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In this qualitative study, 11 mothers of toddlers with autism participated in interviews to investigate how they perceived their roles and their competency to support toddlers' social learning in the context of both professional-implemented and parent-mediated early intervention models. The authors conducted a thematic analysis with multiple layers of independent coding. Four resulting themes highlighted challenges and contributors to parent self-efficacy. First, related to child characteristics, challenges were most prominent in the early period as participants adjusted to the diagnosis and reached to connect when social difficulties emerged. Second, having a peripheral role in early intervention challenged participants' confidence in their abilities, while receiving guidance to assume an active leadership role supported their sense of efficacy for facilitating toddlers' social learning. In a third theme, participants described specific and general examples of their expertise. Fourth, participants considered the transactional context of parent-child interaction and largely viewed their toddlers' independent wills, natures, and preferences as strengths upon which to build social engagement. The results support the need for early interventionists to promote and leverage family capacity for facilitating toddler learning as social challenges begin to appear for toddlers with autism.

In this article, we introduce the special issue focused on diverse perspectives to discourse analysis for education policy. This article lays the foundation for the special issue by introducing the notion of a third generation of policy research--a strand of policy research we argue is produced at the intersection of education policy and discourse analysis. We also very briefly discuss discourse analysis writ large, noting that there is no single definition or orientation. Then, we present the six articles included in the special issue, highlighting the ways in which they offer contemporary understandings of the varying applications of discourse analytic perspectives to the study of education policy. We conclude by discussing key policy and methodological implications, as well as future directions for policy scholars working at the intersection of education policy and discourse analysis.

To date, relatively little research has examined the perceptions of children and parents involved in university-assisted partnership programs. In this paper, we present findings from a case study of a university-assisted community school (UACS) afterschool program wherein we interviewed participating students and their parents. We also completed participant observations at the school site and included the perspectives of the two central administrative staff (i.e., the school principal and the afterschool program coordinator), as this served to deepen our understanding. Our findings highlight how the students and parents positioned the UACS afterschool program as being significantly different from the regular school day, while also noting how the program positively shaped the children's lives. Further, we highlight how the administrative staff positioned the university as central to the afterschool program; in contrast, the students and parents did not mention the resources that were bound to the university. We conclude with implications for practitioners and scholars engaged in university-assisted partnership work.

While many research methods courses challenge students to make sense of their own researcher identities as they relate to research paradigms and perspectives, there is a lack of research that examines how students actually go about constructing these identities, particularly at the level of discourse. In this study, we attended to graduate students' talk in an introductory research methods course, taking note of how students used particular discursive resources to construct a research identity in online classroom discussions. We analyzed 93 discussion posts students were asked to make in response to a discussion board prompt after completing assigned readings related to research paradigms and researcher identity. We identified two discursive patterns through our analysis: 1) minimizing knowledge, and 2) justifying paradigmatic orientations. Our findings highlight how being asked to talk about one's research identity is a potentially fragile task, as evidenced by disclaimers of "knowing", and justifications. We highlight implications for teaching research methodology, particularly qualitative methods courses.

Over the past four decades, a number of researchers have attempted to describe the reading habits of teachers. Some have investigated the impact of reading habits generally, while most have focused on some kind of loosely defined "professional reading." In relationship to this body of literature, the purpose of our descriptive survey study, which invited teachers from randomly selected schools in both large and small districts across the United States, was to both add to and update the available literature regarding teachers' professional reading habits. We found that reading for professional development appears to be a common activity for the classroom teachers who participated in our survey. We also found that that the bulk of the teachers' professional reading time was completed in the evenings and on weekends. We did not find statistically significant differences in reading preferences and behaviors when differences in degree were considered. Further, we did not find statistically significant differences in reading preferences when we compared the teachers' responses by years of experience. Teachers noted that limited time and lack of relevancy were two primary reasons for why they did not read. We discuss implications for professional development.

Since the beginning of the federal Race To The Top grant competition, Value-Added Measurement (VAM) has captured the attention of the American public through high-profile media representations of the tool and the controversy that surrounds it. In this paper, we build upon investigations of constructions of VAM in the media and present a discourse analysis of the policymaking process within the meetings of Tennessee's Teacher Evaluation Advisory Committee (TEAC), a 15-member panel appointed by the Tennessee governor to develop a new teacher evaluation policy under Race to the Top. The data included audio recordings of public meetings from March, 2010 through the end of the committee's work in April, 2011. As we analyzed the talk of the TEAC, we oriented to the particular version of VAM worked up within these conversations in relation to a descriptive metaphor in which VAM is compared to a "sentinel of trust." We present examples to illustrate three patterns in the construction of VAM as the sentinel of trust within teacher evaluation: (1) VAM alone defines effectiveness; (2) VAM is the only objective option; and (3) concerns about VAM are minimized. We discuss the implications of this way of thinking and talking about VAM and contrast it with other possibilities, including those constructed by teachers, researchers, and the media.

