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This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 22 titles deal with a variety of topics, including the following: the rhetorical effectiveness of Senator Edmund S. Muskie's 1972 Presidential primary election campaign; persuasive speaking techniques of black college and university presidents involved in fund-raising efforts; the function of communication in consensus-building in two rural Wisconsin communities; effects of self-disclosure and attitude similarity on the reduction of interpersonal conflict; nonverbal communication in marital interaction; persuasive communication and accounting; criteria for effective oral argument before a court of appeals; a category system for analyzing superior/subordinate communication behavior; the relationship between teachers' attitudes and their perceptions of students' communication behaviors; the effect of expected ethnocentricity and racial and attitudinal similarity on communicator effectiveness; paralinguistics and the college teacher; verbal obscenity; children's social interactions; teacher/pupil communications in nursery schools; and an analysis of the advocacy of Tom Hayden as a radical intellectual activist in the New Left social movement. (GW)

In an effort to share the good news about what can be done to increase learning and achievement for students in high poverty schools, the research has been combed to pinpoint instructional and organizational factors that lead to student success. Specifically examined were how and why some schools across the country are attaining greater than expected reading achievement with populations of students who are at risk for failure by virtue of poverty. Emphasis is on the terms "instructional" and "organizational," for a thorough reading of the research leads to the conclusion that only when both classroom level (instructional) and school level (organizational) are attended to can aspirations be met to improve literacy for all students. A review of the literature on effective teachers and schools is "surprisingly convergent." Effective teachers have excellent classroom management skills and provide scaffolded, balanced literacy instruction, often in small groups, characterized by explicit instruction in skills and strategies as well as frequent opportunities for students to read, write, and talk about text. Effective schools are typically characterized as learning, collaborative communities in which staff assume a shared responsibility for all students' learning, monitor progress as a way of planning instruction for groups and individuals, help one another learn more about the art and science of teaching, and reach out to the families they serve. (Contains 3 tables and 29 references.) (NKA)

We surveyed 374 parents and 82 teachers in the Juarez, Mexico schools regarding their views of what makes an effective elementary school. The survey was a Spanish translation of an instrument used by Johnson (1998). Although both parents and teachers supported most of the factors associated with effective schools, they emphasized different aspects of a quality education. Parents stressed involvement in the schools and students engagement in learning basic skills. Parents also rejected socioeconomic status as a causal factor in school success. Teachers stressed the personal development of students as well as involvement in learning basic skills, and placed much greater emphasis on teacher salaries. (Contains 2 tables.)

Despite their common goal, reformers promoting school choice and those seeking ways to improve schools through more effective principal leadership have remained for the most part disconnected. This paper presents findings of a study that examined differences in teachers' ratings of effective principal leadership in magnet and nonmagnet schools in Cincinnati's (Ohio) system of school choice. The study also examined the influence of school demographics, student achievement, teacher professionalism, and workplace conditions on teachers' ratings of effective principal leadership. The sample included 10 magnet schools and 10 nonmagnet schools. A survey of all teachers in the sample schools (n=628) elicited 417 returns, a 66 percent response rate. Nonmagnet principals were rated as more effective leaders by their teachers than were nonmagnet principals. There was a lack of correlation between teachers' ratings of effective principal leadership and student outcomes. Indicators of teacher professionalism appeared to be the strongest predictors of effective principal leadership as rated by teachers, particularly teachers' perceptions of their opportunity to learn. Goal congruence and resources were significant predictors in both school types, and may be even more critical factors in nonmagnet schools. In magnet schools, greater school size was correlated with lower ratings of principal effectiveness. The discussion offers possible reasons for the findings. Four tables are included. (Contains 29 references.) (LMI)

