Digital Commons Network^™

Student Centered Approaches In High School Algebra, Jennifer L. Mahan

M.S.Ed. in Educational Leadership Research Projects

This quasi-experimental study evaluated the impact of four, student centered approaches on learning outcomes for high school math students, to determine if algebraic understanding improved in an active learning environment. Specifically, this study investigated high school algebra students’ use of learning stations, hands on manipulatives, small group collaboration and mathematical games, to deepen their conceptual understanding of linear equations. Surveys revealed students prefered to work independently while being led by the teacher, yet this approach yielded the least amount of improvement. Pre- and post-tests showed students from the experimental groups out-performed peers in the control group on achievement of standards …

Increasing Technology Engagement In The Mass Customized Secondary Classroom, Jeremy D. Young

M.S.Ed. in Educational Leadership Research Projects

The increase in student-centered and self-directed classroom practices and curriculum delivery methods such as proficiency based education (PBE) and mass customized learning (MCL) coupled with 1:1 technology environments requires the student be productive without direct teacher oversight. Using productivity software, this research project examines student digital engagement in a high school classroom employing student-centered MCL and PBE practices in an attempt to answer the following research questions: “Can the use of self-monitoring productivity applications increase positive technology outcomes while decreasing negative technology outcomes?” and “Do student perceptions of their engagement fit their behavior?” This qualitative study uses three phases of …

A Study Of The Relationships Among The Transformational Leadership Practices Of The Michigan High School Principal, School Culture, And Student Achievement, Delores Michelle Starks

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The continuing demand for greater accountability and improved student performance are critical concerns facing education in the 21st century. Federal and state mandates have been issued to ensure that all students achieve mastery of curriculum objectives. This quantitative study examined the relationships among student achievement as measured by the overall student proficiency in science on the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress (M-STEP) Test and teacher perceptions of transformational leadership practices of Michigan high school principals and school culture. A correlational research design was used for this study. A total of 157 teachers, representing 147 unique high schools completed an …

A Case Study Of High School Students Affected By School Closure, Elizabeth Wolkowicz

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Recent charter school closures in a Southeastern Michigan community have created an influx of displaced students from communities where families are not provided systematic support to make the unexpected transition. The study utilized focus group and individual interviews to collect data from high school students who have experienced their charter high school closing and have transitioned into a single charter high school. Data analyses were done concurrently with data collection, and the first- and second-level codes were presented in matrix displays. Four themes emerged from the interviews of these participants. These themes were: sense of belonging, fear of the unknown, …

A Program Evaluation Of The Impact Of The Positive Behavioral Intervention And Supports Program On An Urban High School, Brittany M. Ray

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This dissertation was designed to observe the impact of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) on a large urban high school. This study attempted to answer the following question: Is the School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) program an effective model to meaningfully decrease student misbehavior and disruptions in a large urban high school as determined by the number of office discipline referrals (ODRs), in-school suspension (ISS) reports, out-of-school suspension (OSS) reports, and truancy reports? What are the differences in disciplinary data from the 2014-2015 to 2016-2017 school years? Overall, the study examined SWPBIS to determine if it is …

Supporting A Growth Mindset In High School Classroom Teachers, Peter Abboud

Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify and describe the strategies that California public high school principals utilized to develop a growth mindset in classroom teachers.

Methodology. This qualitative case study used interviews from 12 high school principals to gain an understanding for how they supported a growth mindset in their classroom teachers. The population for the case study was northern California high school principals, and the sample included high school principals from Napa, Sonoma, Solano, Marin, Alameda, and Contra Costa counties. To participate in the study, principals needed to be serving in at …

A Qualitative Study Of The Positive Transformation Of Public High School Cultures As Perceived By Administrators, Teachers, And Classified Staff Members, Amy L. Besler

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study is to discover the factors which contribute to the positive transformation of a comprehensive public high school’s culture as perceived by the school’s administrators, teachers, and classified staff. An additional purpose of the study is to determine what similarities and differences exist between the perceptions of administrators, teachers, and classified staff.

