Education Commons^™

Transforming A System: Leadership To Implement An Intervention And Referral Services Process That Assists Teachers, Michael Lee

Theses and Dissertations

Improving instruction to meet diverse student needs via early, intensive, and continuing intervention is an essential part of a comprehensive strategy to serve all students now and to produce the graduates 21st century society requires. Yet, meaningful school reform with transforming leadership, innovative vision, conversations among teachers, and authentic student achievement still remains elusive today. Our limitations in putting new ideas into practice come not from a lack of will or effort, but, in part, from the influences of our personal stories, mental models, and an immunity to change. This action research study explores educators' perceptions and behaviors in implementing …

Promoting Emotional Intelligence In Adolescence Through Service-Learning, Maggy Hanna, Rosetta Treece

Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study addresses emotional intelligence (EI) development, through the implementation of service-learning curricula, in adolescents ages 13-18. An interrupted time series with non-equivalent multi-group design was used for this study. This design included multiple pre-tests, an application of a treatment, and post-tests at varying time interval to eliminate internal invalidity threats due to history and the instrumentation (Gay & Airasian, 2000; Shadish, Cook, & Campell, 2011). In this study, global trait EI scores were used to test the theory that engagement in service-learning can positively impact EI growth in teens in the middle and high school settings. The rationale …

A Feminist Investigation Of Gender Performance Through A Reflection On The Process Of Certification In A Nontraditional Educational Leadership Program, Kimberly Clark

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to better understand the role of gender performance for aspiring school leaders through a reflection of their journey through the administrative pipeline. The transformation of professional aspirations throughout and following the certification process and during employment was also analyzed. Finally, the appealing factors of a nontraditional administrative preparation program were evaluated to better understand the role of alternative licensure programs in advancing women school leaders. Using heuristic qualitative methods, 18 women graduates of New Jersey's Expedited Certification for Educational Leadership program participated in focus groups and 5 returned for individual interviews. Coding was employed …

A Case Study: The Implementation Of The English Language Arts Common Core State Standards In A Secondary School Setting, Adam Angelozzi

Theses and Dissertations

This study provides insight into the curriculum and policy implementation process of the English Language Arts (ELA) Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in a secondary high school setting. The most critical factor to successful implementation of both policy and curriculum involves instructional leadership that provides ongoing support and resources through knowledge- and capacity-building activities. McLaughlin (1976) describes that implementation of educational policy constitutes a mutually adaptive process between the policy implementers and the setting; accordingly, changes in relation to the originally intended outcomes occur across the organizational hierarchy and between policy actors (Anderson, 2011; Fullan, 2007; Sabatier & Mazmanian, 1980). …

The Role Of Principal Leadership In Special Education: A Delphi Study, Martha Simon

Theses and Dissertations

Changes in the New Jersey principal evaluation system coupled with the demands of leading programs for students with disabilities has resulted in the need for school principals to understand and apply leadership skills that will result in successful achievement for all students. The purpose of this qualitative Delphi study was to explore the behaviors, characteristics, skills, and knowledge elementary school principals identify as essential for leading and supporting successful special education programs in public elementary school settings. Twenty-six elementary school principals with a record of success in leading special education programs provided expert insights through three rounds of data collection …

Building Parent Support For Implementation Of Assessment For Learning ( A4 L ) At The High School Level, Sarah Highfill

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers articulate the positive effects of parental engagement with education. Networking with parents has become a recent focus for educational leaders working to enhance learning. With parent presence diminishing within secondary schools and emphasis on formative assessments rising, this study examined the possibility of family support to supplement the Assessment for Learning (A4L) reform implementation. Using an action research framework, four research questions were addressed. These included what attracts parents to support Assessment for Learning (A4L) reforms at the high school level, the value parents place on assessment reform, and what affects parent perceptions and influences their support of the …

High School Teachers' Mental Model Change As Related To Online Instructional Tools, James Cernansky

