Education Commons^™

The Influence Of Instructional Time On Student Achievement In Grades 3, 4, And 5 In Language Arts And Mathematics On The 2011 New Jersey Assessment Of Skills And Knowledge (Njask), Michelle A. Telischak

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this cross-sectional, non-experimental, explanatory quantitative research study was to determine the strength and direction of the relationship between instructional time and student achievement in Grades 3, 4, and 5 on the 2011 New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge in Language Arts Literacy (LAL) and Mathematics. The unit of analysis was school. The sample included all public elementary schools in the state of New Jersey with students who participated in the NJASK 3-5 LAL and Mathematics assessments for the 2010-2011 school year.

The independent or predictor variable of interest was instructional time, which is defined as the …

Student-College Match And Bachelor's Degree Completion, Ryan P. Hudes

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This dissertation investigates the prevalence of postsecondary student-college match and explores its relationship with bachelor’s degree completion. This study differentiates itself from existing undermatch studies by examining alternative student-college match scenarios – including undermatch, match, and overmatch and examining the phenomena’s relationship with a student outcome. Using nationally-representative data, this study found that 40.6% of students undermatched (or attended an institution with a selectivity rating below their academic potential), 35% overmatched (or attended an institution with a selectivity rating above their academic potential), and 24.4% matched (or attended an institution with a selectivity congruent with their academic potential). This study …

The Disability-Diversity Disconnect: Redefining The Role Of Student Disability Within The Postsecondary Environment, Katherine C. Aquino

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The current understanding of student disability continues to be misperceived as a form of impairment, rather than as a part of student diversity within the higher education environment. Although nearly one in ten college students have a documented disability affecting cognitive, physical, or psychological functioning, stigmatization of students with disabilities continues to occur in the postsecondary environment. The purpose of this study is to examine if there is a perceived difference in academic and social inclusion within the postsecondary environment for students with and without disabilities. Guided by the theory of intersectionality, minority group model, and social model of disability, …

Evaluating The Impact Of State Funding Vehicles Of Appropriations And Financial Aid On Graduation Rates At Public Institutions: A Multilevel Analysis, Tara Abbott

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Guided by a theoretical framework derived from principal-agent models, persistence theories or college impact models, and microeconomic theory, the present study utilized multilevel modeling techniques to assess the correlation between state higher education funding vehicles of appropriations, need-based financial aid, and merit-based financial aid and graduation rates after controlling for known covariates at the institution and state levels. The present study also evaluated the correlation between funding vehicles and minority student graduation rates as well as determined if funding vehicles impact institutions with greater percentages of minority students differently than those with a less diverse student population. The present study …

The Influence Of An Extended School Day On Middle School English Language Arts And Mathematics Achievement In A New Jersey Suburban School District, Davida Lindsay-Harewood

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study examined the influence of an extended school day, reported in instruction minutes, on academic achievement of general and special education middle school students in one public suburban New Jersey school district using English Language Arts and Mathematics data from the 2014 New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJ ASK). The sample was selected using Propensity Score Matching, a statistical technique employed to reduce the influence of selection bias. The final sample consisted of 238 students in Grade 6, 238 in Grade 7, and 238 in Grade 8 in the New Jersey suburban, upper middle-income school district during …

The Predictive Accuracy Of Family And Community Demographic Factors On The 2011, 2012, And 2013, Grade 6 Connecticut Mastery Test, Kelly Ann O'Leary

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study used a correlational, explanatory, longitudinal design with quantitative methods to predict the percentage of students who will score at or above Goal. Archival data from Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) Math and Reading scores from 2011, 2012, and 2013 in conjunction with five-year estimates of the U.S. Census data were examined. The study focused on 21 out-of-school demographic variables, grouped by family human capital and community social capital, to predict the percentage of students in Grade 6 who scored at or above Goal, the district level, on the CMT. The study examined 130 school districts in Connecticut who took …

Estimating Matriculation With A Focus On Financial Aid And Test Optional Policies: Data From A Liberal Arts Institution In The Northeast, Hillary Morgan

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The climate in college admissions is more competitive than ever, making understanding the college choice factors that contribute to a student’s enrollment decision increasingly important. Using admitted student data from a liberal arts institution in the northeast for fall 2008 to fall 2011, and after controlling for student preparedness, government financial aid awards, student and family characteristics, and student level of interest, I examine the relationship between (1) institutional financial aid variables, (2) a dummy variable of being test optional in the admissions process or not, and (3) the interaction between the two.