Methodology: The researcher identified comprehensive public high schools within the state of California where measurable growth in positive perceptions of school culture had been achieved within the preceding two to four years. Of this target population, six schools were identified, through …

Professional School Counselors And High School Graduation : Does Assigned School Counselor Correlate With Students' Rate Of Graduation?, Dawn Marie Horton

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

High school counselors are coming under increased pressure to demonstrate both their effectiveness in supporting individual students’ success in school and their ability to provide effective comprehensive school counseling programs. The evidence based research on effective school counseling practices is limited, and additional research is needed to assist practitioners in their work. An important area of concern is the work school counselors do to assist students in achieving graduation. Limited research has been focused on whether school counselors actually impact their students’ graduation rates. In this current research, the graduation rates of students assigned to school counselors were examined to …

Establishing And Maintaining Collective Faculty Trust In The High School Principal, Brenda M. Damiani

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the process by which high school principals established and maintained collective faculty trust in the principal (FTP). High school principals face the challenge of establishing FTP in settings generally larger than their colleagues in elementary and middle schools which can impact the level of trust. The rich descriptions from participants about the process by which they established and maintained FTP adds to the limited qualitative literature about FTP, especially in the context of high schools. The findings from this study can serve as a guide to new and experienced high school principals as they establish and maintain …

Going 1:1- Writing Policy To Support The 21st Century Student: A Policy Advocacy Document, Tracey K. Landry

Dissertations

In an effort to prepare its graduates with the 21^st century skills of problem solving, collaboration, technology savvy, creativity, and information literacy and to close the learning gaps between students who have access to technology and those who don’t, this study proposes that District 123 create a policy to support a 1:1 Chromebook initiative. Using Browder’s needs analysis model, the impact of a 1:1 program is analyzed through the educational, social, political, economic and moral frames (Browder, 1995). It is determined that a 1:1 program can transform teaching and learning by giving equal access to technology, by incorporating student-driven …

Teacher And Student Perceptions On High School Science Flipped Classrooms: Educational Breakthrough Or Media Hype?, Rebecca C. Hunley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For years educators have struggled to ensure students meet the rigors of state mandated tests. Challenges that often impede student success are student absences, school closings due to weather, and remediation for students who need additional help while advanced students can move ahead. Many educators, especially secondary math and science teachers, have responded to these issues by implementing a teaching strategy called the flipped classroom where students view lectures, power points, or podcasts outside of school and class time shifts to allow opportunities for collaborative learning.

The purpose of this research was to evaluate teacher and student perceptions of high …

“If You’Re Not Having Fun, What’S The Point Of Playing?” Adolescents’ Best And Worst Interscholastic Sport Experiences, Troy D. Urdahl

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Interscholastic athletics are purported to provide many benefits for participants. Some studies have shown the benefits of playing sports, but others have cautioned the expense is not worth the investment and not all outcomes of participation are positive. High school athletics are deeply woven into the American educational system, yet limited research has been conducted to capture the voices of student-athletes to identify their perceptions of sport experiences. Learning this information may help various stakeholders improve interscholastic sport experiences. Therefore, the purpose of this existential-phenomenological study was to examine the best and worst sports experiences of interscholastic athletes in team …

The Influence Of A Flipped Classroom On Student Achievement, Homework Completion, And Student Perceptions In A High School Algebra 2 Class, Chelsae Arnold

M.S.Ed. in Educational Leadership Research Projects

The current study investigated the use of technology, specifically flipped classroom practices, in a high school math classroom. This study took place in a rural Maine high school to discover what effects the flipped classroom would have on student achievement, student self-efficacy, and homework completion in an Algebra 2 course. The participants were 43 students, from 8th to 12th grader, in 5 Algebra 2 courses. The researcher compared performance on classroom assessments in both conditions and found no statistical significance on performance. The majority of participants reported no change in self efficacy following the flipped classroom, and the researcher observed …

Factors That Contribute To Hispanic English Language Learners' High Academic Performance In High School Science In The Rio Grande Valley Of Texas: A Multicase Study, Antonio Elizondo

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of this study was to identify, discover, uncover, examine, and document factors that contribute to Hispanic English Language Learners’ (ELL) high academic performance in high school science in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Participants were high school seniors enrolled in college-level classes who had scored commended on the science exit-level Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills and ranked toward the top of their class. One science teacher and school administrator from the respective schools also participated in this study. One student from each of four different high schools in south Texas was selected to participate. School officials …

Predictors Of Success For High School Students Enrolled In Online Courses In A Single District Program, David Rankin

