Education Commons^™

A Case Study Of Three Rural Schools: Factors, Characteristics, And Conditions That Influence School Performance Scores, Jacqueline L. Mason

Doctoral Dissertations

The purposes of this study were to explore three rural Louisiana PK-12 schools with high percentages of minority and high poverty populations and to examine how activities, conditions, events, policies, and procedures in these schools might be associated with their consistent growth in School Performance Scores across the period 2001-2005. Qualitative data were collected from individual interviews, researcher observations, focus groups, and analyses of school documents. Constant comparison theory was used to triangulate data across the three schools and to identify emerging themes and patterns common to all schools. The study was one of mixed methods; most of the data …

The Evolution Of Quality Assurance In Higher Education, C Barnabas Charles

Faculty Working Papers from the School of Education

Based on the historical foundations of American higher education, there are a number of references in the literature to important milestones relating to institutional quality and accountability, particularly with regard to program review, evaluation, assessment and accreditation. And even though accreditation did not exist as we know it in higher education’s earliest history, it is still possible to identify those developments that were precursors to contemporary practices in accreditation and assessment. Through the use of appropriate citation of researchers and writers on the issues of institutional quality and accountability, this article critically discusses how these early developments influenced the growth …

An Evolving Change In Public Schools: An Assessment Of Teachers' And Administrators' Perceptions And Classroom Changes Concerning High-Stakes Testing., Selena Marie Kiser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The intent of this study was to investigate changes in the curriculum caused by high-stakes testing mandates within 3 Southwest Virginia school systems to find best practices for instructional application in classrooms. This qualitative study was comprised of indepth interviews and observations with elementary school teachers and administrators. High-stakes testing has impacted the nation in myriad ways. The mandates from the government presented teachers and administrators with conditions that must be met according to the No Child Left Behind Act and individual state's standards. Teachers' perceptions of curriculum changes, Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP), testing mandates according to high-stakes testing, and …

Edward W. Chance Dissertation Award: A Case Study: Leadership And Its Effect On Achievement Of Children From Poverty In A Rural Setting, Marilyn Dishman Horst, Barbara N. Martin

The Rural Educator

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceived effectiveness of leadership in a Missouri rural K-8 school with a high incidence of poverty that consistently met federal and state accountability mandates. The concepts of accountability as measured by student achievement, the unique educational needs of children from poverty, and the challenges of the rural school location were viewed through the lens of leadership. Ten practices of leadership that lead to consistent student achievement were suggested. They include integrity and courage, focus and vision, expectations and data evaluation, resources and empowerment, role modeling, and collaboration. Implications of this study …

All Children Are Our Children, Tania Giordani

Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to talk to parents who “fight attitudes and perceptions that date back centuries and a school system whose resistance to change is unparalleled” (Fine, 1993, p. 692) and see how they persevere as they try to transform this system. Narrative inquiry, using semi-structured interviews, was used to explore the common characteristics and motivations of parents who are advocating for changes within their children’s school. All the participants in this study were mothers of children enrolled in public schools.

The findings suggest that these women are: (1) influenced by others who have a legacy of …

Evaluating Classroom Dialogue Reconciling Internal And External Accountability, Megan Laverty, Maughn Gregory

Department of Educational Foundations Scholarship and Creative Works

In this article we present an instrument to be used by students and professors to evaluate classroom dialogue. We begin with an explanation of the classroom community of inquiry and why we value it as a pedagogical approach. We then describe our different reasons for evaluating classroom dialogue — including institutional, professional and pedagogical accountability — and describe the inherent conflicts among these reasons. We explain how our evaluation instrument was designed to ameliorate these conflicts. We recount a number of theoretical and practical problems we encountered in designing and implementing the instrument and explain how we attempted to overcome …

Central Florida High School Principals' Perceptions Of The Florida School Indicators Report, William Gaught

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the perceptions that central Florida public high school principals had regarding the Florida School Indicators Report (FSIR) and its usefulness. The FSIR, published by the Florida Education, was designed to be a comprehensive, single source document for parents, lawmakers, and school administrators to compare key performance indicators to similar schools or districts state wide. It provided information on 74 different indicators of school or district performance. A total of 70 public high school principals from 13 central Florida school districts responded to a postal survey and provided their perceptions regarding the importance …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Fourth Grade Teachers' Perceptions Of The Impact Of The New Jersey Ask4 Testing On Instructional And Assessment Practices, Barbara A. Pepe

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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A Descriptive Study Of Data-Driven Decision-Making Practices Of A School District In An Era Of Accountability, Anna Tihin

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Accountability, Equity, And Practitioner Learning And Change, Estela M. Bensimon, Rueda Robert, Alicia Dowd, Frank Harris

Frank Harris III

Accountability and evidence-based decision-making have become the mantra of government polilcymakers, and even private foundations. Yet most attempts to foster cultures of evidence have not brought about change in Practices, notably because they are treated as management tools rather than learning processes. Equity for All is an approach to accountability that is grounded on the principles of practice theory and sociocultural theories of learning. The authors provide empirical evidence to illustrate practitioner learning.