Education Commons^™

Hakujin: A Narrative Of Multiraciality And Student Development Theory In The U.S., Jenna L. Matsumura

The Vermont Connection

No abstract provided.

Vermont's Sacred Cow: A Case Study Of Local Control Of Schools, Michael Steven Martin

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

ABSTRACT

When it comes to school governance, the concept of "local control" endures as a powerful social construct in some regions of the United States. In New England states, where traditional town meetings and small school districts still exist as important local institutions, the idea of local control is still an important element of policy considerations, despite increasing state and federal regulation of education in recent years.

With its small school districts and myriad governance structures, Vermont represents an extreme case example of the intersection between participatory democracy and the local control of schools. With nearly 285 school boards composed …

Everyone Is Anxious: A Narrative For Admissions Professionals, Students, And Parents, On College Admissions And Anxiety, Sarah Hecklau

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Written in the Scholarly Personal Narrative (SPN) style of writing, this thesis explores my personal experience as a college admissions counselor. It offers a reflection of my own college search and application experience, my perspective on the experience of today's high school students, and my professional experience working within an admissions office. The juxtaposition of these three perspectives alongside scholarly references on higher education, philosophy, and anxiety, provides a full-spectrum view of the college admissions process.

The core topic of this reflection is anxiety, and showing how each party experiences anxiety in the college search, application, and selection process. Other …

The Role Of Vulnerability In Athletics: Applications For Future Female Leaders In Combating Feelings Of Shame And Weakness, Melyssa Woods

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Growing up as fairly successful female-athlete, I have always felt somewhat undermined and frustrated when I take a look at the double-standards and social injustice compared to those male counterparts. When it comes to intercollegiate athletics, so much integrity has been lost because of this injustice, as well as the "win at all costs" mentality. Through my upbringing and the many positive experiences that came into play, however, I have been raised to uphold a strong level of integrity and live my life with honesty. By living and leading with authenticity, feelings of vulnerability and shame often come up. As …

The Effect Of Student Learning Objectives On Teachers And Teaching As Part Of The Teacher Evaluation Process: A Grounded Theory Study, Juliette Cavanaugh Longchamp

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Teacher evaluation is changing in the United States, primarily due to federal policies requiring that measures of student growth be embedded within teacher evaluation systems. Student Learning Objectives (SLOs) emerged as one way to measure teacher effectiveness. SLOs are teacher-developed goals for student achievement that reflect student learning and growth over a specified time period. Each state or district utilizing SLOs in teacher evaluation implements SLOs in a different way, and the details of SLO implementation affect the extent to which teaching is improved. This grounded theory research study investigated the influence of SLOs on teachers and teaching. The researcher …

How Cultural Capital, Habitus, And Social Capital Impacts Pell-Eligible Vermont Students In Navigating The Financial Systems Of Higher Education, Xavier De Freitas

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

With the US recovering from a recession, a college diploma has become more valuable to avoid unemployment. Despite a college degree's importance, the access to higher education is a challenge for lower income Pell-Eligible Vermont students. For the past three decades, higher education continues to rise in cost faster than family income. Cost is not only an inhibitor for Pell-Eligible Vermont students. The complexities of navigating the financial systems of higher education to acquire aid in order to make college obtainable is also an issue for Pell-Eligible students. In order to successfully navigate these systems, a Pell-Eligible student's habitus, cultural …

College Students' Development Of Civic Commitment: Experiences Of Service Learning Across The College Years, Kailee Ann Brickner-Mcdonald

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Functional democracy in a just society requires citizens who are complex thinkers and skilled, caring leaders. This study examines how undergraduate college students become committed citizens, the kind demanded by our changing world. In particular, it addresses the developmental and experiential factors that influence students' journeys of commitment to the public good, and how students understand their lived experiences integrating these diverse influences. Framed by my constructivist epistemology, I used the qualitative tradition of narrative inquiry to address these questions. I interviewed twelve highly engaged students about their experiences in diverse community-based work and learning over four years of college. …

Hiding In Plain Sight: How Binary Gender Assumptions Complicate Efforts To Meet Transgender Students' Name And Pronoun Needs, Dot Brauer

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Existing literature about transgender college students calls upon higher education organizations to support trans students' use of self-identified first names (in place of legal names, given at birth) and self-identified pronouns (in place of assumed pronouns based on sex assigned at birth, or other's perceptions of physical appearance), but that literature lacks guidance on how to achieve this work, which is deceptively complex. This study addressed this gap in the literature in two ways. First by using critical theory to show how hegemonic, binary notions of gender shape intellectual, social, and regulatory dimensions of higher education in ways that complicate …

Exploring The Reciprocal Relationship Between A Comprehensive Living-Learning Program And Institutional Culture: A Narrative Inquiry Case Study, Christopher Paul Marquart

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Over the past 50 years, living-learning programs (LLPs) have emerged as a dynamic curricular innovation in higher education. These programs are residentially based, seeking to seamlessly integrate the classroom and residence hall environments and blur the traditional boundaries between the academic and residential experiences for students (Kuh, 1996; Inkelas & Soldner, 2012). However, efforts to implement LLPs at some campuses have been met with resistance; this is not surprising, as institutions of higher education are often charged in part with preserving cultural and social norms, therefore making them naturally resistant to change (Shapiro & Levine, 1999). One of the most …

High School Principal Leadership For The Implementation Of A Personalized Proficiency Education Paradigm In The State Of Vermont, Jennifer Stainton

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

As of 2014, the State of Vermont adopted a policy package directing schools to implement a new way of educating and graduating students. Vermont’s Act 77 and Education Quality Standards require schools to identify specific skills and knowledge students must be proficient in to graduate and ensure each student has a personalized experience. Vermont’s tradition of local control means high school principals are leading change in their schools. How high school principals are understanding, valuing, and acting to lead the implementation of Vermont’s policies for personalized, proficiency-based education therefore varies by location. The purpose of this multiple case study was …