Staffing each classroom with an effective teacher is the most important function of a school district. Doing so requires strategic personnel policies and smart practices. The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), working with its local partner, the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education, undertook an analysis of the Boston Public Schools' existing teacher policies, which included reviewing the teachers' contract and other relevant documents; collecting personnel data and talking with local stakeholders to learn how the rules play out in practice; and comparing Boston to other nearby districts, as well as districts throughout the country. The researchers worked to identify areas in which better policies--adopted by both the district and the state--would lead to improved teacher quality, even absent other factors such as increased funding or better school leadership. NCTQ must emphasize that Boston has made great strides over the past decade in improving its human capital policies; however, much work needs to be done to ensure that every child has an effective teacher. The Impact of Teachers' Advanced Degrees on Student Learning (Metin Ozdemir and Wendy Stevenson) is appended. (Contains 29 figures and 38 footnotes.)

The persistent and prolonged pitiable state of teachers' job performance leading to poor academic achievement of secondary school students in Ebonyi State has become a source of concern and worry among stakeholders and parents. This could be that instructional supervision is not regularly performed by the principals in order to provide professional guidance and assistance to teachers to enable them improve on their instructional delivery. It therefore becomes necessary to investigate the relationship between principals supervisory techniques and teachers job performance in secondary schools in Ebonyi State. The study was guided by three research questions and three hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted a correlation research design. The study population comprised 4,368 secondary school teachers in Ebonyi State. Stratified proportionate sampling technique was used to sample 1005 respondents from the population of the study. The researchers developed two sets of instruments titled "Principals' Supervisory Techniques Questionnaire (PSTQ)" and "Teachers Job Performance Questionnaire (TJPQ)" were used for data collection. The instrument was subjected to face and content validation by three experts who are lecturers; two in Department of Foundations and the other in Measurement and Evaluation Unit in the Department of Science Education, all from Faulty of Education, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki. Cronbach alpha was employed for the reliability test and this yielded a coefficient of 0.78, 0.68 and 0.81 for the three parts of PSTQ and 0.78 for TJPQ respectively. Pearson product moment coefficient was used in answering the research questions and t-test was used in testing the hypotheses. The findings of the study revealed among others that there is a high positive correlation between classroom observation techniques and teachers' job performance in secondary schools in Ebonyi State. It also revealed that there was a significant relationship between principals' demonstration techniques and teachers' job performance in secondary schools in Ebonyi State. Based on the findings, conclusion was drawn and it was recommended among others that government should provide opportunity for principals to attend conferences, workshops, seminars and colloquiums on supervisory techniques at least once a year both nationally and internationally for more acquisition of skills and knowledge for effective instructional supervision in order to keep them at par with their foreign counterparts.

This handbook provides practical suggestions to principals on using teacher evaluation to develop a school's most important resource--its teachers. After briefly delineating the basic steps in teacher evaluation, the handbook provides advice in each of the following areas: formulating the approach; establishing an affirmative atmosphere; scheduling observations and conferences; and pre-evaluation conference; observing teachers in action; recording observations; analyzing the data; frequency of observation visits; announced visitations; providing feedback; the feedback conference; the setting; the conference agenda; the teacher's feedback; a sample plan of action for a teacher; getting a second (and third) opinion; checking progress; the culminating evaluation; the exceptional case (unacceptable performance); keeping the record straight; and looking ahead. Brief highlighted sections throughout the text provide succinct tips on observation and diagnosis, the extra dimension (or the global, high-inference qualities of effective teaching that eludes analytic evaluation techniques); the staff advisory council as a way of involving teachers in the evaluation process; and the summing-up phase (end-of-year assessments). (TE)

32 pages ; 21 cm

Teachers are systematically sorted across schools. Often, schools serving the lowest-achieving students are staffed by the least-skilled teachers. While teachers' school preferences account for some of the sorting, school practices are also likely to be a key factor. Using value-added methods, the authors examine the relationship between a school's effectiveness during a given principal's tenure and the retention, recruitment and development of its teachers. Three key findings emerge about principal effectiveness. More effective principals: (1) are able to retain higher-quality teachers and remove less-effective teachers; (2) are able to attract and hire higher-quality teachers to fill vacancies; and (3) have teachers who improve at a greater pace than those in schools with less effective leadership (there is some evidence for this, albeit weak). These findings reinforce the importance of personnel practices for effective school leadership. Appendices include: (1) Model Specifications for Estimating Principal Value-Added; and (2) Bayesian Shrinkage. (Contains 7 tables, 3 figures, and 7 footnotes.)