General findings of multivariate probit regression analysis …

Perceptions Of Teachers On The Influence Of The Regional Achievement Centers On One Priority School In One Urban District In New Jersey: A Qualitative Case Study, Olivia Russo

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of teachers regarding the interventions implemented by the Regional Achievement Center. The Regional Achievement Centers, RACs, were recently put into place through Governor Christie as a reform method for failing schools and are part of the New Jersey Department of Education’s mission to transform the department. Research was conducted using a qualitative design with a constructivist approach to investigate the perceptions and attitudes of those teachers working directly with the RAC teams in one of the states’ lowest performing schools.

Middle-Income Latinos In Middle-Class Communities: A Study On Parental Involvement Dynamics, Rafael Inoa

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The academic underperformance of students of Latino backgrounds is a serious cause for concern in the United States, especially considering the significant portion of the total U.S. population that Latinos constitute. Since parental involvement is known as a powerful resource in helping all students succeed academically, it can be used as a way to counter the achievement gap that Latinos are currently facing. However, middle-class Latinos, who are also plagued by this gap in academic achievement, are continuously overlooked throughout the educational literature. The current study lays focus on this group by centering on the perspectives of middle-income Latino parents …

Matched, Somewhat-Matched Or Mismatched? Predictors Of Degree-Job Match Among Stem Graduates, Taghreed Ahmed Alhaddab

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The current third-generation globalization caused structural, organizational and functional changes in the STEM workforce along with changes in human capital flow. The new globalization shift produced new world order causing the STEM workforce to adopt new frameworks, new skills, and new policy approaches to maintain economic strength and achieve growth and prosperity. Available data indicate that the U.S. secondary and postsecondary education system prepares and produce more than an adequate number of STEM graduates. The perceived crisis in the number of U.S. STEM graduates was not confirmed by any data or policy report. Thus, attention should not be caught simply …

Predicting New Jersey High School Proficiency Test Results In Mathematics And Language Arts Using Community Demographic Data, Christopher D. Lynch

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study examined the relationship between the 2013 New Jersey High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA) Language Arts and Mathematics scores and school level data related to family human capital and community social capital found in the extant literature to influence student achievement on high-stakes standardized assessments. School level data included percentage of families in poverty for 12 months, percentage of lone-parent households (total), and percentage of population with some college. Final analysis utilized hierarchical linear regression and the application of a mathematical algorithm found in extant literature. The study incorporated New Jersey high schools that (a) tested more than 25 …

Enrollment Management: Structure And Decision Participation, Lauren Haddad Friedman

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Once a novel strategy adopted by a limited number of private colleges, enrollment management (EM) is now a standard practice for most institutions in American higher education. The units engaged in EM and strategic enrollment management (SEM) serve as change agents in support of student recruitment, retention and graduation. Over time, the units supporting EM have expanded from admissions to include financial aid, advising, the registrar and institutional research. As a result of this expansion, structural models developed in the 1980s provide little insight into the team organization that EM has become. Using data collected in a survey instrument administered …

The Predictive Power Of Community, Family, And School Variables On Student Achievement On The Nj Ask Language Arts Literacy In New Jersey In Grades 6 And 7, Meredith Fox

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This non-experimental, correlational, explanatory, cross-sectional study using quantitative methods sought to determine which combination of 20 out-of-school community demographic factors, while controlling for two school level variables, predicted and accounted for the most variance in New Jersey schools’ percentages of students scoring Proficient or above on the 2010 NJ ASK Language Arts Literacy in sixth and seventh grades. This study focused on both community variables and school level variables to determine whether the current federal and state evaluation policies in place for schools and school personnel that utilize student outcomes on high-stakes standardized assessments are reasonable. The study examined over …

An Investigation Of Differences In Reading Achievement Of Students Who Attend Full-Day Kindergarten Versus Half-Day Kindergarten Using Dibels Next, Jamie P. Giaquinto

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Kindergarten policies at both the state and local levels differ significantly, including areas such as availability, length of day, entry assessments, quality of instruction, class size, funding, teacher preparation and licensure, and curriculum. Despite this, the nation’s governors and education commissioners came together to approve the Common Core State Standards, a set of clear college-and career-ready standards for kindergarten through 12th grade in English Language Arts and Mathematics.

