Education Commons^™

Classroom Teachers' Formative Data Use For Instructional Decision-Making Within Tiered Academic Interventions, Michelle R. Murphy

Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study investigated current data-based instructional decision-making (DBIDM) practices of K-3 general education teachers implementing a MTSS/RTI model to address students’ academic needs. A thirty-item electronic survey was designed to examine and measure aspects of K-3 general education teachers’ formative data use and perceptions in relation to their DBIDM practices including their experience, knowledge, training, school-based supports, and the impact on student learning. Data were obtained from K-3 general education teachers within 35 primary and elementary schools across four South Carolina school districts identified as implementing RTI district-wide (in all primary and elementary schools) and school-wide (at each grade …

Are Gay-Straight Alliances Working ? Advisor's Perceived Role Of And Level Of Success Of Gsas In Combatting The Bullying Epidemic In South Carolina, Jason Paul Bagley

Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological, ethnographic, collective case study examined the effectiveness of Gay-Straight Alliances in public high schools in South Carolina in reducing or eradicating aggression and bullying towards LGBTQ students through the lenses of both queer and critical theories within a framework of social justice. The current study investigated the perceptions of experts and GSA faculty advisors regarding the success of the clubs in reducing or eliminating bullying in South Carolina high schools. The investigation stemmed from the perceived discrepancy between literature on GSAs, which reports that the clubs contribute to a more positive school climate, positive effects on LGBTQ youth, …

Motivation Towards Success: A Qualitative Comparative Case Study Illustrating The Differences In Motivating Factors In Achievement Between Low Ses High Achieving And Low Achieving African American High School Females, Ashanti C. Friels

Theses and Dissertations

For years educators have made attempts to explain the effects of poverty on student achievement. Many have set out to explore methods for better helping students with limited resources succeed academically, thus bridging the achievement gap between these students and their financially stable counterparts. The ultimate combination of poverty and race/ethnicity define major sources of disadvantage in educational outcomes (Maruyama, 2003). Viewing this from a racial standpoint places African American students at the receiving end of low achievement as a result of low socioeconomic status.

The missing thread that could potentially pull this together exists among the population of impoverished …

Who Are They ? A Case Study Of Community Health Worker (Chw) Programs In Primary Health Care, Constance Renee Williams Shepard

Theses and Dissertations

Community health workers (CHW) programs are an important emerging strategy to address the rising cost of health care, the shortage of healthcare staff, and the lack of accessible, affordable and quality health care (Sanders & Lehmann, 2007; WHO, 2010; CDC, 2012). The American Public Health Association (APHA) defines community health worker (CHWs) as frontline public health workers, trusted members of their communities and individuals that have a unique understanding of the people and communities they serve. CHWs develop trusting relationships that enable them to serve as an intermediary between healthcare, social services providers, and community members. By doing so, they …

Understanding The Call Of Social Justice Advocacy: A Phenomenological Study Of High School Counselors, Leonis S. Wright

Theses and Dissertations

Advocacy has always been an integral component of effective school counseling (Field & Baker, 2004), however now more than ever, due to a growing diversified society and the specific needs of students who are considered marginalized, school counselors have been identified as key persons to serve as social justice advocates for all students. The identification of school counselors in this phenomenon is an effort to level the educational playing field by ensuring that each student receives just and equitable access to a quality education. Subsequently, to validate the importance of the advocacy role for school counselors and to ensure school …

Self Perception In The Eyes Of A Child: Exploring How The Development Of Children As Thinkers Relates To The Ways In Which They Self Define And Ascribe To Social Groups, Laura Elizabeth Dean

Senior Theses

This thesis explores the social emotional development of children in the preoperational and concrete operational stages of cognitive development and their relationship to themes such as friendship, race, and gender. Through an analysis of the ideas of educational theorists Piaget, Bronfenbrenner, and Erikson and a research study with kindergarteners and third graders in a local school, the development of social concepts is examined. From these findings comes an exploration of how the development of these social and emotional concepts require more exposure in the early childhood education curriculum.