This paper provides an extensive literary review and presents guidelines and strategies to help school administrators recruit and retain highly effective minority teachers for culturally diverse school districts. The literature review identifies successful teacher recruitment approaches and specific techniques that make these approaches work. Research shows that the first step educators and administrators must take is to develop an effective and aggressive recruitment campaign for each educational organization. Administrators must learn about the target group to be sure that the values of the school and applicant match. The next step is to exhibit the four "C's" of recruitment: (1) concern for the problem; (2) commitment to the recruitment program; (3) collaboration; and (4) creativity. The final step is to realize that some strategies may not work, so it may be necessary to use a combination of strategies. Specific strategies are summarized in "Administrator's Guidebook: The Recruitment and Retention of Minority Teachers," included as an appendix to this report. (Contains 42 references.) (SLD)

Recently, Saudi Arabia announced Vision 2030, which aims to improve the quality of education in the country. Despite extensive efforts to improve the quality of English language teaching, Saudi students in the local primary schools have a poor level of proficiency in the language. This is a significant issue, as English is an essential language for academic and professional success. Hence, this study aims to examine the barriers to effective English teaching from the perspectives of teachers in the primary schools in Burydah primary schools in Saudi Arabia. 50 teachers in primary schools in Saudi Arabia were recruited through convenience sampling. The study recruited teachers from Buryadah, a city in Saudi Arabia. Self-reported questionnaires with close- and open-ended questions was used to collect rich data. Several teacher-related, student-related, classroom-related, and school-related challenges were reported. Teachers believed that the key barriers to effective English teaching in descending order were the limited ability to use technology, limited technical support to use technology, irrelevant curriculum, lack of training in immersive learning, lack of student motivation, cultural differences among students, overcrowded curriculum, malfunctioning air conditioners, limited engagement at the class, impaired communication skills, limited use of interactive teaching methods, limited teacher training, dull curriculum or unengaging content, limited students' ability to use technology, large class size, and limited flexibility in adapting the curriculum to the interests and needs of students. There is a need for cooperation among teachers, school headmasters, students, policymakers, and parents to address these barriers.

This study analyses principals' managerial competencies for effective management of school resources in secondary schools in Anambra State. The study was conducted in Anambra State. The study population comprised 257 principals in public secondary schools in the State. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. A 24 items researcher developed instrument titled "Principals' Managerial Competencies for Effective Management of School Resources Questionnaire" ("PMCEMSRQ") was used for data collection. The Cronbach alpha was used to determine the reliability of the instrument which yielded a high reliability coefficient of 0.85. The study found out that secondary school principals' in Anambra State do not have managerial competencies in procurement of physical and instructional materials, provision of e-library facilities and equipping classrooms and offices with needed furniture for effective material resource management. The study also found out that school principals' have managerial competencies in prioritizing financial allocation according to school needs, keeping accurate financial information of the school, ensuring accountability in all school expenditures, carrying out periodic auditing of school budgets and adopting cost-saving strategies for effective financial resource management among others. The study recommended that School principals' should strive to acquire managerial competencies in involving teachers' in decision making, organizing seminars and workshops for professional advancement of teachers, providing incentives' for students' for effective human resource management in schools, procurement of physical and instructional materials, provision of e-library facilities and equipping classrooms and offices with needed furniture and other school materials for effective material resource. Conclusion was drawn.

