Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are a best practice that has been around for decades; however, due to organizational structuring in elementary schools, teachers are allowed 30 minutes of planning time. During this time little planning or collaboration with peers is achieved. Previous research has proven that professional learning by way…

Teaching observations are commonly used among educators to document and improve teaching effectiveness. Unfortunately, the necessary protocols and supporting infrastructure are not consistently available for faculty who teach online. This paper presents a brief literature review and reflective narratives of educators representing online education…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand what it means to be a National Board Certified teacher (NBCT) in Georgia. Georgia teachers, distinguished with the NBCT title, participated in surveys and interviews which were analyzed qualitatively in order to understand the essence of being a National Board Certified teacher. Three…

During the 2015-16 academic year, Georgia's Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) piloted three professional development models for Georgia's Pre-K teachers. All three models focused on the Instructional Support domain of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System™ (CLASS; Pianta, La Paro, & Hamre, 2008) and used resources developed by…

Since the implementation of NCLB initiatives, rural K-12 teachers in Middle Georgia have been working to gain highly qualified status in their area of certification. These educators have faced struggles that are characteristic of rural schools to include: limited resources, isolated geographic locations, and lack of funds. The In-field Gifted…

A school district received a Physical Education for Progress grant (PEP). PEP grants are part of the Carol M. White Program and are administered by the U.S. Department of Education. These grants are available to local educational agencies to initiate, expand, or improve physical education (PE) programs. The purpose of this study was to determine…

TO SURVEY THE CERTIFICATION STATUS, TEACHING ASSIGNMENT, AND SELECTED JOB-RELATED OPINIONS OF GEORGIA SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHERS, DATA ON 115 SCHOOLS AND 403 TEACHERS WAS EXTRACTED FROM A RANDOM SAMPLING OF THE ANNUAL REPORTS OF SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS TO THE GEORGIA ACCREDITING COMMISSION. AN UNSTRUCTURED QUESTIONNAIRE ASKING WHICH ASPECTS OF…

This study examined connections between staff development and student achievement in order to develop a base of knowledge for improving Georgia's staff development. The study asked whether differences in how districts and schools provided staff development for teachers accounted for some of the variation in student achievement across Georgia…