Education Commons^™

Teacher Evaluations, Pbis Implementation, And Student Outcomes, Kasey Catherine Keith Boyd

Dissertations

This study explored the relationship between the Mississippi Department of Education’s (MDE) Professional Growth System school-wide Teacher Growth Rubric (TGR) score averages by standard and student academic and behavioral outcomes (i.e. state assessment scores, discipline referrals, suspensions, attendance.). The study also examined the relationship among Schoolwide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) implementation fidelity, MDE TGR scores, and student outcomes. Twenty-seven schools were selected to participate in the study. Fifteen of the schools were implementing with fidelity during the 2021-2022 school year, as measured by the Tiered Fidelity Inventory (TFI), and twelve schools were not implementing SWPBIS during the 2021-2022 …

Using Mindfulness Through Doodling In Interactive Notebooking To Increase Student Achievement, Michelle Brown

Dissertations

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, which unfolded from 2019 to 2021, disrupted education systems worldwide, leading to significant learning loss and inequities. The shift to digital learning, necessitated by the pandemic, presented challenges such as learning loss and social-emotional impacts. This study investigates the incorporation of Social Emotional Learning(SEL), with mindfulness, into the school curriculum to address these challenges.

The focus of the study is on the implementation of Mindful Doodling as a component of SEL within an interactive notebook in a middle school science curriculum to enhance student achievement. The study aimed to analyze how different amounts of Mindful Doodling in …

Beliefs About Homework, Elizabeth Rose Taylor Smith

Dissertations

This mixed-methods research study aimed to learn the perspectives regarding homework of parents and teachers of students in grades two, three, and four. The definition used to define homework was based on Simplicio’s (2005) definition of homework as a period set aside to put in a plan to expand learning skills and support information that the student gained while in the classroom. There were three research questions that guided this mixed-methods research study; What are the parents’ perceptions of second, third, and fourth-grade students regarding homework? What are the perceptions of second, third, and fourth-grade teachers regarding homework? What are …

New Experience: An Ethnographic Study Of Students Who Transfer From A Low-Performing Public School District To A Better-Performing Public School District In Missouri, Yolanda J. Campbell

Dissertations

School districts in Missouri are responsible for public K-12 education and must be accredited to educate children. As a result, there is an evoking interest, demanding attention in Missouri public schools' quality and the students who transfer from unaccredited, critically low-performing schools to accredited, significantly betterperforming schools. These students have a higher risk of failing academically or dropping out of school and transitioning successfully into adulthood. Therefore, through this study, students, parents/guardians, and teachers tell their stories to empower the public to work together to raise all students' achievement in school, close the poverty and opportunity gap in education, and …

An Evaluation Of The Impact Of The Student-Teacher Relationship On Student Achievement And Behavior, Sarah James

Dissertations

Researchers have documented the importance and value of the teacher-student relationship for over 20 years. The purpose of my study was to determine if teachers who had a positive and highly effective relationship with their students, as documented with informal and formal observations, also had higher student achievement and a lower discipline referral rate when compared to their non-highly effective peers. The context of this inquiry was kindergarten through eighth grade teachers in one public school district. In my study, I demonstrated both quantitative and qualitative data which matched current research to support teachers who are highly effective with building …

The Impact Of Advisory Programs On Student Achievement, Attendance, And Behavior, Joshua Colby Flora

Dissertations

The impact of advisory programs on student achievement, attendance, and behavior was explored in this study. The study was conducted to contribute to existing research and to gain insight as to whether or not advisory programs promote positive academic outcomes in schools. Four schools with advisory programs and four schools with academic homerooms participated in the study. Each school provided student achievement, attendance, and behavior data from the 2015‒2016, 2016‒2017, 2017‒2018, and 2018‒ 2019 school years. In addition, advisory teachers responded to a survey regarding outcomes of advisory and their perceptions of advisory programs. The data were analyzed using an …

Clarity Precedes Competence: The Impact Of A Revised Classroom Teacher Evaluation Instrument On Teaching And Learning, Kyra Schafte

Dissertations

This study is a program evaluation to determine the impact of evaluators’ use of the revised Classroom Teacher Evaluation Instrument on instructional practice in a mid-sized, public school district serving approximately 43,000 Pre-Kindergarten through twelfth-grade students. The primary research question explored in this program evaluation is what theory of action for the evaluation system will establish reliable effectiveness measures to gauge teacher quality in the school district under study. Employing a mixed-methods approach, with data gathered from a principal survey, focus group transcriptions, and instructional practice and student achievement data, this study informed and improved current practices surrounding observation and …

