Education Commons^™

Perceptions Of Co-Teaching In Secondary Inclusion Classrooms, Tori Hill

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This study examined secondary teacher and administrator perceptions of co-teaching practices as they relate to preservice and in-service training. In this mixed-methods study, general education math and English teachers and special education teachers in three suburban high schools were given a survey to provide input regarding co-teaching practices in their school/district. The survey results were analyzed to determine trends of variables relating to teacher perceptions. Additionally, interviews with four administrators (three schools and one district) were conducted to correlate expectations, strengths and weaknesses, and training with the results of the teacher survey. Multiple themes emerged, which included collaboration/planning, administrative support, …

The Impact Of Early College Programs On Transitioning To 4-Year Institutions, Tracie Hope Anderson Swilley

Doctor of Education Dissertations

Being college and/or career ready is the standard set for high school graduates today in the United States. High schools have the task of making certain that students possess the skills necessary to be prepared for college and/or the workforce. Specific measures are outlined to assess college and career readiness. Dual enrollment programs allow students to be enrolled in college and high school at the same time. Students are given the opportunity to experience college courses while still in the supportive environment of their high school and families. This study depicts the transition to 4-year institutions of nine students from …

Parental Involvement In Middle School: The Parent's Perspective, Brittany D. Orange

Doctor of Education Dissertations

Over the years, parental involvement has been studied from the perspectives of administrators and teachers. The purpose of this phenomenological study is to expound upon parental involvement from the parent’s perspective. The researcher’s goal is to understand the reasons why parents choose to get involved and the strategies they consider beneficial and a hindrance in facilitating their involvement. Parental involvement declines as students move through the K-12 system (Benner, Boyle & Sadler, 2016). As students move to middle school, the educational structure changes. Students go from having one teacher to multiple teachers, which presents a challenge to parents, as they …

Mastery Learning: A Mixed-Methods Study Of Teacher Efforts Implementing Key Components Of The Mastery Learning Framework, Lashay Conley

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This study works to assess the degree to which the impact of implementation of Mastery Learning can be described through teacher perception, academic achievement, and student growth. Elementary school teachers in a suburb in North Carolina implemented the Mastery Learning framework. The school’s end-of-grade test scores were above state and district averages but did not meet expected academic growth as identified by the state. These results are an indicator that many of the students were proficient but were not growing at an acceptable rate. Beginning in the 2017 school year, teachers attended professional development training on the framework, processes, and …

Enhancing English Learners' Academic Resilience: A Professional Development/Learning Design Study, Mabel E Lamprea Altuve

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This professional development/learning design study sought to create, evaluate, and refine a learning experience for English language learning (ELL) teachers that provided them with additional instructional tools to support improvement of Multilingual Learners and English Learners’ (MLs/ELs) academic resilience. MLs/ELs are one of the fastest growing groups of students in U.S. schools with one of the lowest academic performance and graduation rates. These students are also a vulnerable and resilient population that could have been exposed to distressing and adverse experiences. ELL teacher preparation has concentrated on fostering language and literacy development; still, MLs/ELs’ achievement gap fails to close significantly, …

A Case Study On The Self-Perceptions Of The Role, Responsibilities, And Professional Development Needs Of Instructional Coaches, Karen Auton

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This case study was an exploration of how instructional coaches self-perceived the role and the responsibilities of the role, the barriers encountered in the role, and the professional development needs of both novice and seasoned instructional coaches. Results revealed that the role of an instructional coach is ill-defined, and the role can often be complicated by the lack of a shared definition of the role. Data also revealed that a lack of time allocated for carrying out duties assigned to instructional coaches along with the lack of experience and understanding of the role serve as significant barriers encountered by coaches. …

The Intersection Of Education And Service: A Phenomenological Study, Jonathan Bryant

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This phenomenological study examined the experiences of 19 former high school service participants. This study explored the perspectives and opinions of each participant regarding the quality aspects of their service experiences and the impact of their service on college, career, and life trajectory. Additionally, participants discussed their motivation to serve initially and over time. This study explored the history of service in America, discussed the impacts of service, and examined the Vroom Theory of Motivation. In-depth focus group interviews were conducted with 19 high school graduates to gain their perspectives on their service experiences. These interviews were transcribed to analyze …

