Education Commons^™

Making The Grade: Do Teacher-Created Grading Systems Result In Disparate Outcomes For High School Students?, Laura L. Mayberry

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The lack of formal grading policies within individual schools and school districts results in differential grading across classrooms. In many secondary schools, an individual course may be taught by multiple teachers. This study aimed to determine if the existence of differential grading results in disparate outcomes for students based on their assigned teacher. Data about students (demographics, teacher-issued grades, and standardized test scores) was collected from four core content classes at one high school. Regression analysis was used to isolate the impact of students’ assigned teacher on their course grade after controlling for demographics and academic performance as measured by …

New Principals: Experiences That Influence The Role, Marianne P. Simon

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenology-informed study is to examine the lived experiences of new principals and to understand the experiences that have influenced their role as principal. Phenomenological research is “interested in an analytical and descriptive experience of phenomena by individuals in their everyday world” (Eddles-Hirsch, 2015). This framework is what drove the research study into the lived experiences of new principals and the experiences that have influenced their role. The study is qualitative in nature using three in-depth, semi-structured interviews with five new principals in a Northeast Florida school district for a total of 15 interviews. The research …

Are High Levels Of Educator Bias Associated With The Disproportionate Discipline Of Black Students?, Melissa Ann Ramos

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Data on school discipline inequities have shown disproportionate numbers of Black students suspended and expelled compared to their non-Black counterparts. Despite the implementation of evidence-based solutions such as positive behavior supports and intervention, educator professional development, and restorative practices aimed at closing the racial discipline gap, little to no change has occurred. Critical Race Theory is used as a lens for viewing racial hierarchies as a socially constructed tool to oppress people of color. This oppression can be seen in various aspects of society and in education, especially in school discipline. It is fueled by biases, both implicit and explicit. …

Leading Effective Inclusive Schools: How Principals Make The Difference, Megan Robinson Mcmillan

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In effective inclusive schools, school principals are the difference-makers. Principals of these schools possess a commitment to leading schools adept at delivering high academic achievement outcomes and providing an inclusive education for students with disabilities. This leadership is predicated upon their inclusive consciousness, or a dogged determination to provide ethical and meaningful educational experiences to all students, but especially those with disabilities. The purpose of this study was to understand how four elementary-level public school principals acquired, developed, and demonstrated an inclusive consciousness that guided their leadership of effective inclusive schools. Data were collected using a basic qualitative methodology and …

Examining The Effects Of Co-Teaching In Doubled-Sized Third Grade Classrooms In Select Northeast Florida Public Schools., Yvonne Mary Spinner

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Scholarly research on combined classes with co-teachers is sparse. The purpose of this research is to investigate and analyze the academic effects of co-teaching in double-sized third grade classrooms in urban and suburban settings. This research will explore the prevalence of this practice in select Northeast Florida public school third grade classes, the distribution between schools, and whether there is a significant difference between the academic achievement of these students and those in a traditional classroom setting, and whether there is a difference in performance between suburban and urban school co-teach classrooms. This study will examine the potential implications of …

Exploring The Perceptions Of Secondary Assistant Principals Toward Their Development As Instructional Leaders, Ronnie Williams

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although, the concept of instructional leadership is a not a new idea, it has become an increasingly popular term in education in recent years. Instructional leadership provides the foundation for teaching and learning within a school. Such federal educational initiatives as No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top have sought to improve student achievement have also changed the landscape of school leadership. As accountability and high-stakes testing measures continue to rise, the need to closely explore and understand the ideology of instructional leadership has become more prevalent. Qualified school leaders with a keen focus on instruction must be …

Conscious Conclusions: The Effect Of Positive-Attitude Cues On Teacher Candidate Dispositions About Mathematics, Shelletta Baker

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to use elements for developing teacher identity, personal philosophy, beliefs about teaching and learning, and reflection to frame an examination of the effect of Positive-Attitude Cues (PACs) on teacher candidates’(n = 135) mathematics anxiety and expressive writing. Participants were randomly assigned to a treatment (PACs) or control group (No-PAC) and their dispositions about mathematics were examined using the Revised Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (MARS-R); which had a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.96 and an expressive writing task before and after the intervention. A significant main effect of test time showed that participants …

Leadership Style And Readiness To Lead: Perceptions Of Florida Level 1 Educational Leadership Preparation Program Participants, Jason Dean Arnold

