This study aimed to examine the effect of participation in teacher mentoring programs and professional learning community (PLC) activities on a teacher's sense of professional self-efficacy. Participants in the study evaluated mentoring programs and PLC activities and the influence of each on their sense of professional self-efficacy. An…

The purpose of the qualitative exploratory case study was to explore third through fifth-grade teachers' perceptions of how being provided with curriculum-based professional development could influence instructional techniques and skills in the classroom. Two research questions guided the study. The questions focused on third to fifth-grade…

In recent years, schools across the United States (U.S.) have allocated large amounts of state and federal level money towards instructional coaching with the hope that instructional coaching will lead to teacher improvement and ultimately increased student learning. This qualitative case study examined how the principal at one New Jersey public…

In recent years, the idea of "global citizenship" has grown in scholarly circles and developed into a nascent discipline known as global citizenship education. As a general matter, global citizenship education strives to deepen cross-cultural understanding through the study of current transnational issues. This qualitative,…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify (1) teacher-leaders' descriptions of their roles and activities, (2) perceptions of characteristics, knowledge, and skills of successful teacher leaders, (3) barriers to and support needed for teacher leadership, (4) the extent to which teacher leaders helped teachers understand and respond to…

There are multiple explanations for why many children do not have access to well-prepared pre-K teachers. The five programs profiled in this report show that it is possible to give pre-K teachers rich, research-based training that prepares them to work with young children. However, there is a scarcity of opportunities focused on the developmental…

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every aspect of people's lives. As New Jersey looks to the future and plan for students to return to schools in-person this fall, they must recognize and prepare for the ways the virus and necessary public health response has changed and will change the way students learn. This Restart and Recovery Plan provides…

This is the executive summary for "The Road Back: Restart and Recovery Plan for Education." The COVID-19 pandemic impacted every aspect of people's lives. As New Jersey looks to the future and plans for students to return to schools in-person this fall, they must recognize and prepare for the ways the virus and necessary public health…

This publication is the result of an 18-month project that brought together teams from six states--Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, and Texas--along with their national organizations in a groundbreaking partnership to identify collective bargaining language and policies that support high-quality professional development.…

This series of papers was originally presented as a symposium at the annual meetings of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and the National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME) held between April 9, 2007, and April 13, 2007, in Chicago, IL. The authors represent school districts and departments of education across the…

This paper presents New Jersey's standards for the required professional development of teachers as follows: (1) enhances subject content knowledge; (2) improves understanding of learners' academic, social, emotional, and physical needs and ensures that educators utilize appropriate teaching skills to enable students to meet or exceed their…