Digital Commons Network^™

Beyond Credit: The Philosophy And Practice Behind A College Freshman Literacy Intervention Course, Jeremy Logsdon, Daniel Super

Teacher-Scholar: The Journal of the State Comprehensive University

READ 101 is a college freshman literacy intervention course at a southeastern U.S. regional university created to increase student retention and persistence and to serve as an alternative to the traditional developmental reading model. READ 101 was created within a dedicated university infrastructure and is a credit-bearing course that counts toward student GPA and graduation requirements and is taught by full-time credentialed faculty. It utilizes a philosophy of intervention instead of remediation, requiring that instruction be based upon where students need to be rather than the level at which they currently read. READ 101 is structured around research-based literacy practices. …

Beyond Certification: Innovative Strategies To Tackle The Teacher Shortage, Abbigail Lp Morris

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

This article challenges educational leaders to look beyond alternative routes for teaching certification and more towards an increased collaboration between districts and universities to help alleviate the teacher shortage issue in Kentucky. It specifically highlights the works of Omaha Public School District and the University of Nebraska Omaha as a model for proactive teacher pipeline.

Reporting Of Doctoral Student Attrition: A Policy Brief, Cece Lively

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

Roughly half of all doctoral students in the United States will never complete their degree requirements (Council of Graduate Schools, 2020). That staggering number is larger for ethnic minority and female students, particularly for Black students who have the lowest completion rate (47 percent) and who make up only 13 percent of doctoral degrees (Lovitts, 2001). Additionally, retention rates for online students are an additional 10 to 20 percent lower than students who attend in-person (Rovai & Wighting, 2005). Thus, ethnic minority students in online doctoral programs are at a higher risk of not finishing their degrees compared to other …

Keeping Teachers Of Color: Recruitment Is Not The Problem, Ferial Pearson, Monica Fuglei

Journal of Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Leadership in Education

This article reviews some of the recent literature on teacher recruitment and retention published in the United States. It describes the merits of having a diverse teaching force, and explains that the issue of a lack of representation of teachers of color in American schools is not a result of recruitment; rather, it is the retention of these teachers that is the problem at hand. The article uncovers the reasons teachers of color leave the profession, and makes suggestions about changes that would make it possible for these teachers to stay.

Early Career Teachers’ Intentions To Leave The Profession: The Complex Relationships Among Preservice Education, Early Career Support, And Job Satisfaction, Nick Kelly, Marcela Cespedes, Marc Clarà, Patrick A. Danaher

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper investigates the complex factors that lead to early career teachers (ECTs) deciding to leave the profession. It extends prior studies to show the associations that different elements of preservice education (PSE), early career support, and on-the-job satisfaction have with the intention to leave the profession. The study uses data from 2,144 Australian ECTs to explore these relationships. Results highlight the importance of teachers’ collegial relationships with their peers, and replicate prior findings showing the significance of mentoring and induction programs. Results show that elements of job satisfaction are strongly associated with intention to leave the profession, leading to …

“That’S What You Want To Do As A Teacher, Make A Difference, Let The Child Be, Have High Expectations”: Stories Of Becoming, Being And Unbecoming An Early Childhood Teacher, Jessica Ciuciu, Natalie Robertson

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This article explores the experiences of four individuals who changed careers into early childhood teaching in Victoria, Australia and later left the profession. The study was conducted with a narrative inquiry approach and reveals insight into motivations for becoming an early childhood teacher (ECT), experiences of being an ECT and factors that lead to un-becoming an ECT. Participants were motivated by pragmatic reasons such as career advancement and family-work compatibility alongside intrinsic interest when becoming an ECT. They entered the profession eager to support children’s learning and development. However, their experiences compromised their health and wellbeing and inhibited them from …

The Role Of Support Systems For Success Of Underrepresented Students In Communication Sciences And Disorders, Akiko Fuse, Michael Bergen

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

There is limited representation in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) professions of individuals from diverse populations. This study examined the relationship among CSD students' degree of financial, emotional/moral, and academic support. The relationship between role models and admissions outcomes was also assessed. It explored how support received by CSD students differs by racial/ethnic backgrounds. A survey was completed by 57 alumni of an undergraduate CSD program, revealing information about participants’ backgrounds, support characteristics, and other factors. The study 1) highlighted the importance of emotional/moral and financial support, 2) revealed reduced access to financial and academic role models among alumni from …

Developing Growth Mindset And Grit In Preservice Teachers, Susan Keesey, Amanda Schaefer, Madison Loy, Charley Jo Allen

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

Educator preparation programs are charged with developing preservice teachers ready to meet the many challenges of today's classrooms. Developing a growth mindset and GRIT provides future educators with important dispositions to increase their teaching effectiveness and improve the success of their students. A growth mindset helps learners realize that intellect is not fixed but through time and effort, skills will increase. Developing GRIT (i.e., growth, resilience, integrity, and tenacity) builds the perseverance to continue until goals are reached. Developing GRIT and a growth mindset helps teachers understand that all students, even diverse learners, can be successful if provided the appropriate …

Designing For Universal Success, Nicole Martin, Trey Conatser

Greater Faculties: A Review of Teaching and Learning

Dr. Deb Castiglione is the Universal Design and Instructional Technology Specialist at CELT. She has worked to get a campus-wide license at the University of Kentucky for the software Read&Write Gold, which follows principles of universal design for learning. We asked Dr. Castiglione about what the software can do for learners, and why we should think more about inclusive practices such as universal design in our teaching.

