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The Challenges Of Catholic Identity In American Catholic University A Case Study Of Depaul University, Andrew Ezechiugo

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

This research paper examines the challenges of Catholic identity in American universities using DePaul University as a case study. Carrying out the research, two research questions were posited: 1. What is the perception of Catholic identity presently at DePaul University? 2. What are the challenges of Catholic identity at DePaul? To answer the questions an interview and survey were conducted among a selected group of faculty and students at the university. The interview and survey centered on the experience of Catholic identity, elements of Catholic identity, and the challenges of Catholic identity at DePaul. Five challenges of Catholic identity were …

A Phenomenological Study On African American Male Conduct Officers And Their Experiences With Code-Switching In Professional Settings, Bernard Little

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

African American male student conduct professionals consciously engage in code-switching in professional settings. Student conduct professionals hold significant responsibility within a college or university. The impact of their decisions creates immense pressure and results in lasting consequences for students involved. In this qualitative, phenomenological study the use of code-switching for six African American male conduct professionals is examined. Through semi-structured interviews, their diverse experiences are explored. Findings revealed that their use of code-switching is an intentional performance that they were taught and they use code-switching for professional survival. Findings also revealed that African American male conduct professionals weigh the risks …

Mentoring Urban African American Male Students In Secondary School, David Jacoby Collins

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

This narrative inquiry evaluated how a school-based mentorship program called The Chamber of Scholars: African American Male Mentoring Intervention, which served exclusively African American male students in high school, impacted the participants’ identification with academics, perception of mattering to their school, and academic performance. The program was evaluated using a pre-interview and a post-interview of all participants, daily field notes of activities, and weekly journals. The study found that participants who regularly attended daily intervention sessions for ten weeks increased their identification with academics (value of school). The study also found that participants who regularly attended daily intervention sessions for …

A Case Study Of A Comprehensive Model Of Global Education Strategy Based On Cosmopolitanism, Esther Quintero Heiser

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

Globalization is conceptualized as increased connectivity and interdependence among people worldwide. Its intensification causes many challenges, such as forced or voluntary migration, climate change, food insecurity, disruptions of chain management operations, economic inequality, and health crisis. Globalization alters the content and form of education at all levels, and it has an increasingly important role in higher education. By focusing on the importance of creating programs aimed to promote global collaboration, universities must promote the development of global citizenship to combat inequities and injustice created by globalization. The concepts of cosmopolitanism from Appiah and critical pedagogy from Freire have influenced global …

Applying The Social Model Of Disability: A Phenomenology Of Initiating Change In Higher Education, Olena M. Marshall

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

In the past decades, disability service professionals in higher education began adopting the social model of disability as a theoretical and practical framework for creating more inclusive campus environments for students with disabilities who attend colleges and universities in growing numbers. Specifically, in the early 2000s, an international organization of disability service professionals, the Association on Higher Education and Disability, took on a strategic effort to shift the paradigm of disability services toward systematically removing barriers to full participation and transforming disabling environments—away from the prevalent modes of service focusing on the medical model, legal and regulatory compliance, and ad …

Developing A Culture Of Care And Support: A Review Of Institutional Practices And Growth Opportunities Affecting Black Male Student-Athletes At Southtown Community College, Roberto D. Torres

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

In December 2018, the Dean of Academic Affairs (DAA) was approached by the coach and members of the Southtown Community College (STC) basketball team regarding academic support for the team. The academic affairs team would delve into this situation and discover several areas where the college had failed these students. This study examines the conditions and climate that lead to the maltreatment of Black male student-athletes at STC and the feedback from the students affected. The feedback from these student-athletes gives a glimpse of their feelings of being mistreated because of their race and arguably their gender. The three goals …

A Case Study Of A Comprehensive Model Of Global Education Strategy Based On Cosmopolitanism, Esther Quintero Heiser

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

Globalization is conceptualized as increased connectivity and interdependence among people worldwide. Its intensification causes many challenges, such as forced or voluntary migration, climate change, food insecurity, disruptions of chain management operations, economic inequality, and health crisis. Globalization alters the content and form of education at all levels, and it has an increasingly important role in higher education. By focusing on the importance of creating programs aimed to promote global collaboration, universities must promote the development of global citizenship to combat inequities and injustice created by globalization. The concepts of cosmopolitanism from Appiah and critical pedagogy from Freire have influenced global …

Relational Trust As A Determinant Of Principal Turnover: A Quantitative Analysis, Steven Michael Jeretina

