Education Commons^™

Elementary Teacher Perspectives Regarding Leadership Practices That Supported Creation Of A Dual Language Public School, Angelica Ozuna

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An increase in the enrollment of elementary school students who do not speak English as their first language has led to initiatives to provide effective instruction for these students which require effective leadership. The problem is that leadership practices have been unsuccessful in supporting dual language elementary school teachers, and minimal research has explored teachers’ perspectives of leadership in this area. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore perspectives of rural public school teachers regarding leadership practices they found effective and ineffective in creation of a new dual language elementary school. Eleven participants answered 10 semistructured interview …

The Relationship Between Discipline-Specific Subject Matter Knowledge And Discipline-Specific Science Teaching Efficacy Of Elementary Teachers, Douglas Ball

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Because a teacher's confidence in their ability to teach science is associated with instructional methods and their persistence in the face of challenges, improving science teaching confidence becomes critical for improving science teaching of young children. Science teaching confidence also varies by discipline for elementary teachers: physical science teaching confidence tends to measure lower than life science. This discrepancy leads to elementary teachers engaging in less effective science teaching practices with physical science than life science. A teacher's subject matter knowledge influences their confidence in their ability to teach that subject. Subject matter knowledge impacts science teaching confidence because when …

Establishing A Student-Centered Culture: A Case Study Identifying Leadership Skills Of Exemplary School Principals, Katie Booth

Dissertations

Purpose: The phenomenological study identifies and describes how elementary school principals who have been recipients of the Terrel H. Bell Award develop a student-centered school culture.

Methodology: This qualitative study identifies and describes an elementary school principals’ ability to build guided coalitions and form strategic visions to ensure a student-centered culture. Participants were purposefully chosen based on specific criteria. The researcher collected data through semi-structured interviews, observations, and artifacts. Data was coded and themes were identified allowing the researcher to analyze findings and draw conclusions.

Findings: Analysis of data from 13 participants led to 10 major findings on how …

Teachers’ Burnout Experience In A Title I Suburban Elementary School, Shakoiya Aiken

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

This qualitative case study focused on the experiences of Title I suburban elementary school teachers in the Southeastern United States. The purpose of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the reasons why teachers in Title I suburban schools experience burnout and how their burnout manifests. I also conducted this study to fill the gap in the literature and gain insight on the specific supports and strategies that Title I suburban school teachers need to help manage or eliminate their burnout. The theoretical framework that informed this study was the Burnout Theory. Several data gathering techniques (interview, reflective …

Combating Chronic Absenteeism In Rural Maine Elementary Schools, Joanne Dupuy

M.S.Ed. in Educational Leadership Research Projects

This quantitative study was designed to determine if there is a correlation between chronic absenteeism and student achievement and if increased teacher communication with positive messages around attendance would affect the rate of chronic absenteeism in rural elementary schools. Four schools were analyzed looking at attendance and achievement data while implementing a new attendance protocol that increased teacher communication and the spread of positive messaging in regards to attendance. Findings indicate there is evidence that those students who were chronically absent struggled academically to meet local and state benchmarks. Preliminary findings also indicate that the implementation of the new attendance …

Title I Schools And Strategies That Work, Michelle Manriquez

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the strategies principals of Title I schools perceived as most effective in improving English language arts (ELA) scores by at least 10 points, through the lens of WestEd’s Four Domains of Rapid School Improvement.

Methodology: This study utilized a qualitative methodology to gather data via the California Dashboard and semi-structured interviews of 11 principals from 11 different sites in northern California that showed at least 10-point growth on the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) standardized test. The interview questions were based on the Four Domains for Rapid School Improvement: …

Evaluating An Evidenced Based Program: Ruling Our Experiences (Rox) For 9/10-Year-Old Girls In The Yough School District, Lisa Mumau

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

During elementary school years, girls experience social, emotional, and physical changes that affect their abilities to manage relationships and establish positive images of themselves. Given the aforementioned issues, girls need effective elementary school programming to support positive self-esteem and the development of girls’ Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Competencies. The purpose of this mixed-method study focused on evaluating the Ruling Our Experiences (ROX) program for 9/10-year-old girls. The methods used were designed to address the three research questions: Based on the implementation of the ROX program in Yough elementary schools, to what extent do participants exhibit a greater level of positive …

Mathematics Coaching, Professional Development, And Teacher Practice, Beth Downing

M.S.Ed. in Educational Leadership Research Projects

Recently, math coaching has begun to be utilized in pockets of communities throughout the country. Coaching is a strategy that can be used to provide on site, continual professional development in a specific area. Although it has been used in literacy for decades, it is new to the area of math. Therefore, research on the effect of math coaching has been limited. There have been a handful of initial studies investigating the relationship between math coaching and teacher knowledge or student achievement, but the results are often conflicting (Althuser, 2015; Killion, 2017; Kutaka et al., 2017; Obara, 2010).