Project Based Learning (PBL) is a pedagogical approach that seeks to provide Year 7 pupils with independent and group learning skills to meet both the needs of the Year 7 curriculum as well as support their learning in future stages of their education. It particularly aims to improve their engagement in learning as well as practical literacy skills. This trial evaluates a specific type of PBL known as "Learning through REAL Projects", developed by the Innovation Unit--an independent social enterprise that aims to improve public sector services. A year long pilot project in 2013/2014 with eight schools (763 pupils) established the feasibility of a main trial. It provided the opportunity to develop the intervention and test the research procedures. The results contained in this report relate to a randomised controlled trial that took place between September 2014 and April 2016. Twelve intervention schools (2,101 pupils) and 12 control schools (1,973 pupils) were involved in the trial. REAL projects was delivered by teachers, supported in many instances by teaching assistants (TAs), with further support from senior leadership colleagues. It was delivered for a year in the intervention schools with a relatively large proportion of timetabled teaching (varying between 20% and 50%). In almost all cases it was delivered to mixed-ability Year 7 classes. The intervention used structured cross-subject "REAL Projects" planned by the delivery teachers who were supported by Classroom Coaches from the Innovation Unit. Schools were also supported by Leadership Coaches. REAL Projects are driven by an "essential question" which has significant educational content. The projects encouraged pupils to create an "excellent" product through drafting and redrafting and then to exhibit their work to an "authentic" audience. Visits were made to intervention schools at two time points and consisted of lesson observations, interviews, and focus groups with school leadership, project leads, class teachers, and pupils. Two case studies were also conducted in schools that it was agreed delivered the intervention well. Key conclusions are as follows: (1) Adopting PBL had no clear impact on either literacy (as measured by the Progress in English assessment) or student engagement with school and learning; (2) The impact evaluation indicated that PBL may have had a negative impact on the literacy attainment of pupils entitled to free school meals. However, as no negative impact was found for low-attaining pupils, considerable caution should be applied to this finding; (3) The amount of data lost from the project (schools dropping out and lost to follow-up) particularly from the intervention schools, as well as the adoption of PBL or similar approaches by a number of control group schools, further limits the strength of any impact finding; (4) From our observations and feedback from schools, we found that PBL was considered to be worthwhile and may enhance pupils' skills including oracy, communication, teamwork, and self-directed study skills; and (5) PBL was generally delivered with fidelity but requires substantial management support and organisational change. The Innovation Unit training and support programme for teachers and school leadership was found to be effective in supporting this intervention. Overall, the findings have low security. The trial was designed as a two-armed randomised controlled trial with schools being allocated to intervention or control groups. It was set up as an efficacy trial which aimed to test if the intervention can succeed under ideal conditions. However, 47% of the pupils in the intervention and 16% in the control group were not included in the final analysis. Therefore there were some potentially important differences in characteristics between the intervention and control groups. This undermines the security of the result. The trial results did not find that the PBL programme had an impact either on the pupils' literacy performance (as measured by Progress in English 12 tests), engagement, or attendance. The analysis did find a statistically significant negative impact on students eligible for free school meals (FSM), however no negative impact was found for lower-attaining pupils more generally, which makes it difficult to hypothesise why PBL might negatively impact FSM pupils specifically. This adds to the uncertainty of the finding.

A study examined school factors and teacher factors contributing to primary grade students' reading growth and reading achievement. It investigated school and classroom variables in effective schools as compared to moderately effective and less effective schools and also looked at classroom practices of accomplished teachers as compared to less accomplished teachers. Fourteen schools in Virginia, Minnesota, Colorado, and California with from 28% to 92% of students qualifying for subsidized lunch participated. In each school two teachers in each of Grades K-3 and two low and two average readers per teacher served as subjects. Principals participated by asking teachers they judged as average or better to participate; they also completed a questionnaire on school reading practices and were interviewed. Teachers were observed for an hour of reading five times from December through April. Teachers also completed two weekly time logs of instructional activities in reading/language arts and a questionnaire of school and classroom practices related to reading. A subset of teachers were interviewed. A case study was written on each school according to a common outline. School effectiveness was significantly related to strong links with parents, systematic assessment of pupil progress, and strong building communication and collaboration. In all four of the most effective schools, teachers mentioned that reading was a priority in their building as a factor contributing to their success. Teachers in the most effective schools spent 134 minutes a day on reading instruction compared to teachers in the moderately and least effective schools who averaged 113 minutes a day on reading instruction. (NKA)