With roots in community development and the work of Dewey, a compelling case has been made for universities to be involved in urban school reform. Further, with increasing demands placed on universities to become responsive to community needs, university partnerships with K-12 schools are one means by which institutions of higher education have become involved in local educational issues. One particular type of community-school-university involvement approach is a University-Assisted Community School (UACS). Much of the research related to such school-university partnerships has focused on describing what a UACS "looks like," with little attention given to the day-to-day experiences of those that work within a UACS. In this paper, we present findings from a qualitative study examining the experiences of teachers and staff who have participated in the development of and/or taught at a UACS afterschool program. Findings highlighted (1) the challenges and transitions associated with being a pilot effort; (2) the felt differences between universities and schools as they relate to on-the-ground implementation; and (3) the potential of the UACS model as a collaborative vehicle for accomplishing tasks that neither institution can accomplish alone. We point to implications related to school--university partnerships and directions for future research.

The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of students with performance-based, in-class and learner-centered, online assessment and the effects of these formats on comprehensive exam scores in an educational psychology course required of participants in a teacher education program. In our quantitative analysis, we investigated the effects of in-class and online exams on undergraduate students' performance on an in-class comprehensive final (n=141). Students were randomly assigned by course section to take one proctored exam in-class and two other unit exams online in a learner-centered format. At the end of the course, students in all sections took a proctored comprehensive final, consisting of a series of multiple choice questions closely aligned with questions from the unit exams. No significant differences were found between content items initially assessed utilizing the traditional, in-class format and the learner-centered online format. In our qualitative analysis, students in one of the six sections (n=22) were selected to participate in open-ended interviews. A phenomenological method was used to collect and analyze responses to the question: "When thinking about your experiences with both the in-class exam and Blackboard exams in [course name], what stands out for you?" Findings from our qualitative analysis resulted in separate yet balanced themes for participants' perceptions of in-class and online exams. For both categories of themes, the constructs of stress, control, and knowing stood out for participants. Implications of this research project are discussed in relation to the use of learner-centered assessment. (Contains 3 tables and 1 figure.) [Note: The publication year (2009) shown on the PDF is incorrect. The correct publication year is 2008.]

Instructors often teach in isolation with very little collegial interaction guiding their practice. In light of the research that exists identifying the value of collaboration within learning environments, the merits of such isolated practice must be questioned. Even though collaboration within educational settings has been identified as critical to the development of both instructors and students, highly collaborative approaches to team teaching have not been fully explored. The purpose of this study was to examine our own experience as team teachers in a team taught, educational psychology course. Through a phenomenological analysis of our lived experiences as instructors engaged in collaboratively teaching an undergraduate course, we gained understanding of the benefits of team teaching within a broader context. A thematic structure emerged that captured our experience of the process of co-teaching. This shared thematic structure consisted of one ground theme, named "we didn't have a manual for this/finding our way through", and five themes, each providing insight into how we made sense of team teaching. The five emergent themes were (a) "You can't shoot from the hip"; (b) "Following and leading. . .all of us together"; (c) "If we walk away disagreeing, is it okay?"; (d) "The presence of another pushed us to go deeper"; and (e) "You build something bigger". Implications for the use of team teaching in higher education are also explored, highlighting the value of collaborative praxis. [Note: The publication year (2009) shown on the PDF is incorrect. The correct publication year is 2008.]

The lack of opportunities for youth to engage in meaningful academic practices such as reading, writing, and speaking feeds the school-prison nexus. But budget cuts, teacher layoffs, and program depletions make providing a rigorous, well-rounded, 21st century education increasingly difficult. Yet is still possible to do, especially in a collaborative environment that includes K-12 schools, universities, and social service agencies. The University-Assisted Community School after-school program--the result of a partnership between Pond Gap Elementary School and the University of Tennessee in Knoxville--is a prime example.

