Levels Of Influence: How Teacher Self-Efficacy Reflects Individual, School, And Country Level Variables, Rachel B. Goldberg

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study investigates relationships between teacher self-efficacy and associated factors not previously studied at an international level. This study used the data gathered through the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) assessment conducted in 2018, with an initial sample size of 107,367 participating teachers from 6,128 schools across 19 countries to gain a global perspective regarding the individual and environmental factors that impact teacher self-efficacy. A blocked hierarchical regression model was chosen to support the theoretical structure of the analysis by examining the relationships between three levels of independent variables and teacher self-efficacy. The model predicted over 30 percent of …

Exploring Teachers’ Perceptions Of Assessment Literacy In A High Performing School District In New Jersey, Marlena Celebre-Baird

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

As teachers gain experience, their assessment knowledge base, personal beliefs, and the educational context come together to shape their identity as an assessor. Therefore, assessment literacy is not simply a stagnant knowledge base of skills but rather that takes shape over time, through reflective teaching continues to develop. This study sought to add to the body of research that highlights and describes, through the lens of the teacher, how beliefs and contextual factors influence a teachers’ assessment literacy in practice.

A qualitative case study methodology was selected for this study to explore how elementary K–5 teachers’ personal beliefs play a …

An Analysis Of Higher-Order Thinking Requirement Of The 2018 Psat/Nmsqt, Ryan Esdale

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

As educators and school leaders work towards building students’ capacity throughout a student's academic career, the goal is to facilitate opportunities for students to develop college and career readiness skills that can be applied to novel and challenging problems long after high school graduation. Hess’ Cognitive Rigor Matrix (HCRM) is a tool that objectively and effectively measures prompts, learning exercises, or test questions by blending the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy and Webb’s Depth of Knowledge. Thus, a learning environment that cultivates higher-order thinking skills can be accurately examined and provide educators, researchers, and school leaders with data to make more informed …

Evaluation Of The New Jersey Resiliency Program For Law Enforcement, Frank Sutter

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Research has shown that police officers are exposed frequently to events throughout their careers that can negatively impact their mental health and are at a level that could reach five times greater than that of the general population for post-traumatic stress symptoms. To address law enforcement officers’ mental health issues, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal issued Directive NO. 2019-1, titled Promoting Law Enforcement Resiliency. New Jersey is the first state in the United States to take action and mandate mental health training for all law enforcement officers. On August 6, 2019, the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office revealed that they …

A Study Of Elementary Teachers' Data Driven Decision-Making Practices And School Performance, Julianne K. Kotcho

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The notion of using data to inform educational decisions is not novel; in fact, teachers and school leaders have used data in various forms and for a variety of reasons for decades. However, challenges remain with the timely availability of data, accessibility to the data, and teachers’ understanding of how these data can be transformed into action that impacts instructional decisions. Without appropriate professional development, support, and leadership, teachers may struggle to use data to make sound decisions and take action in their classrooms.

This quantitative correlation study examined elementary school teachers’ levels of readiness regarding data-driven decision-making (DDDM) practices …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Student Factors And Middle School Student Achievement In Priority Schools Supported By Regional Achievement Centers, Krystal Lassiter

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this quantitative predictive analysis study was to identity what student characteristics such as subgroups’ gender, ELL, race/ethnicity, more specifically Black and Latino, are important in predicting student achievement in two Priority schools in their final year of Regional Achievement Center (RAC) delivery and support to these schools, as measured by Language Arts PARCC 2017–2018 for 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade scores. Regional Achievement Centers (RACs) were instituted as a reform method to support New Jersey’s efforts to improve low-performing schools. The New Jersey Department of Education defined these schools as Priority, with the lowest-performing student achievement and graduation …

Faculty Perceptions Of Dyadic Advising Relationships, Power, And Cultural Consciousness On College Student Learning Outcomes, Hind Albana

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Abstract

Academic advising in institutions of higher education lack consistent assessment and evaluation of practices impairing the ability to define the role, objectives, and methods utilized. Over-reliance on student satisfaction surveys for evaluating advising reinforces this phenomenon. To break the cycle, this study used survey responses from a nationwide sample (N = 156) of faculty advisors from public and private 4-year colleges and universities to examine the relationship between and among the constructs of a working relationship, shared power, cultural consciousness, and student learning outcomes. The questionnaire instrument score produced a Cronbach's alpha of .927, illustrating substantially strong internal consistency. …

Understanding High School Assistant Principals’ Perspective Of Standardized Testing Policy For English Language Learners In Maryland, Jae Won Hwang

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Given federal and state mandates, school administrators in the United States are often held responsible for enacting standardized testing policies in their school settings. Standardized testing requirements apply for all students attending school including ELL (English Language Learner) students. However, a review of the literature finds that standardized testing for ELL students is problematic when schools interpret testing scores as some indication of content knowledge mastery. At the current time, content-area standardized testing policies and practices in public schools are not consistent with what we know about second language development. What is missing in the existing research is an examination …

Do Community Schools Make A Difference? Comparing Community Schools And Noncommunity Schools In Baltimore City, Tiffany Bonds Mason