The Impact Of Integrated Stem Education On Student Achievement In Magnet Schools, Holly Esquia Gerlach

Dissertations

In an ever-changing world, scientific advancement and innovation are critical in maintaining national security, economic competitiveness, and quality of life for our global society. Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has been a priority within educational reforms for well over a decade. The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of integrated STEM education on student achievement results in English language arts, mathematics, and science. The single overarching question of this program evaluation is: Does integrated STEM education impact the achievement outcomes in reading, mathematics, and science for students in fourth and fifth grades? Related research questions …

The Effect Of Principal Leadership On Student Achievement: A Multivariate Meta-Analysis, Huang Wu

Dissertations

Principal leadership has been widely considered as a significant factor for school improvement and student learning. However, there are discrepancies among previous findings and controversies on both the magnitude and nature of the relationship between principal leadership and student achievement. The purpose of this study is to further the understanding of whether and how principal leadership influences student achievement.

This study is a systematic review and multivariate meta-analysis of 42 empirical studies about principal leadership’s effects on student achievement, generated during the period between 2000 and 2020 in the United States. There were three parts for the analyses: (a) a …

What Are The Impacts Of Setting Student Learning Objectives On Classroom Instruction And Student Achievement?, Jessica Plaza

Dissertations

Student learning objectives have emerged as a tool to not only measure student growth, but also as a tool to assess an educator’s impact on student learning. The purpose of this inquiry was to determine what, if any, impact student learning objectives have on an educator's instructional planning and delivery, and then create a change plan that addressed the strengths and needs of the educators involved in order to further support growth in utilizing student learning objectives to positively impact student learning.

This research utilized a mixed methods approach to this inquiry. There was analysis of educator reflections submitted as …

Happiness Advantage: The Impact On School Culture, Jillian Sagan

Dissertations

The purpose of this evaluation is to analyze the implementation of the Happiness Advantage principles (Achor, 2011) to address the mental well-being for all school district employees. In addition to Happiness Advantage Training (Achor, 2011), the study seeks to determine if the implementation of positive psychology principles affects school culture, teacher engagement and student achievement. The program design incorporates whole district training, ongoing professional development for employees and the autonomy to generate new ideas to sustain a positive mindset for individual schools sites and classrooms. The findings indicate that when positive psychology principles are implemented across a school district, teacher …

Leading For Excellence: Leadership Behaviors That Cultivate A High-Achieving School Environment, Kristen Belknap

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this explanatory mixed-methods study was to determine the degree of importance for the 12-step principles proposed by Harvey et al. (2014) to create a K–12 school environment that fosters high student achievement as perceived by public school elementary principals. A secondary purpose was to explore and describe the leadership strategies for implementing the 12-step principles proposed by Harvey et al. to create a K–12 school environment that fosters high student achievement as perceived by public school elementary principals.

Methodology: An explanatory mixed-methods study was completed to examine the degree of importance each of the 12 leadership …

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 …

The Influence Of Administrators On Literacy Instruction Through The Promotion And Selection Of Professional Development, Lucy K. Johnston-Josey

Dissertations

Literacy is a key component to success in school and in life. Literacy has been a focus of education since 1965 when President Jimmy Carter announced a “war on poverty.” Since then, history has shown that educators should place an emphasis on literacy within schools. Because literacy is so important, I set out to explore how administrators influence literacy through the promotion and selection of professional development.

Mississippi was chosen as a basis for the study because it falls below the nation in terms of literacy rates on the National Assessment for Educational Progress assessment. Nineteen participants from four school …

Single And Multiple Leadership Roles Of Building Principals: Perceived Differences In Leadership Responsibilities In Selected Midwestern Districts, Michael A. Gaunt

Dissertations

Principals play a critical role supporting the student’s academic achievement. Their work has become increasingly challenging over past decades due to demands for increased accountability and a decline in fiscal and human resources. Principals, regardless of size and geographical locations, have had to assume additional work responsibilities, including additional administrative roles, in response.