Theses and Dissertations

The rapid growth in online learning opportunities and online courses in K-12 education is well documented in the literature. Studies conducted by various researchers that have focused on the K-12 population of online learners demonstrate that certain online learner characteristics and online learning environment characteristics may impact the likelihood of students passing or failing online courses. Research has produced models that predict online course success with measurable degrees of accuracy. This descriptive study examines characteristics of students enrolled in online high school courses provided by a virtual learning program administered by a single Virginia public school district. The study determined …

Deconstructing Differences In Effectiveness Of Teachers Of Tenth Grade Non-Proficient Readers In One Florida School District, Mary Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite an intense focus and considerable financial commitment to remediate nonproficient readers in high school, the large suburban school district that was the target of this study had been unable to consistently improve student achievement in the lowest 25% of students as measured by outcomes on the FCAT Reading. Scholarly literature on high school reading had focused mostly on evaluation of curriculum rather than on teacher practices. A clear understanding of these differences in practice will inform future decisions related to staffing, scheduling, and professional learning. This study sought to identify the underlying professional and instructional differences between the most …

The Relationship Of Participation In A Summer Transition Program For At-Risk Ninth Grade Students And Their Performance In Algebra I, Jose Sanchez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the Summer Transition Program in a large suburban school district. One of the common concerns of education leaders is the number of students who choose to dropout of high school. The eighth to ninth grade Summer Transition Program has been implemented to address the high school dropout issue and was the focus of this study. The researcher examined if participation in the Summer Transition Program could be predicted by student subgroup, to what extent, if any, participation in the Summer Transition Program had on the academic success in Algebra I, and if there is a relationship with …

Improving On-Time Graduation For At-Risk Students: Perceptions Of Interventions To Improve On-Time Graduation In One Florida School District., Walter Griffin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this research was to identify primary interventions that participants in the study perceived to have influenced them to persist to remain in high school. This was accomplished by analyzing data gathered in a survey administered to 901 program completers who were rising 10th, 11th, and 12th graders who completed the Eighth-toNinth-Grade Summer Transition Program in 2009, 2010, and 2011 in one Florida School District.

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Implications For School Systems And School Personnel, Carmen Y. Ward

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT A crucial issue facing our educational system is the changing family structure, particularly the increase in the number of children being raised by their grandparents. Many of these children live in a situation that places them at risk academically. Thus, it is vital that the educational system consider identifying the special needs of these children to provide supports. This study aimed to identify support services that middle school and high school grandparents perceived they needed from school systems and school personnel to ensure the educational success of their grandchildren. I developed a survey based on concerns and issues that …

Latino Educators Of Tomorrow: Culture-Specific Mentoring For The College Transition, Anna Trevino

Theses and Dissertations

The population of Latino students is growing faster than any other ethnic group in U.S. public schools today; however, the number of Latino teachers throughout the nation has remained low. The Latino Educators of Tomorrow is a new and ambitious Latino educational career program designed to increase the number of Latino students entering teaching as a profession. This research addressed the following questions: 1) What do participants identify as influential in their trajectory towards becoming an educator, and why?; 2) How do LET instructors, acting in the role of mentors, influence participants' desires and plans to become educators, and why?; …

Student Engagement Differences By Ethnicity And Scale For Ninth Grade Students, Melissa Mcfarland Fattor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Differences on three subscales of student engagement were compared across ethnic groups and by subscale. The ninth grade is often considered a vital juncture that indicates success or failure to graduate high school. When a student goes through a transition he or she often experiences some type of change in student engagement levels and may experience adverse effects in the form of academic, social, and psychological challenges. Researchers of the National Research Council (2004) believe that the engagement process (the successful interaction between the individual and the educational context) is considered a means toward alleviating unsuccessful student outcomes. Therefore, this …

The Influence Of High School Dramatic Arts Classes On Remedial Readers On The Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, Michelle Backel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This is the age of accountability in public schools. The public wants to know that the schools are producing high achieving students who are ready for the future. With this push for accountability the rise in standardized testing should not be surprising. However, it is difficult to test an abstract course such as the arts. With the increase of standardized testing and the recent tough economic times, it is no wonder that performing arts classes in our public schools are often the first to be pared down or dissolved (Mendels, 2008). It is the presiding feeling that these courses, while …