This research was designed to investigate the difference, if any, in the reading achievement of students who attended full-day kindergarten versus students who attended half-day programs. Data included results of the Dynamic …

The Danielson Model Of Teacher Evaluation: Exploring Teacher Perceptions Concerning Its Value In Shaping And Improving Instructional Practice, Jonathan Tyler Moss

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Since the publication of A Nation at Risk in 1983, the school reform movement has offered many contrasting ideas and initiatives to make our nation’s schools more effective and globally competitive. Today’s educational leaders are faced with an array of complex demands as they are challenged at the state and federal level to improve teacher practices and learning outcomes within their schools. One of those demands for New Jersey administrators was to implement a teacher evaluation program that improves teaching and learning during the 2013-2014 school year. Mielke and Frontier (2012) believe that meaningful teacher evaluation has the potential …

The Influence Of Placement In A Co-Taught Inclusive Classroom On The Academic Achievement Of General Education Students On The 2014 New York State Ela And Mathematics Assessments In Grades 6-8 In A Suburban New York School District, Michael M. St. John

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study examined the influence of placement in a co-taught inclusive classroom on the academic achievement of general education students in Grades 6-8 in a suburban New York school district on the 2014 New York State ELA and Mathematics Assessments. Propensity score matching was utilized to select the sample to provide a balanced sampling technique. The final sample was comprised of 746 students in Grades 6-8 in a suburban New York upper middle class district during the 2013-14 school year. The variables that were included in this study were gender, socioeconomic status, attendance, ethnicity, past academic performance as measured by …

Exploration Of The Relationships Between And Among Role Strain, Faculty Stress, And Organizational Support For Clinical Nurse Faculty Faced With A Decision To Assign A Failing Grade, Jeannie Couper

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Despite a stressful process, Clinical Nurse Faculty (CNF) are ultimately responsible for assigning a grade indicating that a student successfully met clinical course outcomes and standards of safe practice required to progress (Amicucci, 2012). The purpose of this descriptive correlational study was to explore the relationships between perceived role strain (PRS), perceived faculty stress (PFS), and perceived organizational support (POS) for CNF who faced the decision to assign a failing grade to a student in a clinical practicum. A national sample of 390 predominantly full-time, female, experienced CNF teaching in undergraduate and graduate nursing programs completed the online survey consisting …

A Quantitative Analysis Of The Factors Associated With Teacher Attitudes And Perceptions Towards Job Satisfaction, Shelby L. Cunningham

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this study was to identify and examine the factors associated with teacher attitudes and perceptions towards job satisfaction and dissatisfaction. While taking into consideration other reasons for teacher shortages, this study sought to determine if teacher attitudes and perceptions of organizational and workplace conditions influence job satisfaction.

Data in this study were gathered using the 2003-2004 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), administered through the United States Department of Education’s National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES). The power in using this instrument is that it samples a large number of teachers across the United States, from both public …

Evaluating Colleges And Universities: A New Model For Institutional Rankings, Lucien Robert Costley

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Abstract

Most colleges and universities function independently and lack the wherewithal of measuring performance areas of effectiveness, efficiency or quality. The United States Department of Education maintain a number of subsidiary organizations and external sources that provide public statistical data for analysis, yet an institutional performance output measure has not been defined, created, nor developed. At best, university rankings (from sources such as US News and World Report) have been the main source of institutional performance for decades despite researchers’ attempts to address gaps within the higher education field. These sources remain limited within their methodology and may not truly …

The Value Of Iowa School District Community Demographic Data In Explaining School District Itbs/Ited 3rd And 11th Grade Language Arts And Mathematics Scores, Byron E. Darnall

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this study was to determine which combination of 15 community demographic factors account for the most amount of variance and can best predict an Iowa school district’s percentage of students scoring proficient or above on the 2010 Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) and Iowa Test of Educational Development (ITED) for 3^rd and 11^th grade Language Arts and Mathematics. This study, along with extant literature and past research, supports the hypothesis that community demographic factors have an impact on state standardized test scores.

This study revealed that 20.4% of the variance in 2010 ITBS 3 …

Achievenj And Its Effects On Hiring Principals, Gina M. Cinotti

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate New Jersey superintendents’ hiring decisions of principals during the implementation of AchieveNJ, the educator evaluation system. This policy created mandates for school districts, which were nonexistent in the past. The 2013-2014 school year was the inaugural year for AchieveNJ, and it is unknown if this new mandate has influenced superintendents’ hiring decisions of principals and whether superintendents’ own estimations of the new policy will shape their hiring decisions. The study described the influence, if any, AchieveNJ might have on superintendents’ hiring decisions of principals. A substantial amount of literature exists on …

An Analysis Of The Influence That Community Demographic Data Have On Student Performance On 2012 Njask 8 Language Arts And Mathematics, Christian John Angelillo

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This correlational, explanatory, cross-sectional quantitative study intended to analyze the influence that community demographic factors had on student performance on the 2012 Grade 8 New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJ ASK). The data that were analyzed were procured from the New Jersey Department of Education website as well as the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Factfinder. The sample size included all New Jersey school districts with an eighth grade population of 25 or more students. This ultimately equated to a sample size of N = 409. The studied explored the community demographic variables that explained the greatest amount of …

The Influence Of Parent Portal Access On Student Efficacy And Parental Involvement, Shannon D. Dries

