In the not-so-distant past, an employment agreement between a university president and a governing board was often nothing more than a handshake. Today, formal contracts are requirements for presidents, with boards and presidents typically relying on lawyers to extensively document terms of employment, salary and benefits, and, perhaps most…

In Experiment 1 with rats, a left lever press led to a 5-s delay and then a possible reinforcer. A right lever press led to an adjusting delay and then a certain reinforcer. This delay was adjusted over trials to estimate an indifference point, or a delay at which the two alternatives were chosen about equally often. Indifference points increased…

The researcher examined the effects of online (OL) and face-to-face (FTF) course modality choice, as a motivational component, on students. self-selection of courses. A naturally occurring control and treatment group comparison design was employed. The participants were 435 college students (200 OL and 235 FTF) who attended an accredited private…

Burnout and decreased levels of self-efficacy are contributors to the high attrition rate and increasing demand for highly-qualified special educators nationwide. This has led to a national shortage of special educators, which is a critical reason why current special educators are encountering high stress levels, dissatisfaction, and overall…

When selecting reading across the curriculum interventions, educators should consider the extent of the evidence base on intervention effectiveness and the fit with the school or district context, whether they are purchasing a product from vendors or developing it internally. This report provides guidance in the decisionmaking. This report looks…

This brief represents part 2 in a series on fostering the adoption of evidence-based practices in out-of-school time programs. Many practitioners lack information on how to implement evidence-based practice(s) in their own programs or communities. A major reason for this gap is a lack of research on the process for implementing evidence-based…

In the winter of 2006-2007, The New Teacher Project (TNTP) engaged in an extensive review of teacher staffing policies and practices in Chicago Public Schools (CPS). TNTP investigated the impact of CPS staffing rules through several avenues: (1) Review of CPS Teachers contract; (2) Analysis of Human Resources transaction data; (3) Surveys of…

Between November and June 2007, The New Teacher Project (TNTP) engaged in an extensive review of teacher staffing policies and practices in Portland Public Schools (PPS). The New Teacher Project's analysis shows significant areas of concern regarding the hiring, assignment, and transfer processes in Portland Public Schools. TNTP believes the data…

Factors that influence choice between qualitatively different reinforcers (e.g., a food item or a break from work) are important to consider when arranging treatments for problem behavior. Previous findings indicate that children who engage in problem behavior maintained by escape from demands may choose a food item over the functional reinforcer…

Today's emphasis on using children's literature as a tool to teach reading and writing sub-skills distracts teachers' attention from looking to children's books for their historical role in helping children navigate the intellectual, social, and emotional terrains of childhood. This article argues, first, that early childhood educators must remain…

Certain studies and the California legislature have recently concluded that seniority preference rules in teacher collective bargaining agreements facilitate a teacher "quality gap" by permitting senior teachers to transfer to schools with higher-performing and more affluent children. This study examines the effects of such transfer…

The confessions of Augustine of Hippo can be read as a lesson in reading, one in which Augustine teaches by example as well as precept. Throughout this work, the relationship between faith and reading is clearly on Augustine's mind, as is his desire to teach others what he has learned. As we consider our own approaches to the confluence of faith,…

This article explores how children can learn about environmental sciences through place-based education and children's literature. Recent studies suggest that there is a lack of environmental science knowledge among citizens of all ages. Scholars and educators recommend introducing young children to the places in which they live to create an…

China has one of the largest and most complex higher education systems in the world, and a key challenge facing any foreign education institution is how to select an appropriate potential partner. This paper considers how a number of foreign university managers selected a university in China. Issues of location, ranking, status, programs, mutual…

This article reports how hundreds of fresh recruits, many of them new to K-12 teaching, were filling public school classrooms across New Orleans in Katrina's aftermath. The state-led Recovery School District (RSD), which now operates 34 New Orleans public schools, dramatically increased its teacher workforce for this academic year, having hired…