Staffing each classroom with an effective teacher is the most important function of a school district. Doing so requires strategic personnel policies and smart practices. This analysis reviews the Seattle Public Schools' teacher policies linked most directly to teacher effectiveness. Ten policy goals frame the analysis. Each of these goals is supported by a strong rationale that is grounded by research and practitioner insight. This report examines four areas of teacher governance in which better policies--both state and local--could improve teacher quality. These areas are: (1) Compensation; (2) Transfer and Assignment; (3) Work Day; and (4) Developing effective teachers and exiting in effective teachers. "The Impact of Teachers' Advanced Degrees on Student Learning" (Metin Ozdemir, and Wendy Stevenson) is appended. (Contains 31 figures and 32 footnotes.) [Additional funding for this report was provided by a grant from the Alliance for Education.]

This study identified determinants of effective and ineffective supervision in schools. A forty-two items questionnaire was administered on 1150 teachers used in this study. Two research questions were raised and answered using percentages. Two null hypotheses were formulated and tested using spearman rho and z-test statistics at 0.05 level of significance. Existence of neat and decent school environment, proper students' management delegation of duties by schoolheads as determinants of effective supervision in schools. Gender does not significantly influence teachers mean perception score in the identified determinant of effective supervision in schools in Delta State. (Contains 4 tables.)

This study identified determinants of effective and ineffective supervision in schools. A forty-two items questionnaire was administered on 1150 teachers used in this study. Two research questions were raised and answered using percentages. Two null hypotheses were formulated and tested using spearman rho and z-test statistics at 0.05 level of significance. Existence of neat and decent school environment, proper students' management delegation of duties by schoolheads as determinants of effective supervision in schools. Gender does not significantly influence teachers mean perception score in the identified determinant of effective supervision in schools in Delta State. (Contains 4 tables.)

The participants for the Institute consisted of well-experienced classroom teachers from representative secondary schools in Georgia and South Carolina. There were a total of 40 teachers and counselors. It was felt that these teachers would experience, for the first time, the need to concern themselves with the socio-cultural backgrounds of diverse pupils. Moreover, these teachers lacked the necessary preparation for guiding pupils toward an understanding of the eclectic characteristics of a society because of a lack of experience in intergroup relations. This training program was designed in order to remedy these gaps in teacher preparation. The Institute was held on Saturdays between January 4, and March 17, 1967. (Author)

Connecticut has the largest achievement gap in the country, an unacceptable disparity in achievement of children who are poor and/or minority with children who are middle class and/or white. Hartford, its capital city, is the site of some of the state's most concentrated poverty and racial isolation. All but a small percentage of the district's 22,000 students are Hispanic and African-American. This report looks at how Hartford attracts, develops and retains teachers, concluding that it's current policies hinder the district's ability to raise student achievement and narrow Connecticut's worst-in-the-nation achievement gap. This analysis reviews the Hartford Public Schools' teacher policies linked most directly to teacher effectiveness. It puts forward ten policy goals that frames the analysis. Each of these ten goals is supported by a strong rationale that is grounded by the best research, as well as the best practitioner insight available. This report makes recommendations for Hartford Public Schools in the areas of teacher compensation, transfer and assignment, work life and school climate, and developing effective teachers and exiting ineffective teachers. (Contains 18 figures and 7 footnotes.)

