The researcher sought to understand how the complexities and challenges of offering high-quality professional development district-wide impacted teachers' ability to implement their new learning. The literature posits that to be considered effective, professional development must include six distinct design elements: (1) Is data driven, (2)…

Facilitators of teacher professional development (PD) play an integral role in teacher learning. Facilitators often both plan and implement PD and it is important that they can make these experiences meaningful learning opportunities for teachers. Researchers have only recently delved more deeply into understanding the knowledge and skills…

A group of educators directed their own learning by creating a professional development experience involving peer observations. Professional development (PD) is complex and can be any activity aimed at improving teacher knowledge, enhancing practice, and increasing student achievement. A group of high school teachers gathered and met regularly to…

Teacher observations are conducted across school districts throughout the country to support school leaders and teachers in improving instructional practice. Teacher implementation of administrative feedback may vary depending on teachers' perceptions of the relevance and practicality of the feedback. This basic qualitative study was conducted…

Recent efforts to help teachers improve have centered on teacher evaluation. This qualitative dissertation explored how eight teachers from one middle school described and understood improving their practice Additionally, this study used purposeful developmental sampling to explore how, if at all, participants' way of knowing (meaning their…

Failure to implement Tier 1 behavioral intervention strategies in the classroom leads to inappropriate special education and disciplinary referrals for Black students resulting in a loss of instructional opportunities. This project took place in an urban K-8 school with a culturally and linguistically diverse student population. In consultation…

The purpose of this heuristic narrative study was to use teacher voice to gain a stronger understanding of what teachers need for the meaningful use of the evaluation process for improving teaching and learning. Data collected and analyzed from eight co-researchers, who represented eight different suburban districts, consisted of an evaluation…

Despite continuous efforts to develop teacher observation and evaluation frameworks, one-size-fits-all evaluation tools may not be adequate for an instrumental music classroom. Since implementing the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015, teacher evaluation has shifted from a high-stakes accountability model to models focused on feedback and…

This study applied the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) to explore the sources of self-efficacy and professional development activities that are most predictive of PreK-6 music teachers' efficacious beliefs. This study also compared teacher efficacy levels across different groups. The target population for this study was PreK-6 music teachers in the…

Providing teachers with professional development leads to enhanced instructional practices that influence student achievement. Because of low student achievement scores, secondary school administrators at a district in the western United States implemented administrator-led classroom walkthroughs (CWs) as ongoing professional development to…

Improving reading instruction for English language learner (ELL) students is a growing concern at a K-5 urban elementary school in a large city in a Midwest state. Classroom teachers are challenged in their knowledge and skill set to consistently and effectively integrate the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) model in their…

This quantitative study examined teachers' self-efficacy in teaching multilingual learners (MLL) and implementing the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) to support MLL instruction in classrooms. The problem is that teachers' self-efficacy when teaching MLLs may affect them not utilizing the best research-based Tier 1 instructional…

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in several challenges for students and teachers in the United States. The introduction of virtual instruction was a challenge for many, especially teachers. As many educators attempted to determine how to best support their students and teachers, the latter looked for ways to create lessons and connect with students…

The professional learning experiences of K-12 educators are a critical and complex part of continuously improving teaching and learning within a school. This case study brings to light the experiences of three teams of middle school teachers participating in a professional learning model called instructional rounds. The purpose of this research is…

The current study examined teacher classroom responses to the Classroom Strategies Coaching (CSC) Model in 14 high-poverty elementary schools. Coaches used observational data to identify practice needs, goals, and monitor progress regarding instructional and behavioral management strategies. The sample included 53 teachers that received the CSC…