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

The issue of principal turnover in American schools has gained greater attention over the last twenty years due to the trend of double-digit annual principal turnover rates. The connection between principal turnover and school climate has largely been focused on how changes in the principal position negatively affects school climate. No research, to this point, has examined the correlation between relational trust between teachers and their principal and principal turnover rates. This study achieves this goal by addressing the question: What, if any, is the relationship between relational trust and principal turnover? This study employed a quantitative methodology supported by …

The Role Of Parental And Family Involvement In The Persistence Of Freshman First-Generation College Students, Ray O. Grant

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

The number of first-generation college students has increased steadily over the years. These students faced many barriers to their academic success as they transitioned to college including limited support from family members. This qualitative study utilized a phenomenological approach to understand what role, if any, the support of parents and family helped first-generation students to persist in their academics during the first year of college. Six sophomore first-generation college students from a private Catholic institution in an urban setting in the Midwest were interviewed for the study along with six of their family members. The sophomore first-generation students reflected on …

“You Will Do Better Then I Did” The Positive Actions Black Parents Employ To Influence Their Child’S Choice To Attend College, Meagan Mitchell

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

This study employs an anti-deficit perspective in exploring how the parents of first generation, low-income African American students positively influence their child’s choice to attend college. This study examines the positive direct and indirect actions taken by African American parents with limited monetary resources to encourage their child to decide to attend college when they have not finished a four-year degree themselves. A qualitative approach that includes a critical narrative inquiry design was adopted to deconstructing the stories of the various families and provide a space to uncover assumptions about knowledge, power and reflexivity. Furthermore, this study deconstructs the participants’ …

The Muted Expert: A Qualitative Study On The Principals’ Perceptions And Experiences Of The Current Teacher Evaluation System, Denitra Griffin

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

Principals are responsible for evaluating millions of teachers through a formal teacher evaluation process (US Department of Education, 2012a). Students’ achievement relies on effective teachers (Danielson & McGreal, 2000; Darling-Hammond, 2015), and principals are expected to use teacher evaluation systems to accomplish that goal.

This qualitative study examined how five principals perceive the current teacher evaluation system to support and develop teachers. It also explored their experiences implementing it. Three themes emerged from the interviews: principal into coach, increased principal-teacher communication, and empathy about challenges. Based on the data, findings were analyzed through the lens of Bass’ Transformational Theory (1985) …

Living Out Faith: Reflections On Motivation For Academic Achievement And Career Choice, Felicia D. Richardson-Mcgee

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

It has often been said that conversations concerning religion, sex and politics should be avoided in most, if not all social settings. In general, it was believed that discussions on these topics could lead to very heated and argumentative debates as the participants openly expressed their views on these subjects. Increasingly, however, religion has become a popular discussion topic in many areas, such as politics, health and medicine, and even the business world. This is likely because religion, for many, is an important part of daily life. It shapes how individuals see themselves and others in the world and may …

Exploring The Use Of Teaching Strategies To Impact The Academic And Social Challenges Faced By First-Generation College Students, Susan Smierciak Lueders

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

Recent studies have shown that roughly one-third of the total students at four-year universities are the first in their families to attend college. These students are commonly referred to as first-generation college (FGC) students. The percent of total college students who are FGC students is expected to rise as the children of working-class, predominantly “blue collar” baby boomers, and the children of immigrants reach college age and enter the college arena. However, these students often enter college with unique academic and social challenges that result in an attrition rate of almost twice that of non- FGC students. While numerous studies …

Migration And Parent Involvement: Ethiopian Immigrants In Chicago, Daniel Hasso Shashe

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

My study examines the experiences and perceptions of Ethiopian immigrants in Chicago particularly as they relate to their involvement in their children’s schooling. Through narrative interviews I was able to hear stories of migration, education, and life changes within families as they emigrated from Ethiopia and (eventually) settled in the US. Migration, conditioned by political contexts at home, circumstances of mobility, and available support structures, is translated into life experiences that are infused with emotion (of various sorts), hardship (and various strategies to understand it and deal with it), an evolving vision of life in the US, and a …

A Study Of The Impact Of Mental Contrasting And Implementation Intentions On Academic Performance, Suzanne Velasquez-Sheehy

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

According to the U.S. Department of Education, the national high school graduation rate is 81% and only 59% of college enrolled students in 2006 obtained a college degree within ten years of entering 9th grade (U. S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, 2014). Studies conclude that high school grades predicted academic performance no matter what type of high school the students attended and that students who had good grades went on to graduate from college as a result of self-efficacy, motivation, and academic goals (Bowen, Chingos, & McPherson, 2011). Limited research suggests that using mental contrasting and implementation …

Securing The Blessings – Cultivating Active Citizens: Public School Principals’ Perceptions Of How They Nurture A Democratic Way Of Life, Judith Marie Mccann Floeter

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

School leaders have the formidable responsibility to promote an educational environment that supports the growth of both the individual and the nation. School principals are uniquely pressured to comply with politically motivated demands to educate for a globally competitive labor force while they simultaneously promote and strengthen lifelong learning and a democratic ethos in their particular students. The thoughtful educator recognizes the complexities of this negotiation.

