Education Commons^™

Improving Inclusion: The Ongoing And Transformative Process Of Improving Education Systems To Meet The Needs Of All Students, Robert Mistler

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

For this Capstone Project the researcher will investigate how instructors view the environment of the classroom when there is a mix of special needs students incorporated into the general population classroom setting and what they think could be done to improve the environment. The inclusion of special needs is necessary for fair and equal treatment; further, by separating the general population from special needs students, brings about a culture of segregation that can have lifelong impacts. Through an evaluation of scholarly literature and interviews conducted with teachers at an elementary school the findings uncovered three emergent themes: collaboration with teachers …

Infographic: Global Status Of Teachers, Dominique Russell

Teacher infographics

A survey of education officials and union leaders from all levels of education in 94 countries has given insight into how the teacher profession is viewed at a global scale. In this infographic, we share some of the survey responses in relation to K-12 settings.

Online Training On Formative Assessment For Early Language, Literacy, And Numeracy (Elln) In The Philippines: Final Report, Rti International

Teacher education

This report describes findings and lessons learned from an online teacher training course in the Philippines. "Becoming a Learning Detective" is a 5-day online course that focuses on the design and use of formative assessment to improve literacy and numeracy outcomes in Kindergarten to Grade 3 (K–3) classrooms. The emphasis is on classroom-based assessment strategies that are embedded within daily teaching and learning experiences, involving an active partnership between teacher and students. The course brings together asynchronous and synchronous elements, as well as whole group, small group, and individual learning experiences. The course was implemented for the first time among …

Establishing Early Care & Education As A Public Good, Brandy Jones Lawrence, Emily Sharrock

Bank Street Education Center

This brief outlines a set of guiding principles including tactical policy and advocacy actions needed to move us toward investing in early childhood education as a public good to support all children, families, and society as a whole.

Establishing Trauma-Informed Practices Within The Early Learning Environment, Daria M. Castor

Selected Honors Theses

Nearly half of US children have experienced one or more types of serious trauma with rates continually increasing. Early childhood educators get a first-hand encounter with childhood trauma as it affects the learning and behavior of young students. Young children process their trauma differently whether that be through behavioral issues or a withdrawn demeanor. Building strong, positive relationships with students and creating a safe learning environment are practical methods used by educators when working with traumatized young learners, however there is much more to be done to best meet the needs of these students. This thesis emphasizes the detrimental effects …

Acquiring English Then Reacquiring Indonesian: A Study Of Family Language Policy, Aris Bahari Rizki, Muchamad Sholakhuddin Al Fajri

The Qualitative Report

This study investigates how family language policies are shaped and developed in five Indonesian scholars’ families who live in England. More specifically, it analyses parents’ attitudes towards children’s bilingualism and second language development focusing on the investigation of factors that can influence parental language ideologies and the patterns of language practices within the families. Data were obtained from participant observations, fieldnotes, and semi-structured interviews. All the data were then analysed using inductive analysis approaches proposed by Cohen et al. (2011) and Thomas (2006) which include reading the transcripts several times, identifying the texts related to the purpose of the study, …

Exploring Non-Contact Time In Early Childhood Education, Erin Hamel

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Early childhood teachers have been the subject of many studies. Their qualifications, practices, and interactions with children have been widely researched as avenues for improving early childhood education. Yet little is known about the work supports early childhood teachers need to be successful. Non-contact time is one element of a supportive work environment that supports teachers’ ability to address their professional expectations. However, information and guidance on non-contact time is lacking or absent from the literature. This study addresses this gap by exploring non-contact time from the perspectives of directors and teachers.

An embedded mixed methods design was used to …

Designing Early Childhood Educator Residency/Apprenticeship Programs: A Guide To Estimating Costs, Emily Sharrock, Courtney Parkerson

Bank Street Education Center

This guide was created to support states, cities, and communities in understanding the design and cost considerations associated with establishing high-quality residency or apprenticeship programs for early childhood educators.

