Education Commons^™

Program Evaluation In The Nonprofit Sector : An Exploratory Study Of Leaders' Perceptions, Gail A. Patin

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to understand the role of and capacity for program evaluation from the perspectives of leaders in the Northeast Florida nonprofit sector. The study was a two-phased qualitative design and had three research questions related to the role of program evaluation, the capacity for program evaluation, and the influence of the relationship between providers and funders on these efforts. The first phase was a nominal group process using the Delphi survey method. The second phase involved in-depth interviews. Study participants were chosen based on specific criteria.

The Delphi phase had four rounds of surveys. Findings …

Teaching Excellence : An Illusive Goal In Higher Education Teaching And Learning, Heather Sparrow

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In the last decades of the 20th Century, and through the first decade of the 21st Century, both the natural world and human society have experienced dramatic change. Contemporary society world-wide has high expectations of the contribution that universities can make in helping people learn to live with change, to lead change, to manage change, and to support improvement in all spheres of life. The global community seeks ‘excellence’ across all higher education roles: community engagement and leadership, research and innovation, and teaching and learning. However, universities are not always regarded as effective in fulfilling the needs of students, business …

Making A Difference : Improving Outcomes For Indigenous Learners, Michele Lonsdale

Indigenous Education Research

This publication highlights ACER’s contributions to Indigenous Educational research over the past decade. This contribution has included research, policy analysis, program evaluation, professional development, and the development of assessment tools and other resources.

Footprints In Time : Who Am I? And Renfrew Word Finding Vocabulary Test : Report On Wave 2 Data, Sarah Buckley, Catherine Underwood, Nola Purdie

Indigenous Education Research

This report presents the results of administration of the Who Am I? and the Renfrew Word Finding Vocabulary Test for the LSIC Wave 2 data collection in 2009. Who am I? is a developmental assessment that requires the child to write their name, copy shapes, write letters, numbers and words in a small booklet, with simple instructions and encouragement from the interviewer. Who am I? is not language dependent and is suitable for children with limited English. The assessment takes about 10 minutes to complete and is suitable for preschool children and children in the first two years of …

Catalog 2013-2014, Bank Street College Of Education

Graduate School of Education

This course catalog from a past academic year is a resource for referring to previous course offerings, degree requirements, institutional policies, and more.

Validation And Descriptive Analysis Of The System For Observing Dance Activities In The Classroom Environment (Sodance), Meredith E. Sims

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

The first part of this study sought to validate the System for Observing Dance Activities in the Classroom Environment (SODANCE) based off the System for Observing Fitness Instructional Time (SOFIT). Female students age 11-17 years (N=42) participated in an activity protocol of SOFIT activities and common dance activities to validate appropriate coding categories. Each student wore a heart rate monitor and accelerometer while participating in the activities lying, sitting, standing, walking, running, single leg balances, leg swings, pirouettes, and leaps. Heart rate, maximum heart rate percentage, heart rate reserve percentage, vertical axis accelerometer counts, and vector magnitude accelerometer counts for …

Strategies Under Stress: How Senior Student Affairs Officers Are Managing In The Midst Of Institutional Retrenchment, Christopher Thuringer

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

Higher education had been one of the highest funding priorities in most states, however, in recent years, governors and state legislators have focused their efforts in higher education on cutting budgets to deal with historic gaps in revenue. As a result, university administrators have been challenged to modify their institutions’ academic programs, administrative units, and student affairs operations to contain costs and increase revenue. This study examined the extent of financial challenges faced in student affairs divisions at four-year, state-supported institutions during the period between 2008 and 2012 and the strategies utilized by senior student affairs officers to manage them. …

Academic Support Of Division I Head Coaches: Perceptions Of Student-Athletes, Mikaela M. Raddatz

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

Intercollegiate athletics in the United States have continuously become more commercialized, pressuring athletics departments and coaches to produce winning teams. The commanding expectations for successful programs have been thought to take away from the academic mission of colleges and universities, focusing efforts on athletics over academics. This phenomenon has been examined, but the role head coaches play in support of student-athlete academics has yet to be explored.

