Cancer is now the second leading cause of death for Americans, behind heart disease. By current estimates, up to two thirds of cancer diagnoses could be avoided or prevented with behavior changes such as the adoption of healthier lifestyles. One way that individuals learn about cancer is through the news media. Of all of the sources of health…

In the study reported here, I explored the notion of teacher leadership as described by individuals participating in a district-wide school reform initiative, the Accelerating Student Achievement Project. Through the district-wide project, teacher leaders were identified at each of the middle and high schools to further develop the schools'…

Interculturalism is a major theme that needs to inform the teaching and learning of all subjects in teacher education courses. Moreover, the practicum is an area where there needs to be more attention given to developing the attributes of an intercultural teacher. In 2008 I took a group of thirteen teacher education students on a three-week…

This research examined the impact of collaborative teaching (co-teaching) on the Reading/Language Arts and Math achievement of Middle Tennessee students in grades 5-8, as measured by the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) Achievement test. Within the context of this study, the co-teaching model of instruction is defined as the…

In light of continuing educational reform and the increased focus on student achievement, school districts, states, and other constituents involved in preparing K-12 public school teachers have increasingly come under scrutiny as to how they have been and are continuing to prepare future educators. One area that has garnered increased attention is…

This study classified and compared the judicial procedures that mirrored the criminal justice system with judicial procedures that were less formal and more student-oriented. The judicial procedures of Mississippi's Community and Junior Colleges are the focus of the study. Each school's judicial procedure was classified and placed on a continuum…

As the number of children affected by obesity increases in the United States, it is necessary to intervene with preventative and intervention techniques that will enact change. Since children spend a significant portion of their time in school, it is of particular interest to target strategies during the school day. Given recommendations for the…

The principalship has experienced many changes over the years influenced by reform efforts, economic changes, and social challenges (Goodwin et al., 2005). As a result, challenges experienced by public school principals have impacted recruitment and retention efforts of qualified candidates. The Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium…

Teacher quality is the single most important lever schools have for raising student achievement. A substantial body of research indicates that new teachers are less able than their more experienced colleagues to help students fulfill their academic potential. Yet in many school districts--particularly those in urban settings--as many as half of…

Ohio made value-added law in 2003 and incorporated value-added assessment to its operating standards for teachers and administrators in 2006. Value-added data is used to determine if students are making a year's growth at the end of each school year. Schools and districts receive a rating of "Below Growth, Met Growth, or Above Growth" on…

Problem behavior significantly impedes multiple aspects of quality of life for individuals with developmental disabilities, and thus represents a major priority for intervention. Psychotropic medications are commonly administered to treat such behavior; however, these agents are often associated with adverse side effects that may have a negative…

Sexually aggressive behavior, especially on college campuses, is an issue of major concern. Previous research has found that 54% of college women report being sexually victimized (Koss, Gidycz, & Wisniewski, 1987). Given the scope of this problem, effective prevention strategies are necessary. Sexual assault prevention programs have included…

A current admission criterion of a PsyD program was examined for effective profiling of personality characteristics of professional clinical psychology students. The California Psychological Inventory (CPI) was used as the personality assessment of all applicants to the PsyD program. The CPI quadrant score of "Alpha" with a CPI score of…

In July 2007, the Austin Independent School District (AISD) began implementation of AISD REACH, a comprehensive and strategic compensation initiative. The initiative addressed three key areas: student growth, professional growth, and recruitment and retention of teachers and principals at highest needs schools. REACH combines an outcome-based pay…

The Texas Educator Excellence Grant (TEEG) program was state-funded and provided annual grants to schools to design and implement performance pay plans during the 2006-07 to 2009-10 school year. This report builds on the previous TEEG evaluation reports, presenting findings from three years of the TEEG program. Overall, the report discusses the…