Perceptions Of High School Principals In A Southeastern Urban School District On Leadership Practices And Parental Involvement, Elizabeth Chattmon Graham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the leadership practices of high school principals and parental involvement and to examine to what extent those practices differed between principals and how they related to parental involvement. The study revealed major issues surrounding parental involvement such as how principals defined parental involvement, how principals communicated the importance of parental involvement; what parental involvement activities impact student achievement; what common leadership practices influenced parental involvement; and what are some common experiences of high school principals regarding parental involvement. The methodology employed to conduct this qualitative study was face-to-face audio-taped interviews at the …

A Clinical Supervision And Peer Coaching Model To Improve Instructional Effectiveness, Arthur Lee Galloway

All Graduate Projects

The interrelationship of clinical supervision and peer coaching strategies to improve instructional effectiveness were studied. A peer coaching in-service program, detailing coaching procedures and activities, was developed and implemented in the social studies department at Mount Si High School. The results of the program showed that peer coaching can be utilized by teachers to assume greater leadership and responsibility in the area of instructional improvement.

Relative Curricular Emphasis In Some Utah High Schools During The 1941-1951 Years, Edward W. Payne

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

To have a sound and complete philosophy of education is a relative must for all people concerned with the teaching of children. Fortunate is the school whose administration and faculty have in common a functional definition of the term "curriculum" and its place in their total philosophy of education. The school program of only a few decades ago consisted of the strict disciplinary type of teaching, with only a few available subjects which were intended to develop the total capacities of the student. The new philosophy recognizes the variation in students as individuals. One must not assume that there is …

Evaluation Of Aspects Of The Guidance Programs In The Salt Lake City High Schools: An Opinion Survey, Liliuo Poulter

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A significant phase of the modern high school curriculum is the program of specialized guidance services to pupils. The importance of providing personalized services as a means of aiding individuals to grow toward social and occupational adequacy is becoming more and more definitely recognized by educators today. Monroe (1), in discussing the literature in this field, gives the following definition of personnel services:

"As differentiated from instruction and the business affairs... student personnel work refers to all activities undertaken or sponsored by an educational institution, aside from curricular instruction, in which the student's personal development is the primary consideration. Student …

A Comparison Of The Band And Orchestral Programs In The High Schools Of Utah, George D. Harris

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In the schools of Utah, as elsewhere in the nation, a situation has arisen which is of vital importance to the continuance of orchestral music. We find, on the basis of casual observation, that the string instruments are not being taught on an equal basis with the band instruments. It is generally assumed that band and orchestra instruction are equally desirable in an instrumental program. Unfortunately, many school authorities are not aware of the necessity of such equal opportunities for school children and as a result we may find string music relegated to an insecure position in our educational system.

A Study To Determine Where And At What Age Senior Boys In Three Selected Senior High Schools Of Utah Acquired Knowledge And Skill In Activities, A. Hue Jewkes

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study is to determine the student's ability (according to his own rating), where his interests lie, and at what age, and where male students first learn physical activities that are taught in the high schools of Utah.

The factors used in this study included: (1) number of boys having had three weeks instruction in each of 63 listed activities; (2) personal rating (compared to other boys in the class) as to ability in each activity; (3) personal rating as to wanting to watch and wanting to participate in each activity; (4) approximate age boys first participated …

A Study Of Farm Mechanics On Typical Farms In The North Cache High School District, Clifford G. Hansen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The farmers of today are faced with many more and varied problems than were their grandfathers. This is in part due to the rapid mechanization of farming that has been developing during the past three decades. This movement for increased mechanization in farming presents a new challenge to farmers because of their responsibility in caring for farm machinery and maintaining it in an efficient operating condition. In effect, this means that the efficient farmer must devote an increasing amount of time and attention to the managerial and operative skills connected with mechanized farming. Moreover, he must acquire tools and equipment …

A Comparison Of Transported With Non-Transported Pupils In The High Schools Of The Millard County School District, Golden P. Wright

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The transportation of pupils to and from our schools has grown by leaps and bounds during the past few years until now it has developed into an educational activity of major importance. The Utah school bus which collided with a freight train in November 1938 and carried 23 of its passengers to their death was but one of over 86,000 such motor vehicles in operation in the United States during the school year of 1938-1939. Approximately 4,000,000 school children rode these buses daily over school-bus routes that extended in excess of 1,000,000,000 miles. the annual expense for this transportation was …