This analysis discusses ways to address the persistent challenge of ensuring that students who attend urban schools are taught by highly effective teachers. It presents a four-point strategic plan that includes: (1) increase the quantity and quality of people entering and returning to teaching in urban districts (precollegiate recruitment, higher education recruitment, and recruitment from alternative candidate pools); (2) shape the content of preparation programs to encourage teacher candidates to pursue and succeed where they are most needed (ensure that programs have a clear vision and provide in-depth knowledge, extensive experiences, consistency, and meaningful evaluation); (3) improve the recruitment and hiring process (improving the hiring process, providing financial incentives, improving teaching conditions, and offering differential pay); and (4) support teachers' professional growth once working in a district (teacher placement and high quality induction programs). The paper concludes by discussing: increasing and equalizing teacher salaries; facilitating the task of recruiting good teachers; the importance of state policies; tools for priority-setting; and setting priorities. An appendix presents a policy and program checklist for teacher recruitment and retention. (Contains 64 references.) (SM)

Arguing that education, as being practiced today is generally fearful of spirituality, and that real education ought to cultivate inner lives in an integrated way; this paper put forwards a way for integrating spirituality to everyday life of schools in secular societies. It explores the meaning of spirituality, spiritual intelligence, and spiritual development pertinent to the educational practice and compares them with factors that were identified from resiliency research. It identifies factors that nurture both spirituality and resilience. This opens a way for teachers and other educational practitioners for integrating experiences that will lead to strengthen inner life of children, with an obvious secular goal of making children succeed despite their adversities. The qualities and values advocated by literature on spiritual and value education go with those of students demonstrating resilience. It is suggested that schools in secular societies can strive to foster academic resilience and thereby develop spirit of younger generation, without having to be under the scanner of threat to the ethos secular polity. (Contains 2 tables.)

As one of the largest school districts in the country, Dallas faces unique challenges in improving education and has developed a system for ranking schools based on achievement outcomes. This paper presents findings of a study that compared groups of effective and ineffective Dallas public schools in order to identify factors for success. Data were gathered from a districtwide survey of 1,860 teachers at effective schools and 1,629 teachers at ineffective schools; a comparison of demographic data from 52 K-6 elementary schools (26 effective and 26 ineffective); observations; and interviews with all principals. Findings indicate that there were no differences between effective and ineffective schools in ethnicity or percentages of special populations; however, large schools tended to be ineffective. Effective schools were characterized by: (1) principals' willingness to hold teachers accountable; (2) staffs' high expectations for students; (3) emphasis on student responsibility; (4) a cohesive staff; (5) quality teachers and instruction; (6) preventative control of environment; (7) flexible school organization; and (8) a sense of community. Ten tables are included. The appendix contains the observation instrument. (Contains 13 references.) (LMI)

The purpose of this report is two-fold: first, to provide an authoritative and critical overview of the current evidence regarding what is currently known about effective social and emotional learning (SEL) and in doing so, second, to examine common strategies and practices typically deployed in evidence-based SEL programmes in detail. The ultimate goal of this report is to identify "essential ingredients" (Aber, Brown, Jones, Berg, & Torrente, 2011, p. 218) within SEL provision to help inform effective strategies for teachers and other school staff. Evidence suggests that SEL is important, that it can be taught effectively, but that positive outcomes are dependent on a number of factors we are as yet to fully understand. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to identify the areas of greatest promise in informing schools' practice in relation to SEL. [For the related guidance report, see ED612290. For the related survey results, see ED612309.]

