The Community of Inquiry model provides a framework for recognizing and evaluating interpersonal behaviors in online educational settings. One of its three components, teaching presence (TP), describes those behaviors that are under the auspices of the online instructor. By examining these interactions and behaviors through the theoretical lens…

Successful implementation of educational technology is reliant upon constructivist teaching practices. Using technology in the classroom is a method used to make the shift from traditional methods of instruction to more constructive-compatible instruction. Methods of learning including technology integration are a relatively new mode of…

No Child Left Behind mandates have given teachers new responsibilities in data analysis and the implementation of strategies that meet individual student needs. Providing tools and methods for data collection, managing it, and then analyzing it is now a basic need for teachers. By aligning assessments for the specific purpose of addressing…

This study examined elementary student literacy performance in Lancaster School District in kindergarten through 5th grades for 6 elementary schools implementing the Reading First program and 6 elementary schools not implementing Reading First. Subgroup data for English Language Learners, Hispanic, and African American students was closely…

Arts integration is becoming an important focus within general curriculum instruction to connect student learning needs and content. However, few studies have addressed arts-integrated approaches that enhance the educational process in the general education setting. The aim of this qualitative case study was to examine arts-based approaches in…

This study explored the characteristics of elementary science teachers who employ reforms-based practices. Particular attention was paid to the consistency of teachers' practices and their beliefs, the impact of professional development experiences on practices, and how teachers mitigated barriers to reforms-based instruction. Understanding how…

This research study examined the long-term effects of a professional development study tour to Southeast Asia that took place in 2001. Participants included ten public school teachers from Western Massachusetts, which has a significant population of people of Vietnamese and Cambodian descent. Funded by a Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad grant,…

Younger children are demonstrating increasingly more serious problem behaviors (Walker, 1998). The present study concerned further investigation of early implementation of a promising behavior management model known as Positive Behavior Support (PBS). PBS has been shown to be successful in elementary and secondary schools (Metzler, Biglan, &…

The increasing populations of students with special academic needs included in general education classrooms in American public schools are providing a growing teacher preparation challenge. The purpose of this study was to analyze both strengths and weaknesses in how general education teachers perceived their pre-service preparation for teaching…

This study's purpose was to explore effectiveness of alternate format in-service delivery for what teachers needed to know to effectively teach their students with Autism Spectrum Disorder/High Functioning Autism/Asperger Syndrome (ASD/HFA/AS) in the general education setting. The study's research questions included: Did participants learn…

Recent school reforms such as NCLB have focused on standardizing learning outcomes, and in the process have stimulated many schools to standardize curricular content, particularly if those schools are in Program Improvement (PI) status as a result of not meeting testing targets. But these attempts at standardization have ignored the fact that…

This multiple case study examined the efforts of six elementary school teachers in their implementation of new instructional strategies in their fifth grade social studies classrooms following their participation in a weeklong Summer Institute focusing on American history. The study was guided by one grand tour question and one sub-tour question.…

The number of students who are being identified as having a learning disability is rising at an alarming rate, creating concerns regarding misdiagnoses and overrepresentation of minority groups in special education. Response to Intervention (RtI) has emerged as a scientifically validated approach to delivering quality interventions early in a…

This two-phase sequential mixed methods research study examined the effects of targeted instructional craftsmanship training on the perceived self-efficacy and attitude of elementary and middle school teachers of English language learners. A sample of elementary and middle school content area teachers of English language learners (N = 132)…

The passage of Public Law 94-142 (the Education of All Handicapped Children Act) in 1975 established the rights of children with disabilities to a public school education in the least restrictive environment. Fifteen years later, it was amended and renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (PL 101-476, 1990), still intended to…