Over the past four decades, a number of researchers have attempted to describe the reading habits of teachers. Some have investigated the impact of reading habits generally, while most have focused on some kind of loosely defined "professional reading." In relationship to this body of literature, the purpose of our descriptive survey study, which invited teachers from randomly selected schools in both large and small districts across the United States, was to both add to and update the available literature regarding teachers' professional reading habits. We found that reading for professional development appears to be a common activity for the classroom teachers who participated in our survey. We also found that that the bulk of the teachers' professional reading time was completed in the evenings and on weekends. We did not find statistically significant differences in reading preferences and behaviors when differences in degree were considered. Further, we did not find statistically significant differences in reading preferences when we compared the teachers' responses by years of experience. Teachers noted that limited time and lack of relevancy were two primary reasons for why they did not read. We discuss implications for professional development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, relatively little research has examined the perceptions of children and parents involved in university-assisted partnership programs. In this paper, we present findings from a case study of a university-assisted community school (UACS) afterschool program wherein we interviewed participating students and their parents. We also completed participant observations at the school site and included the perspectives of the two central administrative staff (i.e., the school principal and the afterschool program coordinator), as this served to deepen our understanding. Our findings highlight how the students and parents positioned the UACS afterschool program as being significantly different from the regular school day, while also noting how the program positively shaped the children's lives. Further, we highlight how the administrative staff positioned the university as central to the afterschool program; in contrast, the students and parents did not mention the resources that were bound to the university. We conclude with implications for practitioners and scholars engaged in university-assisted partnership work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing from a larger ethnographic study, in this article, we represent narrative and thematic analyses based on our experiences as English as a Second Language (ESL) tutors for Burundian children and focus groups with Burundian men and women. Studying the resettlement of Burundians with refugee status, we found systemic unpreparedness and insufficient financial assistance. In the small Appalachian city in the southeastern region of the United States where the government agencies and faith-based organizations placed Burundians, families endured policies and practices that introduced economic instability into their lives. Through our narrative analysis and thematic analyses, we share representations of the everyday struggle for economic stability alongside Burundian critiques about the resettlement process in the U.S. Indicting the process Burundians compared their role in the U.S. to that of a "servant" resettled "to work for the whites." We argue that policymakers and practitioners engaged in resettlement examine existing systems of support and secure further support in order that people with refugee status have sufficient means to survive in their new society of settlement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With roots in community development and the work of Dewey, a compelling case has been made for universities to be involved in urban school reform. Further, with increasing demands placed on universities to become responsive to community needs, university partnerships with K-12 schools are one means by which institutions of higher education have become involved in local educational issues. One particular type of community-school-university involvement approach is a University-Assisted Community School (UACS). Much of the research related to such school-university partnerships has focused on describing what a UACS "looks like," with little attention given to the day-to-day experiences of those that work within a UACS. In this paper, we present findings from a qualitative study examining the experiences of teachers and staff who have participated in the development of and/or taught at a UACS afterschool program. Findings highlighted (1) the challenges and transitions associated with being a pilot effort; (2) the felt differences between universities and schools as they relate to on-the-ground implementation; and (3) the potential of the UACS model as a collaborative vehicle for accomplishing tasks that neither institution can accomplish alone. We point to implications related to school-university partnerships and directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of students with performance-based, in-class and learner-centered, online assessment and the effects of these formats on comprehensive exam scores in an educational psychology course required of participants in a teacher education program. In our quantitative analysis, we investigated the effects of in-class and online exams on undergraduate students' performance on an in-class comprehensive final (n=141). Students were randomly assigned by course section to take one proctored exam in-class and two other unit exams online in a learner-centered format. At the end of the course, students in all sections took a proctored comprehensive final, consisting of a series of multiple choice questions closely aligned with questions from the unit exams. No significant differences were found between content items initially assessed utilizing the traditional, in-class format and the learner-centered online format. In our qualitative analysis, students in one of the six sections (n=22) were selected to participate in open-ended interviews. A phenomenological method was used to collect and analyze responses to the question: "When thinking about your experiences with both the in-class exam and Blackboard exams in [course name], what stands out for you?" Findings from our qualitative analysis resulted in separate yet balanced themes for participants' perceptions of in-class and online exams. For both categories of themes, the constructs of stress, control, and knowing stood out for participants. Implications of this research project are discussed in relation to the use of learner-centered assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Instructors often teach in isolation with very little collegial interaction guiding their practice. In light of the research that exists identifying the value of collaboration within learning environments, the merits of such isolated practice must be questioned. Even though collaboration within educational settings has been identified as critical to the development of both instructors and students, highly collaborative approaches to team teaching have not been fully explored. The purpose of this study was to examine our own experience as team teachers in a team taught, educational psychology course. Through a phenomenological analysis of our lived experiences as instructors engaged in collaboratively teaching an undergraduate course, we gained understanding of the benefits of team teaching within a broader context. A thematic structure emerged that captured our experience of the process of co-teaching. This shared thematic structure consisted of one ground theme, named we didn't have a manual for this/finding our way through, and five themes, each providing insight into how we made sense of team teaching. The five emergent themes were (a) You can't shoot from the hip; (b) Following and leading … all of us together; (c) If we walk away disagreeing, is it okay?; (d) The presence of another pushed us to go deeper; and (e) You build something bigger. Implications for the use of team teaching in higher education are also explored, highlighting the value of collaborative praxis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]