The National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality (NCCTQ) was launched in 2005 as part of a comprehensive system of content-based technical assistance to support states in implementing the priorities of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. NCCTQ's mission is to support Regional Comprehensive Centers (RCCs), states, and other education stakeholders, such as institutions of higher education that prepare teachers, in strengthening the quality of teaching--especially in high-poverty, low-performing, and hard-to-staff schools. NCCTQ also provides guidance in addressing issues related to highly qualified teachers (HQTs) effectively serving students with special needs. This report provides the opportunity to update and report on what is currently known about successful teaching at at-risk schools--especially as it relates to the availability, recruitment, and retention of HQTs, as well as the opportunity to report on areas in which more research or changes in policy or practices remain to be accomplished. The main body of this report consists of six chapters related to the main streams of activity engaged in by NCCTQ during the past two years: (1) A research analysis of the links between good teaching and student learning; (2) An action review and analysis of gaps in the preparation of effective teaches for at-risk students, including those with disabilities; (3) An analysis of the complexity of the issues involved in improving teaching for special education students and a demonstration that this knowledge is put to use in classrooms and that it ultimately turns out to be effective for students; (4) A review of state policies and strategies that currently address the challenge of equitable distribution of effective teachers; (5) Promising new and emerging teacher recruitment and retention strategies and practices that states and districts are using to improve teacher quality in at-risk and hard-to-staff subject areas; and (6) Results from a nationally representative survey of first-year teachers. This publication contains the following chapters: (1) Linking Teacher Quality and Student Outcomes (Laura Goe); (2) Innovation Configurations to Improve Teacher Preparation in Reading, Classroom Behavior Management, and Inclusive Practices (Daniel J. Reschly, Susan M. Smartt, and Regina M. Oliver); (3) Teacher Preparation--Teacher Practices--Student Outcomes: Relationship in Special Education (Laura Goe); (4) Implementing NCLB: State Plans to Address the Challenge of Equitable Distribution of Effective Teachers (Tricia Coulter); (5) Emerging Strategies and Practices to Improve Teacher Quality in At-Risk and Hard-to-Staff Schools and Subject Areas (Cortney Rowland and Michael Allen); (6) Getting Started: A Survey of New Public School Teachers on Their Training and First Months on the Job (Jonathan Rochkind, John Immerwahr, Amber Ott, and Jean Johnson); and (7) The National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality: A Resource for Systemic Improvement in the Equitable Distribution of Teachers (Carol A. Dwyer and Amy Jackson). A glossary is included. Individual sections contain figures, tables, and references. [Contributing authors include Michael Allen, Tricia Coulter, Carol A. Dwyer, Laura Goe, John Immerwahr, Amy Jackson, Jean Johnson, Regina M. Oliver, Amber Ott, Daniel J. Reschly, Jonathan Rochkind, Cortney Rowland, and Susan M. Smartt.]

Induction programs largely focus on informing the beginning teacher about the school culture and infrastructure yet the core business of education is teaching and learning. This qualitative study uses a survey, questionnaire, and interviews to investigate 10 beginning teachers' needs towards becoming effective teachers in their first year of teaching. Findings were synonymous with studies in other countries that showed they required more support in the induction process, particularly around the school context, networking, managing people, and creating work-life balances. It also found that these beginning teachers required more support in school culture and infrastructure with stronger consideration of developing teaching practices, such as: pedagogical knowledge development and behaviour management. It highlighted willing and capable assigned mentors who can model practices and provide feedback on the beginning teachers' practices as pivotal to induction and mentoring processes. (Contains 6 tables and 1 figure.)

This study examined the relationship between effective educational planning and teaching staff performance among public secondary schools in Zamfara State, Nigeria. A research null hypothesis was established to guide the research work. The study adopted correlational survey design. The population of the study comprised 24 public secondary schools with 670 in-service teachers. From the population of the study, a total number of 12 public secondary schools and 225 in-service teachers were sampled to serve as participants in this study using simple random sampling technique. The sample size was determined using Krejcie and Morgan's (1971) table of determining sample size. Two (2) self-structured questionnaires entitle: "Effective Educational Planning Assessment Questionnaire (EEPAQ) and "Staff Performance Evaluation Questionnaire (SPEQ)" were constructed and utilized as instruments for data collection. The data analysis was computed using Descriptive Statistics and Inferential Statistics. The Pearson Moment Product Correlation Coefficient analysis results (r=0.514, P<0.05) revealed that there is a moderate but significant relationship between effective educational planning and school staff performance among public schools in Gusau Local Government Area, Zamfara State, Nigeria. Based on findings, the study recommends that in order to maintain the high level of the effectiveness of educational planning in Nigeria, the Federal, State, and Local, and Governments as well as other relevant international and local organizations should put hands on deck in employing more professional planners and deploy them to the ministries and agencies for effective planning of education.