Education Commons^™

The Presence Of Correlates Of Effective Schools In Select Minnesota Charter Schools With Longevity, Frank Herman

Culminating Projects in Education Administration and Leadership

Abstract

Minnesota enacted the nation’s first charter public school law in 1991. Since that time, the charter school movement has grown in Minnesota and across the United States. In Minnesota alone there are 165 charter schools operating according to the Minnesota Association of Charter Schools in the school year 2016-2017. The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (NAPCS) reported that there were more than 6,700 public charter schools enrolling about 2.9 million student nationally in the 2015-16 school year.

Since state statute defines charter schools as public schools funded by the state of Minnesota, and represent taxpayer investment, there is …

A View From Within: A School Founder's View Of Educating Children From The Inside Out, Allison B. Slade

Dissertations

The media and political affiliations often color the view of charter schools within different sectors of the community. However, there is no argument that there is much to be done improve achievement in our public school systems across the country, especially those who educate high numbers of often marginalized populations. This study looks at one charter school in Chicago, Illinois, which has a focused mission and vision to “Educate Children from the Inside Out.” It examines the school through the social science portraiture method. Data collection includes interviews with current and former staff and students, observations, review of school documents, …

A Case Study Of A Charter School That Is Beating The Odds Of The Achievement Gap, David Green

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this project was, what one charter school was doing to excel at narrowing the achievement gap. In this study, the author examines the systems in place at a charter school that enrolls predominantly, low-income, African-American students. The surrounding district where this charter school is located shares similar student demographics, however, based on the state’s standardized test scores and proficiency and growth scores, the district is struggling to narrow the achievement gap. This study shows that this charter school is beating the odds, and showing significant gains in narrowing the achievement gap. A thorough review of …

How Can An Effective Parent Outreach Program Impact Literacy Achievement And Foster A Community Network At An Urban Charter School?, Anne C. Weisheipl

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone identifies the process of creating a family literacy program to support literacy growth. The research question addressed in this project was, How can an effective parent outreach program impact literacy achievement and foster a community network at an urban charter school? It documents a teacher's creation of a family literacy program that builds literacy communities through school-home partnerships and literacy activities. The author documents the process of creating a family literacy program following researched methods that validate the creation of the curriculum. The results of the research help focus the capstone on two very important aspects of school-home …

Factors To Consider Before Choosing A Single Gender Classroom In An Elementary School Setting, Jade Phillips

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this project was, what factors should parents consider before choosing a single gender classroom for their child? The author researched biological differences of boys and girls as found by Dr. Leonard Sax as well as perceptions and realities of boys and girls who have been exposed to single gender classrooms as seen in work by Rosemary Salomone and Michael Gurian. Qualitative and Quantitative research was conducted and the author discovered that students and teachers unanimously disagree with single gender classrooms for a variety of reasons.

Educator's Technology Integration Barriers And Student Technology Preparedness As 21st Century Professionals, Joy Anne Pine-Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Millions of dollars have been spent to acquire educational computing tools, and many education, government, and business leaders believe that investing in these computing tools will improve teaching and learning. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether charter school educators face technological barriers hindering them from incorporating technology into their classrooms. If they experienced self-efficacy issues integrating technology in their classrooms and if they believed their students were technologically prepared as 21st century professionals. A 5-point Likert scale survey, validated by a pilot study, was completed by 61 charter high school teachers. Their responses were analyzed, scores …

Silent Policy Feedback Through School Choice, Catherine Cecchini Little-Hunt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Increasing numbers of Florida parents are withdrawing their children from traditional public schools in highly-rated school districts to enroll them in tuition-free, startup, charter schools. Since not all parents have equal access or are as equally motivated to elect school choice alternatives, the fiscal sustainability of the traditional public school system is at risk. Using Schattschneider's policy feedback process as a model, the purpose of this research was to gain an in depth understanding of the role policy perception plays on the decision-making process by parents. Data for this qualitative single-case study were collected through interviews with 8 charter school …