In this dissertation I examined the recent literature about schooling for democracy and conclude that public schools are vital to sustaining a democracy; current reform strategies impinge upon school efforts to teach children to …

Feminine Voice, Masculine Space: Understanding How Passion For Sport Emerges In Female College Student-Athletes, Jill Hollembeak

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

Many sport sociologists argue sports play a significant role in creating culture (Horne & Manzenreiter, 2006; L'Etang, 2006). Yet, even as there has been a gender revolution in U.S. sports, media “coverage today misrepresents both the participation and the interest in women‟s sports across our population at large” (p. 3). A powerful entity, the media misrepresentation of the number of females competing devalues the importance participation plays in the lives of many females. Their status as “jock” causes potential negativity as they navigate college and their roles in society, and their status as “female” carries historical conditions in all realms, …

Nature Versus Nurture: Campus Involvement’S Effect On Student Leadership Development, Stephanie Souvenir

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to find if leadership skills are developed from co-curricular involvement. Research would determine whether natural-born leaders were drawn to student involvement opportunities, or whether involvement develops the average students’ leadership skills. To arrive at a conclusion, research asked the question “Does involvement on a college campus develop leadership skills?” Research was answered by quantitative research. Fifty undergraduate students from a private Midwestern university were surveyed. Each participant was given two assessments. One was a leadership self-assessment and another was a campus involvement assessment. The campus involvement assessment was created for the purpose of this …

Closing The Gap: Use Of The Instructional At-Home Plan (Iahp)® By African American Parents And The Impact On Literacy Achievement Among Their Kindergarten Children, Tanya Foster Demers

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this ex post facto study was to investigate the use of the Instructional At- Home Plan (IAHP)® by African American parents and its impact on kindergarten literacy achievement among their children. The study used DIBELS data from students who attended a Chicago Public School with a population that averaged 98.6% black and 96.75% low-income status. Parents of students who attended classes for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years utilized the Instructional At-Home Plan. The achievement of their children was analyzed and compared to those students who attended kindergarten for the 2007-08 and 2008-09 school years: students whose …

It Takes Leadership To Build A Village: A Portrait Of A Public School Community That Is Closing The Achievement Gap, Julie Maccarthy

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

This case study explored a high-achieving elementary school on Chicago’s far South Side that fosters academic success for its African American students who come from predominately low-income homes. Tyler School serves a demographic group that historically underperforms. Yet multiple measures of evaluating student achievement indicate that Tyler is an exceptional school.

The research question driving this study is this: How does the school’s administrative team at Tyler School create conditions that support student achievement? Secondary questions explore the school's climate, teachers' qualifications, curriculum, and the other factors that contribute to student success. Interviews with administrators, teachers, and parents, as well …

The Impact Of Year-Round Education On Fifth Grade African American Reading Achievement Scores In An Urban Illinois School, Carolyn A. Merrill

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to determine the impact of the year-round education school calendar on the standardized test performance of fifth grade African American students, as measured by the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) in reading. The ISAT reading scores from two year-round education (YRE) schools (School A and School B) were compared with two traditional calendar education (TCE) schools (School C and School D). The selection of schools was based on numerous factors in order to ensure that the year-round education schools and traditional calendar education schools were similar in socioeconomic status and in the …

The Predictive Validity Of High School Grades To College Remedial Mathematics Performance, John Dozier

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

The concerns for remedial education are not new – as remedial education has a long history. Yet, the issues are gaining prominence in our discourse about improving the outcomes associated with post-secondary education. Any discussion of improvement is often accompanied by a discussion regarding the challenge posed to post-secondary institutions in meeting the growing remedial needs of the students that they receive. The purpose of this research is to evaluate community college placement of students into remedial coursework through an examination of whether a student’s high school mathematics preparation and mathematics grade average are a significant determinant of their completion …

Personalismo, Small Schools, And Latino Students' Academic Success, Isabel Mesa Collins

