The pressure on schools to improve student performance in middle school mathematics combined with the movement towards standards-based instruction leaves teachers searching for the most effective instructional practice and administration examining their role in improvement efforts. This study examines the effect on student achievement in middle…

In this empirical article, the author seeks to understand the question: What "productive tensions" (Wenger, 1998, p. 79) emerged as three humanities teachers worked to queer their teacher-developed literacy curriculum? The author returns to what it means to queer a curriculum in the findings and discussion. But first, it is important to…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the ways assemblaging communities work to support, hinder or disrupt literacy pedagogy in one English Language Arts (ELA) classroom. Through an expanded understanding of community based on the concept of assemblage, this paper discusses the ways in which one teacher's critical literacies…

This narrative qualitative study aimed to explore the perceptions of using Twitter as an effective professional learning tool for public school secondary-level teachers in Missouri. In addition, the researcher sought to find the perceptions of teachers who used Twitter for professional use, what they found to be valuable in developing a…

This is a companion piece to "Professional Learning Community: Improving Mathematical Problem Solving for Students in Grades 4 through 8. Facilitator's Guide. REL 2019-002" (ED595201). It contains handouts to accompany each of the sessions included in the facilitator's guide.

There is a dearth of empirical research on the efficacy of integrated teacher professional development (PD) models, ones that synthesize both online learning and face-to-face teacher PD experiences and interactions. The purpose of this explanatory mixed-methods study was to determine how teachers perceived an integrated PD experience that…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of the processes that make teachers learn in a collaborative arrangement similar to lesson study (LS) and learning study (LearS). The teachers in this collaboration wanted to enhance teaching and student learning (grades 4-7) about decimal numbers.…

REL Southeast developed this facilitator's guide on the topic of mathematical problem solving for use in professional learning community (PLC) settings. The facilitator's guide is a set of professional development materials designed to supplement the What Works Clearinghouse practice guide, Improving Mathematical Problem Solving in Grades 4…

Problem solving has long been a focus of research and curriculum reform (Kilpatrick 1985; Lester 1994; NCTM 1989, 2000; CCSSI 2010). The importance of problem solving is not new, but the Common Core introduced the idea of making sense of problems and persevering in solving them (CCSSI 2010, p. 6) as an aspect of problem solving. Perseverance is…

This article explores the range of ways two teacher educators and preservice teachers engaged with and learned from writers and their families in town and village schools during a faculty-led study abroad experience in Belize, Central America. During this experience, the authors drew on three guiding principles: engaging in side-by-side writing…

Can the National Board certification process support school improvement where large proportions of students score below grade level on standardized tests? This SCOPE study examines a project that sought to seize and capitalize upon the learning opportunities embedded in the National Board certification process, particularly opportunities to learn…

Can the National Board certification process support school improvement where large proportions of students score below grade level on standardized tests? This SCOPE study examines a project that sought to seize and capitalize upon the learning opportunities embedded in the National Board certification process, particularly opportunities to learn…

This article presents the findings of an evaluation of the eMINTS (enhancing Missouri's Instructional Networked Teaching Strategies) professional development program. eMINTS is an intensive teacher professional development program designed to promote inquiry-based learning, support high-quality lesson design, build community among students and…

Two related case studies of secondary mathematics teachers examine the roles and conditions helpful in initiating, directing, and/or supporting teachers' own professional development. Using multiple data sources from school-based and professional settings, we applied analytic induction to identify patterns of similarities and differences in…

Three mid-level mathematics teachers (grades 7 and 8) and a university mathematics educator formed a year-long professional learning community. The objective was to collectively look at how they were promoting the Standards for Mathematical Practice (SMP) (CCSSI 2010) in their classes. The monthly discussions followed an iterative cycle in which…