By learning …

The Importance Of Administrative Support For Special Education Teachers, Shari E. Lujan

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Since the inception of special education laws in the 1970’s, special education teachers have been given the responsibility of educating children with exceptional needs. Those needs range from children with mild to moderate disabilities to children with moderate to severe disabilities. There are 13 categories that a child can qualify for special education services through an Individual Education Program (IEP). The majority of children with exceptional needs are educated on general education campuses. With high stakes testing and the push for academic excellence, one may wonder how a child with exceptional needs fits into a general education campus. The Education …

The Leader In Me? Understanding Student And Teacher Perspectives Of Leader In Me, Summer El-Attrache

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

Within the last 20 years, Leader in Me has become increasingly popular among elementary schools looking to incorporate leadership skills in their curriculum. The purpose of this study was to look at the perceptions that students and teachers have of Leader in Me and their perceptions about its impact on student leadership. The author collected data through student and teacher surveys, student and teacher interviews, observations, and document collection. After analyzing and coding the data using the constant comparative method, the author found four major themes. First, participants believed Leader in Me helped students take more ownership of their learning. …

Quality Education In Idaho: A Case Study Of Academic Achievement In Three High-Poverty Rural Schools, Christine Brown

Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this research is bridging the achievement gap for students living in poverty through quality education. Such a study is important because the percentage of students affected by poverty is increasing and the persistent gap in achievement evidences that the right to quality education for students in poverty is not being met. This is mixed-methods study of three high-poverty elementary schools in Idaho. Both quantitative (achievement test scores) and qualitative data (interviews of seventeen teachers and principals) are compared and contrasted. The findings provide evidence that quality education for students in poverty requires relatable curriculum, teachers who are …

Teachers’ Perspectives: Exploring The Reading Gender Gap Among Elementary School Boys, Teleshia Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Teachers’ Perspectives: Exploring the Reading Gender Gap Among Elementary School Boys. Teleshia Mincey-Jones, 2016: Applied Dissertation, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education. Keywords: academic achievement, achievement gap, elementary education, reading readiness, gender differences.

Reading mastery is essential for academic success. As an emphasis is placed on more rigor in education, some boys are being left behind in the area of reading. School districts are adopting new rigorous standards and transitioning to produce students who are career and college ready upon graduation. Girls are responding positively and thriving academically; yet, boys continue to underperform girls at the district, …

The Influence Of Early Childhood Program Participation On Academic Achievement At The Elementary Level, Gina Marie Villani

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of early childhood program participation on academic achievement by grade 3. This case study utilized a quantitative approach to data collection. For purposes of this research, one P-12 school district in central New Jersey was studied to look at the influence of early childhood program participation on academic achievement as measured by the NJ ASK 3. A quantitative approach to this research was used to remove opinions and perceptions from the data collection. Quantitative data was collected through demographic information and NJ ASK 3 results for students who participated in …

A Study Of Six South Texas Mexican Descent Former Students: Elementary School Experiences And Their Influence On The Students' Decision On High School Completion, Lazaro Ramirez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of this study was to explore the interactions between elementary school students and school personnel, family members, and community members to identify factors that contributed to South Texas Mexican descent students dropping out of school. A second purpose was to gain a deeper understanding of Mexican descent former high school dropouts’ middle childhood life experiences. A qualitative methodology was utilized for this study. A three-interview series structure was utilized in conducting three one-on-one semi-structured interviews of six South Texas Mexican descent study participants. The findings of the study indicate that student discipline procedures in South Texas schools attended …

Principals' Opinions On The Impact Of High-Stakes Testing On Teaching And Learning In The Public Elementary Schools In The State Of Utah, Raylene Jo Hadley

Theses and Dissertations

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) brought high-stakes testing to the forefront of American public education. With its call for teachers and schools to be accountable for academic performance, NCLB has focused the spotlight on yearly progress, as measured by students' test scores. Issues associated with this charge include the questionable reliability of tests, the variation evident in state standards, and the consequences an emphasis on high-stakes testing may have on teaching and learning in the classroom. The purpose of this study was to investigate the consequences of high-stakes testing on teaching and learning in public elementary …

Perceptions Of Teachers And Administrators Of The Organizational Supports For Inclusion Programs In Southwest Florida Elementary Schools, Brian Douglas Moore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The success of exceptional student education, although dependent upon the teachers involved, is largely made possible both by the role the school principal performs and the organizational support provided by the school district. The primary purpose of this study was to identify the sources and components of organizational support required to implement the inclusion of students with disabilities into general education classrooms. The provision of resources by administrators, particularly the building principal, is an example of an organizational support that helps students with disabilities learn successfully in this setting. These resources include funding, special curricula, adaptive technology, organizational resources such …

A Profile Of The Literacy Practices Of K-5 Central Florida Teachers Of, Stephanie Cowern

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The problem of this study was to develop a literacy teaching profile of the 2004-2005 Teachers of the Year in Kindergarten through grade 5 in four central Florida school districts. Of primary interest was the extent to which these teachers indicated their use of exemplary literacy practices as defined using the domains and indicators of the National Exemplary Literacy Teacher Assessment (NELTA). The NELTA results were analyzed using frequencies and percentages. The results of the NELTA were also evaluated and discussed when total length of years teaching, and length of years at present grade level were considered. The data were …

An Examination Of Ronald Edmonds' Effective Schools Theory Applied To Various Grades In Two Demographically Different Oklahoma City Elementary Schools, Faluv Tunley

McCabe Thesis Collection

Effective schools research has been a key to the improvement of education for many urban school children, especially in large cities such as New York City and Chicago, Illinois. This research has revealed many different ideologies on helping a child learn, helping teachers teach, and giving administrators the tools to handle their schools more efficiently. Effective schools research also addresses parents and their involvement in the school system. One researcher who constantly pushed Effective Schools research is Dr. Ronald R. Edmonds. Edmonds, along with many other researchers helped to restructure the urban area schools in New York City and Michigan …