Education Commons^™

Development Of A Scale To Measure School Psychologists' Self-Efficacy For Working With Gifted Populations, Brittany Marie Dodds

Dissertations

School psychologists are specialists in educational assessment, consultation, youth mental health, and social-emotional-behavioral development. As a result of their training, school psychologists are positioned to serve students with exceptionalities, including gifted students. However, research indicates that school psychologists' familiarity with gifted issues is lacking and that information regarding school psychologists' self-efficacy for working with this population is nonexistent. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to create a tool to assess school psychologists' self- efficacy for working with gifted populations. The Dodds Inventory of Gifted Self- Efficacy for School Psychologists (DIGS-SP) was developed and administered to 229 practicing school …

Principal Preparation Program Effectiveness: Novice Administrators' Perceptions From One Regional University, Robert King

Dissertations

School Leadership has evolved over the years requiring school administrators to perform as both a facilities manager and transformational leader inspiring teachers to take risks and utilize innovative strategies to increase student achievement. This increased focus on educational leaders has created a challenge for colleges and universities to effectively develop programming to properly equip students to become educational leaders that schools desperately need, as illustrated by a review of the literature. New leadership standards, coupled with Kentucky’s new star-rating system increases the expectations of school leaders as they work with diverse populations of students.

This study is a qualitative case …

Superintendent Recruitment: Effects Of Superintendent Job Status, School Councils (Principal Selection Models), District Wealth, And Signing Bonus On Applicant Rating Of The Job, Mark Jeffery Martin

Dissertations

This nearly perfect replicated study (Millay, 2003) was a superintendent recruitment simulation with the purpose of investigating factors that influence recruiting qualified individuals to serve as district superintendents of public schools. The study was a factorial experiment involving a four-way 2 x 2 x 2 x (3 x S) fixed-factor betweenwithin analysis of variance (ANOVA) which yielded 24 cells. The participants in the study were Kentucky Superintendents (N = 72) and individuals in Kentucky certified to be a school superintendent (N = 72) but employed in another position.

The between-groups variables were superintendent job status (superintendent, certified), district wealth (high, …

Institutional Adoption And Implementation Of A Mandated Community College First Year Experience Course, Carmen Varney Purpus

Dissertations

This purpose of the research study is two-fold. The first aim is to establish strategies that can guide community colleges interested in the implementation of a mandated First Year Experience course as well as to identify barriers community colleges may encounter to help them move from desiring a mandated student success course to acting to create one. It is widely believed that student success course helps students learn to be successful, but it is not a widely accepted practice to mandate it for all students.

The second objective is to add to the limited body of research. A nonexperimental descriptive …

Perceived Teaching Style And Academic Growth In An International School Setting, Jamie Elizabeth Martin

Dissertations

The presence of international schools has grown significantly around the world to accommodate a growing need for academic instruction that differs from that provided in local schools and to meet the rapid demands of globalization. As demands for international schools increase, demands for student performance are also increasing.

This quantitative correlational study seeks to determine if correlations exist between teaching style and student academic growth in mathematics within an international school setting. The study also determines if a dominant teaching style exists and if correlations between teacher grade level and teaching style can be made among international teachers who teach …

Technology, Professional Development, And Student Achievement: Using The Tell Survey In A Study Of Low Socioeconomic Schools In Kentucky, Holly Mcleod Ross

Dissertations

In order to compare the accessibility, need, and extent of professional development, technology, and its relationship to low socioeconomic (SES) schools and achievement, data were accessed from the Kentucky Department of Education, Division of School and Community Nutrition Qualifying Data Report to identify schools with a greater than 50% free and reduced lunch rate. Data also came from the TELL Kentucky survey instrument results specific to questions related to professional development and technology. Kentucky Performance Rating for Educational Progress (KPREP) school rankings were also utilized to determine the highest and lowest ranked schools among those with greater than 50% free …

Veteran Transition From Combat To Campus: A Mixed-Methods Study, Joanna R. Jones

Dissertations

The current research was carried out to investigate the overall satisfaction and benefits concerning student veteran programs at a public university located in southcentral Kentucky and the possible correlation of effectiveness within the supportive transitioning assistance programs for student veterans. The study included survey(s) distributions to administrators of veteran programs and student veterans.