Theses and Dissertations

The mental model shift of high school teachers regarding instructional methods related to online instructional tools was examined in this ethnographic study. The actual change in instructional techniques was also examined. Ethnographic research design was employed using teacher interviews, teacher survey, classroom observations, and lesson plan examination. The study took place at a comprehensive public high school in the mid-Atlantic region with approximately 1900 students and 200 staff members. The researcher found that a positive mental model change did occur after one year of a one-to-one iPad initiative. Teachers reported that they used online instructional tools to motivate their students …

Data Driven Decision Making: Data Interplay Within A High School District, Chris Heilig

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this single embedded case study was to examine how a district data team coordinated by the central office influenced the data driven culture in the district's schools that receive Title I funding. The conceptual framework is centered on conducting the process of data driven decision-making through collaborative leadership and data analysis for the purpose of educational change. The research questions guided the investigation to discover how teachers and administrators are using data to make decisions, their perception of data driven decision-making, and the impact made by central office and building leadership to initiate the change to a …

More Than A Personality Match? High School Administrator Views On The Process, Factors Relevant, And Effectiveness Of The Selection Of Cooperating Teachers, Julie Lickfelt Pavlini

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the factors perceived relevant to high school administrators in selecting cooperating teachers in English, math, and science. Qualitative research techniques were used; themes from the data were organized by the research questions and analyzed through the conceptual framework of Charlotte Danielson's Framework for Effective Teaching. This study included semi-structured interview probes and two activity components.

All five participants were complimentary of their school's cooperating teacher selection process and identified several traits and factors as important in selecting cooperating teachers: commitment to professional development and continuous learning, enthusiasm for teaching, varied but not …

A Thematic Plan To Promote College And Career Aspirations For Low Socioeconomic Status Students, Althea Kelsey-Chism

Theses and Dissertations

Research has suggested higher education is the most prominent way to ensure mobility from one socioeconomic status to another (Siff, 2006). Just as important is the development of the educational aspirations of low socioeconomic status (SES) students; this is called the predisposition stage (Brown v. the Board of Education, 1954; Perna & Swail, 2001; Walpole, 2003; Wilt, 2006). While much has been written on the subject of higher education of low SES student, Hossler and Gallagher (1987) discuss a three-phase college choice model that precludes the higher education of low SES students. The predisposition stage, as the first stage is …

An Exploratory Investigation Of Gender Discrimination Against School Psychologists, Samantha Hug

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this explanatory investigation was to A) investigate the general attitudes towards genders typically in a school based setting, B) examine if the report quality ratings will be significantly higher when the report is written by a male than by a female, and C) explore if there will be significant differences in report quality ratings based on the gender of the author/school psychologist. An analysis of the current literature on this topic displays implication that gender does play a role in acceptance toward certain viewpoints in certain settings. In order to effectively investigate these attitudes, data was collected …

Latino Emergent Bilingual Students' Experiences With The Middle School Transition, Kerry Pecho

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis reports the findings of a qualitative study that examined how Latino emergent bilingual students anticipate and experience the transition from a bilingual elementary school program to middle school. Sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students who were native Spanish-speakers participated in focus group discussions. Overall, participants described positive transition experiences, and much of the content was not unique to these students (e.g., feeling nervous, looking forward to more activities). Other content, though, revealed transition experiences that may be unique to this population (e.g., dramatic shift in ethnic and linguistic backgrounds of peers). Participants' responses suggested that they experience a …

An Exploration Of The Lived Social, Emotional, And Academic Experiences Of Obese Adolescents Within Three Conceptual Frameworks Using Mixed Methods Research, Julie Benavides

Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore the experiences of obese adolescents and to investigate middle and high school students' attitudes toward obese students. During phase one, quantitative data was collected through the Attitude Toward Obese Persons (ATOP) survey. The survey research sample was 1448 middle and high school students. The quantitative data was analyzed through cross gender and grade level comparisons. Results indicated both female and male students in middle school and high school have a slightly positive attitude toward obese students. During phase two, qualitative data was collected through focus groups with 5 middle …

Anti-Bullying Bill Of Rights Act (Abbra) In New Jersey: A Case Study Of The Implementation Of Regulatory Policy, Kara Douma

Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate year two of the implementation of the New Jersey Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act (ABBRA). The environment of accountability has become increasingly prominent through the ongoing development of regulatory policy in the field of education (Anderson, 2011; Fowler, 2009; Limber & Small, 2003; Peterson & West, 2003; Rudalevige, 2003; United States Department of Education, 2011; White House, 2011). This investigation focused on the gap between crafted policy and implementation of policy due to prior anti-bullying legislation throughout the country having been unsuccessful in the implementation phase (Glover, Cartwright, Gough, & Johnson, …

District Size And Implementation Of High School School Improvement Grants, Marla Robinson

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation employs organizational theory, the history of school reform, the role school district leadership, and the impact of district size to provide a foundation for study of high school reform implemented in twenty high schools with histories of academic challenges. The Federal Department of Education School Improvement Grant Program was created to financially support reform in persistently failing schools. The schools in this study are all located in the same Midwestern state; however, they have wide-ranging student enrollments and are located in suburban, urban, rural, and metropolitan school districts of differing sizes. The mixed method study includes two phases. …

Measuring The Efficacy And Quality Of A Professional Development Training On Prejudice Reduction And Reflective Practice: Transforming The Delivery Of Change Through Collective Insight And Informed Action, Berdine Gordon-Littrean

Theses and Dissertations

The overall objective of school improvement planning is an enhanced level of student achievement through an enhanced leadership framework and successfully implemented program. The improvement plan process requires focus on specific priorities to effect real change. The purpose of this action research study was to provide professional training as part of a continuum change initiative. The study analyzed the salient factors or areas of critical concern, impacting prejudice and controversial issues settings. These variables included levels of leadership, and significance of the following: diversity of identity and experiences, stereotyping, internalized oppression, building pride and capacity, becoming allies, making commitments to …

Students With Disabilities: Making Idea Transition Services Work, Rhonda Sutton

Theses and Dissertations

Students with disabilities are less prepared to meet the challenges of adulthood, more likely to continue to live with their parents after high school, and engage in fewer social activities (Burgstahler & Kim-Rupnow, 2001). For many of these students, transition services are not being implemented and monitored as mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), therefore, the probability for a successful transition from high school to adulthood for these students is severely jeopardized. Transition planning is a formal process of long-range cooperative planning that will assist students with disabilities to successfully move from school into the adult world …

Understanding The Role Of Post-Secondary Coaches In High Schools: A Social Capital Analysis, Lynne Haeffele

Theses and Dissertations

The research problem for this study was to understand the role of a new category of institutional agents, post-secondary coaches in high schools, who facilitate students' college readiness. This comparative case study focused on two post-secondary coaches in two high schools participating with a university in a state-funded grant project to improve college readiness. Data collection included structured interviews with coaches, students, and other school and external personnel; written descriptions by coaches of how they do their jobs; observations with field notes taken while shadowing coaches; and relevant documents, websites and artifacts. Data analysis involved both open coding and the …

Transformative Education: Culture-Based Pedagogies In Urban, Predominately Black American Elementary Schools, Robin Harden-Daniels

Theses and Dissertations

Problems facing Black American students in underfunded urban schools continue to threaten the viability of public education for this and other nontraditional student populations. These problems, along with the growing diversity of American children, prompt a reexamination of extant data on the practices associated with the effective teaching of Black American students. This meta-ethnography illuminates the findings of four case studies and then explores their implications for teaching. By looking through the lens of critical race theory, this study explores how effective teachers use culture-based instruction to better engage Black American students in the process of learning. Findings identify core …

Reading Pedagogy In Today's Classroom, Maria Beeman-Rygalski

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study is to investigate the phenomenon of successful primary classroom teachers' instruction, in the area of reading pedagogy. All children who are capable of reading must be taught how to read; such is the essential responsibility of American schooling. Moats (1999) describes reading as the most basic, yet critical responsibility of schooling. Haycock (1998), Marzano (2003), and Nye, Konstantopulos, and Hedges (2004) determined that the influence of an effective teacher has the biggest impact on student achievement, independent of anything else that happens in school. There is little research linking evidence of teacher perceptions, knowledge …