Collaborative Professional Learning In Early Literacy: The Impact On Teacher Knowledge, Actions, And Beliefs, Jaime Henderson Dawson

Doctor of Education Dissertations

Literacy is the foundation for individual success and economic independence. Early literacy development is an area of importance; thus, professional learning in early literacy is critical and significant. This study examined the impact of a collaborative professional learning model in early literacy on teacher knowledge, actions, and efficacy and how learning transfer resulted in changes to instructional practices. The study utilized an explanatory sequential mixed methods design. Data were collected from participants in a specific collaborative professional learning model, the Early Literacy Professional Development (ELPD) model. Quantitative data were collected through surveys to identify professional learning topics perceived as having …

Principal Perceptions: The Impact Of Positive Behavioral Interventions And Supports On Discipline Disproportionality, Courtney K. Johnson

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This study explored the impact of the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework on discipline disproportionality in an Eastern Virginia school division. Nationally, African American students are suspended and expelled at a much higher rate than their peers (Skiba et al., 2016). This study explored the impact PBIS had on this rate. The work is valuable to those interested in introducing the PBIS framework in their school division or school. A phenomenological, qualitative study was conducted with the first research question using discipline data from the division to track trends. The second research question was answered by interviewing principals …

Impact Of Reflection: A Qualitative Study Measuring The Impact Reflection Has On Teacher Effectiveness, Samuel Jones

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This research study examined current reflective practices used by kindergarten through 12^th grade teachers in a single school district in North Carolina. The study sought to identify themes regarding the impact reflection has on teacher effectiveness, with effectiveness being measured by the five teaching standards of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. I identified participants as National Board certified teachers and Non-National Board certified teachers to study the similarities and differences in reflective practices between the two groups. A questionnaire, self-assessment, and interviews were utilized to collect participant data. This study’s data showed that teachers from both groups …

Exploring The Effectiveness Of A Freshman/Success Academy Program Through The Perceptions Of Educators In An Urban High School, Michelle Pettiford

Doctor of Education Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of educators regarding the effectiveness of an academic success program for ninth- and 10^th-grade students who are at-risk males. The term at risk has often been utilized to describe students who have low academic performance as well as social and emotional concerns observed during the transitioning process from middle to high school. The foundation of this study centered on past and current educational initiatives, achievement gaps, and pedagogical and cultural awareness for at-risk minority students as they entered high school. I used a 2-phase process that included …

The Impact Of Number Talks On Kindergarten Math Growth In A Large Private Independent School, Rebecca Knight

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This mixed methods action research study examined the implementation process and impact of a 9-week Number Talk intervention to build number sense in kindergarten students. Fifty-eight kindergarten students engaged in daily Number Talk lessons for 9 weeks. Qualitative data were collected to evaluate the strengths and challenges of the implementation process with the teacher participants through a twice weekly observation tool and through bi-weekly math professional learning community discussions. The qualitative data gathered were coded for themes using Tesch’s Eight Steps for coding information. The data allowed me to evaluate the implementation process to determine if Number Talks were implemented …

Effective Charter Schools: An Examination Of Operational, Financial, And Governance Practices As It Relates To The Renewal Of North Carolina Charter Schools, Shaunda Cooper

Doctor of Education Dissertations

North Carolina public charter schools are schools of choice authorized by the State Board of Education. North Carolina has nearly 200 charter schools, which are evaluated for effectiveness annually by a tool called the Performance Framework. However, to date, the evidence collected through the Performance Framework has not been offered to scholars and school leaders as a resource for achieving effective charter schools. Furthermore, research has not been conducted to evaluate a school’s performance in relation to its ability to complete a successful charter agreement renewal, which is the vein of a charter school’s existence. the study examined operational, governance, …

Middle School Parent Involvement: Perceptions In Two South Carolina School Districts, Jessica Vanvalkenburgh

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This study was created to explore the parent involvement perceptions of teachers and parents of middle school students in two South Carolina districts. The study is grounded in Epstein et al.’s (2019) theory of overlapping spheres and six typologies of parent involvement. An exploratory mixed methods study was used to gather research. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected to determine the perceptions of teachers and parents at five different sites. Cronbach’s alpha was used to test reliability, and a MANOVA test was used to test for mean differences of dependent variables. Univariate ANOVA tests were used to further explore differences …

