Secondary Education Commons^™

Parent Choice: Learning Pods Or Public Education During Covid-19 Pandemic, Shari Kinney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to examine the decision-making process of K-12 parents living in the Appalachian Highlands who chose to remove their children from traditional public schools to join learning pods (sometimes referred to as pandemic pods) during the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to answer this overarching question, the researcher focused her study on two areas: first, what were the possible push factors that influenced parents to remove their children from public schools, and secondly, what were the pull factors that lead parents to choose learning pods over other school choice options. Through the data collected …

The “Reading Wars” Are Back: What Are The Implications For Adolescent Literacy?, Jenelle Williams

Michigan Reading Journal

This article unpacks the current political and educational debates around the Science of Reading, Simple View of Reading, and Active View of Reading. In the article, the author describes evidence-based reading practices for adolescents and connects them to components of the Active View of Reading. Finally, the author provides a rationale for caution in over-applying research-based approaches for early literacy with adolescents.

Leveraging Student Voice And Technology Within An 8th-Grade Literacy Community, Shavonne M. Jacobson

Michigan Reading Journal

Rochester Community Schools Middle School Language Arts Curriculum Consultant Shavonne (Shevy) Jacobson shares the collective experience of literacy leaders and student researchers as they piloted the new Michigan Middle School Reading and Writing Information unit. In this unit, learners address the essential question: “How can we contribute to the sustainability of our planet?” While centering on student learning and intentionally focusing on the teaching of deep learning, these 8th-grade literacy communities engaged in a comprehensive reading and writing workshop experience to create a podcast to share with their peers and beyond. Jacobson delineates the foundational research-based practices and frameworks that …

Conversations About Race Between Educators And K-12 Students, Elana Wolkoff, Ronda Goodale

Race and Pedagogy Journal: Teaching and Learning for Justice

Conversations about race between teachers and K-12 students have been found to improve racial attitudes for students of all races and to serve as a protective factor for students of color. This study examines perspectives of educators and youth in regard to these conversations, obstacles that impede them and factors that increase positive outcomes. Eighty-nine educators and 130 youth completed questionnaires that included multiple choice and open response questions. Samples were diverse in regard to race and geographic region within the US. Using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis, researchers found that these conversations generally have positive outcomes and often strengthen …

The Rise Of Critical Race Theory: Current Perspectives And Policies On Crt In Education, Nate Scholten

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

In this policy brief on Critical Race Theory (CRT), I operationalize the theory, trace its origins in legal scholarship, discuss its rise within the field of education, and highlight current policies that have responded to this rise. While many see CRT as a helpful lens to view seemingly unnoticeable manifestations of oppression and injustice, others view the use of the construct as divisive, unnecessary, and detrimental to teaching and learning. After detailing the discourses on either side of this debate, I conclude this brief by drawing on Kumashiro’s (2004) notion of teaching for discomfort and the approach of action civics …

Policy Analysis Report: Later Class Start Time For Adolescents, Lee Anne Brannon

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

This policy analysis offers possible solutions to the problem of early school start times across the United States. The average start time in middle and high school campuses is earlier than the recommended start time outlined by medical professionals. This report offers the rationale and research-based evidence to help schools understand the need for later start times, as developmentally appropriate for adolescent students.

The Level Of Inclusion Of Transitional Services Competencies In Special Education Programs In Saudi Universities, Turki A. Alquraini Prof., Mona M. Alkhudaydi, Amjad F. Almawash, Maryam A. Alhusayani, Meaad A. Almoutairi, Lamia S. Alhusayani, Amaal D. Bin Jabaan

International Journal for Research in Education

The study aimed to identify the level of inclusion of transitional services competencies in special education programs in Saudi universities from the point of view of faculty members. In addition to studying the differences between the responses of faculty members according to the variables: the date of establishing the program, the number of courses related to transitional services, and the availability of specialists in this field. The sample consisted of 164 faculty members in special education programs in 22 Saudi universities. Results indicated that the inclusion of transitional services competencies in the special education programs in Saudi universities came to …

Equity In Learning Opportunities For Middle School Students: Connecting Communities And Transportation Through Gis, Tom O’Brien, Ben Olson

Mineta Transportation Institute Publications

Geographic information systems (GIS) is part of an in-demand career skillset that can lead to safer streets in California communities. This project included a three-session bootcamp that introduced middle school students to transportation via GIS and gathered assessments on their awareness of transportation as a career pathway. The project built upon CSUTC TRANSPORTS’ Year 4 project, “K–12 Special Investigation Project: Mapping E-Commerce Locally and Beyond.” The bootcamp for this project was coordinated in partnership with Rio Hondo College, which provided the instructor and connection to the students at the Mountain View Unified School District in El Monte, CA. The bootcamp …

Examining The Change In Preservice Mathematics Teachers’ Conceptions And Effectiveness Of Social Justice Content, Gregory A. Downing, Brittney L. Black

Journal of Research Initiatives

This study examined preservice teachers' perceptions of teaching mathematics using social justice topics to make mathematics accessible to all students. Situated at a large, public, predominantly White institution in the southeast United States, where preservice teachers are not required to take a course on teaching diverse populations, participants were asked to respond to questions surrounding their experience with a mathematical social justice activity adapted from Gutstein and Peterson (2005). Using a mixed methods approach in analyzing data from pre-and post-surveys, researchers could compare preservice mathematics teachers' initial views of teaching mathematics for social justice after participating in an intervention/activity on …

Self-Study Portfolio Cassandra Garvey, Cassandra Garvey

Master of Education in Teacher Leadership Portfolios

No abstract provided.

