Education Commons^™

The Effect Of Mandating Algebra For All Students In Grade 8 Versus Grade 9 In A Small Suburban K-12 School District In New Jersey, Peter Crawley

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The traditional sequencing of the ninth- to twelfth-grade math curriculum in the United States has students taking Algebra 1 in the ninth grade, Geometry in the tenth grade, Algebra 2 in the eleventh grade and an optional advanced math course (e.g. pre-calculus, statistics) in the twelfth grade. In this traditional setup, talented math students are given the opportunity to take Algebra 1 in the eighth grade, which allows them to take two or more years of advanced math before graduating from high school. In an effort to create more equitable access to advanced math courses, many districts are considering or …

Practices That Attribute To The Success Of Boys: A Study Of Title I Middle Schools In Texas, Laura L. Duhon

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

While it is commonly believed that boys are more successful than girls academically, research shows that boys are failing to thrive, academically, behaviorally, and socially. Boys comprise 70% of school suspensions as well as 80% of high school dropouts along with other alarming statistics. The purpose of this research study was to investigate approaches that contribute to the success of boys within six Title I middle schools located in various regions of Texas. These schools were selected based on state assessment (STAAR) scores where their male population was achieving the same or greater success as the females as measured by …

Chicago Public School Administrators' Experiences Implementing The Special Education Addendum, Aaron Rucker

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This qualitative case study examined the insights, thoughts, and perspectives that administrators in Chicago Public Schools experienced when implementing the district’s new Special Education Addendum. A strong emphasis was placed on the perceptions, feelings, and thoughts that principals and assistant principals employed when utilizing the addendum to evaluate teachers. Teacher evaluation is an essential component of teacher practice, providing a common language, expectations, and standards to improve teachers’ practice (Danielson & McGreal, 2000). This research provides narrative accounts that policymakers, politicians, and district supervisors can use to consult with principals as conversation starters to improve special education teachers' practice and …

Theme-Based Lessons: Teacher Perceptions Of A Theme-Based Approach And Its Influence On Student Engagement In Grades 3-8, Robin Penna-Baskinger

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this study was to explore how teachers in Grades 3-8 in one New Jersey school district perceive theme-based lessons on student level of engagement and teaching pedagogy when using their own initiatives to develop a theme-based approach. Research was conducted using a qualitative design to investigate the perceptions and observations of those directly involved in developing theme-based lessons in the classroom. Twelve participants, all experienced teachers within the district of study, participated in a pre-selection questionnaire and an interview process. Increased student engagement, good teaching practices, and teaching pedagogy were dominant themes in this study. The study …

Content Complexity In High School English: An Analysis Of Common Core State Standards And Past Massachusetts Curriculum, Mark Jarmon

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

There has been much debate about having standardized curricula content standards for all. Some have criticized state curriculum content standards for varying in quality by state. The purpose of this study was to compare content complexity as it appears within the high school English Language Arts Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the former state standards of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts English Language Arts Curriculum Framework (2001), in Grades 9–12. Webb’s Depth of Knowledge (DOK) was the framework through which the analysis for this study was conducted. Webb described four levels of DOK as they apply to English language arts specific …

Perceptions Of Middle School Math And Language Arts Teachers On High-Stakes Testing Cultures In Public Schools, Robert Daniello

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Instruction in public schools today is highly prescribed to meet state standards, which, in turn, prepare students for success on standardized assessments. Teachers in language arts and mathematics are being held accountable for standardized assessment results in their end-of-year, summative evaluations. The development of curriculum and delivery of instruction is being impacted and, most specifically, revised and paced according to skills required to demonstrate levels of proficiency on standardized assessments. No Child Left Behind (2001) changed the game for teachers and started the mandate of placing teacher accountability and evaluation on high-stakes tests. However, it was difficult to place a …

The Effectiveness Of Additional Guided Reading Instruction On Fourth Grade Reading Achievement In A Nj Urban School District Measured By Renaissance Star Reading And The Parcc, Wanda Kopic

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study examined if additional Guided Reading instruction increased the oral reading fluency and comprehension of fourth-grade students as measured by the Renaissance Star Reading and PARCC state assessment in a low-socioeconomic school district located in northern New Jersey. Propensity score matching was utilized to select the sample to provide a balanced sampling technique. The final sample was comprised of 12 participating schools which consisted of 374 fourth-grade students during the 2016-2017 school year. Three out of the 12 schools provided additional Guided Reading instruction in addition to the mandatory Guided Reading instruction during the literacy block. The variables that …

Black Mothers' Counter-Narratives Of Agency: A Pulse On Racism And Parent Involvement Strategies In Twenty First Century Schools, Sharnee N. Brown

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This qualitative study examined African American mothers’ perceptions of their children’s schools (public, charter, and private) within the context of institutional, structural, and individual racism. Employing qualitative techniques, interviews and focus groups of middle to lower working class Black mothers were conducted to explore their lived experiences with individual, institutional, and structural racism within American schools. The goal of this study was to learn how these mothers make meaning of the educational institutions that serve their children, the racial barriers they encountered and the strategies of contestation they employed in order to address these perceived barriers.

The results of the …

The Influence Of Mathematical-Instructional Minutes On The Percentage Of Proficient And Advanced Proficient Scores In Mathematics On The New Jersey Assessment Of Skills And Knowledge For Grades 6-8, Eric Walter Kosek

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this non-experimental, cross-sectional, correlational study was to examine the influence, if any, of mathematical-instructional minutes on academic achievement as measured by the 2014 New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJ ASK) 6, 7, and 8 mathematics scores. Additionally, the study accounted for other factors that influence student achievement, including selected metrics and variables listed on the 2013-2014 New Jersey School Performance Report. The variable of interest, mathematical-instructional minutes, was obtained via survey from all schools in New Jersey that educated students in Grades 6-8. The survey data were then matched with each responding school’s New Jersey …

An Analysis Of The Higher Order Thinking Requirements Of A Grade 8 Online-Based English Language Arts Skills Program, Paige D. Sydoruk

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Higher order thinking skills have been embedded into state teaching standards, including Standard 9 of the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards (NJCCCS) for 21st Century Life and Careers. These standards aim to encourage problem solving, critical thinking, reasoning, and real-world application in order to prepare students for the workplace and are expected to be embedded consistently in classroom practice and learning. With the promotion of Standard 9 in New Jersey schools, technology has become a paramount tool because of its multitude of capabilities. Over the years, private companies have begun developing online-based programs catered to building content area skills …

A Case Study: The Perceptions Of Teachers Of Urban Eighth-Grade At-Risk Students, In One Nj School District, Regarding The Classroom Factors That Facilitate And Inhibit At-Risk Student Motivation To Excel Academically, Tabina H. Adam

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of teachers of urban eighth-grade at-risk students in one New Jersey school district regarding the classroom factors that facilitate and inhibit at-risk student motivation to excel academically.

An interview protocol that included semi-structured, open-ended questions was utilized to capture the perceptions of 18 teachers of at-risk students in core content areas. Interview questions were designed in consultation with seminal research in the area of student motivation as well as Maslow’s (1943) Hierarchy of Needs. The latter also provided the conceptual framework through which the study’s findings were analyzed.

Rich …