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This SoTL study aimed to determine thirty-eight teacher candidates' self-efficacy after experiencing semester one of a yearlong residency. Researchers used a pre/post survey, the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES), and a retrospective pre TSES to determine perceived levels of self-efficacy in three areas: classroom management, instructional strategies, and student engagement. Findings revealed that pre TSES (candidates scored themselves at the beginning of the semester) and retrospective pre TSES scores (candidates scored themselves at the end of the semester reflecting on where they were at the beginning of the semester) were significantly different, with the retrospective pre TSES showing lower self-efficacy than the pre TSES. Post TSES comparisons to the retrospective pre TSES showed a significant increase, whereas, the comparison of the traditional pre/post TSES showed no significant changes.This suggests teacher candidates had an overinflated sense of self-efficacy and that teacher educators should look beyond the preTSES to provide transformational experiences for teacher candidates.The retro-pre TSES helps teacher educators monitor teacher candidates' change in self-efficacy and gauge program impact.

Motivation impacts student academic performance. A performance task to directly assess writing motivation in young children is needed. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the validity of the Writing Challenge Task (WCT), a task-oriented assessment created to measure writing motivation with 106 kindergarten students in the rural mid-South. The authors sought to establish internal reliability; concurrent validity with the Motivation for Reading and Writing Profile (MWRP); evaluate correlations between measures and socioeconomic status (SES); and evaluate the predictive validity of the WCT to a state-mandated end-of-year assessment. Cronbach's alpha, a correlation analysis, and stepwise multiple regression analysis were used to examine these relationships. The WCT had excellent internal reliability with Cronbach's alpha of 0.91 (n = 64). The WCT (p = 0.01) and SES (p = 0.03) were both positively correlated with end-of-year writing scores, though the MRWP was not. No significant correlations between the WCT, the MRWP, and SES were found. Further, the inclusion of WCT as a predictor created the most robust model so that predictor variance (SES and WCT) accounted for 11% of the variance in end-of-year writing scores, p = 0.01, R[superscript 2] = 0.11, such that students were expected to score 0.13 units higher on the end-of-year writing assessment for every 1 point increase in their WCT score. This study established evidence that students' WCT scores had higher predictive validity on kindergarteners' end-of-year outcomes than a more commonly used writing motivation instrument. Future research on the measure is warranted.

A mixed-methods study was used to investigate edTPA performance differences between teacher candidates majoring in different content areas (K-12 art, music, and physical education; and 6-12 English, history, math, and science) and differences in their teacher preparation for the purpose of reflecting and improving. There were no statistically significant differences in edTPA score means (total, planning, instruction, and assessment) between 241 former candidates by content area. According to the required edTPA passing scores set by the state and university in this study, the number of candidates who passed edTPA out of the total number of candidates in each content area was reported. To further explore these findings, interviews with university subject matter experts (SMEs) were conducted and revealed program differences between content area majors--specialized coursework, field experiences, and edTPA practice activities. In light of these findings, potential implications for teacher preparation programs are discussed.

An investigation of teacher and student use of digital devices and tools to inform others about ways to create twenty-first-century digital learning experiences in the classroom and at home. The researchers used a qualitative research design to elicit teacher perceptions and use of 1:1 (device to student) and 1:2 digital devices and tools through survey data from third, fourth, and fifth-grade teachers who were a part of a digital learning pilot in a large public-school district in the Southeastern United States. Teachers used station rotation, individual rotation, and flipped classroom models of blended learning to differentiate instruction and provide digital learning experiences to their students. Teacher-selected digital tools allowed students to use multiple levels of Bloom's Taxonomy.

A kindergarten teacher used action research to examine how literature, audio books, homework, and Apple iPod Shuffles can be combined to encourage and improve literacy at home. The research participants consisted of 16 kindergarten students in Middle Tennessee and their parents. The kindergarten students took home a tote bag with the following contents: an Apple iPod Shuffle loaded with many audio stories, six books, two types of headphones, and an iPod listening/reading log. The students took the project materials home for a week to enjoy with their parents and other family members. The parents or siblings recorded the students' experiences and other project related data through iPod logs and parent surveys. The kindergarten teacher/researcher recorded the students' experiences and other project related data through student informal interviews. The results indicated that teachers, parents, and other family members who work together can utilize iPods to improve literacy at home. Teachers and parents can use this research to support and implement educational techniques that allow students to utilize iPods to learn more effectively.

School administrators and teachers create a culture for high learning and achievement when they partner with parents to make decisions regarding the optimal age to begin formal schooling. The age that students begin school has decreased across the globe; however, the United States has various eligibility dates for school entry that require children to begin kindergarten at older ages. A large amount of research suggests that there is an achievement gap between students whose ages are close to the eligibility age for school entry when they begin kindergarten compared to students who begin kindergarten at an older age. Parents often attempt to reduce the potential that their young children will experience school failure by "redshirting" them for a year before enrolling them in kindergarten; however, many parents cannot afford to pay for another year of childcare so they enroll their children in kindergarten with the possibility of retaining them and repeating kindergarten. Some researchers assert that there are no positive long-term effects to redshirting children. Children grow and develop at various rates; therefore, parents and educators must collaborate to decide when a child will begin public school based on individual social, emotional, and academic needs.

As part of the requirements for Residency I, a clinical-based course to prepare undergraduates for teaching, teacher candidates (art, music, physical education, agriculture, English, history, math, and science) participated in "ATLAS" video case analysis activities to examine the instructional strategies of accomplished teachers. Before watching the videos, candidates read lesson summaries and created possible questions to promote student discussion and higher-level thinking. Through peer group discussions, reflection questions, and interviews, candidates explained how the accomplished teachers 1) incorporated higher-order thinking questions; 2) probed and guided student thinking; 3) encouraged peer-to-peer interactions; 4) gave oral feedback; 5) provided wait time after questioning students; and 6) created classroom environments conducive to the use of questioning strategies. After the video case analysis activities, many candidates chose to revise their original questions to emulate the types of questions used by the accomplished teachers in the videos.

Data from a large suburban school district in Tennessee (N = 910) were used to examine the effects of the Kindergarten Readiness program as measured by third grade End of Year (EOY) benchmark performance assessments in reading and math. The groups of students studied included kindergarteners with summer birthdays ("SK"), kindergarteners with fall and spring birthdays ("K"), students who participated in Kindergarten Readiness Classes ("KR"), and "redshirted" students ("RS"). The "KR" group had a statistically significant higher mean of reading and math scores when compared to the "SK" group and a statistically significant higher mean of math scores when compared to the "K" group. When there are concerns that young children with summer birthdays may not be ready to begin school, this research study supports the need to allow parents to make the decision to redshirt their children, enroll them in Kindergarten Readiness Classes, or enroll them in regular kindergarten classes.

The article focuses on the challenges faced by teachers and students in K-12 schools post-COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the need for trauma-informed practices to create consistent and safe learning environments. It highlights the increased behavioral issues among students, the impact of prolonged anxiety and stress, and the inadequacy of traditional disciplinary measures like suspensions.