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Earmstrong, Armstrong Atlantic State University

e-Armstrong Newsletter (2004-2010)

No abstract provided.

Trailer Park Royalty: Southern Child Beauty Pageants, Girlhood And Power, Elisabeth Blumer Thompson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Child beauty pageants are a phenomenon in rural communities throughout Georgia. My belief is that most of those who compete in these pageants are from the lower socio-economic bracket, participating for a multitude of reasons. A bricolage of post-structural feminism, critical ethnography, critical hermeneutics and cultural studies lenses will analyze how the performances of participants and the power exercised by the beauty pageant culture work to formulate girls' identities. Analysis will also include how power operates to perpetuate this subculture and its right to dictate norms for beauty and acceptance and will be situated in the culture of girlhood. Examination …

Leadership Behaviors That Contribute To Teacher Morale, Vickie Tantee Randolph-Robinson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this era of increased accountability and increased pressure to improve our public schools, elementary school leaders, working to meet the provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001, are focusing on developing effective leadership behaviors as they face the complex challenges of meeting organizational goals within their elementary schools and maintaining or increasing staff satisfaction. Leadership behavior has long been of interest in industry, business, military, and the government; on the whole, research shows that focusing on social factors such as morale, group interaction, and supportive relationships has a strong effect on productivity and success. The …

Examination Of Teacher Workplace Satisfaction And Student Achievement, Angela Scott Patrick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research has been conducted to study teacher workplace satisfaction. The following factors were identified as integral to teacher workplace satisfaction: administrative support; student behaviors; workplace atmosphere; autonomy and efficacy. Findings within the extant literature indicated that student achievement is a factor in teachers' satisfaction with their work. Specifically, educators have repeatedly expressed a need to impact student achievement and have noted satisfaction or dissatisfaction in relation to their perception of their influence or lack therefore. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between teacher workplace satisfaction and student achievement with the intent of making recommendations regarding maximization …

Identification Of Teacher Interpersonal Relationship Behaviors Related To High School Hispanic Student Success, Iris Torres Crews

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated high school Hispanic students' perceptions of their mathematics or science teachers' interpersonal relationship behaviors. The Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI) was completed by 572 high school Hispanic students in Georgia. Of these, 259 high school Hispanic students identified the teacher interpersonal relationships behaviors of their mathematics teacher and 313 students identified the behaviors of their science teacher. Ratings obtained from high school Hispanic students in a district with a large percentage of high school Hispanic students whose scores on the Georgia High School Graduation Tests (GHSGT) exceeded the reported state pass/pass plus percentage, and ratings from high …

Impact Of No Child Left Behind Act Mandates On The Roles Of Paraprofessionals, Katherine Jane Coyne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As more and more paraprofessionals are hired in order to maintain or achieve the required educational benchmarks, the need for researchers to explore the field of paraprofessionals has greatly increased. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) mandates have brought about increased requirements and certification for all paraprofessionals. Although these mandates have undergone extensive study, very little research has been conducted on how paraprofessionals feel this legislation has impacted them. The use of paraprofessionals in classrooms has grown substantially in recent years. Paraprofessionals assume a variety of roles, both in classrooms and in schools, as well as in special education and …

Self, Other, And Jump Rope Community: The Triumphs Of African American Women, Wynnetta Ann Scott-Simmons

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Using Critical Race Theory, Critical Literacy, Black Feminist Thought as a theoretical framework and Oral History as research methodology, the lives of four young African American women are explored as they leave their culturally insular surroundings, Jump Rope Communities, to seek access to the codes of power and registers of language in all-White, all-girl, elite private schools during the late 1960s and early 1970s. In capturing the memories, perceptions, and lived experiences of these women over thirty years later, the journey into a world of divergences was explored--divergent language codes, divergent social, cultural, and economic stratifications, and divergent linguistic expectations, …

Black Feminist Autobiographical Inquiry Into The Experiences Of A Teen Mom, Advis Dell Wilkerson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Using Black feminist thought as the theoretical framework and autobiographical inquiry as methodology, I explored ways in which adversity fostered resiliency of character. Despite difficult circumstances, such as growing up in a poor, single-parent household and becoming pregnant in the 9th grade when continuing one's education after pregnancy or marriage was not permitted in the Deep South, with the help of others, I fought to finish my high school education and succeeded in college. I credit a close bond with a supportive adult and my own development of racial awareness with helping me to turn obstacles into successes. My intent …