There is a plethora of research documenting the important role principals provide in supporting the academic achievement of students (Chickering and Reisser, 1993; Cotton, 2003; Figlio, 1999; Halinger and Heck, 2011; Leithwood, 1994; and Senge, 2007). Marzano et al’s., (2005) research, as described in his book, School …

Is There A Relationship Between Physical Fitness And Student Academic Achievement?, William Rushton Parker

Dissertations

The study utilized a quantitative approach to identify the relationship between students’ levels of fitness to students’ academic achievement as well as addressing the attitudes of elementary administrators, fifth grade regular education teachers, and elementary physical education teachers towards physical fitness and academic achievement. Instruments used in the study were the Mississippi Curriculum Test, 2^nd Edition (MCT2) and the FITNESSGRAM. The data from the FITNESSGRAM and MCT2 were archival, coming from the 2013-2014 academic school year. The MCT2 provided scores from the areas of language arts, mathematics, and science, and the FITNESSGRAM provided the fitness scores of those students. …

The Relationship Between Student Achievement And Professional Learning Communities At The Middle School Level, Michael S. Burde

Dissertations

For nearly two decades, schools throughout the United States and beyond have utilized the Professional Learning Community (PLC) model to foster teacher collaboration in hopes of improving student achievement outcomes. At the turn of the century, much of the research suggested a positive relationship between student achievement outcomes and the implementation of PLC’s in the school setting. The more recent research suggests little to no relationship between PLC’s and student achievement outcomes.

In an effort to bring clarity to the conflicting research, data was collected from a sample of 12 schools which included 275 teachers and nearly 6,000 students. Teacher …

An Evaluation Of Teacher Morale In Four Elementary Schools: The Difference A School Makes, Jennifer Blackburn

Dissertations

This Program Evaluation Plan (PEP) investigates teacher morale in several schools and explores how it may possibly relate to school grade. There are many factors that influence teacher morale, but I believe that school grade plays a major role; and this dissertation takes a closer look as to how some teachers and administrators feel about their schools and positions. By implementing a questionnaire, and conducting interviews with teachers and administrators, I was able to discover that school grade is weighing in teacher morale.

This study breaks down the findings from the questionnaire that was given and offers some recommendations on …

Teacher Trust Levels And How They Differ Between School Settings And Impact Teacher Involvement In Student Achievement Activities, Gretchen Kaeding Bergan

Dissertations

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 has brought accountability to the world of education. The Act’s purpose was to bring a standards-based educational reform process nationally by establishing measurable goals and high academic standards for students and teachers. The mandate to the states from the federal government specified that each state set up incremental assessments of all children, and schools have responded with significant efforts to improve student outcomes. One factor, teacher-to-teacher trust levels, has been shown through research (Bryk & Schneider, 1996) to improve professional working environments and student learning.

This was a comparison study of teacher-to-teacher …

The Relationship Between Frequency And Functionality Of Professional Learning Communities To Student Achievement, Jack Linton Jr.

Dissertations

The ultimate goal of teacher professional development is to improve student achievement by improving teacher practices. To that end, the literature and research supports the development of professional learning communities as one of the most effective ways to accomplish that goal.

Therefore, the research questions addressed in this study were: (a) Are schools in Mississippi using professional learning communities? (b) To what degree does the principal rate his or her school is functioning as a professional learning community as measured by the School Professional Staff as Learning Community instrument (Hord, 1996)? (c) …

The Relationship Between Shared Leadership, Teacher Self-Efficacy, And Student Achievement, Anjanette Fuller Zinke

Dissertations

Decisions about ways to improve student achievement have been of concern over the years (Reeves, 2011). Multiple reforms have been attempted (Evers, 2000; Marzano, 2000), but researchers have differed in viewpoints on their effectiveness (Jennings & Rentner, 2006; Rose, 2010). State test scores in Mississippi have not risen to levels mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, and waivers have brought new challenges to districts (Ravitch, 2012). Administrators have to focus their attention in areas other than new programs and new personnel to correct the path of education (Coburn, 2001; Hargreaves & Macmillan, 1995; Sledge & Moorehead, …

Teachers' Perceptions About The Types, Quality, And Impact Of Their Job-Embedded Professional Development Experiences, Delilah Mitchell

Dissertations

This study was designed to determine eighth grade teachers’ perceptions of the impact, quality, and types of job-embedded professional development activities they have participated in and the relationship to student achievement in language arts, math, or science. The researcher identified school districts with 50% or more of their eighth grade students scoring proficient or advanced on all three areas of Mississippi’s Curriculum Test, Second Edition (MCT2). Sixty-four eighth grade language arts, math, or science teachers who had been at their current school at least two years completed a questionnaire created by the researcher. Multiple Linear Regression and Pearson’s Correlation were …

Multi-Group Invariance Of The Conceptions Of Assessment Scale Among University Faculty And Students, Melanie Anne Diloreto

Dissertations

Conceptions are contextual. In the realm of education, conceptions of various constituent groups are often shaped over a period of a number of years during which time these groups have participated in educational endeavors. Specifically, conceptions of assessment are influenced by beliefs, actions, attitudes, understandings, and past experiences. These conceptions can impact both teaching and learning, and ultimately student achievement. Based on the past work of Gavin T. L. Brown (2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, & 2011) and Fletcher, Meyer, Anderson, Johnston, and Rees (2011) concerning conceptions of assessment held by educators and students in environments with a low-stakes assessment culture, …

