyzed the content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and leadership knowledge and skills of elementary mathematics specialists (EMSs); in addition, the study examined EMSs' ability to select and implement a high-quality mathematical task. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of…

Despite federal policy and litigation, the continued placement of students with extensive support needs (ESN) in separate classes and schools continues across the United States. Since the enactment of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (1975), there has been a continuous stream of research regarding the positive effects of including…

If we as a nation want to create a more equitable educational system, then we must increase the number of racially diverse school leaders. Emerging research consistently shows that when we support and develop leaders of color, it yields increased student achievement outcomes. Yet little progress has been made over the past decade to increase the…

Over the past four years, Skyline Middle School (SMS) has implemented high-quality instructional materials and made numerous attempts to create a school-wide Response to Intervention (RtI) program to support students struggling with classroom mathematics instruction. Despite these efforts, students' mathematics proficiency levels as measured by…

Legislation such as the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) have emphasized student achievement and test scores. As a result, the landscape of the kindergarten classroom has changed from a more play-based environment to a more academic-based classroom. This shift has caused pre-kindergarten to shift their practices as…

The purpose of this quantitative correlational study is to determine if a relationship exists between paraeducator perceived self-efficacy and the transformational leadership behaviors of building trust, acting with integrity, encouraging others, encouraging innovative thinking, and coaching and developing people displayed by the special education…

Behavior challenges impact children and educational professionals on a daily basis; however, it is difficult for educators to obtain high quality training in behavior management. The purpose of this study was to compare cognitive apprenticeship and group work, two teaching methods, to determine which provides better knowledge and implementation…

Due to increases in emergent bilingual student enrollment in public schools as well as the increase in accountability for their academic success due to federal and local policies, the role of the EL Specialist has expanded to include serving as an in-house professional development provider. This study critically examines the author's experience as…

Strong leaders require emotional intelligence (EI). Research on EI of educational leaders is minimal. Due to the lack of research and literature in education on the emotional intelligence of school leaders, one may only assume that principals have the same leadership characteristics that are noted in current leadership books and publications.…