A Case Study: School Professionals’ Perspectives On Students Exiting Middle School Entering An Achievement High School, Joy Davis Lee

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Each year approximately 1.3 million students dropout of high school and an estimated 40% of minority students do not graduate on time (Roybal, Thornton, & Usinger, 2014). In high school, 22% of students repeat 9th-grade classes because students fail to make a smooth transition. This gives the 9th-grade the highest enrollment rate and the highest dropout rate (McCallumore & Sparapani, 2010). In an effort to increase high school graduation rates, the Peabody County Public School District created Achievement schools, an initiative to recruit highly effective administrators, teachers and staff members to support students with the highest academic and nonacademic needs. …

Teacher Development In Promising School Turnaround Efforts, Andrew Swanson

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The study was developed to examine the teacher development efforts utilized by leaders of lowperforming schools that had shown promising gains in student achievement. A researchercreated quantitative survey sent to school leaders in one state was utilized to analyze the perceived use and effectiveness of various teacher development efforts in supporting student achievement gains at their schools. Overall, the results showed school leaders focused heavily on teacher development to support their school turnaround efforts and that teacher development was effective in improving student achievement. Classroom walk-throughs were found to be an integral strategy in school turnaround and the results also …

Effective Approaches In Reducing Reading Discrepancy Scores Between Students In General Education And Special Education, Jeannine M. Butler Ed.D., Karee O. Nasser Ed.D.

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

This research study examined curricular and instructional approaches that help students who receive special education services meet common Illinois state standards as measured by annual state standardized testing. Despite having supportive accommodations and modifications, Illinois students who receive special education services have lagged behind their general education peers in meeting academic standards as measured by annual Illinois state testing. Participants included personnel from schools that were identified as being high performing while also having the smallest discrepancy between students in general education and special education. These schools were investigated to determine what approaches they use to have this reduced achievement …

Exploring The Role Of Collective Teacher Efficacy In Closing Achievement Gaps: A Review Of An Urban District Model School Program, Folusho B. Abayomi

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

Abstract

Urban Academy is one of Urban Diverse School Board (UDSB)’s model schools situated in Ontario, Canada. A model school program was created to provide students with equitable access to resources and learning opportunities. Despite UDSB’s commitment to equity and inclusion, this urban school continues to experience persistent achievement gaps when aggregate data are analyzed. Based on student data, the achievement gap has been strongly connected to demographic factors such as low socioeconomic status (SES) of the parents. Educators’ beliefs and assumptions of low SES as an external factor posit achievement as a dilemma beyond teachers’ control. This Organizational Improvement …

The Effects Of 1:1 Technology On African American Students' Achievement In Algebra And English, Chad Bryan Wolf

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Many educational leaders have questioned whether the increased availability of technology in classrooms helps to increase student achievement and narrow the persistent achievement gap between African American and White students in the United States. School leaders have made large investments to provide every student with an Internet-capable mobile device. These 1:1 initiatives have grown in popularity in the U.S., and specifically in Texas. The research on 1:1 technology programs, however, has been mixed and sometimes contradictory. The purpose of this study was to determine if a 1:1 technology program increased student achievement for African American students and if it …

Teachers’ Beliefs About English Learners: Adding Linguistic Support To Enhance Academic Rigor, Audrey Figueroa Murphy

Curriculum & Instruction Faculty Publications

A persistent achievement gap for English learners (ELs) has prompted educators to search for contributing factors and pedagogical solutions. Our research shows teachers’ beliefs about rigor of curriculum may contribute to the problem; teachers supported less rigorous curriculum for ELs, evincing a “rigor gap” likely to exacerbate the EL achievement gap. We suggest that systematic analysis of the linguistic demands of classroom tasks can facilitate the design of appropriate linguistic supports, allowing ELs to engage in academically rigorous instruction comparable to that afforded English-proficient students. Counteracting the rigor gap as such has promise to ameliorate the EL achievement gap.

A Document Analysis Of Leadership Language That Enhances Family-School Collaboration In Efforts To Narrow The Achievement Gap, Andrew Johnson, Daryl Wright

Educational and Organizational Learning and Leadership Dissertations

Complex problems such as the achievement gap need to be presented to all the stakeholders in the school community to utilize their combined expertise. This requires a specific language to encourage all the stakeholders in the process. Effective leaders achieve this through the principles of transformative leadership by communicating in a way that motivates, challenges, and encourages cooperation. This qualitative comparative case study utilized a document analysis to understand the barriers and solutions to family–school collaboration and leadership solutions to narrow the achievement gap in a highly resourced district. This district recently passed an equity initiative that called for the …

