The purpose of this study was to explore what role collaborative professional learning may have on teachers' collective efficacy when confronted with pedagogical change. Academic standards introduced between 2010 and 2014 included new content-specific communicative practices including discipline-specific language, discursive methods, and ways of…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine how integrative STEM teachers utilize the "Standards for Technological and Engineering Literacy" (STEL) to foster and assess 21st-century learning in technology and engineering classes at multiple Virginia public secondary schools. The theory guiding this study was Kolb's…

The purpose of this research study was to investigate teacher perspectives of implementing standards-based grading in kindergarten through fifth grade in language arts and math in Southern Illinois. This mixed-methods explanatory research study examined the challenges teachers encountered when implementing standards-based grading, and the changes,…

Teachers' support in implementing the standards for mathematical practice has been an area of study since the implementation of the Common Core state standards initiative. The research problem was a gap in the literature regarding what teachers perceive as the supports needed to implement the Common Core standards for mathematical practice in the…

The United States has become increasingly aware of the prevalence of childhood trauma and adverse experiences which can have long-lasting negative consequences on health and school achievement. It is possible to recover from trauma with the right support and schools are ideally placed to support many children in the United States. One method…

This mixed-methods study identified the effective practices of the principal and leadership team in an Improvement-Required (IR) high school that significantly influenced student achievement and guided their school from IR to a rating of Met Standard in one year. IR or F schools under the new system are schools that failed to meet the state…

The purpose of this study was to provide a greater understanding of the broader characteristics of the lowest performing elementary and middle schools in Illinois, as little analysis of this data had been conducted. Furthermore, little to no research has explored the vertical and horizontal alignment of math curricula and its correlation to…

Teachers' values, beliefs, and self-confidence are critical components of decisions educators make every day. The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between secondary science teachers' epistemology and self-efficacy on science instructional practices and conceptualization of student research experiences rooted in the Next…

There is a longstanding debate over how to evaluate teachers. Various models of teacher evaluation tools including observations, teaching artifacts, or frequent walkthroughs, provide evidence of daily classroom performance. Although there are questions on the most efficient means by which to complete evaluations, most agree evaluative tools must…

A teacher's work is to enhance their knowledge and skills of effective teaching while making sure that every students needs are met through their teaching practices. The Participatory Action Research (PAR) study examined the extent to which teachers changed their practices by engaging in culturally responsive practices with a Co-Practitioner…

This study aimed to identify the themes teacher preparation programs need to improve their current curriculum. The research focused on teacher preparation programs, professional development opportunities, technology use and integration methods, college and career readiness in PreK-12 students, ISTE Educator and Student Standards, and 21st Century…

This qualitative case study explores the perceptions of fifth grade students in a predominantly White school and community about race, analyzes the effects on student learning when Common Core Language Arts instruction is blended with the Teaching Tolerance Anti-Bias objectives (Southern Poverty Law Center, 2014a), and describes the tensions and…

Traditional grading and reporting practices have been part of the educational system in the United States for centuries. Those grading practices are ingrained in schools across the country and have not changed much, if at all, over time. Traditional grading practices have a plethora of downfalls, but we continue to use them because they are what…

Through a qualitative multiple case study, the researcher's goal in conducting this study was to investigate and understand the experiences of five upper elementary teachers in grades three through five who transitioned from traditional grading practices to standards-based grading (SBG) practices at one elementary school. Using Albert Bandura's…

The purpose of this qualitative study is to examine the effects of standards-based Individualized Education Programs (SB IEPs) on student achievement. Educators are required to develop IEPs for students with educational disabilities. The purpose of an IEP is to outline the goals and services to be provided to the student in order for the student…