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

A growing body of research indicates that Latino students continue to struggle academically presenting educators and school leaders with serious concerns about a cultural achievement gap. Guided by the work of Lee & Loeb, (2000); Lee & Freidkin, (2007) and Stevens, (2008) who have examined small personalized learning communities, this paper examines the concept of personalismo as a conduit for establishing a platform that may help narrow the achievement gap within the Latino population in the public school system. Through a series of T-Tests, conducted in two small public schools with varying levels of personalismo, within a Chicago Public School …

The Effects Of An Advisory Program On Middle-Level Student Learning, Jeffrey Stawick

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore if a middle school advisory program significantly effected student learning. Educators who advocate for the middle school concept for middle-level education claim that purposefully designed advisory programs can have specific beneficial effects. However, a limited body of knowledge and little empirical evidence supports this assumption. This study uses an ex-post facto quasi-experimental design comparing three consecutive eighth grade classes in a middle school where such an advisory program was developed. The program was designed to improve student learning through improved relationships, interventions, and additional instruction time. The first eighth grade class had …

Parental Involvement In A New Environment: Igbo Families In Chicago And The Education Of Their Children—A Narrative Inquiry, Obiefuna Onwughalu

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

Parents, family, school and community have overlapping spheres of influence in the education of children (Epstein, 2001). Schooling isolated from the home will have significant consequences for child behavior and development (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). A fact of life is that a people’s socio-political, cultural and historical life situation, context or environment, or ecological systems (Bronfenbrenner, 1977) affects their way of life.

This study seeks to understand the nature of parental engagement of Igbo families, a newer immigrant community in Chicago, in the education of their children. All immigrants are not the same, and knowing about Igbo experiences will enable scholars and …

African-American Males’ Perception Of Factors Involved In Their Resilience And Academic Success, Johnnie Thomas

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the factors that contribute to the educational success and failure of African-American males continues to be a topic of current research. Frequently, educational performance outcome data, report African-American males as low performers. Some African-American males are able to overcome family issues, community violence and school dysfunction, and achieve academic success. They are resilient. Masten, Best, and Garmezy (1990) define resiliency as “the process of, capacity to, or outcome of successful adaptation despite challenging or threatening circumstances” (426). In this study, the internal and external factors motivating the academic success of five African-American males who grew up in Chicago, Illinois’ …

Museum Education And The Climate Of Accountability, Rebecca Manuel

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

This study examines how the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2002’s accountability mandates for public schools have affected museum education programs in a large, Midwestern city. For this multi-method study, relevant educational materials were analyzed, and fourteen educational professionals affected by the relationship between museums and public schools were interviewed. As public schools are increasingly pressured to increase students’ test scores, cuts in fieldtrip attendance are seen as justifiable, since these experiences do not directly result in students’ making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) on standardized tests. To remain relevant to these new goals for public education, many museums …

Understanding Multiple Perspectives Of African American Males In A Suburban High School, Ravi Hansra Matrenec

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

Research on African American males in high school often looks at their experiences from a deficit perspective, and is often conducted in low resourced, high-risk settings, thus perpetuating the image of failure in school. We know less about how African American males experience education in well-resourced schools. In an attempt to fill this research gap, this qualitative inquiry study explores the schooling experiences of African American males at a predominantly White, affluent, and suburban high school of a major metropolitan city. The focus of this study was to understand how the participants made sense of their schooling experiences, paying special …

A Comparative Study Of The Impact Of Charitable Donations On The Financial Viability Of San Miguel Model Schools, Michael Quirk

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to measure and compare the advancement strategies employed by private faith-based middle schools which serve economically disadvantaged minority students in urban settings. The research compared six schools in two groups of samples chosen from a pool of Lasallian Catholic alternative middle schools. Data collected from extensive personal interviews with school administrators were divided into twelve categories to compare the school’s establishment, the school’s board makeup and advancement functions, the school’s advancement methods and programs, the school’s senior advancement administration, and the school’s relationship with religious sponsor. Additional data from the sample schools financial audits …

Educational Leaders Perceptions Of Emotional Intelligence And How It Effects Their Professional Practice, Yaffa Krugliak Lahat

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

Researchers argue that Emotional Intelligence (EI) plays a key role in effective and successful leadership (Goleman et al., 2004; Rosete & Ciarrochi, 2005; Chan, 2007). Although other researchers claimed that these assertions lean "little empirical support" (Ciarrochi, Deane & Anderson, 2002), Goleman, Boyatzis, and McKee (2004) assert that EI is essential for leadership because leaders work through emotions and their primal job is emotional. With most of this research done in the business world, this study focuses on the role of EI in educational leadership. The purposes of this study are to explore and to construct new knowledge regarding educational …