The descriptive investigative study involved both aspects of quantitative and qualitative design, hence categorizing the study as mixed-methods. Descriptive research design is considered a scientific method which involves observing and/or describing behavior regarding the subject without influencing it in any way. Surveys were used during this study …

Determining First-Year College Students' Capacity For Active Engagement In Their Own Learning, Melanie Jan Mcdaniel Duvall

Dissertations

First-year students are at a higher risk of dropping out of college; therefore, student retention and success are at risk. The purpose of this study is to find statistically significant differences among five demographic variables: (1) first college semester hours earned; (2) first college semester GPA; (3) ACT composite score; (4) high school GPA; and (5) first-generation college students and the 10 Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) subscales: Anxiety, Attitude, Concentration, Information Processing, Motivation, Selecting Main Ideas, Self-Testing, Test Strategies, Time Management, and Using Academic Resources, to better determine how to help students be more successful. The LASSI instrument …

A Case Study Of Hanban’S Chinese Language Teaching Program At Western Kentucky University: Developmental History And Preliminary Outcomes, Sheng-Huei Yu

Dissertations

This case study provides a historical overview of foreign language development (especially Chinese) in the United States and the growing number of Confucius Institutes (CIs) established in the U.S through Hanban, China’s National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language. This case study specifically captures the growth of the Western Kentucky University (WKU) CI from its inception in 2010. According to Hanban’s annual assessment reporting guidelines, since the conception of CIs sheer quantity of teachers and students has always been the primary focus. Therefore, the growth in the numbers of Hanban Chinese teachers and number of students enrolled in …

The Goal-Driven, Resilient, And Influential Teens Program In Kentucky High Schools: The Impact On Social And Emotional Learning And Influencing Factors, Brant Von Goble

Dissertations

In order to assess the effects of the Goal-driven, Resilient, and Influential Teens (GRIT) program on social and emotional learning and academic performance in high schools throughout Kentucky, data from several sources were compiled and analyzed. These sources included results from the Student Engagement and Performance (STEP) survey, an instrument developed by the Rock Solid Evaluation Team at Western Kentucky University and administered yearly to high school students and teachers, and school-level academic and socioeconomic data from the Kentucky Department of Education. Additional data on fidelity of GRIT program implementation were obtained from FranklinCovey, the GRIT program’s developer and publisher. …

Gatton Academy Study Abroad Program Effects On Perceptions Of Community Belongingness And Personal Growth And Development, Derick Brandon Strode

Dissertations

This dissertation’s focus is at the intersection of study abroad, impact assessment, and a population of gifted and talented students at a specialized, residential high school called The Gatton Academy. A summative impact evaluation was conducted to assess effects of Gatton Academy study abroad programs on student participants’ perceptions of peer belongingness, mentor belongingness, and personal growth and development, as well as to compare differences among three different program models being employed by the school. The three program models studied included a Non-Credit program, a Faculty-led Field-Study, and a Faculty-led Traditional program. The research was conducted amidst documented calls for …

Overcoming Barriers To Admission In A Community College, Nicole Cobb

Dissertations

Higher education institutions currently face a climate that can best be described as tumultuous. Funding cuts and increased external pressure and accountability are forcing institutions to evaluate the way in which they do business. Process improvement methodologies such as lean and Six Sigma have been successfully implemented in industry; colleges and universities are evaluating how these methodologies will fit into higher education. The central research question was: “What are the internal institutional barriers to persistence?” Lean principles served as the theoretical framework for this study. Lean principles rely on subject matter experts to evaluate the processes in which they are …

The Effect Of A Student Success Seminar On Student Retention At A Regional University, Cindy L. Clemson

Dissertations

With approximately half of all students who enter colleges and universities graduating, the problem of student attrition continues to challenge higher education officials. Decades of research studies have been completed on the causes of student persistence and retention, but significant changes have not occurred to increase those numbers. This study attempted to integrate current research with a practical application to increase retention of first-year students. A first-year seminar, known as a student success seminar, was created at the university to teach advanced academic behaviors to incoming freshmen. This study involved a program evaluation of the new seminar as the independent …

Type Of School And Parental Awareness Of The Clery And Minger Acts When Selecting A College In The Commonwealth Of Kentucky, Steven R. Briggs

Dissertations

College and university campuses are being scrutinized more stringently in regard to the issue of campus safety. While media reports and advocacy groups may suggest to parents that college campuses are becoming more dangerous, research continues to demonstrate that colleges are a relatively safe environment. A problem exists that, although the Clery Act and the Minger Act in the Commonwealth of Kentucky require colleges and universities to report campus crime rates in order that parents and students can make an informed decision on selecting a college based on campus safety, few parents tend to be familiar with this resource. The …

Toward A More Perfect Definition Of Learning: Using Biomarkers To Predict And Assess Learning Performance, Samuel J. Hunt

Dissertations

This study seeks to establish groundwork for a new definition of learning based on neurogenesis capable of guiding future educational policy and practice. The purpose of the research was to: (1) produce separate increases in neurogenesis and intelligence, (2) measure the changes in neurogenesis using protein biomarkers, and (3) correlate increases in levels of the protein biomarkers with increases in intelligence. The study employed a randomized pretest-posttest, control/comparison group research design. Thirty-eight fourth- and fifth-grade students with diverse academic needs were divided into three experimental groups: chess, exercise, and combined; with an additional control group. Pre-post measures included intelligence (RSPM) …

