Funding and Effectiveness of Staff Development Programs in Three North Texas School Districts

Autor/in	Ivey, Shannon Kay
Titel	Funding and Effectiveness of Staff Development Programs in Three North Texas School Districts
Quelle	(2010), (196 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit Ed.D. Dissertation, University of North Texas
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Monographie
ISBN	978-1-1243-6432-2
Schlagwörter	Hochschulschrift; Dissertation; Tax Rates; Questionnaires; Adult Learning; Program Effectiveness; Faculty Development; Enrollment; Teaching Methods; Administrators; Interviews; School Districts; Staff Development; Instructional Materials; Professional Development; Cooperative Learning; Academic Achievement; Texas + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Thesis; Dissertations; Academic thesis; Steuergruppe; Fragebogen; Adulte education; Adult training; Erwachsenenbildung; Einschulung; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Interviewing; Interviewtechnik; School district; Schulbezirk; Personnel development; Personalentwicklung; Lehrmaterial; Lehrmittel; Unterrichtsmedien; Kooperatives Lernen; Schulleistung
Abstract	This dissertation study focused on three aspects of staff development in North Texas: (1) funding sources, (2) types of professional learning programs, and (3) teachers' views of the effectiveness of the funded programs. Qualitative data came from interviews with nine district administrators concerning funding sources and how those resources enhanced teacher skills. Quantitative data came from 1,277 responses from teachers regarding their background and perceptions about staff development. Data from interviews with district administrators were diagrammed to depict elements of funding staff development and to reveal how resources were used to plan, implement, and evaluate staff learning. An analysis of interview data revealed that availability of grants, property tax rates, and student enrollment affected how districts funded staff development. Administrators reported that districts funded professional learning that was planned according to academic initiatives, met the needs of adult learners, and adapted to the changing needs of school communities. Both administrators and practitioners reported that time was a lacking resource critical to developing staff knowledge. Practitioners reported that sufficient opportunity to collaborate with colleagues about learning initiatives was more valuable than teaching materials. Teacher questionnaires were analyzed for possible relationships between participant variables and responses concerning knowledge about funding constraints and professional development experiences. Data revealed that practitioner experience and graduate degrees were not related to teachers' use of knowledge about financial constraints to more efficiently implement learning from staff development. Participants did not perceive professional learning differently than peers. Most teachers connected professional learning with improved teaching practices but a small percent attributed student achievement to their professional learning. The majority of teachers considered collaborative learning settings to elicit more personal professional growth than other formats. The findings of the teacher questionnaire suggest that teaching practices could be impacted if participants gained more knowledge about district financial constraints when developing staff professionally. Therefore, future research about how districts share information concerning funding for professional learning is warranted. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.] (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10