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Schools are frequently seen as the hubs of the community, providing resources and a gathering place for members of the community. The process of surveying the community in order to identify unique needs within the community, and then intentionally forging partnerships capable of ameliorating the specific needs, are strategies used by community schools to support their students and the communities from which they are drawn. Baltimore City Public Schools has created a community school management system in of their elementary schools. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of community school management on the success of students …

A Quantitative Evaluation Of A Culturally Relevant Reading Intervention Program On Academic Achievement And Reading Self-Perception In An Urban High School In New Jersey, Jessica Urban

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this study was to understand the possible effects that participation in a culturally relevant reading intervention program had on students’ reading growth and reading self-perception, when compared to students who did not participate in the program but demonstrated similar prior academic achievement. To assess the relationship between program participation and reading achievement, students’ scaled score growth and student growth percentile on the STAR Reading Assessment were compared and analyzed across 3 school years. In each sample, there was no evidence to suggest that the program influenced students’ scaled score or SGP. The multiple regression models revealed that …

The Predictive Accuracy Of Family And Community Demographic Variables On District Level Student Performance On The Ohio 3rd Grade Reading Test, Charles Speelman

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose for this quantitative non-experimental, correlational, explanatory study was to determine the predictive accuracy of family and community demographic variables found in United States census data at the community level for the OST in reading. Specifically, the study extended the work in order to analyze the reading student proficiency results from the 2017 OST for third grade, and 2010 Ohio census data. Three research questions were utilized, which include how accurately out-of-school family and community capital factors predict a school district’s percentage of students scoring proficient or above on the 2017 OST third grade reading assessment and how accurately …

The Influence Of The Length Of The School Day On The Percentage Of Students Who Met Expectations And Exceeded Expectations Scores On The 2018 Partnership For Assessment Of Readiness For College And Careers For Algebra Ii, Charles W. Rowan

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this non-experimental, correlational, explanatory, cross-sectional design with quantitative methods was to examine the relationship between the length of the school day and the percentage of students who achieved Met Expectations and Exceeded Expectations scores on the 2018 Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) for Algebra II. The study was conducted to explain the influence the length of school day had on Algebra II students who took PARCC in 2018. Additionally, this study examined the influence of staff, student, and school variables such as staff attendance, staff mobility, and percentage of staff with master’s …

An Analysis Of The Higher Order Thinking Requirements Of Parcc Practice Assessments In Grades 10, Heather Dorrian

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This mixed methods study aimed to categorize and analyze the frequencies and percentages of complex thinking in the PARCC practices assessments in English Language Arts grade 10 and Geometry. The Hess’ Cognitive Rigor Matrix was used for the first part of the study to code each of the PARCC assessment questions in Language Arts grade 10 and Geometry based on pre-existing codes. Deductive category application was utilized to connect the language from Hess’ Cognitive Rigor Matrix to the language of the questions in the tests. To ensure reliability we utilized the double-rater read behind method as in other similar studies. …

Grit As A Predictor Of Retention For First-Year Latino Students At A Hispanic-Serving Institution, Jodi Bailey

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

ABSTRACT

In 2016, Hispanic students comprised 19 percent of all college students in the US, an increase of 11 percent over the last twenty years, representing the fastest-growing demographic in higher education. Latino students are half as likely as white students to gain a bachelor’s degree, a gap that has been continuously widening since the 2000s. There has become an increased need for schools to create student success pathways for Latino students on college campuses.

This study’s purpose was to contribute to the existing literature on Latino college students' first-year retention by researching the relationship between grit and first-year retention …

Exploring Saudi Emergency Room Nurses’ Perceptions About Their Disaster Preparedness, Fadiyah Alshahrani

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Background: Disasters can overwhelm the capacities of health care facilities quickly. In recent years, the world has been affected by an increasing number of significant disasters. These include natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, tornados, storms, fires, and epidemic outbreaks. There are man-made disasters such as terrorist attacks, transportation accidents, and stampedes at mass gatherings. The resulting deaths and property damages have enormously affected countries’ economies, particularly on a health care system’s preparedness. In a major disaster, health care professionals must respond, manage, and prevent additional harm to victims. Nurses are the largest group of health care professionals …

The Predictive Influence Of In-School And Out-Of-School Suspension On Academic Achievement In New Jersey Public Middle Schools In Grades 6–8, Jennifer A. Casazza

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Since zero-tolerance policies were put into effect, suspension rates have risen dramatically in the United States (Ayers et al., 2001). This fact is unsettling because research shows that suspension has a negative impact on both academic achievement and poor life outcomes (Rausch & Skiba, 2005). The goal of this quantitative study was to explore the predictive power of in-school and out-of-school suspension on academic achievement in Grades 6–8 in New Jersey by controlling for student demographics and school climate variables. This study used hierarchical multiple regression to analyze the data and used a fixed effects model to control for the …

Is The Academic Freedom Of Foreign-Born Professors In U.S. Universities Under Attack?, Khulod S. Wahboubadr

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

In this study, academic freedom was defined by 17 foreign-born professors:12 Arab-born and five non-Arab professors from nine different higher education institutions, as the ability to express different ideas, research any topic, and publish the results without fear of intimidation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to examine how foreign-born professors experienced academic freedom when teaching and writing about Middle East issues and how their views about the U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East influenced their experiences on the grounds of their foreignness (place of origin, race/ethnicity, and religion). Overall, participants reported positive experiences with academic freedom when teaching and writing …