An Analysis Of The Impact Of Continuous Progress Curriculum On Student Achievement, Jessica Larae Ladner Taylor

Dissertations

There has been an emphasis on educators to improve student achievement, particularly in low socioeconomic schools. The latest research encourages educators to use student data to drive instruction. The purpose of this study was to determine if using data to arrange students by academic performance improves academic achievement. A middle school in Mississippi has implemented Continuous Progress Curriculum to group students based on multiple data points. Throughout the school year, data from tests and assignments are analyzed by teachers and administrators. Based on the data, students are moved to the most appropriate performance level that will address the skills and …

Analysis Of The Impact Of Implementing Interdisciplinary Pods On Student Achievement In Georgia Middle Schools, Andrew Lynn Bristow

Dissertations

With the increasing demands for middle schools to meet Annual Yearly Progress and the Annual Measurable Objective levels of the No Child Left Behind Act (2002) middle school principals are faced with decisions to incorporate the appropriate middle school instructional model. This study examined the longitudinal achievement data of sixth and seventh grade reading, English language arts, and math on the Georgia Criterion Reference Competency Test (CRCT) in 20 middle schools from 2008 – 2011 in a large suburban school district in Georgia. Of the schools, two implemented a junior high model, six implemented an interdisciplinary pod model, and twelve …

Educational Technology Integration And High-Stakes Testing, Tracy Demetrie Daniel

Dissertations

Determining if the investment in educational technology will improve student achievement is complicated and multifarious. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of teacher technology integration on student achievement as measured by the Mississippi Subject Area Testing Program (SATP) and to explore the relationship between technology integration and other factors (a teacher’s age, gender, computer self-efficacy, and technology training).

This non-experimental, quantitative study included 106 secondary school teachers from six school districts in Mississippi. The respondents completed a questionnaire based on their SATP course (Algebra I, Biology, English II, and U. S. History) teaching experiences. This study …

The Perceptions Of Principals And Teachers Regarding Mental Health Providers’ Impact On Student Achievement In High Poverty Schools, Teresa Perry

Dissertations

This study examined the perceptions of principals and teachers regarding mental health provider’s impact on student achievement and behavior in high poverty schools using descriptive statistics, t-test, and two-way ANOVA. Respondents in this study shared similar views concerning principal and teacher satisfaction and levels of support for the use of mental health services. They believed that principals were highly supportive of mental health services in their schools and they themselves were supportive of mental health services in their school. Respondents believed that teachers were not as supportive. Principals and teachers combined seemed to agree that mental health providers impact student …

The Impact Of The No Child Left Behind Act And School Choice On Student Achievement, Wendy Ruddell Pettett

Dissertations

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act, signed into law in January 2002, established a decade of test-driven school reform in an attempt to increase student achievement and reduce the student achievement gap. The state of Georgia created the Criterion Reference Competency Test (CRCT) to align with the guidelines of NCLB. This study examined longitudinal student achievement data on eighth grade math CRCT in 25 middle schools from 2002–2007 and 2008–2011 in a large suburban school district in Georgia.

The study found that all subgroups increased in student achievement from the onset of NCLB in 2002–2011. Furthermore, the study found …

Pre-Kindergarten Education: Is There A Relationship Between Pre-Kindergarten Participation And Student Achievement?, Carol Goldate Barlow

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if the intervention of attending public school pre-kindergarten had an impact on student achievement as measured by the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP) considering gender, socioeconomic status, and grade retention. This research study included both quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data included all 2009-2010 fourth-grade LEAP math and English language arts scaled scores collected from a specified public school district. To determine the impact of pre-kindergarten attendance on student achievement, the LEAP scores of students who attended public school pre-kindergarten were compared to LEAP scores of students in the same school district …

Closing The Achievement Gap: A Study Of Leadership Behaviors Of Principals At Title I Distinguished Schools, Liss Althea Maynard

Dissertations

Education, a fundamental privilege in America, has been deemed the great equalizer that should afford each individual access and opportunity (Hale, 2004). However, research has proven that for many students of color, the American dream is simply a nightmare. Many minority students have lagged behind academically, failing to graduate and failing to become productive, law abiding citizens. A huge educational disparity has evolved and closing the achievement gap has become crucial in today’s educational system. However, despite the many challenges, there are schools across this nation that experience noteworthy achievement for all students including high minority and high poverty schools. …