This study presents an analysis of the anti-bullying policies of 24 South Carolina middle schools that were involved in the "Abbeville" lawsuit. These schools sued the state of South Carolina alleging that the school finding system was inadequate. The schools are plagued with numerous problems including being among the lowest performing…

Professional development within many school districts has become more closely linked to school or district achievement goals, daily practice and student assessment data. Both empirical research and experiential-based writing in the field have suggested that data-driven job-embedded professional development supports teacher learning and improved…

This mixed methods study explored aspects of the internship experience that are responsible for moral growth changes among undergraduates in a recreation management discipline. This study addressed four aims: (1) to investigate changes in interns' moral reasoning as determined by the Defining Issues Test 2 (DIT-2) over the course of a 14-week…

Internships, practica, and field experiences have been touted as essential to prepare effective school leaders. Borrowed from the field of medicine, educational leadership internships are intended to help practitioners gain experience near the completion of their formal preparation (Milstein, Bobroff, & Restine, 1991). Over the years, a variety of…

Research indicates that leadership is an important element in student and school success (Darling-Hammond, et al.2007). This has been a factor in calls to implement extensive changes in how principals are recruited and prepared (Murphy, 2006). An essential element in this redesign is assessing the students that enter and graduate from it.…

Since 1975 active parent participation in all aspects of educational programming for students receiving special education services has been legally mandated, initially with the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (PL 94-142), then in 1990 with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (PL 102-119), and most recently with the…

Early last week the U.S. Department of Education announced an unexpected 16 finalists for the first round of Race to the Top (RTT) funding--a veritable traffic jam in the Race to the Top. The finalists have requested a total of $6.5 billion in funds, but only $4.3 billion is up for grabs, and that needs to be spread over two rounds of competition.…

As a pilot site selected to participate in Illinois' Shifting Gears (SG) initiative in 2007, Oakton Community College (OCC) partnered with Presbyterian Homes to develop a bridge course to prepare a cadre of their employed Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) to enter college-credit prerequisite courses to a Practical Nursing program. Oakton…

The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the underlying mechanisms within community colleges that influence cross-functional collaboration. The study also explored the role of community college leadership in fostering internal collaboration. The following questions guided the research: (1) What does cross-functional collaboration…

This study evaluated the development of scholars within the field of information and library science (ILS) with an emphasis on mentoring, collaboration, and interdisciplinarity in the process of doctoral education. Using methodological triangulation of more than 200 questionnaires, 30 interviews, and the bibliometric analysis of 97 dissertation…

The current situation in U.S. K-12 education is such that there is no clarity, consistency, or consensus in the manner in which schools go about implementing a data-driven decision-making process. Simply stated, there is no clearly articulated direction provided to school systems regarding policies and procedures for data analysis. School systems…

The purpose of the present study was to determine what problems are solved and created when two school districts and one charter school partnered with a private company to provide alternative education to at-risk students. The research also aimed to address lessons learned as well as principal advantages and disadvantages of the partnership. Data…

The purpose of the study was to examine the reliability and validity of the employment interview system for Principals (ICIS-Principal). This instrument attempts to predict the effectiveness of principal applicants as building leaders, determined through a set of employment interview questions aligned with the primary themes found within the…

The purpose of this case study was to explore the application and outcome of appreciative andragogy as an online instructional strategy for the development of adult learner motivation, engagement, and performance. Appreciative andragogy was an original phrase developed for this study and is an adaptation of appreciative inquiry. The concept of…

The increase in the rate of autism diagnoses has created a growing demand for teachers who are trained to use effective interventions. Research supports behavioral interventions as effective methods for teaching children with autism, however dissemination of these methods has been problematic. Ineffective training and lack of ongoing support after…