Education Commons^™

Continuation Teachers' Perceptions Of Grading Practices, Tobi W. Page

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The history of grading practices is riddled with inequities, dating to the inception of the traditional grading system, which was designed to rank and sort. Despite expanding public education to include all members of society, traditional grading practices have yet to evolve in response to the growing demand for equitable and student-centered grading practices. Many alternative education schools have a non-traditional grading structure in response to the students’ learning needs. With an understanding of the history and challenges of alternative education settings, this study sought to add the perceptions and practices of continuation high school teachers to the current body …

K-5 Elementary Alternative Program: A Case Study, William E. Scheuer Iv

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this case study was to examine how the K-5 elementary alternative program All Students Can Thrive (ASCT) used student-centered learning practices to influence the whole child. There is a lack of research on K-5 elementary alternative programs, such as ASCT, and specifically those that integrate student-centered learning practices to influence the whole child. Literature does not contain universally accepted interventions that are effective in the elementary alternative setting to help students return to the mainstream classroom setting better prepared to display appropriate behaviors when a student is removed from a mainstream classroom setting due to disruptive behaviors. …

Understanding The Educational Landscape: A Comparative Study Of Public, Alternative, And Montessori Models, Elizabeth Dykens

Selected Honors Theses

This thesis intends to demonstrate the relevance and significance of alternative education within today’s educational climate. First, the literature review traces the historical backdrop of the American public school system and the founding fathers’ original purposes for education. It explores the shifts in policy and pedagogy that have led to current models and methods of education. Then, the literature review focuses on alternative educational philosophies, with an emphasis on the Montessori Method, and why they not only address the critiques of the public system but also better align with a child’s nature and development. The study backing this thesis lays …

Perceptions Of The Impact Of Project-Based Learning Within An Urban Alternative Education Center, William Trent Hamlin

Online Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the qualitative study was to examine the perceptions of success regarding project-based learning implementation into classes in an urban Alternative Education Center. Specifically, how do current teachers describe project-based learning instruction within their classrooms at an urban alternative education center? My perspective was influenced by my own wondering if project-based learning was the best model of instruction for alternative school students. The decision to pursue this topic is based upon my experience working in alternative education and witnessing concerted efforts to implement PBL into my daily practices. I chose a grade 7-12 alternative education center located in …

Holistic Analysis Of The Social, Emotional, And Academic Development Of At-Risk Students In A Self-Regulated Learning Instructional Environment, Jennifer K. Macek

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The testing an accountability system that plagues the current educational atmosphere has done little to improve outcomes for the general population, rather, it has increased harm to our nation’s most vulnerable populations. As districts grapple with accountability mandates and pressures to improve test scores the number of students excluded from traditional schools and sent to alternative programs continues to grow. Research shows that the majority of programs for at-risk youth are little more than graduation factories that do not adequately prepare students for active participation in democratic society.

This study used a mixed methods design to explore an alternative program …

School Shouldn’T End When The Bell Rings: An Exploratory Homeschooling Study, Mackenzie Dukelow

MA Research Paper

Homeschooling has experienced significant growth over the last several decades, yet little to no research has explored the relationship between homeschoolers and the public education system. Being the first to explore this relationship, the current study collected and examined data from 3 semi-structured interviews and 15 online homeschooling blogs in order to understand the growth of homeschooling in Ontario and the relationship between homeschooling and the public education system. The results of this study reveal the relationship between homeschoolers and the public education system varies significantly over time and locale, the challenges within each system and the difficulty of transitioning …

Academic And Social Effects Of Waldorf Education On Elementary School Students, Christian Zepeda

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

As society becomes more critical of public education, alternative education systems are becoming more popular. The Waldorf education system, based on the philosophy of Rudolf Steiner, has increased in popularity and commonality each decade. Currently, 23 Waldorf institutions exist in California. With this increase in popularity, it is important to analyze and examine the effectiveness of this education philosophy. An examination of Waldorf education, through research and interviews of Waldorf teachers and administration, will provide parents and teachers with an understanding of its strengths and weaknesses. Ultimately, Waldorf education provides a positive environment for students, yielding positive effects but this …

A Program Evaluation Of An Apprenticeship Program Using Stufflebeam’S Cipp Model, Oai C. To