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined the relationship between aspiring school principals’ self-perceived competency regarding expected leadership behaviors as indicated by the domains identified in the 2011 Florida Principal Leadership Standards and their perception of their leadership style as indicated by the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (Bass & Avolio, 1994). The conceptual frameworks of this study included leadership style, as defined and conceptualized by Bass and Avolio’s Full Range Leadership Model and measured by the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ), and leadership behavior, as defined through the domains of the Florida Principal Leadership Standards (FPLS, 2011). Both the MLQ and the FPLS questionnaire served …

Teachers' Perceptions Of Cultural Change In A Challenged High School During The Implementation Of The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, Victoria Crowell

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Academically failing schools are under scrutiny from government education administrators, policymakers, and the general public, due to chronic inabilities to lower dropout rates and to educate students who can pass high-stakes graduation assessments. States’ efforts to adhere to the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act have led to the development of accountability systems to determine adequate yearly progress (AYP) and to assign schools grades, as well as wholesale reassessment of current educational programs, which are often replaced with more rigorous curricula.

Among curricular programs that have been sought as reform measures for academically failing schools is the International Baccalaureate Program …

Impact Of Teacher Demographic, Knowledge, And Instructional Variables On Children's Language Development, Donna Ellis

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether a set of teacher demographic, knowledge, and instructional variables is related to preschool children’s literacy development. Specifically, the study investigated how these teacher variables impact children’s language development scores on the four subscales of the Preschool Language Assessment Instrument, Second Edition (PLAI2) and the four subscales of the Test of Language Development – Primary, Fourth Edition (TOLD-P:4). There were two major research questions in the study: (a) Will the predictor set of CLASS emotional support, CLASS classroom organization, CLASS instructional support, level of education, years teaching pre-kindergarten, and answers on …

Perceptions Of School Performance Measures: A Study Of Principals In The United States And Head Teachers In The United Kingdom Using Q Methodology, Rene Velez

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Performance measures have been used throughout the business sector as a means to assess productivity, allocate resources, and increase profitability. More recently, they have been utilized to answer increasing calls for accountability in public education. Legislation has been passed in both the United Kingdom and the United States that implements performance measures as a means to measure student achievement and assess school performance. This study, conducted both in the United States and the United Kingdom, examined the perceptions of 15 primary and 15 elementary school leaders with regard to the transnational issue of school performance measures.

Q methodology was used …

The Impact Of 4 X 4 Block Scheduling At An Urban High School, Paul Edward Montgomery

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to examine whether attendance, academic achievement, school climate, student stress, and teacher burnout improved in an inner city, predominantly African American high school after the implementation of a 4 x 4 block schedule. Data concerning student academic achievement and absenteeism in 14 classrooms were gathered from the school's Annual Scholastic Reports. Data concerning the instructional practices of eight teachers were gathered through the teacher version of the Instructional Practices Survey and compared to a student version of the Instructional Practices Survey to determine whether student perception of instructional practices coincided with the teachers' …

Learner Centeredness As A Predictor Of Teachers' Role Stress And Career Commitment, Kathryn Marie Krudwig

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Questions explored in this study were: (a) Is learner centeredness related to teacher role stress and/or career commitment; (b) If so, can learner centeredness explain variance in teachers' role stress and/or career commitment; (c) Is the discrepancy between teacher and student perceptions of teacher practices related to teacher role stress and/or career commitment; and (d) if so, can this discrepancy explain variance in teachers' role stress and/or career commitment? The current need to provide every child with qualified and committed teachers in the face of a growing, national teacher shortage supported the significance of the research. The study was based …

The Use Of The Microcomputer By Principals In Their Roles Of Instructional Leader And Manager, David James Mcdonald

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the use of microcomputers by principals in their roles as instructional leaders and managers, and its impact upon the use of microcomputer technology in the school. The research was done by having the randomly stratified selected sample population respond to a survey. The subjects of this study were elementary, middle/junior and high school principals in the Florida Public School System.

Of the responding principals 82.8% reported having access to a microcomputer in their office at school. One-third of the principals reported not having a microcomputer in their own homes. Word processing was …

Anger Displayed By Second Grade Students Who Have Experienced Periodic, Planned Role-Playing/Discussion Activities And A Comparable Group Of Second Grade Students Who Have Not Experienced Periodic, Planned Role-Playing/Discussion Activities, Pamela S. Rogers

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Is there a difference between how a group of second grade students who have experienced periodic, planned role playing/ discussion activities and a comparable group of second grade students who have not experienced periodic, planned role playing/ discussion activities will display anger when presented with problem situations?