This research describes a professional book study experience and offers insight into its use in supporting professional development. Framed in situated learning theory, this qualitative case study examined the perceptions of 12 educators who voluntarily participated in multiple professional book studies over 4 years. Two major themes were found in…

Teacher aides have made a major contribution to educationally disadvantaged children in Tennessee. Title I directors recommend that: (1) the teacher aide program should be continued; (2) inservice training programs for teachers and aides should be coordinated; and (3) additional study on qualification and educational preparation of aides is…

From 2004-2007, the University of Memphis carried out the NSF-funded Tri-P-LETS (Three P Learning Environment for Teachers and Students) project to improve local high-school computer science curricula. The project reached a total of 58 classrooms in eleven high schools emphasizing problem solving skills, programming concepts as opposed to syntax,…

In the summer of 2011, the Tennessee Department of Education contracted with the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) to provide a four-day training for all evaluators across the state. NIET trained more than 5,000 evaluators intensively in the state model (districts using alternative instruments delivered their own training).…

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has invested in the development and dissemination of instructional tools to support teachers' incorporation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) into their classroom instruction. Math experts have developed formative assessment lessons (FALs) that teachers can incorporate throughout the year's curriculum.…

The Continuing Professional Education Inventory (CPEI) was field-tested with a group of 348 teachers throughout Tennessee who attended summer educational conferences at four different locations. The survey included 35 statements regarding barriers to continuing professional education which respondents rated on a Likert scale. Fifteen demographic…

Regular classroom teachers should be provided with inservice training for teaching handicapped students mainstreamed in their classes. Courses in teaching exceptional children should be required at undergraduate and graduate levels. States should require teachers to obtain competencies for teaching mainstreamed students and should appropriate…

A study of employed Tennessee postsecondary technical teachers was conducted which resulted in a generalized profile covering their background and preparation, their priorities for teacher preparation items, and their preferences regarding content for inservice programs. Implications are drawn and recommendations made. (AJ)

In 1996, Tennessee became the first state to connect every public school to the Internet via a single network, ConnecTEN. This case study examines the staff development opportunities made available to teachers for training in the use of computer-based technology, focusing on teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness of the training and their…

This report presents the results of a study conducted with 449 Tennessee educators that investigated the use of educational technology in the state's classrooms. The Tennessee Education Association, as part of its Tennessee Teachers' Technology Initiative, funded in part by a grant from BellSouth, collaborated with the Appalachia Educational…

Appalachia Educational Laboratory's Rural Excel program collaborated with the Tennessee Center of Excellence for Science and Mathematics Education and with faculty at 21 local education agencies in rural Tennessee to evaluate implementation of the Tennessee Mathematics Activities Manuals for grades 5-8. The manuals each contain 54-67 activities…

A survey of 62 early childhood educators in North Carolina and Tennessee found that respondents had frequent and significant concerns about their knowledge and utilization of assistive technology. Training areas were identified that address the concerns and barriers regarding assistive technology. Implications for preservice and inservice training…

This project analyzed results of 16 focus group interviews with 144 special and regular education teachers concerning inclusive education of students with disabilities, including their concerns, obstacles they had encountered, effective strategies, inservice training they found helpful, suggestions for addressing inclusion in teacher preparation…