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There has been a major paradigm shift in the professional expectations for the role of school counselors. The possibility that this shift is having a role in the hiring process for school counselors was studied. The research question was the identification of latent factors that are part of the decision process used by school administrators in selecting school counselors for employment. In a study of 144 building administrators three factors were identified that come into play when a potential school counselor is considered for possible employment. (Contains 1 table.)

The technology coordinator has the responsibility of collaborating with school leaders and educators to integrate technology into the curriculum and operations of the school. Not only does this individual have to understand how technology works, but also must determine the best way to infuse it in a school setting. Technology leaders must possess an easygoing personality, understand curriculum, be an effective communicator, and enjoy working with children. The coordinator must be ready to work directly with children and teach complex ideas about technology. The focus of this study was on student learning. This analysis revealed that there is a consistent pattern of increased student learning with regard to curriculum content, as well as measured technology skills over time by young learners taught by technology coordinators. Potential problems include available technology resources for elementary students and competing needs for the computer laboratory area during the school day. The survey instrument is appended. (Contains 1 table.)

School construction or renovation projects can have a profound affect on students, faculty and administration. The literature revealed that continuous communication is essential for a smooth process. This research identified bureaucratic issues and school climate to be leading factors of concern during construction projects. Analysis of this study indicated that female Principals experience more stress during construction projects, and building leaders regardless of gender who oversee a rural school facility experience more stress than their suburban counterparts. The more experience the Principal has the easier it is for him/her to deal with school climate issues and concerns. The researchers also found that increased staff recruiting was not significant. The majority of the building contractors did work with school officials to minimize disruptions to the day-to-day activities during school hours. However, many schools did not receive additional resources from the district office to help smooth the teaching and learning process during the project. Instrumentation is appended. (Contains 6 tables.)

School construction or renovation projects can have a profound affect on students, faculty and administration. The negative impact on the ongoing educational programs is a stressor for many administrators. The possibility that rural school administrators would experience more stress producing problems than would suburban and urban school leaders was studied. Using a sample of 190 school administrators, this hypothesis was supported for a number of dimensions of school climate. Possible causes for this differential effect are proposed. (Contains 3 tables and 1 note.)

Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) data from one rural school system covering four groups of children for a consecutive three year period was used to study the impact of transient students entering the school system. The analysis compared native children (those on roll since the first year) with transient children added to or deleted from the enrollment base of the district during 2006, 2007, 2008 academic years when the PSSA exam was administered. Significant differences favoring the achievement of native children were noted over the years of the study. A policy recommendation regarding data used for making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) is also presented in this paper. (Contains 5 endnotes and 4 tables.)

For the past 10 years a rural Pennsylvania school system has worked to develop a high quality educational technology program. In 1997 the district surveyed its faculty and found that there was a low level of technology infusion in the teaching/learning processes. Teachers were also found to be uncomfortable with computers and software applications for both the classroom and also in their lives at home. Between 1997 and 2007 there were a number of changes in the district's curriculum, and a significant infusion of hardware and software was carried out. The district also provided continuous professional development and technical support for its teachers. The survey in 2007 provided data indicating that the situation had changed and technology is now widely utilized. One finding from the 2007 survey was that the home use of computers is a significant predictor of a teacher's embracing educational applications for educational technology. Another significant factor in technology understanding is whether the teacher is an elementary or secondary level educator. Survey is attached. (Contains 2 tables.)

From the beginning of the electronic computer era, corporate America fully embraced the new technology and became the primary customer for the myriad of hardware vendors. Eventually microcomputers, loaded with quality software, appeared on virtually every desk throughout all American corporations. However, Technology had a much more difficult time becoming integrated into the public schools. Today schools are scrambling to catch up with the children of the X-generation who arrive in kindergarten computer literate and tech-savvy. Having a technology leader properly certified will ensure that instructional technology is implemented and supported properly. According to the research, a state level certification credential for a school district level instructional technology leader in many states does not exist. Pennsylvania (PA) is one of the states that require such certification. The duties and responsibilities of PA technology leaders include hardware installation and troubleshooting, completing related paperwork, and managing the network infrastructure. One compelling finding was a clear division between those respondents with a technical background (technologists) who came to the school systems from the business environment, and those who were always professional educators and came to the position from the classroom.