Friendships And Retention At A Historically Black University: A Quantitative Case Study, Mondrail Myrick, John A. Gipson Jr, Donald Mitchell Jr.

Journal of Research Initiatives

The retention and graduation rates of underrepresented minority, first-generation and low-income college students persist as problems in U.S. higher education. While researchers have documented the ways in which minority-serving institutions have been successful in serving these students, little is known about how friendships influence retention at these institutions. This study examines retention factors of first-year students who began college with close friends at a historically Black university. The researchers used exploratory factor analysis and binary logistic regressions to determine the factors and significance. In addition, the researchers used linear structural relations to estimate hypothesized causal models. Results of the study …

The First Year At University: Giving Social Capital A Sporting Chance, Fiona Budgen, Susan Main, Deborah Callcott, Brenda Hamlett

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The first year of university has been identified as an area of interest and concern for several decades because, for many students, their first year at university is also their last. The researchers developed a program based on a Sports Education model to influence the engagement and retention of first year students. The program sought to build social capital by providing opportunities for students to connect with their peers and establish supportive social and collegial networks at university. The data highlighted a number of interesting outcomes for both the first year students and mentors. First year students reported that the …

The Evolving Role Of Department Chair: Leading Faculty Through Times Of Change, Domenick Pinto

School of Computer Science & Engineering Faculty Publications

How does one manage conflict and change in a very volatile economic climate where academia is experiencing greater accountability, increased emphasis on outcome assessment, declining enrollment and great uncertainty for the future? The role of department chair has, in many cases, become one entrenched in conflict between the role of faculty and administrator and has experienced a tremendous evolution over the last 25 years.

The role of department chair has changed as economic, social and student climates have changed. This paper will summarize collected data from chairs of departments of various sizes and types in order to discuss and understand …

Understanding Teacher Attraction And Retention Drivers: Addressing Teacher Shortages, Jennifer A. Ashiedu, Brenda D. Scott-Ladd

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The attraction and retention of teachers is a problem faced by schools worldwide and possibly more so in the public sector. One possible solution to this problem is likely to be better targeting of attraction and retention drivers of value to teachers. This paper presents the findings from a qualitative study conducted in Australia. The study used electronic in-depth interviews and an online survey to interrogate the reasons teachers are attracted to the profession and what drives their decision to either stay or leave. Participants in the study were both serving and retired teachers. The majority of respondents cited intrinsic …

The African American Male Initiative At The University Of Louisville, Michael D. Anthony, Lyston Skerritt, Joseph Goodman

Kentucky Journal of Higher Education Policy and Practice

Following a year of data gathering and planning during the 2010-2011 academic year, the University of Louisville launched the African American Male Initiative (AAMI) in the fall 2011 semester. The AAMI was designed using national best practices and current research findings as it relates to supporting African American male undergraduates. Now at the end of its first year, this practitioner’s brief provides an overview of the AAMI structure, design, and implementation.

Growing Pains: Transitional Issues In Higher Education, Louis Fletcher

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

High school provides a structured environment which moves young adults through a daily routine of educational and social activities. Teachers and administrators are openly concerned about the student’s feelings and attitudes toward the overall educational experience. Parents are usually close at hand to encourage and empower their students through the tough times. They also provide financial support and transportation, at a minimum, when things are routine. Secondary education is intended to be a warm cocoon which nurtures the student-caterpillar into a well adjusted young butterfly within a parent-teacher chrysalis. Higher education has not traditionally provided the aforementioned structure; therefore, the …

Nurturing Faculty: An Old Concept?, Dee Mcgonigle, Kathleen Mastrian, Nedra Farcus, Renee M. Eggers, Linda Shoop

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

An article discussing the need for nurturing faculty.

Understanding And Responding To The Needs Of Nontraditional College Students, Joyce Hickson

Perspectives In Learning

The statistical profile of today’s American college student indicates that this sector is overwhelmingly “nontraditional”. The nontraditional student possesses at least one or more of the following characteristics: married; a parent; 25 years or older; returning to college after having been out of school for a number of years; financially independent from parents; attending school on a part-time basis (U. S. Department of Education, 2002). According to the Columbus State University Fall, 2002 Enrollment Report (Wallman, 2002) the average age of undergraduate students is 25 years, while the graduate student mean age is 37 years. Additionally, large numbers of CSU …