Examination Of Aig Teachers’ Cogat Test Preparation Practices In One North Carolina School District, Charlton Kurt Hiatt

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This mixed methods study focused on gifted education screening practices in North Carolina. Specific focus was on the practice of universal screenings using the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) and test preparation measures conducted by one school district. The study collected and analyzed data from regular elementary education and elementary AIG teachers regarding test preparation lessons and materials. The study then narrowed to interview participants to further examine the lessons. This study found that both sets of teachers agreed that test preparation for students was necessary to increase equity and address the persistence of underrepresented subgroups identified as AIG in LEA-1. …

Meeting And Exceeding Expected Growth In Evaas: A Study Of The Strategies Used By K-2 Reading Teachers, Dia Collins Thomas

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This is a mixed methods study that explored instructional reading strategies that were used by kindergarten, first-, and second-grade teachers who met and/or exceeded expected growth in EVAAS from 2017-2019. Research by John Hattie, Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, and Robert Marzano are included in the literature review of this study. Data were collected through the use of a survey and interviews. There were a total of 15 K-2 teachers who completed the survey and 2 of them agreed to participate in the interviews. Findings from the surveys revealed goal setting, vocabulary instruction, and blended learning as three strategies commonly used …

An Examination Of Readiness For Response To Intervention Implementation In A Rural School District In North Carolina, Carla Murray

Doctor of Education Dissertations

In 2015, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Exceptional Children Division proposed policy changes, effective July 1, 2020, on how students with specific learning disabilities are defined, evaluated, and identified. A student in North Carolina is now identified for special education through the use of how they respond to high-quality core instruction and research-based instruction. This study examined this process in a rural school district in North Carolina to determine how schools can support educators who do not have the appropriate background knowledge and skills to sustain MTSS, how educator perceptions influence the sustainability of MTSS, and what can …

The Impact Of The Mtss Framework On Special Education Referral Rates And Eligibility For Specific Learning Disabilities, Tonya Scism Walker

Doctor of Education Dissertations

The purpose of this explanatory sequential mixed methods study was to examine the effect of the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework on special education referral rates and the eligibility of special education services in the category of specific learning disability at two elementary schools. This study also investigates educator perceptions of the impact the MTSS framework has had on special education referral rates and eligibility. Archival quantitative data on the special education referral rates and eligibility rates in the area of specific learning disability from 2009-2010 to the 2017- 2018 school year were collected from the statewide special education …

Simulation Impact On Medication Administration Safety: A Simulation Quality Improvement Project, Stacy Simpson

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Two medication simulations increasing in rigor, patient acuity, and distractions were implemented among undergraduate nursing students.

Objectives: To increase nursing student confidence, knowledge, and competence when administering medications.

Design: Two medication administration simulations were implemented and data was collected from students via a pre-simulation quiz, observation during the simulation via a Clinical Simulation Evaluation Tool, and student evaluation of the simulation with a modified version of the Simulation Evaluation Tool Likert scale.

Settings: Gaston Community College nursing simulation lab.

Participants: 53 undergraduate nursing students enrolled in NUR 101 and 42 students in NUR 102 …

A Quantitative Study On The Effectiveness Of A Rural Magnet School Versus An Urban School Magnet Program In Academic Success And Stakeholder Satisfaction, Shayera Whitfield

Doctor of Education Dissertations

Research studies has indicated there is a correlation with magnet school curriculum being the cause of an increase in student achievement, high levels of student motivation, and satisfaction with morale as well as an increase in the number of parents satisfied with the school. However, according to Gamoran (1996), there have only been studies examining the academic achievement of magnet school students to non-magnet school students. This research study was designed to determine the effectiveness of a magnet school program in a rural and urban school district on the academic performance of students in reading and math as well as …

Teacher Reflective Practice And The Influence On Student Achievement, Laura Wyatt

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This research study explored in-service teacher reflective practices. Data were collected via survey and interview to answer questions about how teachers define and engage in reflective practice, how teachers develop as reflective practitioners, and how reflective practice influences student achievement. The survey population included 170 elementary and middle level teachers in a school district in the upstate of South Carolina. Student achievement was based upon English language arts and math standardized testing data. Likert items explored the frequency, social context, and modes of reflective practice in which teachers engage. Open-response items provided teachers the opportunity to further describe practices and …