Student-teaching field placements play an important role in preparing teacher candidates, many of whom rate the practice as the most authentic and relevant learning experience associated with their teacher-education programs. As a part of these field experiences, teacher candidates have opportunities to learn instructional and class management…

Math teachers' circles are a form of professional development that is recommended by the Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences in their publication Mathematical Education of Teachers II (2012). However, little research has been published on how effective math teachers' circles are in advancing the mathematical knowledge of teachers and…

This applied dissertation was designed to verify the effectiveness of professional learning communities (PLC), as it relates to the participation of administrators and teachers. Prior studies have emphasized the importance of continuing learning experiences for school administrators while working. Chiptin (2013) pointed out the importance of a…

Despite largely mixed reports about the impact of School Improvement Grants (SIGs) on school improvement nationwide, Massachusetts has experienced proven success with these grants, termed School Redesign Grants (SRGs) in Massachusetts, as evidenced by comparative interrupted time series analyses, which show that SRGs have a significant impact on…

The growing cost of college is one of the most significant barriers to completion. However, research shows that frequent, intensive advising, combined with financial and other support, can make a tremendous difference in helping students complete. For two years, TICAS has worked with a group of rigorously evaluated organizations across the country…

The issue of girls' lack of connection to science has received much attention. Situated approaches such as research apprenticeships offer the chance to engage learners fully in science communities of practice and thus connect girls to science. However, such programs are often designed with lab settings, rather than field settings, in mind. This…

Aspiring teachers seeking licensure in New York State are required to prepare a portfolio of materials demonstrating their readiness to teach during their student teaching clinical experience, as per edTPA (a teacher performance assessment developed by Stanford University). This research considered how cooperating teachers in the student teaching…

The book showcases collaborative intercultural research into English language teaching and English language teacher education across Australasia covering a broad range of topics from English education policies, curricular reform and practices, teacher professional development, and teacher and student identities. Together, the selected studies…

The article describes the development of a disciplinary living/learning community in political science; the authors, two faculty members, started the community in the fall of 2012. The faculty leaders describe the various practices used to integrate political science courses in two subfields: American politics and international politics. In…

This chapter describes the historical and contemporary theoretical underpinnings of learning communities and argues that there is a need for more complex models in conceptualizing and assessing their effectiveness.

Students often participate in a myriad of academic support programs offered during the first year of college. This study is an investigation of the effects of participation in multiple high-impact educational practices on academic success outcomes (cumulative GPAs and persistence rates) among 2,028 first-year students. Results suggest that the…

Elementary teachers were involved in a two-year grant focused on professional development using lesson study processes to increase their understanding of mathematics content and effective mathematics pedagogy. The primary research questions focused on how 16 elementary teachers described their professional growth after being involved in lesson…

The number of freshmen interested in entrepreneurship has grown dramatically in the last few years. In response, many universities have created entrepreneurship programs, including ones focused on engineering entrepreneurship. In this paper, we report on NEWPATH, an innovative NSF-supported program at Ohio State, designed to nurture students to…

Decades of differing philosophies and conventions have placed the idea of change at the forefront of reform efforts (Rothkopf, 2009). With the implementation of the rigorous, complex Alabama College and Career Ready Standards, a deeper understanding of subject matter is required, and the complexities of these standards require specialized content…

Increasingly, students are facing hostility and violence as a result of one or more of their social group memberships. Such prejudicial attitudes and actions contribute to antagonistic intergroup relationships in public schools (i.e., K-12). This article examines dialogic approaches to prejudice reduction, with a specific emphasis on intergroup…