chers remain at the school since teacher turnover is also disruptive to student education.
The research question is as follows: Was the teacher support program effective?
There will be a statistically significant difference between pre- and post-support program findings with regard to evaluation scores, at the .05 level of significance.
This study will utilize a pre-post survey research design. The design will be quasi-experimental since existing groups will be tested. Program evaluation scores before and after support program participation will be compared. While quantitative data will be compared statistically, the survey will also provide qualitative information; teacher perceptions of elements related to program improvement will be determined.
The independent variable is the teacher support program. The dependent variable is program effectiveness defined by program evaluation items.
The evaluation survey will be tested and retested to establish reliability and face validity will be established by a panel of experts (school administrators).
Program Evaluation Survey. The Program Evaluation Survey is a scale used to determine effectiveness of the teacher support program; the scale also identifies elements related to program effectiveness or needs for improvement.
Teacher Support Program. The teacher support program will be implemented at ABC Elementary School for a two-year period. The program will include teacher-training increases from 70 hours to 100 hours and use of teacher assistants for all third grade teachers. The program is designed to reduce teacher stress and frustration levels.
The Leave No Child Behind Act created new federal programs that provided low-performing schools with more aid but also demanded more accountability in the promotion of achievement. This act brought a major shift to K-12 education (Dervarics, 2002). Florida has been a leading state in the use of methods to impro...