Education Commons^™

Teacher Evaluation Practices And Policy Implications: Effective Strategies For Changing Instruction, Scott Grens

Dissertations

This study is a program evaluation of the effectiveness of teacher evaluation practices in a small suburban elementary school district in Illinois from 2017-2019. The primary research question explored in this program evaluation is whether and to what extent the teacher evaluation process is changing teacher practices in Washington School District 25. Employing a qualitative research methodology, with data gathered from teacher interviews, school administrator interviews, and document analysis, this study identified several key components to the improvement of instructional practices for teachers. Policy implications and recommendations highlight the importance of the following: a common instructional framework, staff involvement in …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Reading Wonders: Is It Really A Wonder? A Program Evaluation, Myra A. Richardson

Dissertations

Reading programs are essential tools for leaders to use while building literacy. The transfer from instructional delivery to student knowledge should be easily recognizable in the end-of-year assessment data. As the principal analyzing the end-of-year data, I discovered a problem when I struggled to see this transfer in my data. The purpose of this program evaluation was to determine whether teachers perceived Reading Wonders to be an effective reading program for the school district as well as whether the assessment data aligned with teachers’ perceptions. A survey was used to collect responses from the participants and an Excel spreadsheet was …

Perceptions And Experiences Of Online Learning And Synchronous Communication, Michelle Fry

Dissertations

Abstract

High-quality and effective online education is essential to the continuous growth of higher education. As online higher education grows in professional programs, it is especially pertinent to investigate learning designs for their effectiveness in supporting the acquisition of professional skills. Drawing upon the Community of Inquiry (CoI) and the Practice-Based Teaching (PBT) frameworks, this research investigated the effectiveness of one online graduate program designed for practicing teachers to learn new skills (i.e., diagnostic assessment and differentiated instruction) in teaching reading to elementary students. The learning design introduced a new component of virtual presence (i.e., synchronous communication) at strategic points …

Sources Of Missed Understanding: A Framework For Diagnosing Comprehension Breakdown, Tarr Jennifer

Dissertations

This research sought to understand how a formative assessment framework created by the researcher (called the Sources of Missed Understanding construct) would be used by teachers to diagnose students’ reading comprehension challenges during authentic reading instruction, and to understand the context and supports teachers needed to use the tool effectively. A design experiment methodology was used to follow the diagnostic processes of five reading specialist candidates, each working one-to-one with an upper elementary or middle school reader during a five week summer university-based tutoring setting, resulting in five case studies and cross case analysis. This study shows that teachers who …

An Evaluation Of The Positive Behavior Intervention Suppot Program At One Elementary School, Nicolette Harris

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This research project examined the effectiveness and perceptions of Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS) on student behaviors in a K-5 elementary school. The purpose of this project was to assess and evaluate the effectiveness of the PBIS program and to provide valuable feedback to improve and implement the program with fidelity. Research was conducted through interviews and surveys of teachers and administrators, as well as a focus group of teachers on the PBIS committee. The critical issues that were explored are the number of referrals, the areas where infractions occurred the most, and teacher needs. It is my hope …

Test-Retest Reliability And Internal Consistency Of Childhood Measures Of Psychosocial Development In Adolescents With Developmental Disorders, Lauren Zellmer

Dissertations

Introduction: Neurodevelopmental disabilities have been increasing over time, therefore there is an amplified need for psychometrically sound measures of psychosocial well-being to assist in proper diagnosis and treatment planning. This study aimed to evaluate the test-retest reliability and internal consistency of six measures of psychosocial well-being in a group of adolescents diagnosed with developmental disorders. Methods: Thirty-five adolescent students’ ages 14 to 22 with developmental disabilities, 35 parents, and 3 teachers anwered surveys measuring psychosocial well-being. Test-retest reliability was measured using the intraclass correlation coefficient, and internal consistency was measured using Cronbach’s α. Results: The total scores of the Asher …

Supporting Novice Teacher Enactments In The Field Class, Diane Salmon, Kavita Kapadia Matsko, Ryan Mccarty, Aleksandra Veselovsky, Lisa Mozer, Xue Han

NCE Research Residencies

Teacher preparation programs at NLU are developing practice-centered approaches to teacher education that entail a core set of teaching practices and intentionally designed field-learning opportunities. One addition to prior practice with this approach is the inclusion of a video coaching context where candidates receive feedback from field supervisors on their teaching videos. This study investigated candidate and supervisor perceptions of the feedback in the video coaching context affords in addition to the traditional contexts of face to face field visits and competency appraisal surveys. The findings point to a unique self-regulatory benefit to the video coaching context. They also suggest …

Laying The Foundation To Improve Literacy In A K–12 Islamic School Through The Introduction Of A Professional Learning Community: A Formative Evaluation, Hanan Matari, Ruqia Ali

Dissertations

To improve professional development, a professional learning community (PLC) was initiated at a small, K–12 Islamic school in northwest suburban Chicago, IL. This evaluation describes and assesses the initiation and year-one implementation of the PLC, and focuses on teachers’ literacy instruction skills. A formative evaluation approach was used to monitor and assess progress and encourage teachers’ ownership of their learning. Teachers collaborated in large and smaller grade or subject area PLC groups to identify, chart, and implement new teaching strategies under peer observation for feedback. Teachers succeeded in establishing school-wide literacy strategies; however, issues challenged the PLC’s future—time, resources, and …

Promotion And Retention Of English Learners (Ells) In A Large Urban School District: A Policy Advocacy Document, Hanan Matari, Ruqia Ali

Dissertations

This policy advocacy document argues for a fair and equitable retention and promotion policy for English language learners (ELLs) in elementary grades of a large urban school district. Increasing access and instructional opportunities within bilingual/ESL services combined with more accurate measures of English proficiency would help mitigate random or unfair promotion and retention practices. A needs analysis was conducted on educational, economic, social, political, and moral-ethical dimensions and arguments made in support of the recommended policy (Browder, 1995). This policy solidifies district accountability for the education of all ELL students by mandating schools provide equal opportunity and access to high-quality …