The purpose of this study is to measure student-athlete perception of academic support from Division I head coaches. Current literature demonstrates the strong influence of coaches on student-athletes, but the effect in the …

Teacher Beliefs, Teacher Concerns, And School Leadership Support As Influences On School Readiness For Implementing A Research-Based Reform Model, Elizabeth Hoag Carhart

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Federal policy makers and school leaders increasingly recognize middle school math as a turning point in students' academic success. An i3 scale-up grant allowed grant partners to conduct a large-scale implementation of Power Teaching (PT), a research-based reform to increase student math achievement. In a mixed-methods study during the pilot phase of the project, eight schools' readiness for reform was explored. Teacher questionnaires; interviews with project managers, school leaders, and teachers; classroom observations; and school evaluation forms were used to describe school characteristics that affected variability in initial implementation of the PT model. A cluster analysis demonstrated the relative importance …

Community College Presidents' Perspectives Of Dichotomous Events: The Consequences Of The Great Recession & Coincidental Increased Enrollment, Corey W. Carlson

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

The community college, like all of higher education, has been significantly impacted by the Great Recession and coincidental increased enrollment. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the decision making processes of community college presidents as related to resource allocation and the impact of these decisions on the comprehensive community college mission. Declining state funding and increased enrollments have greatly impacted how community college leaders make decisions with leaders incorporating shared governance and informed decision-making. Community college leaders have also been proactively seeking out alternative revenue streams in order to help offset decreased state funding. Findings of this …

The University Of Kentucky's Freshman Summer Program, Geoffrey L. Griggs

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The substantial growth in the University of Kentucky’s African American population since its integration in 1948 by Lyman T. Johnson and difficulties some of these students had succeeding at UK has resulted in increased spending by the university to improve retention. Programs, departments, and scholarships have been implemented to get those of African American descent to not only attend the University of Kentucky, but to leave with a degree. While this has been a pivotal issue here in Lexington as the city has hidden behind the shadow overcast which attempts to cover up the deep racial history marked in the …

The School Superintendent: Theory, Practice, And Cases, Theodore J. Kowalski

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

The School Superintendent: Theory, Practice, and Cases is the essential guide to succeeding as a superintendent or as an administrator in another district-level position. Comprehensive in both theory and practice, this textbook and reference guide examines the role and responsibilities of school district administration in professional, social, philosophical, and political frames, while balancing perspectives of rewards and challenges commonly expressed by school superintendents. Important topics covered include the emerging role of superintendent as communicator, the changing conditions in districts and schools, inadequate funding for public schools, and the treatment of policy administration, leadership roles, and community involvement.

The Relationship Between Mandatory School Uniforms And Attendance, Jessica Mayweather

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine whether a relationship exists between the implementation of a mandatory uniform policy in an urban public middle school and student attendance rates (as measured by the schools yearly progress report collected by the state Board of Education). Four schools serving students in grades 6-8 in an urban school district in Georgia were included in this study.

Three comparisons were used to determine whether or not and, if so, the extent to which the relationships existed. Some qualitative and quantitative measures were utilized in the design of this mixed method study. These methods …

A Rasch Analysis Of The Statistical Anxiety Rating Scale, Eric D. Teman Ph.D.

Eric D Teman, J.D., Ph.D.

The conceptualization of a distinct construct known as statistics anxiety has led to the development of numerous rating scales, including the Statistical Anxiety Rating Scale (STARS), designed to assess levels of statistics anxiety. In the current study, the STARS was administered to a sample of 423 undergraduate and graduate students from a midsized, western United States university. The Rasch measurement rating scale model was used to analyze scores from the STARS. Misfitting items were removed from the analysis. In general, items from the six subscales represented a broad range of abilities, with the major exception being a lack of items …

Powerup!: A Tool For Calculating Minimum Detectable Effect Sizes And Minimum Required Sample Sizes For Experimental And Quasi-Experimental Designs, Nianbo Dong, Rebecca A. Maynard

REBECCA A MAYNARD

This paper complements existing power analysis tools by offering tools to compute minimum detectable effect sizes (MDES) for existing studies and to estimate minimum required sample sizes (MRSS) for studies under design. The tools that accompany this paper support estimates of MDES or MSSR for 21 different study designs that include 14 random assignment designs (6 designs in which individuals are randomly assigned to treatment or control condition and 8 in which clusters of individuals are randomly assigned to condition, with models differing depending on whether the sample was blocked prior to random assignment and by whether the analytic models …

Race, Poverty And Sat Scores: Modeling The Influences Of Family Income On Black And White High School Students’ Sat Performance, Ezekiel J. Dixon-Román, Howard T. Everson, John J. Mcardle

Ezekiel J Dixon-Román

Background:

Educational policy makers and test critics often assert that standardized test scores are strongly influenced by factors beyond individual differences in academic achievement such as family income and wealth. Unfortunately, few empirical studies consider the simultaneous and related influences of family income, parental education, and high school achievement on college admissions test scores.

