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Full-Text Articles in Education

A Program Evaluation Of A Community College’S New Faculty Seminar, Kari Mclean Proft Jan 2020

A Program Evaluation Of A Community College’S New Faculty Seminar, Kari Mclean Proft

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A community college (CC) in the midwestern United States launched a New Faculty Seminar (NFS) in 1999 for new tenure-track faculty. The problem that prompted this project study is that the NFS has been implemented yearly since 1999 without a formal evaluation. Without an evaluation plan, college leadership cannot determine whether the program is meeting stated goals. The purpose of this program evaluation was to explore how faculty described the NFS inputs and processes they experienced and how they perceived the outcomes and impact of the NFS on their understanding of the CC environment and the development of their instructional …


Mathematics Teacher Perceptions Of Lesson Design, Data Reflection, And Achievement In Professional Learning Communities, Vicki Mashelle Bridges Jan 2019

Mathematics Teacher Perceptions Of Lesson Design, Data Reflection, And Achievement In Professional Learning Communities, Vicki Mashelle Bridges

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In a north Texas school district, district administrators were concerned that mathematics scores at the target middle school have fallen below the state average since 2010. Despite professional development (PD) provided by the district, administrators believed that teachers were not using professional learning community (PLC) data reflection practices to improve mathematics performance. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore middle school teachers' as well as the administrative dean's perceptions of the levels of depth regarding teacher dialogue and collaboration related to mathematics instruction, classroom delivery strategies, data analysis of student performance, and lesson design within PLCs. The …


Effects Of Race And Gender On Probability Of Juvenile Delinquency Leading To Recidivism, Britney Latoya Smith Jan 2018

Effects Of Race And Gender On Probability Of Juvenile Delinquency Leading To Recidivism, Britney Latoya Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Studies have shown that U.S. juvenile recidivism rates range from 50% to 80%, and many risk factors have been associated with adolescent delinquency and recidivism. The purpose of this cross-sectional correlational study was to evaluate the Future Generation mentoring program's effectiveness by examining the relationships between race and gender (independent variables) and youth progress (dependent variable). The Future Generation mentoring program is a pseudonym for the actual program to help protect confidentiality and anonymity of the organization. Juvenile progress was measured by how well a youth met their goals. Youth progress was classified as successful, progressing, or unsuccessful in relation …


Rural Colorado Drug Courts: A Program Evaluation Of Two Different Modalities, Arthur Kleinschmidt Kleinschmidt Jan 2017

Rural Colorado Drug Courts: A Program Evaluation Of Two Different Modalities, Arthur Kleinschmidt Kleinschmidt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to the Colorado Judicial Branch, 78 problem-solving courts operate in the 20 judicial districts in Colorado. The Summit County and Eagle County drug court programs are located in Colorado's Fifth Judicial District and have not been previously studied. Evaluating treatment programs for effectiveness contributes to social change because it ensures individuals in need of treatment are receiving the proper services. The Eagle County drug court program had 117 participants and the Summit County drug court program had 33 participants. The Summit County Drug Court used 2 cognitive behavioral therapies: moral reconation therapy and strategies for self-improvement and change. The …


Program Evaluation Of A Competency-Based Online Model In Higher Education, Karen Digiacomo Jan 2017

Program Evaluation Of A Competency-Based Online Model In Higher Education, Karen Digiacomo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In order to serve its nontraditional students, a university piloted a competency-based program as alternative method for its students to earn college credit. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to conduct a summative program evaluation to determine if the program was successful in order to make decisions about program revision and expansion. The conceptual framework for the study was grounded in Knowles's adult learning theory and Bandura's social learning theory as they relate to adult learners being self-directed and self-motivated to complete their educational goals. The pilot program involved 60 students taking 12 different courses over 3 semesters. Quantitative …


Teacher Perceptions Of Head Start Preschool Programs In An Urban Public School, Salvador Perez Jan 2017

Teacher Perceptions Of Head Start Preschool Programs In An Urban Public School, Salvador Perez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An initiative to coordinate early learning programs across a major city in the Midwestern United States was undertaken in 2013. The opinions of teachers regarding effects on instruction and children were not included in the development and implementation of the program. This omission is important because multiple scholars have pointed to the benefits and need of including stakeholders' perspectives in program development. The purpose of this study was to explore preschool teachers' experiences and perspectives of this initiative using a qualitative bounded instrumental case study design. Fullan's theory of educational change served as the framework of this study. Nine preschool …


An Evaluation Of Champs For Classroom Management, Vernessa Evans Jan 2016

An Evaluation Of Champs For Classroom Management, Vernessa Evans

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teacher education programs focus on preparing teachers to instruct students, but they usually do not focus on preparing teachers to manage students’ behavior, which may prevent teachers from providing effective instruction. This project study evaluated a classroom behavior management model, CHAMPS, designed to help teachers manage student behavior so they can focus their time and energy on instruction and student success. Positive Behavior Systems (PBS), used in the field of behavioral management, served as the theoretical foundation for this study. The evaluation design followed Stufflebeam’s (2003) Context, Input, Process, and Product (CIPP) by employing the outcome-based approach, which evaluated the …


Fresh Fruits And Vegetables In A Rural Elementary School: A Mixed-Methods Program Evaluation, Patricia Marie Moore Jan 2016