Examining The Implementation Of School-Wide Positive Discipline Intervention And Its Impact On Teacher Beliefs, Values And Practices, Isreal J. Collins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The frequent occurrence of negative student behaviors such as bulling, verbal abuse, and disrespect remain a key concern for teacher. Teachers report instances of simple disrespect, noncompliance, poor peer interactions, cursing, making fun of one another, grabbing, pushing and being of-task as common occurrences in their classrooms. Teachers are expected and required to manage student behavior through the implementation of a well designed classroom management plan. Student disruptions through negative behavior require constant alteration of their management plan, reducing instructional time, and leaving teachers with high levels of personal frustration and stress. School districts around the country have begun to …

African American Caregivers Of Children Affected By Hiv/Aids, Doris Cooper Wilbon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Human Immunodeficiency Disease (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) have reached an epidemic proportion in many African American communities. There is a significant amount of stigma and denial associated with HIV/AIDS in these communities, leaving people with minimal knowledge about this disease. Caretakers such as grandparents, other relatives, and foster parents take on the role of surrogate parents to these children who have lost one or both of their parents to HIV/AIDS. When family members, especially women, die from this disease leaving their offspring behind these children often experience various emotional and behavioral problems. A few of the children …

Examination Of Administrative Support, Instructional Preparation, And Collegial Support Met And Unmet Needs Of First Year Teachers Participating In The Georgia Teacher Alternative Preparation Program In Middle Georgia, Jenny Ogden Scarborough

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Georgia Teacher Alternative Placement Program (GTAPP) began placing teachers in the classroom in 2000. The participants of this study were nine first year teachers in an urban county in Middle Georgia currently enrolled in the Georgia Teacher Alternative Preparation Program (GTAPP). The researcher conducted a qualitative study that began with identification of first year GTAPP teachers in the county. An invitation for participation was sent to all identified teachers through the county email system. Once a pool of volunteers was identified, a random sample of nine subjects was drawn. Upon selection of the nine first-year GTAPP teachers, one-hour semi-structured …

Computer Technology Utilization By Metro Suburban High School Counselors, Lena M. Travis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate how high school counselors are using computer technology. The researcher's goal was to determine if high school counselors are using computer technology, how they are using computer technology, and how frequently they are using computer technology. After a review of literature relating to counselors and technology, it is determined that a study was warranted to determine how computer technology is used by high school counselors. The researcher used a 10-item, self-developed and tested survey instrument designed to investigate how high school counselors use computer technology, how frequently it was used and how …

Leadership Behaviors That Improved Student Achievement In Three Selected Georgia High Schools, Cynthia Freeman-Smalls

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the leadership behaviors that improved student achievement in three selected Georgia high schools. The participants were chosen based on successfully achieving adequate yearly progress (AYP) during 2005-2006 school years, as outlined by the Georgia Department of Education. Fifteen leaders from three Georgia high schools were interviewed to examine their roles in improving student achievement. Research protocol questions guided the interview to capture the essence of the work of leaders. Each participant answered seven questions derived from the review of literature to identify the leaders behavior that improved student achievement. The qualitative, phenomenological …

Impact Of Georgia's Leadership School For School Improvement Training On The Change Leadership Behaviors Of Selected Principals, Scharbrenia Marshelle Lockhart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This mixed research study explored the perceived change leader behaviors of 18 GLISI-trained principals and 71 observers. This study also determined whether differences existed between the perceptions of 18 GLISI-trained principals and 5 non- GLISI-trained principals regarding their change leader behaviors on five domains of Kouzes and Posners (2003) LPI survey. Two 30-item surveys were used in this study: LPI-Self and LPI-Observer. These surveys were completed by 23 principals and 71 observers. In addition, seven open-ended questions were answered by GLISI-trained principals. Qualitative analysis involved indepth interviews with five GLISI-trained principals. Research Question One revealed significant differences between GLISI-trained principals …

Lessons From A Rural Georgia School On Developing Successful Professional Learning Communities, Roderick Donnel Sams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The literature on educational leadership and school change recognizes clearly the influence of the principal on whether or not change will occur in the school. It seems clear that transforming the school organization into a professional learning community can be done only with the sanction of the principal and active nurturing of the professional development of the staff in order to progress as a learning community. Thus, a look at the elementary principal of a school whose staff is a professional learning community seems a good starting point for describing what these learning communities look like and how they operate …

Study Of The Implementation Of A Professional Learning Community In One Middle School In Georgia, Jana Maria Underwood

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As public demands for school accountability continue to increase due to federal legislation such as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, educators struggle to meet rising minimum standards. In an effort to address these pressures and search for ways to improve, educators consider implementing a professional learning community model which focuses on the improvement of teaching and learning. While attributes and characteristics of professional learning communities are documented in the literature, little is known about how the model is established or sustained. The purpose of this case study was to understand how one middle school implemented a professional …