Focus of Study:

This research was animated by the nagging question of the association of family income with SAT performance. For example, is the relationship between family income and SAT performance non-linear? Does the relationship differ markedly by race? More importantly, how strong are the effects …

Answering Legal Problem Questions In A Grid Format, Alex Steel, Dominic Fitzsimmons

Alex Steel

The development of legal reasoning skills is a fundamental aspect of legal education. What has sometimes been called “learning to think like a lawyer” is a threshold competency that students must acquire before they can progress to more complex analysis of broader legal issues. This chapter discusses the use of problem-based scenarios to both engage students and to develop legal analysis. It outlines the threshold difficulties students must overcome in order to read texts as a lawyer and explains how use of a grid format answer – rather than an essay format – can both assist students to overcome these …

Acknowledging Teacher Professionalism In Ireland: The Case For A Chartered Teacher Initiative’, Raymond Lynch, Jennifer Hennessy, Jim Gleeson

Dr. Jennifer Hennessy

This paper presents an argument for the development of an Irish Chartered Teacher initiative which would acknowledge and accredit the professionalism of experienced and accomplished teachers. It begins by examining the current position of teaching as a profession based on findings from Irish and international research studies. Issues surrounding the accreditation of accomplished teachers are considered through the examination of a range of Chartered Teacher initiatives. Finally, the potential opportunities and challenges of accrediting teacher professionalism in Ireland are discussed with reference to the continuum of teacher education and recent developments introduced by the Teaching Council of Ireland.

“If There Is No Struggle, There Is No Progress”: Transformative Youth Resistance And The School Of Ethnic Studies., Nolan L. Cabrera

Nolan L. Cabrera

In the wake of the Tucson Unified School District dismantling its highly successful Mexican American Studies (MAS) program, students staged walkouts across the district to demonstrate their opposition. Student-led walkouts were portrayed as merely ‘‘ditching,’’ and students were described as not really understanding why they were protesting. After these events, a group of student activists called UNIDOS organized and led the School of Ethnic Studies. This was a community school dedicated to teaching the forbidden MAS curriculum. In this article we present counternarratives from organizers, presenters, and participants in the School of Ethnic Studies. These narratives demonstrate the transformative resistance …

Can A Summer Bridge Program Impact First-Year Persistence And Performance?: A Case Study Of The New Start Summer Program, Nolan L. Cabrera, Danielle D. Miner, Jeffrey F. Milem

Nolan L. Cabrera

This longitudinal study assesses the impact of the University of Arizona’s New Start Summer Program (NSSP) on participants’ first year GPA and retention, controlling for incoming student characteristics. While programmatic participation significantly predicted first-year GPA and retention, this relationship became insignificant when controlling for first-year college experiences and student development. Programmatic efficacy is largely determined not only by how practitioners develop participants’ cognitive abilities, but also how effectively they connect them to social and academic support networks during their first year of college. Within this context, programmatic impact is likely indirect which poses a number of methodological and resource allocation …

First In Reform: The Adoption Of Common Core State Standards In Kentucky, Richard E. Day

Richard E. Day

On February 11, 2010, in an unprecedented joint meeting, the chairs of the Kentucky Board of Education, the Council on Postsecondary Education, and the Education Professional Standards Board signed a resolution directing their respective agencies to implement the Common Core State Standards in English/language arts and mathematics. This act formalized Kentucky’s commitment to integrate the nascent standards into the state’s public education system – the first state to do so. This article will trace the antecedents to Kentucky’s adoption of the standards as one expression of the late 20th century/early 21st century “corporate school reform movement” as manifested in the …

Convergent Validity Of The Finnish Behavioral And Emotional Rating Scale-2 With Teachers And Parents As Raters, Hannu Savolainen Dr., Philip D. Nordness Dr., Erkko T. Sointu, Kristiina Lappalainen, Michael H. Epstein

Philip D. Nordness Dr.