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation is a program evaluation of an apprenticeship program operated by Siemens Energy, Inc. in Charlotte, North Carolina. The evaluation was based on Stufflebeam’s CIPP model of context (C), input (I), process (P), and product (P). The CIPP sought to evaluate (C) current and future objectives, (I) various strategies use to achieve the objectives, (P) the implementation of the strategies, and (P) the outcome of the program. The entire model provided insight into the effectiveness of the program and provided feedback for decision making and accountability toward current and future improvement of the program (Stufflebeam, 1971). Four questions were …

The District's Stepchild: The Total Erasure Of Low-Income Latinx Students' Needs At Continuation High Schools, Gabriela R. Ornelas

Pitzer Senior Theses

My study explores the underlying factors that allow systemic structural issues to exist within continuation high schools which result in the low educational performance of low-income Latinx continuation students. My study focuses on educators’ experiences, as I conducted 20 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with Southern California continuation high school teachers. I focused on the following areas of study: the teacher’s career, the teacher’s interactions with students, and the teacher’s opinions regarding their accessibility to funding and resources. My findings indicate that teachers, the outer community, and school-board administrators utilize cultural deficit thinking and stigmatization as tools of total erasure to exchange …

The Experiences Of Teachers At Southern California Continuation High Schools: Exposing The Barriers Within Alternative Education, Gabriela R. Ornelas

Pitzer Senior Theses

My project explores the role of teachers at Southern California continuation high schools as it relates to serving low-income students of color in the face of the institutional barriers within alternative education. My study focuses on the teachers’ career, interactions with students, and opinions on accessibility to resources and funding. I have examined their experiences through twenty in-depth, semi-structured interviews with teachers from three districts. My findings indicate that district members’ misconceptions of Latinx students as inherently deviant and academically unengaged drive institutional issues creating financial burden for which teachers are forced to compensate. My study highlights that continuation high …

An Evaluation Of A Central Virginia Alternative School : Do Students Benefit From Their Experience?, Anthony H. Francis

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine if students benefited from attending a Central Virginia alternative school, defined as a remedial alternative school which scaffolds students both socially and academically so they may return to their base school. Twelve students took part in the study that examined the academic indicators of grade point average, attendance, and number of disciplinary infractions as well as students’ perceptions of their experiences. The difference in trust levels was minimal, but students had accurate perceptions of how their grades, attendance, and discipline had changed while attending the alternative school. The study revealed three areas …

Evaluating Alternative High Schools: Program Evaluation In Action, Drew Samuel Wayne Hinds

Dissertations and Theses

Alternative high schools serve some of the most vulnerable students and their programs present a significant challenge to evaluate. Determining the impact of an alternative high school that serves mostly at-risk students presented a significant research problem. Few studies exist that dig deeper into the characteristics and strategies of successful alternative schooling. Moreover valid program evaluation methods to identify successful alternative school practices are hit and miss. As a result, public policy and systems of accountability have either disregarded information relating to alternative high schools or unjustifiably included them in comparisons with traditional high schools.

This dissertation studied the issue …

Characteristics Of Public Alternative High Schools Specifically For Students Placed At-Risk: A National Study Using The 2003-04 And 2007-08 Schools And Staffing Survey, Masashi Izumi

Dissertations

In this study I investigated determinants of the average daily attendance (ADA) and graduation rate of public alternative high schools specifically for students placed at-risk by analyzing the nationally representative data from Schools and Staffing Surveys of 2003-04 and 2007-08. I built three models via successive block entry, predicting the ADA and graduation rate by (a) student demographics, (b) staffing characteristics, and (c) school processes. Through multiple regression analyses on ADA, I found (a) a positive relationship between career technical education and ADA; and (b) a negative relationship between teacher-student ratio and ADA. Through the set of multiple regression analyses …

Handbook Containing Basic Requirements Of The Implementation And Management Of Parent Partnered Programs, Gregory Wayne Lovercamp

All Graduate Projects

This project provides school districts with background and resources to implement an alternative school program that involves parent partnership at a high level. Though resembling homeschooling, families involved in these programs in Washington State are emolled as public school students in the sponsoring district. Some homeschoolers tend to view these programs with a wary eye, while participants have found what they consider to be a godsend that enables them to educate their children the way they want with resources made available by the local school district. Applicable requirements are delineated and sample documents to meet those requirements are included.