Supporting Self-Efficacy Through After-School Progamming, Rene' J. Alford

Education Projects

Over the years, much attention has come to the disproportionate achievement of minority students versus their other race peers. Although many initiatives have been implemented across the nation to address the achievement gap, our school systems still show a considerable difference in student achievement, specifically between White and Black subgroups. Although varying from school district to school district, White students across the country continue to score almost two grade levels higher than Black students on average (Barshay, 2019). To address this issue, school systems are realigning professional development practices to reflect more culturally responsive instruction, moving to a mentality that …

Eliminating Achievement And Opportunity Gaps: Supporting Black Girls As Mathematicians, Carolyn Fitzpatrick

Graduate Teacher Education

The research examined achievement and opportunity gaps for Black girls in the discipline of mathematics. Initiatives for mathematics programs were emphasized in secondary schools to encourage students to pursue degrees and careers in mathematics for economic advancement but failed to include certain minority groups. Researchers found underrepresentation of Black girls and women in mathematics programs, at the secondary and post-secondary level, and mathematics-related careers. Upon further investigation, researchers concluded there were achievement and opportunity gaps for Black girls in mathematics. This study was unique from other achievement studies that focused solely on gender or race because of Black girls’ double …

Repaying The Education Debt Through Professional Development: An Equity Audit, Jenai Choi, Britney D. Holmes, Todd Martinez-Simmons

Educational and Organizational Learning and Leadership Dissertations

Dr. Ladson-Billings has reframed the commonly understood achievement gap as an education debt that is owed to all students, especially Black and Brown students. Research suggests the difference in achievement as measured by assessment, attendance, and graduation is marked by racial lines. One-way school districts have tried to address race-based injustices is by providing equity-focused professional development (PD) for district employees. This is a qualitative critical case study focused on understanding how a school district located in Western, Washington is working toward creating a more equitable education for all students. The research team used components of an equity audit to …

Racial Profiling In Education: A Study Of Teacher Perceptions Of Students In Special Education, Cairen D. Ireland

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

African American males have performed near the bottom of the educational hierarchy in America for centuries. Though some improvements have been noted in the last several decades, educational statistics illustrate the achievement gap still persists between African American and White students (Hanushek, 2016). Disaggregated data show disparities in academic performance, high school drop-out rates, and college completion rates. African American males as early as kindergarten are also facing harsher discipline in schools and Black boys are often excluded from gifted and advanced placement courses and other educational opportunities (Howard, 2010). Yet, this population is over-referred and overrepresented in special education, …

Conscientization And Leadership: A Study Of Latina Principals, Elizabeth Beltran

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

Demographics in American urban cities have been steadily changing over the last few decades and are on their way to becoming more ethnically diverse than ever. Cities in the southwestern region of the United States are increasingly becoming primarily Latino (Mellom, Straubhaar, Balderas, Ariail, & Portes, 2018). This demands the need for a reflective and critical view of the schooling system in this region and how it serves the needs of the Latino communities. This dissertation makes a case for the need to push against mainstream educational practices that are imposed on school systems by lawmakers, capitalist corporations, and philanthropist, …

Elementary School Principals’ Instructional Leadership Practices Supporting Academically Marginalized Students, Stacy Lynette Parker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The research problem addressed in this qualitative case study is the need to understand elementary school principals' instructional leadership practices supporting academically marginalized students. Instructional leadership practices to "close the achievement gap" are imperative to document, so that best practices can be highlighted and disseminated among educational institutions that face similar challenges. The conceptual framework of the principal instructional management theory is used to explore instructional leadership through 3 dimensions: managing the instructional program, defining the school mission, and fostering academic achievement. Semistructured interviews and thematic analysis were conducted to collect and analyze data from 11 elementary principals in response …

Strategies Aimed At Helping African American Male Students Succeed In United States Secondary Schools: A Metasynthesis, Chibuzo N. Azinge-Walton

Theses and Dissertations

The persistent disparity in graduation rates between Black and White male students in U.S. secondary schools (the achievement gap) despite repeated efforts to even it out, is a thorn in the flesh of educators, the country over. The elimination of this continuous disparity through viable solutions, is the focus of this study. A problem is ninety percent solved when it thoroughly understood, with its comprehension necessitating a large investment of thought, time, and resources (Einstein, 1879-1955). To fully grasp the inner pinning of the achievement gap dilemma, this researcher selected, read, and reviewed 50 subject matter-related archived articles/studies obtained from …

Using Preschool To Close The Socioeconomic Math Achievement Gap, Sydney King

Senior Honors Theses

Socioeconomic status (SES) heavily influences students’ academic performance, creating an achievement gap in core subjects like reading and mathematics. This thesis will describe the socioeconomic achievement gap as it relates to mathematics specifically, discuss the problem’s causes, and propose how preschool programs should be implemented more prevalently as a solution to close the gap. Children with low socioeconomic statuses enter school with lower math proficiency due to their limited math exposure in their early years and the quality of their home learning environments. This thesis will propose an expansion of preschool programs as a solution to this problem to help …