In previous research the Finnish version of the Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale-2 (Epstein,2004) has demonstrated adequate internal consistency and reliability. The purpose of the present study was to examine the convergent validity of the Finnish BERS-2 by comparing it with the Finnish version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, with teachers and parents as the raters. The results add to the research base to suggest that the Finnish BERS-2 is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing the emotional and behavioral strengths of children and youth.

Identifying Resources That Support Research And Publication In The Field Of Early Childhood Education: Advice From An Education Librarian, Kelly Heider

Kelly Heider

Grey Literature In Australian Education, Gerald K. White, Julian Thomas, Paul Weldon, Amanda Lawrence, Helen Galatis, Jess Tyndall

Dr Paul Weldon

The prevalence of informal publishing or grey literature in education appears to have increased as digital technologies have become main-stream, educators have become more proficient and policies have moved increasingly towards supporting its use. In addition, the take up of social networking technologies and innovative methods of digital publishing have encouraged educators to produce, distribute and share content and commentary. Grey literature may make a substantial contribution to education even though issues such as credibility, access and a lack of standards can pose problems for producers and users. This paper begins by providing a context for the discussion of grey …

Grey Literature In Australian Education, Gerald K. White, Julian Thomas, Paul Weldon, Amanda Lawrence, Helen Galatis, Jess Tyndall

Dr Gerald K. White (retired)

The prevalence of informal publishing or grey literature in education appears to have increased as digital technologies have become main-stream, educators have become more proficient and policies have moved increasingly towards supporting its use. In addition, the take up of social networking technologies and innovative methods of digital publishing have encouraged educators to produce, distribute and share content and commentary. Grey literature may make a substantial contribution to education even though issues such as credibility, access and a lack of standards can pose problems for producers and users. This paper begins by providing a context for the discussion of grey …

Outcomes Of Texas Southern Univerity's Summer Undergraduate Research Program, David Owerbach

David Owerbach

It is widely acknowledged that participation in mentored undergraduate research can provide students with benefits toward career choices and continuation with research and graduate careers. Most of the data on undergraduate research for African-American students is not derived from research programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). Texas Southern University (TSU), in Houston, Texas is an HBCU with approximately 7,500 undergraduate students and here we report the evaluation of TSU’s 2012 summer program. The summer program was a 10-week faculty mentored program open to all undergraduate students and 28 students participated. This study addresses the following research questions: (1) …

Influences Of Theory And Practice In The Development Of Servant Leadership In Students, Jennifer Massey, Tracey Sulak, Rishi Sriram

Rishi Sriram, Ph.D.

This paper explores the extent to which the leadership knowledge, skills, and abilities of upper-year student leaders on one private, United States college campus developed as a consequence of their education and experience as an extended orientation leader. Findings reveal that compared to leadership education in the classroom, leadership development is limited by experiences that do not include intentional reflection. We identify key elements in pedagogical frameworks that support and impede the leadership development of students and propose strategies to enhance the learning outcomes established for leadership development.

Applied Learning In Online Education: A Comparative Study Employing Deal Critical Reflection, John R. Fisher, Margaret Mittelman

Dr. John R. Fisher

This article stretches the boundaries of the meaning of applied learning to include online learning activities. The DEAL model of critical reflection was used to obtain student feedback in comparing two delivery strategies of an upper- division online leadership capstone course. Student reflection comments were analyzed for offerings of the course in summer and fall semesters. The fall delivery of the course adopted an applied reading summary strategy which required students to specifically apply their learning to their work and career plans. The DEAL model of critical reflection provided rich qualitative data evaluating teaching approaches and suggested students preferred applied …

Ty Gwyn: Documenting The Design Of A Special School In Wales, Julie Elaine N. Irish

Julie Elaine Irish

A Critical Examination Of Food Technology, Innovation And Teacher Education : A Technacy Genre Theory Perspective, Angela Frances Turner

Dr Angela Turner

There are many and varied forces that shape food technology curriculum, but two that emerge as significant and of specific interest to this research are the perceptions of food technology education and economic trends that influence food technology. The broad goal was to examine the extent to which food technology in secondary schooling is well placed to meet emerging policy and economic demand for food innovation expertise in the industry. With both the school sector and the professional sector each asserting that their respective perceptions of Food Technology was correct, a method for clarifying and classifying the nature of the …