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Educators in rural settings experience many unique professional circumstances due to the rural context of their schools; one such unique circumstance is professional development opportunities that are unavailable locally. Rural reading specialists have limited opportunities for local professional development as well as limited opportunities for collaboration with other reading specialists. This qualitative case study explored the characteristics of effective professional development for rural reading specialists. Reading specialists located in rural, Eastern Montana were surveyed about their professional development opportunities. From the survey results, focus group participants were identified to further elaborate on professional development considerations and opportunities for rural reading specialists. A key finding was rural reading specialists relied on the More Knowledgeable Other.

Teacher education faculty are often expected to engage in accreditation work. Our purpose was to document the collective driving mechanisms of junior faculty who volunteered to redesign key accreditation assessments. Specifically, we explored the values and expectations for success that led junior faculty to engage in and persist through key accreditation reform. Findings include eleven themes organized into three categories: drivers to join, hurdles, and drivers to continue. We interpret the results through Eccles and Wigfield's (2020) Situated Expectancy Value Theory and highlight the critical role that other colleagues and internal and external pressures played in undertaking the accreditation process.

High-Leverage Practices (HLPs) are a fundamental set of skills teachers should use consistently in the classroom to positively impact both their own capabilities and their students' learning. In our state, the five most important HLPs have been embedded into multiple courses across several educator preparation programs (EPPs). We asked preservice teachers to share their perceptions of their knowledge of and confidence in implementing HLPs prior to being introduced to them in their courses. Preservice teachers reported overwhelmingly strong knowledge and confidence, despite having never learned about the HLPs. In addition to our results, we share our thoughts about the illusion of fluency, the Dunning-Kruger Effect, and implications for EPPs with regard to field experiences and implementing HLPs.

This article examines how a small, regional comprehensive university located in a geographically isolated context reinvigorated its master's degree in reading. The process began with articulating a vision for the program that was centered in understanding the unique geographic context of the region. Coherent program goals were then developed to align with state and national standards. Following goal development, curriculum was developed which addressed methods of teaching reading grounded in rich theoretical underpinnings. This article will also address how partnerships with K-12 stakeholders helped shape the curriculum redesign. Finally, this article also addresses how quality online pedagogies bridge relationships across rural regions and ultimately helps to bring research-based interventions to children across the state.