The Academic Library And High-Impact Practices For Student Retention: Perspectives Of Library Deans, Adam L. Murray

Dissertations

Dramatic declines in state appropriations for postsecondary education, the rise of performance-based funding models, and limitations on tuition increases have resulted in a focus on student retention as a matter of importance to institutions of higher education. Concomitantly, academic libraries face changes in service models brought about by technology and the rising costs of providing access to an ever-expanding field of literature required by academic programs and faculty. The value proposition of the academic library is reduced in the face of budget interests that impact recruitment and retention. Many researchers and university leaders have called on academic libraries to develop …

Catholic School Faculty Meetings: A Case Study Linking Catholic Identity, School Improvement, And Teacher Engagement, Daryl Craig Hagan

Dissertations

While research on faculty meetings is limited, existing literature suggests that meetings could be an arena where schools can address their common challenges (Brandenburg, 2008; Michel, 2011; Riehl, 1998). The purpose of this case study was to gain an understanding of the perceptions of Catholic school teachers on teachers in a high-performing Catholic school regarding their own faculty meetings and to explore how faculty meetings engage teachers in the work of promoting Catholic identity and school improvement. This dissertation builds on the work of Macey and Schneider’s (2008) Model of Employee Engagement, as well as McGrath’s Model of Group Effectiveness …

Identifying The Relationship Between The Map And Wj-Iii Reading Tests To Make Instructional Decisions Within A Rti Framework, Lauren Brittany Martin

Dissertations

The current study explored the relationship between the reading tests of the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), a screening test, and the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement, Third Edition (WJ-III), a diagnostic academic achievement test. By examining the relationship between these two tests, more reliable instructional decisions within a Response to Intervention (RTI) framework can potentially be established. Reading scores were collected for 234 students who completed the MAP three times per year both in first and second grades. One hundred of those students were randomly selected and administered the five reading subtests of the WJ-III in the spring of their …

Teachers' Perceptions Of Working Conditions: The Difference Between Static And Improving Schools In Kentucky, Amy Bryant Allen

Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to identify the changes concerning teachers’ perceptions of working conditions within Kentucky’s District 180 Priority Schools. The District 180 Priority Schools comprises of 41 secondary schools that ranked in the bottom fifth percentile on the Kentucky School Report Card. Schools were divided into two categories, static or improving, based upon student achievement changes from 2009 until 2013. The study utilized results from the 2011 and 2013 TELL Kentucky Survey to determine whether changes in teachers’ perceptions of working conditions were statistically significant from 2011 to 2013 in the areas of instructional time, availability …

The Effects Of Standards-Based Grading On Student Performance In Algebra 2, Rachel Beth Rosales

Dissertations

The use of standards-based grading in American public schools is increasing, offering students, parents, and teachers a new way of measuring and communicating about student achievement and performance. Parents indicate an appreciation for this method of grading, and students at the elementary grades (K-6) have improved standardized test scores in reading and math as a result of its implementation. This study seeks to determine whether standards-based grading has the same effect on students at the high school level (grades 9-12) by comparing end-of-course test scores and posttest scores of Algebra 2 students enrolled in a standards-based graded classroom with to …

Saudi Male Perceptions Of Study In The United States: An Analysis Of King Abdullah Scholarship Program Participants, Terry Ryan Hall

Dissertations

The Saudi Arabian Government’s establishment of the multi-billion dollar King Abdullah Scholarship Program (KASP), which sends students abroad for language training and university study, is responsible for tens of thousands of Saudi men studying in the United States. With the extension of the program through 2020, it is critical that education leaders in higher education and stakeholders at all levels understand the challenges and opportunities presented by this group increasingly populating American classrooms. Several studies have been conducted on international students in the U.S. over the years with just a few focusing on Saudi students specifically. There is a need …

First Year Baccalaureate Nursing Program Outcomes: Effects Of Prerequisite Courses And Preadmission Testing, Sonya House

Dissertations

Schools of Nursing are faced with the difficult task of selecting students for admission into nursing programs. This responsibility is challenging as the number of students applying to programs typically outweighs the number of students who can be admitted. As a result, faculty must identify methods for selecting students who have the greatest likelihood of being successful. As noted in the literature, attrition that occurs as the result of being academically underprepared is found in the beginning of nursing programs (Murray, Merriman, & Adamson, 2008). The central research question represents the purpose of the study: To what extent do prerequisite …

The Effect Of Motivation On Student Success In A First-Year Experience Course, Kimberly Renee Cunningham

Dissertations

Research on factors involved in freshman retention suggested that conditionally-admitted college students who failed to pass a less academically challenging course, such as freshman orientation, tended to have significantly lower rates of college persistence, and also suggested that failure of such courses may be attributed to motivation factors rather than academic ability. This study examined the relationship between motivation and academic success of conditionally-admitted college freshmen in a first-year experience course to determine whether motivation played a significant role in student achievement in this course.