Parents' Reasons For Choosing To Enroll Their Child In Private High School, Terry Kung

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to describe parents’ reasons for choosing a competitive, private high school (National Association of Independent School (NAIS) member school), over available free, public options. Independent schools have long held a strong presence in the nation’s educational landscape. However, as more families consider how they will pay for college, independent schools are facing new realities and challenges. This study expands upon previous research, which predominantly focused on school choice, by examining a less studied sample–the private school parents. What are parents' reasons for choosing to send their child or children to a NAIS …

Freshman Course Credit And Unexcused Absences: An Arkansas Policy Analysis, Sarah R. Morris, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Miranda Vernon

Arkansas Education Reports

This policy analysis examines the implementation of A.C.A. 6-18-222, a statewide policy in Arkansas that addresses unexcused absences and course credit consequences for students. Using anonymized student-level data from the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years (N=65,651), the study explores variations in policy implementation across districts and investigates the relationship between absences and course failures for freshmen. Our results highlight the wide variability in the number of allowed unexcused absences and the language of course credit consequence among districts. Additionally, our multivariate logistic regressions reveal FRL-eligible students more likely to fail a course after reaching their district’s unexcused absence threshold. Lastly, …

Responses To General Capabilities Framework For Tertiary Education, Tony Shannon

International Journal for Business Education

The Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE) is consulting on how best to develop a general capabilities framework for tertiary education. This is being done with NOUS, a business management consultancy, and the Assessment Research Centre of the University of Melbourne

Anti-Exclusionary Leadership: Increasing The Achievement Of Marginalized And Minoritized Students In An Ontario High School, Nicholas J. Woolley

The Organizational Improvement Plan at Western University

This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) seeks to address the underachievement of marginalized and minoritized students at an Ontario secondary school. Using critical theory, the OIP recognizes that systemic barriers, the pervasive neoliberal performativity agenda, and educator biases and practices combine to reinforce stubborn inequities that negatively impact students who are racialized, poor, and/or identified as having special educational needs. The term anti-exclusion is used to propose an activist stance that challenges inclusion’s connotations of assimilation into a dominant culture. Addressing inequities in a publicly funded, top-down school district context requires adaptive leadership to foster collaborative professionalism while interrogating the status …

Discussing Yasmina Khadra’S Novel The Sirens Of Baghdad In The Upper Secondary Classroom To Promote Intercultural Learning, Karl Ågerup

Essays in Education

Based on interviews with four teachers who engaged in discussions about Yasmina Khadra's novel The Sirens of Baghdad with a total of 92 students, this article explores the potential of using fictional narratives to achieve Global Citizenship-related goals in upper secondary education. The novel, which portrays the journey of a young aspiring Al Qaeda terrorist in Iraq, emerged as a response to the increasing need in the Western world to mitigate intercultural tensions following the September 11 attacks. The article addresses the novel's capacity to promote intercultural understanding while acknowledging practical challenges such as intense emotions in the classroom, potential …

Youth Producing Voice: A Video-Cued Ethnography Of A Media Education Classroom, Isabel C. Castellanos

Doctoral Dissertations

From mini screens on our cell phones to large flat screens hanging in institutional hallways, visual digital media are part of our everyday lives. This is especially true for youth, who in their leisure time increasingly spend time watching and making video content. Yet there are few opportunities for youth in either their community or school settings to access formal instruction in digital media literacy, including video production. In this dissertation, I examine the possibilities and challenges for doing youth media inside schools. What do youth allow themselves to say when doing media production in school and how do they …

The Transformative Mindset Of Middle School Principals On Culture And The Impact Of Student Achievement, Christina Gfell

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore and describe how exemplary middle school principals perceived practices of Sinek’s (2019) infinite mindset framework were embedded in their organization to inspire achievement of extraordinary results. A further purpose of this study was to understand organizational supports and barriers exemplary middle school principals perceived affected infinite mindset development.

Methodology: This phenomenological study explored experiences of exemplary leaders and their perceptions of how the five practices of Sinek’s (2019) infinite mindset framework were embedded in their organization. The target population for this study was exemplary middle school principals in Harris County, Texas. …

The Coaldrake And Joyce Reviews Into Australia's Tertiary Education Systems, Tony Shannon

International Journal for Business Education

In October 2018 the Commonwealth Minister for Education, the Hon. Dan Tehan MP announced that Australia’s Higher Education Provider Category Standards will be reviewed to ensure the sector has the capacity to meet the evolving needs of students, employers and the wider community.

Affective And Psychomotor Taxonomies, Tony Shannon, Melvin Leong

International Journal for Business Education

Taxonomies can sensitise teachers to develop their learners’ applications of their knowledge and skills in depth when utilised judiciously in preparing experiences for learning and assessments for evaluation (Tyszko and Sheets, 2019).

Continuing Professional Development And The Commercial Education Society Of Australia, Kathleen Mckenzie, Jacob Munday

International Journal for Business Education

The Commercial Education Society of Australia (CESA) was founded in 1910 and incorporated in 1911 as a non-profit company limited by guarantee. The mission of the Society is to provide students with the opportunity to raise their standards of education so that they can take advantage of the opportunities for further education and employment. This is reflected in the Society’s coat-of-arms ‘Digne Ambulate’ — walk worthily.