This qualitative study engaged twelve high school general education teachers in the state of Kentucky with certifications in varied secondary education content areas. This study included in-depth, one-on-one interviews and lesson planning observations. Based on study participants' perceptions, it is recommended that pre-and in-service training and…

The purpose of this research is to study the impact of effective professional development training provided to both preservice and inservice teachers about gifted education and gifted students. This research also seeks to discover whether a notable difference exists between preservice and inservice teachers in regard to the increase in their…

The in-house professional development conference was designed for teachers in Simpson County Schools to connect local educators and show value in their work. This conference was created for a public school in rural south-central Kentucky, but is designed to be scalable to other systems, public or private. Upon completion of reviewing the…

Numerous strategies to increase physical activity levels among American youth have been recommended and implemented in schools, and physical education teachers have been identified as the logical personnel in schools to spearhead these attempts. Comprehensive school physical activity programs (CSPAPs) are being promoted, implemented and endorsed…

In-service teacher professional development has been used to improve teacher effectiveness. In Kentucky, the National Science Foundation funded a large professional development program called the Appalachian Math and Science Partnership (AMSP) to provide content-based professional development to teachers in rural schools. We show that students…

Scholars and policymakers see improving teacher quality as a key way to improve student learning. While quality may be improved in a variety of ways for pre-service teachers, professional development is one of the few avenues by which quality can be improved for those teachers already in the teaching profession. But professional development, like…

In 2006, Memphis City Schools was awarded $16,074,687 for a five-year period (2006-11) for the Memphis Striving Readers Project, in collaboration with the University of Memphis and Bellarmine University (Kentucky). It employs the Memphis Content Literacy Academy model as a schoolwide strategy and Scholastic's READ 180 for targeted intervention.…

Five model projects for providing continuing education opportunities to teacher educators in special education are presented. Background for the development of Project RETOOL includes a 10 step outline of the process. Implementation was designed in three phases: needs assessment of current special education teacher educators, development of…

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate technical assistance and training of Head Start teachers and assistant teachers on the use of a contemporary curriculum-based assessment. A description of the technical assistance process used and the procedures for determining interrater agreement and assessment fidelity are presented. During the…

This study investigated the impact of a district-wide mathematics professional development program on elementary teachers' general and personal efficacy. It also explored connections among teacher efficacy and socioeconomic status with student achievement. Using a quantitative approach, a job-embedded professional development initiative…

Improving teacher quality in early education is a major part of ensuring young children's school readiness and closing the achievement gap. This is the book decision-makers and administrators need to begin developing coordinated, effective teacher quality systems--ones that not only get teachers ready for the classroom, but also promote continuous…

Despite the ever-increasing number of online professional development (OPD) programs, relatively few studies have been conducted to examine the efficacy of such programs for teachers and students. This manuscript presents findings from an impact study of OPD courses in fractions, algebraic thinking, and measurement on 79 fifth grade teachers'…

From national initiatives that aim to broadly reform education to local efforts to pair children with tutors, corporations are increasingly involved with schools. The idea of business-school relationships is not new. However, the confluence of several powerful currents--corporate advocacy on education policy, cash-strapped public schools,…

Kentucky Electronics Education Project (KEEP) uses microelectronics to connect real world content to K-12 science education. KEEP trains teachers in a series of circuit building activities through summer workshops and in-service professional development. Teachers are expected to implement components of their training into their curriculum, and…

The expectations of the Kentucky State Board of Education regarding a systematic plan for improving the professional performance of Kentucky public school system educational staff--nonacademic as well as academic--are set forth. A description of the plan is given. Methods for implementation of the Kentucky Plan into local school systems are…