Education Commons^™

Do You Know The Way To Vpsa? Professional Development For The Preparation Of Senior Student Affairs Officers, Shane Long Phd

Muskie School Dissertations

This study collected information on the professional development of 177 senior student affairs officers (SSAO) at higher education institutions in the United States. The purpose of the study was to identify the professional development activities that these SSAOs engaged in to prepare for the role and the perceived effectiveness of those activities. The study used a set of eight competencies gathered from the literature to assess the professional development activities that SSAOs perceive prepared them for the role. A newly developed instrument was used to assess the usefulness of 11 common professional development activities in each competency area. The study …

Without A Map: An Examination Of District Leadership During The Covid-19 Crisis, Megan E. Welter Phd

Muskie School Dissertations

Achieving coherence and coordination in a complex system like a school district is complicated by the nested layers of the organization. This structure allows for teachers in classrooms and schools in a district to operate autonomously, as their organizational layers insulate those in the center from external demands and mandates. The COVID-19 pandemic represented an external demand that led district leaders to implement a series of situational reforms that affected nearly every aspect of the educational organization.

This qualitative study examines how the experiences and decision-making processes of district, school, and teacher leaders from a single district in Maine during …

Understanding The Perspectives Of First-Generation 4-H Members, Kristy Lee Ouellette Phd

Muskie School Dissertations

Informal education programs like 4-H have the potential to expose young people to opportunities and experiences which may lead to increased social and educational capital. Previous research has consistently found that young people thrive within the 4-H Youth Development program.

The study identified commonalities throughout the multiple modes of participation and identified the ways in which participants are indeed on a thriving trajectory. It involved 12 first-generation 4-H members in Maine between the ages of 14-19. Through the use of in-depth interviews and the creation of ecomaps, this qualitative case study uncovered participants’ perspectives of the Maine 4-H program. This …

The Influence Of Social-Emotional Learning In High School Advisory Programs On Student Engagement And Success, Christina Louise O'Neal Phd

Muskie School Dissertations

Social-emotional learning (SEL) can help decrease negative outcomes and improve positive outcomes for high school youth, and student advisory time can be one effective mechanism in which to do so, especially for females and students of lower socioeconomic status (SES). This study explored the ways in which SEL is included in high school advisories and how this in turn influences teacher-student (T-S) relationships, student engagement, and student perceptions of academic achievement, as well as associations with SES and gender. Data were also gathered to learn more about the functioning of advisory in the remote environment. The study utilized a convergent …

The Economic Impacts Of School Closure In Rural Maine, Heather Perry

Muskie School Dissertations

The purpose of this case study research was to examine the economic impact of school closures on three rural communities in Maine. I created a conceptual framework around six healthy community economic markers. Each of the six markers are studied in 2010 when schools were closed and then again in 2016. This data, in addition to perceptions data from stakeholders in each of the three communities was studied to determine if the closure of the school had any impact on these healthy economic markers. Findings suggest that there were no negative impact to the economic markers studied within the three …

The Effects Of Grading Practices On Motivations For Learning At The Middle School Level, Justin D. Stebbins Ms

Muskie School Dissertations

The objective of this quantitative survey study was to measure the effect grading traditionally (using averaging) versus non-traditionally (best, most recent evidence) on four types of student motivation. These types of motivation were mastery orientation (learning for learning sake), performance orientation (going for the grade or external recognition), performance avoidance (not wanting to appear incompetent), and mastery avoidance (not wanting to lose what you have). This set of orientations is derived from the goal orientation theory.

In this study, 1,652 students and 93 educators between four schools took an anonymous 20-minute online survey. Due to lack of teacher participation, two …

An Examination Of How Middle School Principals Make Sense Of Their Role In Leading Standards Based Educational Reform, Barbara J. Maling Cas, Ma

Muskie School Dissertations

A dominant feature of the educational policy landscape has been the adoption and use of learning standards to design classroom instruction. As these efforts move forward, often without clear definition of the classroom practices that should be adopted, the role of the school principal is critical in interpreting the changes, and charting a course for the teachers in the building. This qualitative study, examines the sensemaking of four active middle school principals as they interpreted and led standards-based reform efforts in their buildings, using a novel theoretical framework based on prior research (Benford & Snow, 2000; Spillane, Reiser, & Reimer, …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between The Achievement Of Students With High Incidence Disabilities And Maine State Compliant Standards-Based Individualized Educational Programs, Jessica A. Yates Cas, Ms

Muskie School Dissertations

This quantitative study analyzed the significance of the impact of Maine state compliant standards-based individualized education programs (IEPs) on the math and reading achievement of third grade students eligible for special education under the high incidence disability categories of Specific Learning Disability and Other Health Impairment. A total of 72 cases (n = 72) were collected. Descriptive data analysis was conducted to investigate characteristics of IEP compliance with Maine state standardsbased IEP expectations in the academic and standards-based IEP goal realms. Analyses of Covariance were conducted to determine if the compliance level of a student's standards-based IEP had a significant …

Leadership Of Heart And Mind: Examining The Mind And Skill Sets Of Student Sustainability Leadership, Holly E. Parker Med

Muskie School Dissertations

The purpose of this comparative case study was to deepen the understanding of post-secondary student sustainability leaders' motivations and identify the skills they have employed in order to inform the development of curricular and co-curricular sustainability leadership learning experiences. The study sought to answer three central research questions: What motivates students to become sustainability leaders in higher education settings? How do student sustainability leaders describe their role and effectiveness as leaders and in collaboration with or comparison to university personnel responsible for moving the institution's goals of sustainability forward? What leadership qualities and skills have student sustainability leaders used to …

Addressing Critical Shortages: An Examination Of Supports For Early Career Special Educators In Maine, Diane R. Nadeau Cas, Ms

Muskie School Dissertations

Alarming percentages of early career special educators, as many as 50%, leave education within five years (Edgar & Pair, 2005; Menlove, Games, & Salzberg, 2004; Plash & Piotrowski, 2006). These statistics are cause for grave concern. The purpose of this survey research study was to discover early career special educators' perceptions of the induction support they received.