Education Commons^™

High School English Teachers' Perceptions Of Rigor In Student Assignments, Cynthia S. Misenheimer

Education Dissertations and Projects

This research was designed to examine the perceptions of high school English teachers as to the amount of rigor present in their student assignments as evidenced by a rubric based upon the revised Bloom's taxonomy.

The researcher developed a rubric to assess the amount of rigor based upon the revised Bloom's taxonomy. Teachers of standards and honors level English classes in high schools from two school systems were asked to assess four of their student assignments that they considered challenging utilizing the rubric. They were also asked to rank the assignment with a level of rigor from one for low …

Program Fidelity And Teacher Decisions: A Case Study Of The Renaissance Learning Program, Jennifer D. Putnam

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to examine the degree to which the fidelity of implementation of the Renaissance Learning program impacts teacher instruction, as well as teacher perception of student reading motivation and achievement. The teachers at a western North Carolina elementary school used the Renaissance Learning program for over 15 years, with little training. The school's end-of-grade test scores in reading were below the state and district averages, indicating that many of the students were struggling readers. At the start of the 2010-2011 school year, the teachers attended a professional development seminar and were trained on the best uses of …

Technology-Assisted Formative Assessment And Its Impact On Instructional Decision Making: A Mixed Methods Collective Case Study Of Study Island In The Middle Grades, Kelly Cameron Taylor

Education Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this mixed methods collective case study was to determine the use of formative assessment data generated by the web-based program Study Island in the planning and implementation of instruction. The study utilized quantitative data collected through teacher surveys then triangulated qualitative teacher focus group and individual teacher interview data in order to establish statistical themes for narrative analysis. The research focused on data generated by the Study Island program at three rural middle schools, Grades 6 through 8, located in the western region of North Carolina.

The need for data to help teachers determine the next steps …

A Study Of Teachers Using 21st Century Tools In A Rural South Carolina School District, Amanda Elmore Moss

Education Dissertations and Projects

Students currently live surrounded by technology and the tools of the 21st Century, but as Prensky (2008) asserted, students feel like they "have to power down" when they go to school by working without many of the technology tools with which they are comfortable and by changing, even slowing, their ways of thinking (p. 42). One purpose of this study was to evaluate the technology tools used by students and the quality or types of usage by teachers and students as defined by the recommendations of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills in a rural school district. The study also …

An Analysis Of Individual Teachers' Development Of Instruction Based On Classscape Program Data, Jason L. Parker

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to examine and assess the effectiveness of the ClassScape formative assessment tool on the planning, implementation, and evaluation of instruction at a rural middle school in western North Carolina. The teachers had the ClassScape program for 3 years, but were not using the program to plan future instruction. The tools used for data collection revealed the strengths and weaknesses of the implementation of the program. It is essential that schools have ongoing formative assessment practices in order for students to be successful in the 21st Century.

This case study utilized the mixed methods approach in order …

Analysis Of The North Carolina High School To Community College Articulation Agreement's Impact On Student Motivation In A North Carolina High School, Shaun Christian Poole

Education Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this sequential explanatory case study was to explore the impact of the North Carolina High School to Community College Articulation Agreement on student motivation to (a) perform well in the course as defined by the State of North Carolina award of college credit, (b) graduate high school, (c) pursue college or postsecondary training in course content, and (d) select a career in the course field. The study utilized quantitative data collected through student surveys then triangulated qualitative student focus group and teacher focus group interview data in order to establish statistical themes for narrative analysis. The research …

The Impact Of A Freshman Academy On High School Transition, Sherry Grier Veasey

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to identify and describe the impact a freshman academy has on high school transition for ninth-grade students at a rural high school in western North Carolina. This case study investigated the problems ninth graders encounter as they transition from middle school to high school. The study examined student achievement, student attendance, and the graduation rate in an effort to determine whether a freshman academy at the high school helped students transition successfully.

The transition to high school may be difficult for some students because of the countless changes they are experiencing as adolescents. The high school …

Perceptions Of Pre-Service Teacher Training Concerning Curriculum Alignment For Students With Developmental Disabilities, Kim Watkins

Education Dissertations and Projects

Legislative mandates require teachers to provide access to the general curriculum for all students in the least restrictive environment. Though policies are in place to ensure high quality instruction for all students, many students with developmental disabilities are still being served in self-contained settings with a life-skills instructional approach only, without the necessary supports for accessing the general curriculum. The purpose of this study was to reveal the extent of pre-service teacher perceptions of teacher training on curriculum alignment in order to improve pre-service teacher training in special education for access to the general curriculum for students with developmental disabilities. …