This study examined the effects of elementary school leadership upon the disciplinary climate and culture of the school. Participating in the study were 680 faculty and 30 principals from 30 rural, suburban, and urban/inner-city elementary schools, selected at random from northeastern Pennsylvania. The sample included regular education teaching faculty, teachers of special subject areas, and the school administrators. Principals completed the Leader Behavior Analysis II, and faculty completed the Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire. Primary findings from the multiple regression analysis supported a direct relationship between a school's disciplinary climate and culture and the flexibility of its leadership. Flexibility was more critical than the leadership style variable of effectiveness, which yielded a moderate, but significant, coefficient. Significant partial correlations were found between the predictors disengagement, production emphasis, thrust, and consideration and style flexibility. There were modest, but significant, Beta weights for leadership style effectiveness and the climate variables of hindrance, aloofness, production emphasis, and consideration. (KB)

Baccalaureate nursing educators have built their nursing programs on the philosophical belief that learning in the humanities is essential to prepare reflective nurses. Due to scientific advancements with expanding technology, however, the scientific focus has held prominence in nursing education. The past traditions of both medical and nursing education, characterized as mechanistic and reductionistic, are best diminished by adding liberal arts requirements to all levels of education. A study examined the current nature of the integration of the humanities within nursing courses in baccalaureate nursing education. The research design was the case study method. The selected sample was generated from 12 out of 35 generic, accredited baccalaureate nursing programs (public and private) in the Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) area. Data collection involved document examination of the missions of the institutions, nursing program philosophies, and all the nursing course syllabi for the presence of humanities learning activities; and follow-up interviews with faculty who have integrated humanities learning activities within their nursing courses. Another minimal data source entailed results from a faculty letter survey composed with the intention of capturing any humanities learning activities not explicitly included in the syllabi. Following document examination, two nursing faculty who had used humanities activities in their courses were contacted from each program, and 23 were interviewed. Findings suggest a modest occurrence of the integration of humanities learning activities within nursing courses in baccalaureate nursing education. However, 3 out of 12 institutions provided 75% of the humanities activities occurring in elective courses. The main reason cited for lack of humanities integration involves the content-driven nature of the majority of faculty and the external pressure of adhering to state board standards. Faculty interview questions are appended. (Contains 18 references and 6 figures.) (BT)

This study developed a valid self-report survey instrument to reliably identify intrinsic and extrinsic motivators that would engage classroom teachers in continuing professional education activities. Intrinsic and extrinsic motivators were identified from research in the areas of adult learning and professional development. Further qualitative data were collected through a group interview activity with a graduate class. Draft items were sent to a nationwide group of professional staff developers for revision. The revised instrument was pilot tested with 148 teachers. Survey responses were used to statistically analyze instrument validity and reliability. Upon concluding that the instrument was valid and reliable, 149 Pennsylvania school principals were invited to participate in the study. Principals of 32 schools requested 1,795 surveys for distribution to teachers. The survey instrument was field-tested in 20 demographically diverse school districts. Results supported the value of designing continuing professional education with thoughtful inclusion of intrinsic motivators (inviting teachers to assess their own professional needs within the framework of their school's mission and goals). Results found that teachers of all instructional levels and years of experience engaged at the highest level when their ongoing education had direct application to their classroom assignment. (Contains 14 references.) (SM)

Profiled interviews of (n=41) kindergarten and first-grade children's numerical development over a school year. Significant mismatches between children's numerical development and typical curricula are described, and changes to current practice are recommended. Appendix includes sample interview tasks. (Contains 21 references.) (MKR)