The population of this study consisted of 309 conditionally-admitted students at a comprehensive university located …

Key Factors And Stages Of Collaboration Within Community College/Automotive Industry Sector Partnerships, Annette Parker

Dissertations

As corporations compete they recognize the need to reengineer operations to reflect the impact of a globalized market and attract, retain, and grow the skill sets of employees as strategic assets. To meet the need for employee continuous learning, financial turbulence, and rapid technological advancements, corporations have accelerated the formation of collaborative partnerships with higher education. At the same time, higher education institutions have a growing number of working adult students in attendance and view collaboration with corporations as a means to increase enrollment and revenue streams. These factors have created an opportunity to explore the dynamics of key factors …

An Analysis Of The Factors That Influence Global Mindedness In First-Year College Students, Kristie Broadbent Guffey

Dissertations

This non-experimental, quantitative descriptive study was designed to determine what factors influence a first-year college students’ global mindedness and if any of those factors were predictors of the five subscales of global mindedness. Surveys were used to measure students’ global mindedness and their type of personality (N=424). Demographic questions were administered that included gender, county population, Pell grant eligibility, and first generation college student. Results indicated that first-year college students at a four-year public Master’s Large institution were moderately global minded. To predict global mindedness and its subscales, a regression model was developed using the Myers Briggs scores for extravert, …

The Effects Of Positive Behavioral Interventions And Support On Student Discipline Referrals And Attendance, Gregory E. Ross

Dissertations

As school districts work to utilize instructional time, student behavior is often a huge hindrance to maximizing instruction. In 2001 while at the University of Oregon, Horner and Sugai created Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS), now utilized in over 7,000 schools throughout the country (Sugai & Horner, 2002). This program is provided to schools throughout Kentucky through a federal grant extended to the Kentucky Center for Instructional Discipline (KYCID).

This study analyzed PBIS in an elementary school in southwest Kentucky, McNabb Elementary, to measure the effect of PBIS on student discipline referrals and attendance. Referrals were evaluated from 2006-2012, …

Sense Of Community In Graduate Online Education: Contribution Of Interaction, Jo Lita Shackelford

Dissertations

This non-experimental quantitative descriptive study was designed to determine which types of learner-learner and learner-instructor interaction are most predictive of student sense of community in online graduate courses at a regional comprehensive university. Surveys were used to measure sense of community and to collect perceptions of frequency and importance of nine learner-learner interactions and seven learner instructor interactions from participating students (N = 381) within online courses in which they were enrolled. Student demographic information included age, gender, experience with online learning, number of face-to-face class meetings, and employment status.

Results indicated that learner–learner interactions that were most predictive of …

The Relationship Between Teacher Perceptions Of Elementary School Principal Leadership Style And Teacher Job Satisfaction, Joseph Kirk Biggerstaff

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between teacher perceptions of elementary school principal leadership style and teacher job satisfaction. The study also investigated differences in teachers’ perceptions of elementary school principal leadership style and teacher job satisfaction based on teachers’ demographics (i.e., age, grade level taught, education level, teaching experience). Additionally, an examination of the significant factors that contribute to teacher job satisfaction as identified by the elementary teachers was explored.

This correlational study with a quantitative, non-experimental design utilized two surveys to measure elementary teacher perceptions of principal leadership style (Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire [MLQ]) and …

An Analysis Of Factors Impacting K-12 Technology-Infused Design, Wesley A. Waddle

Dissertations

Public education in the 21st Century can be characterized as being in a period of unparalleled change, including the adoption of Common Core State Standards, increased public accountability, and renewed emphasis on the educational needs of every student. Simultaneously, as public education seeks to address these demands, the digital divide between traditional classroom instruction and learning needs of 21st Century students continues to grow, despite considerable fiscal investments in educational technology.

This study examined two questions: What teacher-related factors positively impact the level of technology-infused lesson design? and To what degree does the use of an instructional framework to guide …

Perceptions Of Kentucky Educators Concerning The Kentucky State Assessment System As An Accurate Reflection Of Student Learning, Benny C. Lile

Dissertations

While educational testing has been in place since the one room school house, it was not until the 1990s that accountability began to accompany assessment programs. With the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in 2001, virtually every public school district in the United States of America that desired to continue to receive Title 1 funding found themselves tied to rigorous assessment and accountability systems. This focus on accountability has impacted every school, district, and state as they have sought to implement and deal with the consequences it has wrought. As the 50 states have sought to …