How Can Early Childhood Educators Promote Equitable Outcomes Through Trauma-Informed Practice?, Elizabeth Terry

Graduate Teacher Education

An abundance of research acknowledges the effects of trauma on children from an early age. Prolonged and severe trauma in early childhood can lead to adverse outcomes in important areas of development, such as one’s physical, mental, and social-emotional well-being (Morsy and Rothstein, 2019). Children present school systems and educators with the task of addressing this important, but infrequently considered issue. Trauma has lasting effects regardless of age, but the impacts of trauma during childhood are especially profound during such formative years. Children require safe spaces to learn and flourish as individuals, therefore it is important that early childhood educators …

Professional Learning Modes. Literature Review, Anna Dabrowski, Pru Mitchell

Professional learning for teachers and school leaders

This literature review summarises evidence from education research to describe and compare different modes of professional learning. It applies the findings to the question: ‘what works best, and for whom’ in terms of modes of professional learning for Australian teachers, with particular focus on early childhood teachers, casual relief teachers and teachers in rural and remote teaching contexts. A key professional learning challenge common to these teachers is isolation – which can be physical, pedagogical, technological and/or social isolation. The review sought to identify research on modes of professional learning and in particular any studies that compared different modes of …

Centering Values: Building An Equitable Future Through The American Rescue Plan Act, Emily Sharrock, Brandy Jones Lawrence, Karen Demoss, Brigid Brennan

Bank Street Education Center

The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) constitutes a significant change in our nation's approach to social policy and offers a new opportunity to imagine positive change in how we value and support human development and learning with a clear focus on equity. This memo outlines Bank Street's recommendations for spending to inspire communities and policymakers as they think broadly about the potential this funding offers to invest in our future.

Realizing The Promise Of Early Educator Apprenticeships, Brandy Jones Lawrence, Emily Sharrock, Courtney Parkerson

Bank Street Education Center

In response to the introduction of the Early Educator Apprenticeship Act in both houses of Congress, this positioning statement outlines recommendations for rebuilding the workforce at this critical moment with quality and equity at the center through apprenticeships, which have been effective in improving K-12 school systems. A national system of robust apprenticeship programs would support rebuilding our supply of care while also ensuring educators receive the high-quality clinical practice and coaching required for the complex task of supporting early brain development.

Mathematics Methods For Early Childhood, Janet Stramel

Open Educational Resources

This book is for the early childhood pre-service teachers, which includes the period from infancy until eight years of age. Mathematics skills must be taught in early childhood and children should be provided a foundation to succeed in elementary school and beyond.

Mathematics Methods for Early Childhood was designed to help early childhood teacher candidates develop an understanding of why lessons in early childhood should focus on mathematics in order to help children be successful. Young children are naturally curious, and the best time to begin mathematics is at a time while the young child's brain is rapidly developing. Mathematics …

Kindergarten Entry Assessment Practices In Pennsylvania, Anne Katona Linn Ed.D.

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, there is significant variation in kindergarten programs and the entry assessment systems used in school districts. There are no reliable data on the kindergarten entry assessment (KEA) systems used in public kindergarten programs across the Commonwealth. It is well-established that comprehensive KEAs should be part of a broader preschool through third grade (P-3) continuum of early childhood education to assess whole-child skills, include families and community partners, be culturally and linguistically responsive, and developmentally appropriate. This study aimed to understand the KEA practices of kindergarten teachers in Pennsylvania. An online survey was distributed to kindergarten …

The Social Emotional Competence Of Teachers And Their Responses To Children With Challenging Behaviors, Christine Lynne Herndon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Expulsion rates for children occur at a rate of 10 children per every 1,000 enrolled in center-based early learning programs. The inability of teachers to manage the challenging behaviors of children contributes to these rates. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to answer the research question that inquired how teachers’ perceptions of their own social emotional competence influenced their responses to children with challenging behaviors. The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning’s social emotional learning framework served as the foundation for the interview protocol questions. Data were gathered during semistructured interview from 6 teachers who met the …

Perspectives Of Family Engagement In The Migrant And Seasonal Head Start Program, Toni L. Mahaney Stubbs

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem is that there is a significantly lower percentage of Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) families (2%) volunteering in Head Start (HS) programs where 75% of volunteers are former or current HS families. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how the local MSHS program incorporates family engagement through home and school experiences by examining how migrant family participants and teaching staff define family engagement, the role family engagement has on parent-teacher relationships, and how families enrolled in the local MSHS program are influenced by family engagement. The conceptual framework was culturally responsive teaching/practice. This …