All For One, But Not One For All: The Knowledge/Power Struggle And Its Effect On Teacher Autonomy, Amy Phelps Fouse

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Addressing current issues in English Language-Arts education, this study analyzes teacher perception of the paradoxical relationship between the Georgia Performance Standards and high-stakes testing accountability measures. This study examines teacher response to the implementation of Georgia Performance Standards and the oppression of federal accountability measures. This study also investigates whether Georgia Performance Standards can, in fact, promote equity through a multicultural and democratic pedagogy. This study further investigates whether or not standardized assessment serves to squelch equity and enforce power structures of bureaucracy through superseding the state curriculum in English-Language Arts. A mixed methods study was created to measure differences …

Issues Of Blondeness: Identity, Education, And Experience, Kelly C. Blackston-Cail

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This narrative study is an inquiry into the lives of five women and their personal identity development as it is related to the generalizations and negative stereotypes based on hair color among the female gender. The concept of blondeness as it is related to hair color and identity is the primary focus of this study based on the responsibility of social construction on the development of this image. The subject's willingness to participate provided many viable insights about their lived experiences in life, their education and/or professional careers. This study shows how each participant faced these generalizations and negativity which …

Race, Class, And Tracking: What Keeps African American Males From Pursuing College Degrees?, Sonja Renee Richardson-Shavers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Using critical race theory (Crenshaw, Gotanda, Peller, & Thomas, 1995; Delgado & Stefancic, 1995, 2001; Ladson-Billings, 1998) as the theoretical framework and narrative inquiry (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000) as the research methodology, this study explored the stories of 4 African American males to discover how race, class, and tracking affected their higher education opportunities. Participants were selected based upon their chosen curriculum; 2 participants represented a college preparatory curriculum, and represented a technical preparatory curriculum. Stories were collected via individual and focus group interviews in a predominantly Black high school in middle Georgia. Additional methods included school portraiture, participant profiles, …

Phenomenology, Film And Curriculum Theory: An Inquiry Into The Intellectual Persona Of Teachers, Tara Danielle Britt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teachers have lost autonomy due to the restraints placed on them by local and state standards and standardized testing. I am concerned that teachers have lost sight of their purpose as intellectuals who guide students in the development of critical thinking skills. In this dissertation, I used film to examine teachers' abilities to think critically. I used the phenomenological perspective of Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Vivian Sobchack to examine how teachers physically and mentally react to representations of teachers and teaching as selected films depict them. I considered how the teachers' embodiment of film played a part in guiding them to …

The Inkwell, Armstrong Atlantic State University

The Inkwell

No abstract provided.

October 8, 2007 Aasu Faculty Meeting Minutes, Armstrong Atlantic State University

Armstrong Faculty Senate Minutes

October 8, 2007 Armstrong Atlantic State University Faculty Meeting Minutes

The Inkwell, Armstrong Atlantic State University

The Inkwell

No abstract provided.

Learning The Art Of Curriculum Deliberation: One Professor’S Story, Don Livingston

Georgia Educational Researcher

This paper uses narrative methodology and theoretical sources found in the field of curriculum studies to tell the story of the author, who, while in his doctoral program, dismissed learning about the practical aspects of the field as being insipid time wasting activities. During this time, he chose to concentrate only on the theoretical aspects of the curriculum field in his doctoral studies. Yet, when he found himself in charge of two major efforts to change his department’s curriculum as well as reconceptualize a college-wide seminar program for first year students, those aspects of the field once perceived as insipid …

Earmstrong, Armstrong Atlantic State University

e-Armstrong Newsletter (2004-2010)

No abstract provided.

Infant Mortality Trends Among Georgia Residents, 1995-2003: Targeting Healthy People’S 2010 Goals, Diana Sturges, Laura Gunn, Padmini Shankar, Shrikrishna Shroff

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Population-based trends in infant mortality among Georgia Residents between 1995 and 2003 were assessed on characteristics such as race, birth weight, neonatal and post-neonatal periods, and cause of death. A statistical analysis was conducted to show that the Georgia infant mortality rate (IMR) remained constant throughout the study period and averaged 8.67 per 1,000 live births. The analysis revealed racial disparities, with an IMR ranging from 6.03 in white infants to 13.76 in black infants, with less than one percent (0.86%) change, on average, among the differences between black and white mortality rates across the nine-year period. The disparities were …

The George-Anne, Georgia Southern University

The George-Anne

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The George-Anne, Georgia Southern University

The George-Anne

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The Inkwell, Armstrong Atlantic State University

The Inkwell

No abstract provided.

The Inkwell, Armstrong Atlantic State University

The Inkwell

No abstract provided.