Fresh Fruits And Vegetables In A Rural Elementary School: A Mixed-Methods Program Evaluation, Patricia Marie Moore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program is a federally funded program intended to increase public school students' fruit and vegetable consumption. The purpose of this mixed-method study was to evaluate the implementation of this program at a rural southwestern Title 1 elementary school to determine teacher perceptions of the program and whether the program met federal goals. Social ecological model and social cognitive theory grounded the investigation. The mixed method design included semi-structured interviews with 11 teachers accompanied by an anonymous web-based open response questionnaire and document reviews. Descriptive statistics were reported for Likert scale survey items and invoice documents …


A Regression Analysis Of A Local Freshman Interest Group Program At A Public University, Faith Christine Graham Jan 2016

A Regression Analysis Of A Local Freshman Interest Group Program At A Public University, Faith Christine Graham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Freshmen Interest Groups (FIG) programs 'peer support systems for entering students at a public university in the northeast' were believed to contribute to positive retention outcomes, but had not been evaluated to determine their impact on student retention. The rationale for this project study was the absence of formal evaluations to determine retention program effectiveness. The results are important to enrollment management staff and academic program coordinators whose job responsibilities are tied to student retention. Bean's nine themes of college student retention provided the conceptual framework for this study. Research questions considered the likelihood that retention and persistence to graduation …


Restructuring High School Science Curriculum: A Program Evaluation, Cathy Robertson Jan 2015

Restructuring High School Science Curriculum: A Program Evaluation, Cathy Robertson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

One rural Midwestern high school discovered a discrepancy among school, state, and national science skill attainment, verified by ACT scores. If students do not acquire vital science skills, they may not perform proficiently on science tests, thus impacting future college options. Inquiry based instruction and constructivism provided the basis for the theoretical framework. This study questioned associations between ACT scores, inquiry science technique usage, and ACT standard usage (Phase 1), and teachers' views on science instruction (Phase 2). This sequential explanatory mixed methods program evaluation included 469 ACT scores, surveys sent to 9 science teachers, and 8 interviews. Phase 1 …


Evaluating The Effects Of The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program On Middle School Bullying, Michelle Marie Kendrick Jan 2015

Evaluating The Effects Of The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program On Middle School Bullying, Michelle Marie Kendrick

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This project study addressed the problem of bullying, victimization, and the awareness of these activities at a public suburban middle school in Northwest Georgia. The study school implemented the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP) in 2009, yet had not evaluated the program to identify whether or not it met its goals after 1 year of implementation. Using a quasiexperimental, goal-free program evaluation, the research questions explored whether or not the OBPP succeeded in reducing the student reported rates of bullying and victimization while also increasing awareness of such activities. A Mann Whitney U test was utilized for analysis due to …


The Design, Implementation, And Evaluation Of A Professional Development Program, Ellen Riina Hirsch Jan 2015

The Design, Implementation, And Evaluation Of A Professional Development Program, Ellen Riina Hirsch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffective professional development is a longstanding problem in education. Locally, the school district in the study lacked a comprehensive system for evaluating their secondary level professional development programs. The purpose of this case study was to investigate the district's professional development program, specifically examining its perceived strengths and weaknesses. The conceptual framework of the study was systems theory and the adaptive schools reform model. The research questions examined the perceptions of various school personnel on their experiences with the current professional development program at the study district's high school. Individual interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of 3 teachers, …


Program Evaluation: A Federal Agency's Air Traffic Control Train-The-Trainer Program, Lisa Marie Mercer Jan 2015

Program Evaluation: A Federal Agency's Air Traffic Control Train-The-Trainer Program, Lisa Marie Mercer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2014, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) highlighted to the U.S. Senate the need to focus on air traffic control (ATC) training to meet job qualification and attrition rates within the career field. One U.S. Department of Defense military service assists the FAA in providing worldwide ATC services. This service is referred to as the agency throughout this paper to ensure confidentiality. The agency's ATC career field manager echoed the FAA's call for action in his 2014 Strategic/Action Plan. In August 2013, the agency's ATC trainer program was published. As of December 2015, the program had not been evaluated. The …


Students' Perceptions And Experiences Of A Diversity And Inclusion Training Program At A Community College, Norma I. Corral-Chandler Jan 2014

Students' Perceptions And Experiences Of A Diversity And Inclusion Training Program At A Community College, Norma I. Corral-Chandler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A community college developed a diversity and inclusion training program, Maximizing Our Strengths as an Inclusive Community (MOSAIC), to address the lack of diversity training for students and staff. However, the program had not been evaluated. The purpose of this study was to learn about students' perceptions and experiences of the MOSAIC program. Guided by theories of constructivism and components of critical race theory related to critical studies in Whiteness, social identity theory, and best practices for diversity and inclusion training, this study explored how students described the effectiveness of the program. Interview data for this responsive program evaluation using …


With Scholarship & Practice In Mind: The Case Study As Research Method, Paula Dawidowicz Jan 2011

With Scholarship & Practice In Mind: The Case Study As Research Method, Paula Dawidowicz

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Unlike theoretical scholars who seek knowledge to expand humanity’s (or their) understanding of a topic, scholar practitioners seek knowledge that can be applied to understand change or create change in a specific phenomenon. Although many of the same research methods can be used by both groups of educational scholars, and although research designs are determined in large part by the research questions being asked, several research methods can prove most useful for scholar practitioners examining learning environments. One, the case study, stands out as perhaps the most versatile and researcher-friendly, though. A case study, bounded by specific location and topic …