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study examined the influence of Parent Portal access on student achievement and parental involvement defined as home-to-school communication. The population was students in sixth grade in a suburban district in New Jersey. Academic achievement was defined through GPA at the end of sixth grade and performance on the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJ ASK) in both Math and Language Arts Literacy in Grade 6. Attendance was measured using attendance rates. Parental involvement was measured by the number of parent logins to Parent Portal. Multiple regression analyses, backward entry method, were used to determine the influence of …

The Teacher Pay For Performance Phenomenon, Deborah Viscardi

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this dissertation research was to explore the link between teacher motivation and performance-based compensation. This topic has been a controversial issue over the last decade across the country. There is a critical need for more research on teacher pay-for- performance systems, especially as it relates to motivation, student achievement, and the profession of teaching. Qualitative in design, the intent of this research study was to make meaning of teachers’ perceptions about the influence of performance-based compensation on the profession and practice of teaching. This study extends the current understanding and adds to the discussion of compensation policy …

The Inclusion Of Cognitive Complexity: A Content Analysis Of New Jersey's Current And Past Intended Curriculum, Dario Sforza

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Policy makers and educators have stated that the internationally benchmarked standards will place greater emphasis on 21^st century skills including creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, presentation and demonstration, problem solving, research and inquiry, and career readiness. Many educators believe that if schools are “injected” with creativity, students will have a better chance at a prosperous and productive future. Are the current reform movements thwarting the opportunity for students to “find their own niche” and perhaps turning “them into disciples of ‘intellectual clones’ who will do ‘our thing’ rather their own?” (Sternberg, 2003, p. 335). In response to inquiry, this dissertation …

The Influence Of Community Demographics On Student Achievement On The Connecticut Mastery Test In Mathematics And English Language Arts In Grade 3 Through 8, Albert Nii Lartey Sackey Jr.

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Student achievement has been measured in the United States for decades through the use of standardized state assessments. The purpose of this study was to examine which combination of 15 out-of-school community demographic variables best predicted and accounted for the most variance in a Connecticut school district’s percentages of students scoring goal or above on the 2010 Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) for the third through eighth grade in Mathematics (Math) and English Language Arts (ELA). Analyses were conducted using both a simultaneous regression model and a hierarchical regression model. This study looked at the entire population of districts that were …

School Type And Structure As Predictors Of Perceived School Climate And Student Academic Achievement Among Middle School Students In Baltimore City Public Schools, Rhonda L. Richetta

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study examined the impact of school type and school structure on perceived school climate and student achievement, for middle grades students in a large urban school district. The specific school types examined were charter schools, transformational schools, and traditional schools. For school structure, the grade configurations of K-8, 6-8, and 6-12 were examined. The total sample number for the first data set, the climate survey, was 12,258 students, and for the second data set, test scores, it was 17,472, and a total of 103 schools.

Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to measure the association among school types, school …

An Historical Perspective To Examine How Federal Policy Influenced The Definition And Evaluation Of Teacher Effectiveness Since 1950, Janine M. Mathesz

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Increased public demand to hold teachers accountable for student learning and to remove ineffective teachers has challenged state department of education officials to develop teacher evaluation systems that include student assessment data. Many educational researchers theorize teacher effectiveness is the variable under the control of the school with the most influence on student success.

This study examines the influence of federal government education policies on state teacher evaluation systems and how this influence has shaped the definition and evaluation of an effective teacher over the past 62 years. Teacher evaluations, when used as a proper tool, assist administrators in providing …

Meaning-Making Among Medical Students: Development Of A Quantitative Measure Of Self-Authorship, Robert Fallar

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Preparation for and application to medical school, as well as the subsequent medical training of matriculating students, can have an important impact on psychosocial development. The premedical baccalaureate is the traditional preparation for medical school, although many medical schools also offer a separate entry path through early assurance programs that provide conditional acceptance in the sophomore year of college. These programs may provide freedom in the remainder of the baccalaureate program to explore the liberal arts, which could be a source of differential development of non-cognitive skills among medical students. Self-authorship is defined as the ability to define one’s beliefs, …

A Study Of U.S. Education Outcomes For Female Students From The Republic Of Georgia, Nino Bitsadze

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This qualitative study sought to understand how living and studying in the United States affected the personalities, beliefs, attitudes, and careers of a group of female students from the Republic of Georgia. The researcher traveled to Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital, to interview twenty alumni of U.S. study programs (on undergraduate and graduate study levels) individually. Jack Mezirow’s Transformational Learning Theory and David Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory provide the theoretical framework for the study.

The findings revealed that living and studying in the U.S. matured the participants personally as they got to experience the challenges that accompany living independently in an unfamiliar …